Don't Judge Me!

(Image courtesy of http://ptpa.com.)

"Don't judge me" is a phrase used by many today.  It is most commonly used in times of defense, when someone feels judged for doing something wrong.  But this phrase is often times sorely misused.


Judgment is a word that means "to condemn" or "to announce a verdict."  Thinking in terms of a literal judge in a courtroom this makes sense.  Once the entire case has been heard, the judge makes his or her final verdict, condemnation, or judgment - whichever you prefer.  Judgment must be used when it comes to the upholding of the law of the land.  Without it, chaos would ensue.

Recently, I encountered a girl on Facebook who is a practicing homosexual.  Her post exclaimed that she was sick and tired of people using the Bible as an argument against homosexuality.  She then cited Romans 14:4, which reads: "Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another?  It is before his own master that he stands or falls.  And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand."

She makes a valid, truthful point in that we - meaning Christians - are not to judge those outside the church; meaning, we are not to condemn anyone for what they do, for they are living in ignorance to sin.  After all, Jesus Himself "did not come into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world" (John 3:17).  For what grounds have we to stand on to judge another?  Romans 3:23 says, "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."  Where, then, is there any room for judgment?  There is no right to judge or condemn anyone for we all are equal in God's eyes.  Leave the judging to God alone, who knows the heart of each individual perfectly and fully.

Still, there remains a problem with the thinking of many people today.  Stating the truth is not passing judgment.  Take this story, for instance: Two friends go to a restraunt to eat.  Friend #1 orders a grilled, organic chicken sandwich on whole wheat bread while Friend #2 orders a double-bacon cheeseburger with french fries and a milkshake on the side.  A passerby - an innocent child - says to Friend #2, "You're not eating very healthy food."  Friend #2 stands up and says, "Don't judge me!"  Is the passerby wrong in their statement?  Relatively speaking, no!  The food is not healthy.  That is a fact.  Yet this is only a minor example of what many people are doing today.

Speaking the truth is not passing judgment.  Speaking the truth is simply stating a fact.  When the listener interprets this statement of truth as judgment, it most likely shows that the listener is questioning their own behavior as right or wrong.  "Don't judge me" is a defense mechanism designed by the devil as a way to deceive people into justifying that what they are doing is okay.  It is a way of passing responsibility for their actions on to someone - or something - else.  And where there is no responsibility, there is no realization for the need for repentance.

In closing, let us re-examine the issue of homosexuality.  Homosexuality is most definitely wrong - and that is truth, not judgment.  (Note: The reason it is not judgment is because the case is not yet closed.  Judgments are made at the end of the hearing.  Since a practicing homosexual is still alive, they still have the choice to repent and accept forgiveness in Jesus, in which case they would not be guilty of sin.)

But what about pre-marital sex?  Many Christians are so quick to denounce homosexuality and gay marriage as evil and wrong - which these practices are.  Yet where is the tenacious attack against all sin?  What about the teenage sons and teenage daughters who are engaging in pre-marital sex?  What about the "Christian" husband who leaves his wife for another woman?  What about lust after the opposite sex?  Are these sins not equally detestable?  (To leave no doubt, yes!  Indeed, sin is sin, and any sin separates us from God the Father.)

My challenge, then, is to speak the truth - the whole truth - in love; that is, with genuine care and compassion.  The Truth is this:

First: All humans have sinned; in whatever for or fashion, we all have sinned.
Second: All humans need to be saved from our sin.  Unless we are saved, we will go to eternal death.
Third: The only way to be saved from our sin is by repenting - literally, turning away - from our sin.
Fourth: The second step in repentance is to turn toward Jesus, where forgiveness is offered freely - both to the practicing homosexual and the practicing heterosexual.

My friends, let us speak the truth in love, not passing judgment, knowing in our hearts that we all deserve death.  "But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!" (I Corinthians 15:57).


Satan accuses with lies.  Jesus forgives with truth.
Stop living with the enemy; repent and turn to freedom in Jesus!