Who Are You to Judge?

It is so easy to look at others and point a condemning finger at the wrong in their lives.  One of the reasons humans are so quick to do this is because it takes the spotlight off them.  Some people like the lime light until that light exposes wrong in their lives.  Nobody can honestly say they like having their sin exposed.  Some people appreciate having Christians to whom they can be accountable hopefully decreasing sin’s frequency in their life, but knowing you need something and actually wanting it are two completely different emotions.  I know I should eat right if I am going to remain in good health, but that certainly does not mean I want to eat right; I would much rather be a glutton.  I know I need sin exposed in my life to eliminate it, but I would much rather keep it hidden and covered.  So, how should we deal with sin?

James wrote, “Do not speak evil against one another, brothers.  The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law.  But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge” (4:11).  When we point our fingers at others’ sin, speak evil about them and judge them we completely go against what the inspired James wrote.  It is very tempting to “play God” about other people’s sin if you are trying to divert attention away from the sin that is in your own life.  When we “play God,” we again go against what James wrote next, “There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy.  But who are you to judge your neighbor?” (4:12).  What a rhetorical slap in the face!

Let us not go without remembering what James’ brother, Jesus Christ, said, “Judge not, that you be not judged” (Matt. 7:1).  This certainly does not mean Christians should go without correcting sin because Jesus went on to say, “You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye” (Matt. 7:5).  Nowhere in this sermon did Jesus call for “righteous judgment.”  He only calls for Christians helping others remove the sin in there life only after Christians have dealt with the sin in there own lives.  So, who are you to judge?  Nobody, there is only one judge, so let’s leave it to him and concentrate on helping the sinner.