Good Thoughts from Ian Owens on Judging

• Posted on January 24, 2016 at 2:50 pm

Note from Sony: If you are friends with Ian Owens on Facebook, you may have already seen the following. However, the message is important, and Ian communicated it very well, so I feel like it is worth posting again here. Plus I know that not all my readers are on Facebook and may not be familiar with Ian or Soul’d Out Quartet. Thank you to Ian for his permission to post this.

STOP IT!!! Just STOP!!! I’ve talked about this before, but I need to talk about it again. “The Bible says judge not!” This is being thrown around constantly. It’s being shouted by the unbeliever to the believer when they are told they are living in sin, and it is also being shouted by the believer who has never been taught correctly. Most recently, I’ve seen it used by one believer to another to say that church discipline shouldn’t happen because the person being disciplined is being judged and the Bible says we are supposed to love and support and “Judge not!”

Some believe that Jesus said we are to love each other so we shouldn’t judge each other. Those same people are confused about what “judge” means. “Judge” has been colloquially used to mean different things, so semantically it’s all convoluted. It doesn’t mean to condemn, to look down on, or to have prejudices. It means to make a decision based on knowing what is right and wrong. We ARE commanded to love all equally and to not be respecters of persons, yet we ARE ALSO commanded to rebuke and discipline. The Bible doesn’t say, “Judge not.” It says:

“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” (Matthew 7:1-2).

This means that, when we judge or make a judgement, we are to live by the same standards we use to judge, and we should be prepared to accept the same consequences we mete out. We judge and make judgements every day. If a sex offender lived down the street from you, would you let your children play at his/her house? Why or why not? Any answer you give is based on a judgement call which comes from judging.

So many in the world and “church” are getting it wrong. Grace is a wonderful gift, but we are still accountable and responsible as Christians! Let’s say that a fellow Christian is addicted to pornography. He/she is actively grieving and quenching the Holy Spirit and is living an unrepentant life. It doesn’t make the rebuked less than the rebuker. And, if handled appropriately, it doesn’t mean the one doing the rebuking and judging doesn’t first love the judged. Sure, God’s grace is abundant, but we are not meant to use up that abundance with purposeful intent.

“What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?” (Romans 6:1-2).

It is the church’s responsibility to promote and preserve a lifestyle of holiness in its members.

“Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted” (Galatians 6:1).

“For the scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. And, The labourer is worthy of his reward. Against an elder receive not an accusation, but before two or three witnesses. Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear. I charge thee before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the elect angels, that thou observe these things without preferring one before another, doing nothing by partiality” (1 Timothy 5:18-21).

“Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables” (2 Timothy 4:2-4, KJV)

That passage from 2 Timothy is where so many churches are today: looking for that happy, feel-good gospel that tickles the ears.

The bottom line is people today believe that once they are adults they are beyond reproach, rebuke, accountability, and discipline. That goes equally for “church people.” Those of you with children … do you discipline them? Why? Because they did something wrong? How did you know it was wrong? Did you judge it to be so? Uh oh. When you disciplined them, was it out of hate or was it because you love them? Hmm. So you CAN discipline in love when you know and believe that the behavior correction is for the good of the individual. The only difference between childhood and adulthood is that the authority changes. The authority is no longer our parents, but instead becomes the law, the church, and God. We are accountable!

“Judge not” has become a catch all for people to throw around when they don’t want to be made to feel bad. But we have to feel bad sometimes, folks. We have to. I’ve said this recently, too, but it’s time to stop being spiritual babies. It’s time to become spiritual adults. Grow up and stop throwing away the verses that make you uncomfortable and offend your “sensibilities.”

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