Judge not lest… I say again judge not lest… Most of us know the rest of that sentence – ye be judged. Judge not lest ye be judged. You have probably heard this before. Maybe you’ve even said it to a street evangelist before or perhaps you have said it to someone witnessing outside an abortion clinic. Frankly, we hear this quite often out on the streets. But is it biblical? Should professing Christians and non-Christians alike tell Christians who openly share their faith that they shouldn’t judge others?
Well, let’s look at some Bible verses. Matthew 7:1 says Judge not, that ye be not judged. Luke 6:37 states Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive and ye shall be forgiven. Then Romans 2:1 tells us Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whosoever you are that judge, for wherein you judge another, thou condemn yourself: for you that judge do the same things.
So it appears that we shouldn’t judge others. But let’s read a little further down these passages. Matthew 7:2-5 states For with what judgment you judge, you shall be judged: and with what measure you mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why behold the mote that is in your brother’s eye, but consider not the beam that is in your own eye? Or how will you say to your brother, Let me pull out the mote out of your eye; and, behold, a beam is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of your own eye; and then shall you see clearly to cast out the mote out of your brother’s eye.
Luke 6:41-42 says And why behold the mote that is in your brother’s eye, but perceive not the beam that is in your own eye? Either how can you say to your brother, Brother, let me pull out the mote that is in your eye, when you yourself behold not the beam that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of your own eye, and then shall you see clearly to pull out the mote that is in your brother’s eye.
Again, the last part of Romans 2:1 says for you that judge do the same things. Do you see a running theme in all three of these sections of Scripture? First of all they are not telling us that we shouldn’t judge others. No, they are saying that we shouldn’t be hypocrites! If I’m standing on a box and telling you that you should get drunk, I shouldn’t be a drunkard. If I’m saying to you that you shouldn’t fornicate, then I shouldn’t be a fornicator. If I tell you that you shouldn’t commit adultery, then I shouldn’t be out committing adultery. The same goes for stealing, coveting and so on.
But even beyond all this, if I’m merely warning you to flee from the wrath to come; if I’m quoting you Scripture straight from the Bible, then how is that judging you in the first place? People don’t want to hear God’s truth, because sinners love their sins (John 3:19-20).
So when I quote you 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, I’m not judging you. I’m reading what the apostle Paul wrote to the people living in Corinth and that same truth still stands today. It still applies to us. Those verses state Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? (We could stop right here with this first part of verse 9. The unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God. Are you an unrighteous person? I’m not judging you; I’m asking you to examine yourself. Does God see you as righteous? (Please keep in mind that the Bible says that there are none righteous, no not one – Romans 3:10).
But 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 goes on to say, Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. Please don’t miss this. I’m not judging you. I’m quoting straight from the Bible. These different groups of sinners shall not inherit the kingdom of God. This is very serious. Satan, the father of lies, has many people deceived.
Relaying this to you is not judging you. It’s warning you to flee from the wrath to come! It’s out of love, that I tell you that if you are an unrepentant sinner, still living ankle deep up to your whole body covered in sin; you are lost and on the broad road to Hell. The Bible says you have no chance of entering into Heaven in your current condition. Even if you think you are saved, even if you profess to be a Christian, God’s word cannot be broken. You are lost and headed for eternal damnation.
Jesus said unless you’ve been born again, that is spiritually born again, you cannot enter into the kingdom of God (John 3:5). If you still love your sins, if you have never repented by turning away from your sins, then you are lost. You are deceived (by Satan the great deceiver) and you are headed for Hell if you continue down the path you are walking.
Jesus is the only way of salvation. Only Jesus saves. But you must turn away from your sin and put your trust in Him. You have to stop counting on a prayer you may have repeated as a child. You have to stop counting on your own goodness. You have to stop believing that you have done more good than bad and that somehow God will give you a free pass. We are not saved by our works. We are only saved by the grace of God through the shed blood of Jesus Christ.
Are you saved? Are you going out tonight to party, to get drunk or high or to get lucky? If so, then you are not saved. You do not hate the things you once loved and now love the One you once hated. You are still in an unregenerate state. You are lost. You are not a true believer – a true follower of Jesus the Messiah. Revelation 21:8 says that all liars will have their part in the lake of fire and brimstone. If you have never surrendered your life to Jesus, then you are headed for that dreadful place.
God will not be mocked. You cannot proclaim Christ as your Savior and live your life for the devil. Repent and believe the Gospel. Jesus lived a perfect, sinless life and He willing laid down His life for guilty sinners like you and me. He suffered God’s wrath, God’s anger over our sin while He hung on that cruel cross. He died there, was buried and Jesus rose victoriously from the grave on the third day. God offers eternal; everlasting life to those who repent and put their faith in Jesus. This is the Good News!
Are you an unrighteous person? I’m not judging you. I’m asking you to truthfully look at yourself. Are deceived? Are you lost and perishing? Or are you saved? Truly saved? Have you been born again? Are you on the narrow road (Matthew 7:13-14)? Is Jesus Christ your Lord and Savior? Are you a new creature in Christ? Have you bowed your knee and confessed with your mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord? Are you following the Master? Do you deny yourself daily and follow Him? I’m not judging you? I’m asking you…are you saved?