We need to make sure we understand the difference between judging righteously and passing Judgement. We find a verse in John which gives us a clear directive.ĭo not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment. To show we are given the ability to discern or judge a situation, yet not pass judgement against someone. We need to be able to discern between what is of God, and what isn’t. Through the power of the Word, we are given eyes to see and ears to hear, it’s from the gift of the Spirit we can judge which type of fruit a person has. Is it the Fruit of God, or is it the fruit of the world? We will know who is connected to the vine and who is not because the Bible gives us clear knowledge of what IS good fruit. This means we need to discern what type of fruit a prophet has. ![]() Jesus states we will know them (false prophets) by their fruit. Someone who looks godly on the outside, but isn’t. Jesus even summarized the person being a wolf in sheep’s clothing. ![]() How are we to be aware of a false prophet if we are called not to judge? It’s because Jesus wasn’t referring to Passing Judgement, He was talking about discernment. Therefore by their fruits you will know them. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. If you study the New King James Version of the Bible, the title of the chapter is labeled, “You Will Know Them By Their Fruits.” We are told to know the difference.Īnother warning of discernment is when Jesus talks about false prophets in Matthew 7:15-20. By judging (evaluating) are able to tell who wants to receive the message of the Gospel and those who want no part of it. It’s through the power of discernment we can conclude our direction with that person. Jesus was explaining that the pearls are the Gospel and the swines are those who detest the Word, who stomp on it with their feet. In Matthew 7:6, Jesus states that we are not to cast our pearls before swines, lest they trample them. To know what is from God, and what isn’t. If we look a few verses further into the teachings of Jesus we will see that Jesus gives us another warning. Jesus was warning us about the condemning others for their actions, or Passing Judgement on that person. However, you’ll find that it’s more commonly used as a verse to open the eyes of the person giving counsel, making them think about what they said, as if they were in error. ![]() The verse has a single purpose and that is to be aware of condemning others. No one likes the taste of Truth Juice, so they battle back. Many people, both Christian and non, will use this verse as a personal Scriptural shield to prevent someone from giving wise counsel. This is a verse that is commonly taken out of context. Your footnotes should include the term, “Condemn.” To pronounce to be guilty to sentence to punishment to utter sentence against judicially to doom opposed to acquit or absolve with to before the penalty. In Matthew 7:1, Jesus says we are not to judge others, or you too will be judged. We need to make sure we steer clear from the passing of Judgement. We are not the judge of this world, we have One Judge who can pass Judgment and He sits on a mighty throne. God is the one who knows the heart, who knows the verdict for His children. We are called to forgive and forget, just as the Father has done for us and our sins. We are not called to pass Judgement on others, to decide the fate of who is going where. This is an area that we don’t want to be in. Like a Judge who sentences someone for a crime they committed. Passing Judgment is the assumption someone is guilty and we hold them to the verdict. While judging has to deal with discernment, Passing Judgment is totally different. They were evaluating, and just like the examples listed above, we are called to evaluate as well. I was trading my old vehicle in and the car salesman told me, “judging by the condition of your car” they were figuring out the trade-in value of my vehicle, based on the condition of the car and the available features. For instance, when I went to purchase a new car. The same can be said when someone is evaluating or reviewing something. ![]() For instance, have you heard someone say, “judging by the distance…?” The person is gauging the distance between two points. Judging is being able to distinguish between something. Being able to judge or discern according to Scripture is not the same as passing Judgement against someone. When it comes to discernment, there is a difference between judging righteously and passing Judgement. The Difference Between Judging Righteously and Passing Judgement
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