"Judge not, that ye be not judged."
-Matthew 7:1
Few verses are quoted quite so often as Matthew 7:1, and few are taken out of context nearly as much. What few people realize is that the same Bible that says, "Judge not..." also says, " But he that is spiritual judgeth all things..." (I Corinthians 2:15) To some, this may seem like a contradiction, but the fact is there is one type of judging that we are commanded to do.
Discerning
"But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil."-Hebrews 5:14
Oftentimes, a Christian cannot make even the slightest discernment between good and evil without being accused of "judging." (Especially if exercising such discernment would mean that a given individual actually did something wrong!) But the Word of God tells us in Malachi 3:18, "Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not." It is evident that using discernment is not a sin; just the opposite: not to use it is a sin!
As I have often said, pointing out what the Bible says about any given issue is not judging; it is simply pointing out the judgment that God has already passed on that subject. When we start leaning on our own understanding, rather than the Word of the Lord, that's when judging becomes sinful.
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