The Place Of Making Judgments In The Christian Worldview

       While it is true that Christ condemned making people abide by hypocritical standards (Matthew 7:1-5), we still are under the obligation to "judge righteous judgment" (John 7:24). In other words, we need to judge in a fair and morally consistent manner. We need to lovingly confront erring brethren about doctrinal and moral failings. We should not hold other people to standards that we ourselves cannot keep. Good judgment forms the basis for sound ethics.

       The possession of a hypocritical mentality places a person in no rightful position to be casting judgment on others who have the same faults. We should not pretend to that we have higher morals and values than we actually do. That is lying. If three robbers are guilty of stealing money from a bank, then how can they point their fingers at each other and claim personal innocence before a judge when they are guilty? 

        If a moral proposition is true, then it is applicable to all people at all places and times. Any contrary statement to this is, by definition, nonsense. There are rightful times for us to judge. There are wrongful times for us to be judging. For example, we cannot make definitive pronouncements as to the salvation status of professing Christians because only God knows the hearts of men. There are situations in which judging has been excessively or prematurely done.

       This is a basic presentation on biblical teaching regarding human judgment. There are proper applications of and conditions for judgment. The popular notion that it is morally wrong to judge is false. Hypocrisy is a sin. Arrogance is a sin. These are real issues that need to be addressed. Whenever people critique a given concept, they are rendering a judgement as to its validity.