“For as long as I can remember, people have taken offense when their sins are called out, often using phrases like ‘you have no right to judge me’ to suggest that morality is relative. Many believe they can live however they choose without God caring, but the truth is that God cares deeply. He calls those who follow His Son to live holy lives. While we cannot achieve sinless perfection on this earth, we must never become comfortable with our sin; instead, we should continually strive to be more like Jesus.”
While we are taught in Matthew 7:3 that we are to get the beam out of our own eye before we address the speck in someone else’s eye. It never says anywhere in scripture to overlook sin. The prior two verses teach us to make sure that when we bring another’s sins to their attention, we are willing to be judged by the same standards.
Matthew 7:1-2 “Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye use, it shall be measured to you again.”
In I Corinthians chapter 3 Paul calls them brethren, these are believers. Then he tells them that he could not speak to them as spiritual people, but as infants in Christ. Is he making a judgment about their spiritual condition? Yes, he is. He tells them they are carnal. Here, the original word means sensual, and things that appeal to the flesh. It is not the behavior of one who seeks to please Jesus, but rather seeks to please themselves. They are Christians, but they have not grown in their faith. He judges their behavior against what God’s word says.
I Corinthians 3:1 “And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.”
In I Corinthians 5 he is still addressing the church at Corinth and he calls them out for allowing sexual immorality to be overlooked in the church. He states that it was common knowledge that the sin of fornication was going on in the church. Not only was this sin a terrible thing for the body of believers, but it would also hinder how the outside world would see them. Sweeping sin under the rug is not only wrong according to God’s word, but it also causes a lost world to think they are okay in their sin. These Christians were arrogant and no longer cared about what God cared about. They should have been humbled and hurt that fellow believers were not seeking to be more like Jesus. God declares in I Peter 1:14-16, I Thessalonians 4:7 and throughout the Old Testament that His people are to be holy. He expects us to seek holiness because He is holy.
I Corinthians 5:1-2 “It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father’s wife. And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you.”
I Peter 1:14-16 “As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness.”
I Thessalonians 4:7 “For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.”
Leviticus 20:26 “You shall be holy to me, for I the LORD am holy and have separated you from the peoples, that you should be mine.”
When holiness is our goal, we will judge ourselves. We are to be a discerning people who seek to please God above our own desires. While no one likes to be judged, to grow spiritually, we must judge our own actions and attitudes. If we do this about everything we do, we will not have to be judged by others. The verses we have in Matthew are not a command not to judge; they are a warning that we must be willing to judge our own lives with the same standard.
While people scream, “Don’t judge me,” we must make judgments. God’s word is full of do’s and don’ts for His people. In our society, people have twisted the word of God to suit their lifestyles and deify anyone to tell them they are wrong. What they do not understand is that God has already made judgments about their sins in His word. We would be wrong not to lovingly point out to someone what God has said.
We must make righteous judgments by going to someone and talking to them about their sin. This must be done out of a heart of love, not with a “pointing the finger” attitude. However, this kind of love lacks greatly in and out of the church. People are so consumed with their own lives that they adopt the attitude, “not my problem.” It is also possible that Christians do not go to others and confront them out of love because they have things in their own lives that they do not want exposed, and they refuse to change. These attitudes and actions that permeate the modern church are killing the church that God created. Our churches are no longer about being a holy people, but they are about being comfortable. God has called us to be agents of restoration to Christians who are living sinful lives. We have the humbling opportunity to love and help someone restore them to a right relationship with our Heavenly Father. He loves them and longs for them to lay aside anything that would hinder their walk with Him. Sometimes it takes us loving and caring enough to invest our time and prayers for them.
When people say, “Don’t judge me,” remind them that God has already defined right and wrong in His Word. We aren’t the judges; we are simply messengers helping one another grow. If a friend loves you enough to risk your rejection by pointing out a sin, be grateful—that is true love in action. It is far better to be corrected now and change than to face the Righteous Judge later with a heart of willful sin.
