We are not to sit in judgment on the people of this world. "I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people – not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler – not even to eat with such a one. For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? God judges those outside" (1 Cor. 5:9-13).

We are not to judge one another with hasty, negative condemnation. Jesus said "Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way as you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye" (Mt. 7:1-5).

We are not to judge fellow believers when it comes to what the Bible calls disputable matters that are the subject of personal convictions based on conscience. "Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To their own master [Jesus], servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand" (Rm. 14:4). What a wonderful promise that those weak in faith can cling to.

To "judge" is to separate, to select, to choose; hence to determine and so to judge, to pronounce judgement; to assume the office of judge. When Paul wrote: "Don't make judgments about anyone ahead of time – before the Lord returns" (1 Cor. 4:5) he was clearly talking about this current age of grace. There will come a time when God will judge the world but that will happen at the second coming. Personally, I do not believe God is pouring out judgments on the world during this present age of grace.

Judging, in the sense of evaluating accurately in order to act in a godly, gracious and constructive way and to challenge those with wrong attitudes, is something we should all be doing when appropriate. 

A friend emailed me recently "Political Correctness has covered us with a sickly blanket of 'tolerance' of everything, so that people are afraid to disagree with anything, and thus to evaluate correctly, if at all. The nation is like a bunch of scared rabbits; often Christians too!" Another, who I respect very much, said to me at the end of a conversation: "You can’t say that to them!" Whereas I felt I could and should.

Over the years, my own experience has been of those who were very quick to judge and speak out against others. Sadly, I have also been amongst their number. What changed? Receiving a gradual revelation concerning the heart of God. Although we will all stand before the Judgement Seat of God, He is not judgmental!

"God passed in front of Moses proclaiming: 'The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin'" (Ex. 33:18-18; 34:6-7). Moses had asked to see the Lord's glory and God showed him his heart.