Can we judge others?

Are We The Sin Police?

Q. I just got around to reading “The Way It Was Meant To Be” and just wanted to say you’ve got to be careful making it sound like we are never to confront sin in others. Some like to call it “judging”, which is a favored term for those who shy away from possibly offending a brother or sister over doing the right thing and in a loving manner helping/correcting them. It’s not “judging”.The Bible tells us to confront sin. Jesus did it often. One example was the woman at the well. He didn’t just chat with her and then say “have a nice day”. He confronted her with her sin and told her to sin no more. There are times when believers are to do the same. When they don’t, they can easily be construed as approving of the sins being committed around them.

A. In Matt. 7:1-5 Jesus said,

“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”

Each of us has enough to worry about with our own sins to preclude being so eager to correct others. Jesus could confront people because He was without sin. Remember, He also said, “Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.” (John 8:7) It’s not our responsibility to approve or disapprove of the behavior of others. In 1 Cor. 4:5 we’re told to judge nothing until the appointed time, when the Lord will come and expose man’s hidden motives.

When someone sins against us specifically we can confront them (Matt. 18:15) But even if they don’t apologize we are to forgive them 70 X 7 times if need be (Matt. 18:23). If their behavior is a public embarrassment to the Lord we’re not to associate with them (1 Cor. 5:11) but nowhere in the Bible are we called to be the “sin police”.

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