I was reading through 1 Corinthians today and came across a startling passage… and it is partly startling because I had just visited some of my bookmarked blogs to see what those professing faith in Christ are up to. One of the last blogs I read shared a letter from a reader who was apparently concerned about the idea of Christians judging other Christians. There is a persistent argument among believers (and non-believers, too) that Christians are not supposed to judge others… because Jesus Christ said something to that affect in Matthew 7 — “Do not judge, lest you be judged by the same standard.” Some people trumpet this verse without putting the entire passage in context and studying what Jesus Christ was trying to teach against — hypocrisy. If you read Romans 2, you will see how Paul expounds upon Jesus’ words even further in warning against hypocrites judging others.

Romans 2:1Romans 2:1
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
2 ¹ Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things.  

WP-Bible plugin Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. 2 But we know that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who practice such things. 3 And do you think this, O man, you who judge those practicing such things, and doing the same, that you will escape the judgment of God?

GOD teaches HIS children through the Holy Scriptures that we must indeed be properly equipped and wise in discernment, another term for judgment. We must be able to judge ourselves rightly (i.e., whether our thoughts, deeds and words line up with the holy standards GOD requires of us) and we must be able to judge whether the thoughts, deeds and words of our brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus also line up with GOD’s holy standards. If GOD makes us witness to a brother or sister’s failings, we are required to go to that brother and sister and discuss this error, whether it be against us personally or against GOD (and indeed, sinning against a brother or sister is also an offense to the FATHER).

Jesus tells us in Matthew 18:15Matthew 18:15
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
15 Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.  

WP-Bible plugin “Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. 16 But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that ‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.’ 17 And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector. …”

We are instructed to confront one another peacefully and in love when we are in error, and if the party in error refuses to realize his/her wrong, then others should get involved to lend support to the argument against the party in error. If then, the person in error still refuses to heed sound reason, then the church is called on to get involved… and if the person in error still refuses to repent, then he/she must be put out of the assembly and have no part with the church.

I have seen this happen occasionally and nowadays I wonder if it doesn’t happen all the time. For example, sometimes a pastor has to ask someone to leave the church (no matter their role in the local assembly) if they start straying from and even denying the established doctrine of Jesus Christ. If Christians start teaching/preaching that homosexuality is a part of GOD’s divine plan and not an immoral sin, then we are in serious error. If we refuse to heed the warnings of our brothers and sisters who cling to the sound teachings of our LORD and SAVIOR Jesus Christ then we can’t blame them if they no longer want to associate with us — for that’s what the Holy Bible instructs true believers to do — not associate with workers of iniquity.

That was one of the issues Paul had to deal with in the church at Corinth — sexual immorality. Based on reports he had received about the church he realized they were in serious error and wrote to them to correct them and make it known that he intended to come personally to help set things straight “with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

You see, in the congregation at Corinth, a man was known by all to have married his “father’s wife” (apparently his step-mother based on Paul’s choice of words). Again, this man’s sin was public knowledge in the church, yet people in the church let him carry on in this sin. Those of us who say we shouldn’t judge, would you turn a blind eye to a brother or sister in your church having an incestuous affair? I’m not going to get into the argument about whether marrying your step-father or step-mother is incest (especially when we can read about that in Leviticus 18 and in Genesis 35 which documents Reuben having sex with his one of his father’s wives).

If we would want to leave a church where we knew the pastor was having extra-marital affairs… aren’t we being compelled not only by the law of GOD but also by human law which teaches us about fidelity and the marriage bed? So why would it be OK to judge in this regard… but not to say a word about other sins? If a man or woman stands up in your congregation and starts preaching/teaching that homosexuality is accepted by GOD or that there’s nothing wrong with the love of money or the worship of angels or with visiting a psychic, etc., would not your conscience be pricked?

Paul’s conscience most certainly was when he learned that not only was a Christian brother living in sin, but that other Christians in the church were turning a blind eye to his sin and acting like every thing was honky-dory.

1 Corinthians 5:2And you are arrogant! Ought you not rather to mourn? Let him who has done this be removed from among you.

Shouldn’t we be in mourning and and warning against the works of those who profess to know Christ Jesus and yet teach strange and false doctrines, endangering GOD’s people?

Have you not read, ” a little leaven leavens the whole lump?” If a church ignores one person’s open, persistent sin, what’s to stop others from starting to make concession for sins in their own lives? Sin can be like a virus — if the infected person is not quarantined and treated, then it is quite likely that others will soon become infected.

If we wouldn’t sit for this in our own local congregations why should we turn a blind eye to sin when the Body of Christ, the Church of believers, is in danger?

Stop being mislead and afraid to speak out against sin and wickedness. Christians don’t worship angels, or practice sexual immorality (homosexuality, adultery, fornication, etc.) or worship money — that’s all in the Holy Bible. In fact, if GOD makes us witness to such sin and yet we put our hands over our mouths and say nothing to possibly keep a brother or sister from falling away, then we too will be held accountable.

Take a look at Paul and the Christians who ignored a brother’s sexual immorality…

1 Corinthians 5: 3For though absent in body, I am present in spirit; and as if present, I have already pronounced judgment on the one who did such a thing. … 9I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— 10not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world…. 11But now 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. 12For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? 13God judges those outside. “Purge the evil person from among you.”

The Christian’s call to be discerning and use righteous judgment can’t get much clearer that this. If we don’t judge whether our associates, place of worship, own actions, etc. are pleasing to GOD, then we are in serious trouble! If it is not the Body of Believers’ responsibility to call out unrighteousness within our own Body, then whose is it?

We must be wise as Jesus explains in Matthew 7 and Paul makes clear in Romans 2 to use righteous judgment when dealing with ourselves (the Christian fellowship). The Scriptures show that it is indeed possible and even required in some circumstances to call out sin in love and gentleness. If not, it can run rampant and cause much ruin. The key is to be wise and we know wisdom comes from the LORD. It is not our personal opinions and emotions that are to guide us in our walk with Jesus Christ — it is the Word of GOD. There is no other standard for righteous and no other reveler of sin. If you love that brother or sister, tell him/her to consider changing the channel, returning the book or dropping that friend — and use the Holy Scriptures to explain why you have even opened your mouth.