Love and Judgment in the Christian Walk
And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.
Matthew 24:12
“Love, don’t judge”
“Live and let live”
“Spread positivity”
“Good vibes only”
These are just a few of the common quotes spoken by those in the world, and by professing Christians whose heart may be in the right place, but who are deceived into the current worldview that our job is to quietly approve every behavior and lifestyle, and to avoid saying anything that would be deemed offensive or judgmental.
But is that what scripture says?
Giving the Hard Word
“Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; REPROVE, REBUKE, and EXHORT with all longsuffering and doctrine.” (2 Timothy 4:2)
“Now we exhort you, brethren, WARN them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men.” (1 Thessalonians 5:14)
“And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather REPROVE them.” (Ephesians 5:11)
“Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner,
And a stone of stumbling, and a ROCK OF OFFENSE, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.” (1 Peter 2:7-8)
“And they were OFFENDED in him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house.” (Matthew 13:57)
Righteous Judgement
Likewise, the first verse of the following passage is often cited to prove that judgement of any kind is ungodly. However, look at the context:
“Judge not, that ye be not judged.
For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.
And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?
Thou hypocrite, FIRST cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and THEN shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.” (Matthew 7:1-5)
The point of this passage is to clearly warn against hypocrisy.
If you are still dead in your sins, who are you to cast judgment on others dead in theirs? That is why we are commanded to judge RIGHTEOUS judgement (John 7:24). You can’t judge righteously if you haven’t yet been made righteous.
Rather, the entire New Testament is FILLED with one example after another of holy children of God “judging” — not acting as the final Judge and condemning anyone to hell, but BOLDLY warning others of sin, reproving the works of darkness, exhorting the brethren, calling everyone to repentance, and being UNASHAMED to speak truth in love.
“Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolators, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,
Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.” (1 Corinthians 6:9-10)
“Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I TELL YOU BEFORE, as I have also TOLD YOU IN TIME PAST, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.”(Galatians 5:19-21)
“And they went out, and preached that men should repent.” (Mark 6:12)
“And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:
And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.” (Luke 24:46-47)
True Love
Love warns. Love exhorts. Love expounds the way of freedom to those who are in bondage. That is REAL love! Not standing on the sidelines passively watching those you care about skip down the road to destruction, waving and wishing them Godspeed all in the name of “positivity.”
“Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.” (James 4:4)
You can’t be a light if you’re not willing to expose darkness.
The world will judge you according to their own guilt, and they will hate us because they hated Him first. They will call us unloving, judgmental, close-minded, and any accusation under the sun simply because we love them enough to show them the Truth.
But count it all joy!
“Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.
Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:10-17)
