I have read recently that Matthew 7:1, “Judge not, that you be not judged” has replaced John 3:16 as the most quoted verse. I have to say I haven’t checked the veracity of that statement, nor do I have any idea how one goes about counting the usage of particular verses.
I have, however, noticed a “whatever goes” mentality in modern society as well as among Christians and along with that a reluctance to accept criticism or correction.
That isn’t what Jesus said or meant. In fact, John records the Lord as having said to use righteous judgment rather than appearances when one is judging. We should not judge the worth of a person by any standard other than God’s. In that case, all humanity is worth a great deal. God created humanity because He loved us – even when He knew we would fail and break his heart.
God loved us so much that He came to earth in human form to die on a cross so that we could live forever with Him in glory. There’s John 3:16 again.
To judge any person, regardless of any outward or inward condition, as unworthy of God’s grace and basic human respect is to judge God to be fallible at best and dishonest at worst.
What, then, do we do about the impenitent? It is certainly easy to see the likes of Hitler, Stalin or other murderous megalomaniacs as evil and worthy of both human and divine punishment.
We should be careful even with that. Divine punishment is reserved for God alone. What He does in his omniscient wisdom is His business and we dare not interfere.
In that wisdom, God has given humanity the responsibility of judging and regulating human behavior. Most of us remember the covenant that God made with Noah after the flood. He promised never to flood the earth again. What we sometimes miss is that He also gave man the responsibility to deal with murderers.
In doing so, God gave man the responsibility to rule his own behavior. So we have some responsibility to judge. Without going too deep into the Old Testament, God gave the patriarchs the responsibility over their families as priest and judge. Under the Law of Moses, He gave the priests, Levites and prophets the responsibility to teach.
Elders of the cities and priests were also to be the judges in criminal cases.
The New Testament brought forth a different form of government. The church was to encompass the entire earth and be made up of people from all nations.
It is not the church’s job to regulate the behavior of society through laws. God gives that responsibility to human government.
Rather the church should act as a thermostat, setting the tone for the basic morality of society. It is that morality from which our laws come.
When society lives in rebellion to God, it is sin and it is the church’s position to confront that rebellion in two ways. Preaching the gospel judges the activities of society against the righteousness of God.
Whenever the gospel is preached, the sins of society, both corporate and individual, are confronted in such a way as to encourage repentance – a turning away from rebellion and toward God’s righteousness.
The second way is to live the gospel. The church cannot hope to reach those without Christ unless their actions match their message. In other words, the walk has to match the talk.
Every Christian knows, or should know, that he or she is no better than anyone else. We are all sinners. The difference is in salvation and knowledge.
Christians have been saved through the knowledge of the truth and the knowledge of the truth and of our salvation should also build in us a desire to behave in line with God’s righteousness and result in better behavior.
The preaching and living of the gospel is not always well received by those living in rebellion.
Some will come to Christ, but others may go further into rebellion and claim that they are being judged.
That is true to this extent – behavior and belief systems are being judged. The reason for that judgment is the desire by God and His people that all should enjoy the benefits of a right relationship with the Divine.
No human being is unworthy of such a relationship. Those of us who have that relationship would do well to remember that and as Paul said, “speak the truth in love.”