Should Christians Be Judgmental?

Reflection: Who is to judge?   Many times Christians are accused of being judgmental and sometimes rightfully so.  Paul gives us some very valuable teaching, as he confronts the worldly behavior happening in the Corinthian church. After hearing of some of the exploits of the believers, he tells them to expel the immoral brother, who refuses to turn from his behavior or make amends for it.  He even goes as far as to command that they not even eat with this person. His reasoning is twofold.  One, this behavior will be a bad reflection for the body of Christ. Two, perhaps with this type of “tough love” the person might return to God and then be welcomed back into the fellowship. 

As he teaches on this subject he makes an interesting distinction.  He says we are not to judge the world, which he terms “those on the outside”.  Only God will judge the human heart.  He further reasons that we can expect bad behavior for those who aren’t in Christ, after all they are only acting according to their nature. Yet, believers have been redeemed, and have become a new creation in Christ so there is a different standard. 

Then he uses this logic in chapter 6 to say that believers should work out issues between themselves, before having to go to court and taking it to the ungodly for judgment. He reasons if two believers can’t work something out with a spirit of reconciliation guided by biblical reasoning and the power of the Spirit, than what hope do they have in court.  These are challenging words for us to hear today! 

It is easy to decry, “Ain’t it awful out there in the world!” In in some cases it really is, as we have been reminded of recently.  But the question is what are we going to do about it?  And that starts with what God has already done about it, by sending His Son into the world not to condemn the world but save it.  As we receive God’s saving grace, we are to be Christ’s ambassadors not by judging the world but sharing the Good News that saved a wretch like us.  And that sometimes starts by getting along with the people God has called you into fellowship with in the local church.  If we can’t get along, then what does that say to the world?  This echoes Jesus prayer in John 17, “Father may they be one as we are one!” 

If you have an issue with another believer resolve it today before the sun goes down, so we can be about the work God has given us to be ambassadors of the Good News!

Psalm 52

For the director of music. A maskil of David. When Doeg the Edomite had gone to Saul and told him: “David has gone to the house of Ahimelek.”

1 Why do you boast of evil, you mighty hero?

    Why do you boast all day long,

    you who are a disgrace in the eyes of God?

2 You who practice deceit,

    your tongue plots destruction;

    it is like a sharpened razor.

3 You love evil rather than good,

    falsehood rather than speaking the truth.

4 You love every harmful word,

    you deceitful tongue!

5 Surely God will bring you down to everlasting ruin:

    He will snatch you up and pluck you from your tent;

    he will uproot you from the land of the living.

6 The righteous will see and fear;

    they will laugh at you, saying,

7 “Here now is the man

    who did not make God his stronghold

but trusted in his great wealth

    and grew strong by destroying others!”

8 But I am like an olive tree

    flourishing in the house of God;

I trust in God’s unfailing love

    for ever and ever.

9 For what you have done I will always praise you

    in the presence of your faithful people.

And I will hope in your name,

    for your name is good.

Job 29

Job’s Final Defense

29 Job continued his discourse:

2 “How I long for the months gone by,

    for the days when God watched over me,

3 when his lamp shone on my head

    and by his light I walked through darkness!

4 Oh, for the days when I was in my prime,

    when God’s intimate friendship blessed my house,

5 when the Almighty was still with me

    and my children were around me,

6 when my path was drenched with cream

    and the rock poured out for me streams of olive oil.

7 “When I went to the gate of the city

    and took my seat in the public square,

8 the young men saw me and stepped aside

    and the old men rose to their feet;

9 the chief men refrained from speaking

    and covered their mouths with their hands;

10 the voices of the nobles were hushed,

    and their tongues stuck to the roof of their mouths.

11 Whoever heard me spoke well of me,

    and those who saw me commended me,

12 because I rescued the poor who cried for help,

    and the fatherless who had none to assist them.

13 The one who was dying blessed me;

    I made the widow’s heart sing.

14 I put on righteousness as my clothing;

    justice was my robe and my turban.

15 I was eyes to the blind

    and feet to the lame.

16 I was a father to the needy;

    I took up the case of the stranger.

17 I broke the fangs of the wicked

    and snatched the victims from their teeth.

18 “I thought, ‘I will die in my own house,

    my days as numerous as the grains of sand.

19 My roots will reach to the water,

    and the dew will lie all night on my branches.

20 My glory will not fade;

    the bow will be ever new in my hand.’

21 “People listened to me expectantly,

    waiting in silence for my counsel.

22 After I had spoken, they spoke no more;

    my words fell gently on their ears.

23 They waited for me as for showers

    and drank in my words as the spring rain.

24 When I smiled at them, they scarcely believed it;

    the light of my face was precious to them.

25 I chose the way for them and sat as their chief;

    I dwelt as a king among his troops;

    I was like one who comforts mourners.

1 Corinthians 5:9-6:8

9 I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— 10 not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. 11 But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or slanderer, a drunkard or swindler. Do not even eat with such people. 12 What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? 13 God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked person from among you.”

Lawsuits Among Believers

6 If any of you has a dispute with another, do you dare to take it before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the Lord’s people? 2 Or do you not know that the Lord’s people will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases? 3 Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life! 4 Therefore, if you have disputes about such matters, do you ask for a ruling from those whose way of life is scorned in the church? 5 I say this to shame you. Is it possible that there is nobody among you wise enough to judge a dispute between believers? 6 But instead, one brother takes another to court—and this in front of unbelievers! 7 The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated? 8 Instead, you yourselves cheat and do wrong, and you do this to your brothers and sisters.

The unfolding of your words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple. Psalm 119:130

Therefore we must pay greater attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away from it. Hebrews 2:1

Eternal God, before scripture was read, people heard your words from your servants; you even said to listen for it among the young. Be with all who are called to share your words – ministers and teachers, prophetic leaders, wise and imaginative people in your churches – and be with all who hear, that we might understand and respond. Amen.