Judgment

July 18

2 Chronicles 13-15

Psalm 81:6-10

Proverbs 18:9-10

Romans 14

Judgment

“But you, why do you judge your brother?  Or you again, why do you view your brother with contempt?  For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God.  For it is written, ‘As I live, says the Lord, to Me every knee shall bow, and every tongue shall confess to God.’  So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God.”  Romans 14:10-12 LSB

Passages about judging others in the Bible are popular verses for people to quote.  It seems that even people who are not very familiar with the Bible know those verses well and pull them out to condemn Christians.  It is important when examining those verses that we accurately interpret what they are saying.  Paul is speaking to the church in Rome and he is addressing the divisions and disagreements that were arising from their beliefs about dietary restrictions and holy days.  The Jewish people had very strict rules that they had followed their whole lives and they thought that the new believers needed to follow the same rules.  The new converts didn’t think it was necessary to continue to follow those rules.  Paul was encouraging them not to judge each other, but to focus on unity within the body.  He explained to them that regarding those issues that were not central to their faith, they needed to worry about themselves and let other people do the same.  If they believed that they should abstain from certain foods, Paul told them that they should continue to do that but they shouldn’t judge someone who did not have the same convictions.  Those issues should not be a source of division in the church.  He was not saying that there were no issues in the body that should be addressed.  If there were those teaching contrary to the message of the gospel, Paul called them out and in several of his letters encouraged churches to remove them from their congregation.  He did not tolerate false teachers. 

I’m sure if Paul were alive today he could easily have this same discussion with people about alcohol, tattoos, and a number of other issues.  Ultimately, Paul is saying that on lesser issues it is best to let people decide for themselves what they think is best for them, but on issues of theological importance they should deal with the issues as they arise.  He is not advocating that we never confront people about inappropriate behavior.  We are called as believers to walk beside each other, hold each other accountable and encourage each other.  We are to point people to Jesus.  It is not loving to see someone walking in sin and to ignore it.  We do not condemn them, but we need to address the issue and help them recognize their sin, repent and turn to God.  When the Bible is clear about an issue, we cannot waver on our convictions to go along with cultural norms.  While having an occasional glass of wine or beer is not a sin, getting drunk on a regular basis is.  As a friend and fellow believer, we absolutely should talk to them and explain to them that we think they have a problem and need to address it before it causes issues in their life.  If we know of a friend who is in an inappropriate relationship outside of their marriage, we definitely should address it in a loving way and encourage them to end it, confess and try to restore their marriage.  Paul is not telling us in these passages to mind our own business and don’t get involved.  As believers we are supposed to be involved in the lives of those around us.  When we love people, we cannot ignore sin that will lead them down paths that will be destructive.  We have to be very careful how we do it and spend time in prayer seeking God’s guidance before we do, but we cannot turn a blind eye to sin.  It is a hard thing to do, but it is necessary.  It is also important to recognize our motivation.  If our motive for them is love and concern, it will be received much differently than if we are approaching them in arrogance or in a spirit of condemnation. 

It is also important to note that there will come a day when we will all stand before God in judgment.  We should want those we love to be able to stand before God without fear and trembling.  We should be pointing them to Jesus and encouraging them to live godly lives.  And when we stand before God we do not want Him to ask us why we ignored or condoned sin in someone close to us.  We are not responsible for their actions, but we are responsible for leading and encouraging others to live in a way that is pleasing to God.