SHOULD WE JUDGE OTHER CHRISTIANS?

Hello Friends,

A common debate in the Christian society today is whether we are to judge other Christians or not. I have met many people who say that it’s wrong to judge Christians, but when I ask them why they believe this, they can never give me a straight answer. Today I would like to share with you what the facts are regarding this matter, and what God says about it in the Bible.

They say that you can’t judge a book by its cover, but is that true? If a book has a violent cover, or the title has a bad word in it, wouldn’t you be able to tell that this is the type of book that you shouldn’t be reading? The same goes for people. When someone claims to be a Christian, but you hear them swear frequently, or you see them post immoral things, or do immoral things, then to you, it should seem evident that they aren’t truly saved. But is doing this wrong? Is deciding for yourself whether someone else is saved or not a good idea?

According to the Webster’s dictionary, to judge simply means to form an opinion of something by observing the evidence. So, when you see someone acting a certain way and you create your own opinion of it, you are judging, and that’s okay.

Let me ask you a question; how would you ever know whether you should be around a certain person or not, if you don’t evaluate that person’s actions and form an opinion of them? See, God wants you to stay pure mentally and physically, and to do this, you need to surround yourself with people who are also striving to do the same. 1 Corinthians 5:12-13 states – “For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? Do not ye judge them that are within? But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.”

The Bible warns against judging heathens, for God will judge them in the end times. You can, however, judge Christians. But the common question here is whether you should or not. In my opinion, it is crucial that you judge (form an opinion of) other Christians. The Bible also states this in many verses. (I am not referring to the judgement that Christ spoke of when he warned against hypocritical judging and/or judging with condemnation. As this would clearly be sin.) I recommend that you read Psalms and Corinthians to learn more about this subject from the Book itself.

I hope that you can understand how crucial judging other Christians is. If you have no opinion about something, then you will fall for anything. This can be detrimental to your spirit. But, if you are cautious about who you associate with, then you will be able to stay pure, and you will be able to grow in Christ more quickly.

God Bless,

Noah Brewster