Scripture to Read: Matthew 7:2
Judging others is sinful when the judgment is made in a critical, condemning, and condescending way. Jesus tells us in Matthew 7:2, “For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you.” This is a great reminder we must commit to memory. The moment we feel like we need to judge someone on some issue, God’s Word reminds us that whatever way we judge someone, we’re going to be judged by others the same way. Knowing we can be judged the same way causes us to examine why we plan to judge someone else and how we will judge another person. So far, Jesus has said not to judge so that we will not be judged, and if we judge, we’ll be judged in the same way. When we examine more of God’s Word, we find in Romans 14 that Christians judged each other about whether it was right to eat certain meat. This was an issue due to some of the laws God had given to the nation of Israel about certain animals being unclean. God did this because the pagan nations used those “unclean” animals for their pagan worship, and God wanted Israel set apart so that their worship of Him looked nothing like pagan worship. But Christ fulfilled God’s Law on our behalf, so when Gentiles started becoming Christians, they ate meat that Jewish Christians considered unclean. In Romans 14, God warns us not to allow our freedom in Christ to cause someone else to stumble (Romans 14:13, & 21, 1 Corinthians 8:13).
Challenge & Application
· According to what God taught us today, what should we consider before judging someone else?
· What would judgment look like if everyone took to heart that they’d be judged the same way they judged someone else?
Don’t forget to pray using the A.C.T.S. (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication) method!