Is judging others always wrong?

If you’re alive in the 21st century, you know it’s open season on framing Christians as judgmental, bigoted, and homophobic because of their position on some hot-button issues. And it's not just a gentle disagreement; it's an all-out vitriol of demonization.

So, is it true? Is disagreeing or opposing something the same as judging?

The other day I saw someone tossing a fast-food bag from the window of a car and immediately thought, “That’s wrong.” And while I didn’t like it, its wrongness had nothing to do with me; it was a violation of section 403.413 of the Florida Statutes. My “judgment” came from agreeing with an established code I had nothing to do with creating.

Standards of right and wrong are nearly always handed down by authorities higher than ourselves. While we may not always agree with them, most of us live with an understanding that the state is responsible for establishing and enforcing laws within its jurisdiction.

Christians live with the worldview that God created the world and handed down the ground rules for how it was to work in the Bible; His sandbox, His jurisdiction. This means that while we may or may not always agree with them, we had nothing to do with their creation. We are simply choosing to stand on the side of the higher authority that did.

In our country's judicial system, there are two parts to a criminal trial: litigation and sentencing. Litigation is about determining if a law has been violated, and sentencing is about determining the penalty for the violation. While litigation involves the human opinions of lawyers and a jury of peers, sentencing does not. That is left to a representative of the state, the judge, except when the death penalty is an option. The jury can “judge” or determine if something is wrong, but only the higher authority can impose a penalty for that wrong.

This is the backdrop of Jesus' often-quoted statement, “Let him who is without fault cast the first stone” (John 8:1-11). A woman had been caught in adultery and brought to Jesus. While He never rebuked her accusers for being judgmental for finding her guilty of wrongdoing (litigation), He did make them think twice about picking up stones to execute the penalty for that wrong (sentencing). It was above their pay grade: no stone-throwing allowed.

It was Jesus who said, “Do not judge, or you too will be judged," which is a real crowd-pleaser for villainizing those who label something as wrong. Yet this passage of Scripture (Matthew 7:1-5) is actually saying just the opposite. Jesus didn't have a problem with the calling out of wrong, but He did when it was laced with hypocrisy:

“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” (Matthew 7:5).

This is so important! The sword of truth cuts both ways, and there's no place for hypocritically pointing out the wrongs of others. While Jesus calls us to lovingly help one another in the removal of specks (wrongs), He challenges us to first deal with our own logs (even bigger wrongs) before seizing the scalpel. This makes it possible to "see clearly" through a lens of humility and grace.

Another favorite of the “Christians are so judgmental” brigade is to say that since Jesus didn’t come to judge, we shouldn't either. Yet from the context of John 3:16-21, we learn He said this because the world He loved was already under the judgment of God. Since His mission was to save people, He often pointed out their wrongs so they would repent and embrace the salvation He was offering. If they chose to reject it, they would eventually experience the penalty phase of His judgment (John 3:36).

When my wife and I were the parents of five young children, we found ourselves having to be both jury and judge. We litigated to determine wrong and also imposed the sentence. But as grandparents, our role has changed. While we see wrong in our grandchildren and, at times, call it out, the penalty phase belongs to their parents. Our job is to just keep loving them through the annoyance and inconvenience. The pressure is off.

God calls each of us to live as “grandparents” in His world. While we stand with Him in His determination of wrong, the penalty phase belongs to Him alone. If we impose the sentence of hate, slander, or withholding love, we're way out of line. We can and should fight destructive ideologies in the marketplace of ideas and at the ballot box, but not with stones. He calls us to love and demonstrate His wonder amid the firestorm.

Someday the hammer will fall, but today is not that day.

In the meantime, let’s work with Jesus in His heart to redeem and save rather than sentence and execute. If we do, we'll discover it's a way more effective and enjoyable way to live.