This is such a common response to the public preaching of the Gospel these days, it is no surprise when you hear it shouted by nonchristians, atheists and even some professing christians! Normally, you don’t have time to do a whole Bible Study on what Jesus is clearly saying in Matthew 7 when you’re up there preaching to a bunch of college students, but I hope this video below and some comments will shed some light on the bad theology and lies these college students are believing.
Greg Laurie outlines in this video the problem with saying “Judge Not”:
“Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. 3 And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? 5 Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” Matthew 7:1-6
This one verse must be read in context like every other verse out there! I hope this will shed some light so that you don’t try to twist the Scriptures for your own desires. I certainly don’t want to do that and I hope that is your hope as well. You see, why would we want to believe in the wrong thing being shared by Jesus Christ, God in the flesh? Man, I’m tired of counterfeits in this world! I’m tired of being screwed by corrupt politicians! I’m tired of being falsely arrested by corrupt police officers! Do you really want a counterfeit $100 bill??? Neither do I! I want the real thing! In the same way, when people misconstrue what the Bible is saying, It only hurts its hearers. Jesus is pointing us to the truth and how to love our neighbor.
I spend much of my younger years not knowing what the Gospel is and I grew up going to church! What a great tragedy that is! I used to think Christianity was a bunch of rules that I had to follow to get right with God and get into Heaven! That wasn’t even close to what the Gospel is! I now know I can’t do anything to get to Heaven. I’m not good enough and I will never lead a good enough life to merit salvation. In fact, I have sinned greatly before a Holy God. My sins were shown to me as being utterly sinful. I saw that God is Holy and set apart from me. He is Just and would have to punish me for my sins. When I realized how sinful I was, I realized how Amazing the message of Jesus is. He was willing to take the punishment I deserved! I deserved to suffer. I deserved God’s wrath. BUT GOD. God demonstrated his love for me in that while I was yet a sinner, CHRIST DIED! That is the beauty of the Gospel… JESUS DIED and ROSE AGAIN.
There is so much fake news out there about the Bible in particular and what the verses mean! And much of the issues with misunderstanding the verses starts with what Paul says about being a “natural man” not receiving the things of God.
“But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 15 But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one. 16 For “who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?”[e] But we have the mind of Christ.” I Corinthians 2:14-16
You see, you have to be born again to understand what the Bible is really saying. Until that happens, you will never see clearly. You will never be able to discern truth from error. And, because of this, you would rather twist the Scriptures to believe what you want, than understand what Jesus is trying to tell you in Truth.
Why would Jesus say this statement below if you are not to Judge AT ALL:
“Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.” John 7:24
I hope you see that in this verse, Jesus is clearly saying to judge! But, he does call out those who are judging according to appearance! So you have a supposed conflict with Matthew 7 verse 1 and John 7 verse 24? So which one do you pick to defend your point of view??? Of course if you just want to try to win an argument, you will just espouse “Judge not lest you be judged”, but really you are just spreading FAKE NEWS!!!
The first point is this: Be careful with what the Bible actually says. Do you genuinely want to know what God in the flesh is trying to teach you so that you can teach others??? I hope that is the desire of your heart today! Man, I would love to see God move in you and you call upon him today for mercy!
The second point is this: So many people want to tell the preacher to stop judging, while neglecting the reality that GOD IS GOING TO JUDGE THEM! If we all had a right understanding of what it means for God to Judge us, we would tremble really! Do we have a full understanding of what it means for God to Judge us. Ultimately, that’s what we as preachers are concerned about for you! We are not there to condemn you. We are not trying to look down on you. And we certainly are not trying to tell you to stop sinning and be a better person, and then everything will then be alright with you and God. No, that is not how to get right with God, so I hope you are not thinking that’s what we’re doing!
“Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.” (Galatians 3:24)
You see the Law of God is our schoolmaster to lead us to Christ for salvation. When we see that we’ve told lies, stolen things, looked with lust, disobeyed our parents, worshipped idols, etc, we realize that we’re not good people, but sinners in the hands of an angry God who is going to hold us accountable for our sins. But, if you will flee to Christ and trust in him to take your punishment for your sins, you will go free. Your sins are covered. You will be forgiven. Not on the basis of your good works, but because of Christ’s work on the Cross.
Then, when you are a new creation and filled with the Holy Spirit, you will begin to see clearly what the Bible actually means by “Judge Not”.
Todd Friel in this video below lays it out better than I ever could: