Most people do not know what the Bible teaches about judging others. It is the belief among those who know, either very little, or nothing at all, about the Bible to conclude that we are never to judge others. Their conclusion is based upon what Jesus said in Matthew 7:1, which most of them have not even read for themselves but have merely heard quoted over the years. In that verse, Jesus simply said, “Judge not, that you be not judged.”

What did Jesus mean by this? Let me say first that He was not teaching that we should never judge. I know this because in another verse He tells us to do that very thing.

John 7:24 (ESV)
²⁴ Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.”

Without pausing, Jesus tells us to judge not and to judge. Obviously, there are times when we must judge; however, there is a right and wrong way to do it. This week I thought I would focus on ways that we should not judge. I may as well begin with the passage before us.

We should never judge according to appearance. How often do people jump to conclusions be-cause they rely on unconfirmed hearsay and rumors? Sadly, this happens far more than it should, sometimes even among God’s people. Brethren, let us always give one another the benefit of the doubt when we hear something bad about a brother or sister in Christ. Paul reminds us that this is the way love acts.

1 Corinthians 13:7 (ESV)
⁷ Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

If I ever hear something negative about a brother, love will cause me to believe that the report is wrong, and even when it begins to look bad, I will hope that he is exonerated. Love is the solution to judging according to appearance. When we love one another and have faith in each other as we should, only undeniable facts will cause us to accept that our brother is guilty of the wrong of which he is accused, for we realize that the grapevine is not a reliable source.

When the Pharisees tried to condemn Jesus with no evidence of wrongdoing, Nicodemus came to our Lord’s defense.

John 7:50-51 (ESV)
⁵⁰ Nicodemus, who had gone to him before, and who was one of them, said to them, ⁵¹ “Does our law judge a man without first giving him a hearing and learning what he does?”

This should be done in the court of public appearance as well. A person’s reputation can be ruined just by how things appear to be rather than by how they really are. Why? Because too many judge according to appearance. Let us never forget that things are not always as they seem.

Yes, there are times when we must judge, but we must make sure, as Jesus said, that our judgment is righteous, backed up by true and accurate facts, not by hearsay and speculations. Let us be better than that.

As you wind down for the night, think about these things.