By Rich Monson

We need to address one of the most abused and misused sections of Scripture today in our generation. And keep addressing it, until the wrongly divided and mishandled use of it, is predominantly put to rest. Please take a walk with me on this and then share with others, and lets get back to being about our Fathers business.
Half of that business is feeding them solid food, the other is protection from error, false teaching, heresy, wolves and hirelings. Both in love and because of love.

The section we are going to briefly consider is in Matthew 7
“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.
And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?
Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite!
First remove the plank from your own eye,
and then you will see clearly
to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”
(Matthew 7:1-5)

The Lord’s admonition not to judge is one of the most abused and misunderstood verses today. As the Lord immediately goes into the rest of that same chapter instructing the need to make judgement of false teachers/prophets, false profession, false foundations.

It cannot be said often enough, so I must.
That there are many who confuse Biblical aspects of correction with judgement

8 of 10 people totally miss the context of Matt 7 and dealing with judging.

Not considering who He was talking to, when, in what setting.
Not considering what the people had falsely been taught by the unsaved, blind Pharisees. Remembering He had told them that their righteousness must go beyond theirs, which until the Sermon on the Mt. They would not have grasped. Because it went to the depth of the heart, not just the outside of the cup.

Jesus was warning the people and disciples in the sermon on the mt against the same exterior self righteousness of the Pharisees, though they had never been made righteous before God.

That is why those who have had the beam removed (those that once were blind,) now being able to see may help their brother remove the speck out of their own eye afterwards.

An unsaved person has no ability to help others, when they themselves are blinded and to attempt to do so is hypocritical, when oneself has not even first been made right with God themselves, thus the hypocritical judgement of Matthew 7. This is the erred judgement of Matthew 7 Jesus addresses. The blind attempting to lead the blind.

As stated earlier, Jesus also goes on in Matthew 7 to command us to make judgement concerning false teachers, false professions, false foundations.
In other places we are told judgement starts at the house of God and that we are to make righteous judgement, and we are told the Word judges people already, on and on we can go. (1 Peter 4:17, John 7:24, John 12:48)
God surely does not want His children walking around making rash judgments, meaning just being critical, “wagging their finger” as a brother used to say.

But there is a grave difference between the hardhearted person doing this simply to point fingers, versus those being obedient to love on, warn and call others to obedient walks, in accordance with the Word of God and what He has called His children to do and walk in.

Sadly because of rebellion and sin, because of Biblical illiteracy these truths get so twisted and repeated, being regurgitated from one pulpit and generation to the next, with many not obeying 2 Tim 2:15, and despite what many think, are those who have become workman ashamed for they are not dividing the Word of God properly. Especially with this section in our generation.

Many times when someone says, “Don’t judge me man!” Or “Who are you to judge?!” Or “The bible says you are not suppose to judge so get off me!” or “We cannot judge them, Jesus said judge not. . .”

Yet many times is not even judgement going on at all.

But many times it is actually one of the many things God has clearly said that we as Christians and Churches are to be found doing. Including rightly dividing the Word and naming names as did Paul, and warning the Church of false teachers and those in error, as did Paul, even confronting Peter face to face at one point regarding error.
But many times it is not judgement going on at all, but it is also such things as: Encouraging others to be obedient, exhorting one another daily, instruction, correction, word of warning, rebuke and even sharp rebuke at times, discipline and admonishment, all things that those who know the Word should in love and a spirit of gentleness considering them own-selves should be found doing, as the Word of God has called us to.
But none of these things are “judging” in the hypocritical manner in which Jesus speaks of. And most are deceived, in error, or unfaithful stewards in their handling of the truth of the Word of God when saying so.

That’s the truth of it. Whether it is comfortable or not, convenient or not, costly or not, we need to get back to walking according to His Word, being God pleasers instead of men pleasers; Instead of being like the Pharisees who loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.

So that when others love us enough or others, enough to do what is hard and bring these needed truths to the forefront.
That we would not flesh out, making excuses. That we would not reject them under false pretense of being “Judging” but be those receiving loving correction from those who want to see our walks and lives be blessed and glorify God, by submitting to one another in the fear of the Lord.

Lord help us to be molded by Your truth, to be set aside by it
(John 17:17) And forgive us for bending it to our comfort zones in our rebellion and self seeking ways.