Scripture to Read: Matthew 7:1
Probably one of the most misquoted Bible verses in Scripture is found in the Sermon on the Mount. When a brother or sister in Christ is seeking to hold another brother or sister in Christ accountable to an area of their life where there is a sin, often the one being held accountable will defend themselves by quoting Matthew 7:1. Jesus said in Matthew 7:1, “Do not judge so that you will not be judged.” If we only read this verse and nothing else, then all of us would believe that any kind of judgment of someone else would be sinful since Jesus said, “Do not judge.” The problem with this kind of thinking is that it is pulling Scripture out of context. It is always incredibly important to read other Scriptures around a Scripture we want to use to make sure we see the full meaning of what God’s Word is saying. Our Lord Jesus Christ has a lot to teach us in Matthew 7, and how we judge is one biblical principle that Jesus gives us in His Truth so that we do it His way and not ours. It is sad, but too often true, that most people, when judging someone else, judge them based on personal opinion and not based on Biblical Truth. Before we decide to pass any kind of judgment on anyone, the first thing we must do is study God’s Word to see what God says about the issue we plan to judge someone else on. We must have God’s Truth as our foundation, not our preferences or opinions.
Challenge & Application
· What did God teach you today so far about judging others?
· What must we do to make sure we never judge someone based on our feelings or opinions?
Don’t forget to pray using the A.C.T.S. (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication) method!