“Judge not, that you be not judged.” (Matthew 7:1)
Many people—Christians included—tend to pass judgment on others when they behave differently than they do. We are warned not to do it in the Bible. We are not supposed to sit in the heavenly court. We are not fit to judge others, and since we are not perfect ourselves, it is unfair to hold others in low regard.
The right thing to do, though, is to hold other believers accountable for their actions if we believe they are defying God’s plan. In these circumstances, we offer them a gentle caution, embodied in the understanding that we are also susceptible to error. Then, we evaluate a specific deed using the criteria the Lord has provided. It is also our responsibility to be receptive to correction from other believers. By doing this, we support one another in living more and more in accordance with God’s design. However, we are not judges of the world, ourselves, or our brothers and sisters. God alone has the last say over a person’s judgment.
Do you frequently pass judgment on and condemn other people? How can this be altered?
