In this enlightening video, we delve deep into the intricate nuances of what the Bible truly communicates about judging others. Join us on a journey through scripture as we unravel common misconceptions and shed light on the profound wisdom encapsulated within the sacred text.
Are Christians called to judge? What does the Bible say about addressing wrongdoing within the community? These questions and more are explored with clarity and insight, drawing upon the richness of biblical teachings.
Through careful examination, we navigate through passages often misinterpreted, clarifying the true essence of Messiah’s message. Discover the balance between discernment and condemnation, understanding the heart of Yahweh’s commandments regarding judgment.
Whether you’re a seasoned theologian or simply curious about biblical perspectives, this video provides a thought-provoking exploration into a topic central to Christian ethics and morality. Gain a deeper understanding of how to navigate relationships, conflicts, and moral dilemmas with grace and wisdom rooted in scripture.
Join us as we embark on a journey of discovery, seeking to align our understanding with the profound truths found within the pages of the Bible. Don’t miss out on this insightful discussion that promises to challenge assumptions and inspire a renewed perspective on the role of judgment in the Christian faith. Join us as we learn the God Honest Truth about judging.
Transcript
So, judging. You might hear this famous verse a lot when the subject of judging comes up. Matthew chapter 7, verse 1. Do not judge, lest you be judged. And people might go on to say that, you know, don’t judge me or you will be judged. But this really translates to the meaning of let me stand in peace most of the time. Tonight, we’ll get into what is judging. We’re going to be deciding and discovering from Scripture itself what judging is, who can judge, who cannot judge, who should be judged, etc., etc.
We do have a post for this drosh with the research notes down below in the description. You should be able to find that link whether you’re watching on video or listening through an audio podcast platform. Just go down below, click on that link in the description, it will take you directly to the article post. Or you can find it on our website at godhonesttruth.com. Now, on this article, you will find the on-demand video. You will also find the slides used in this presentation where you can go through at your own pace.
You’ll be able to find the notes that we took for this subject. And there’s a lot of Scripture and a lot of stuff that we did not include in tonight’s drosh. Also, you’ll be able to find the transcript if that would help you out as well. But check it out in the description down below or go to godhonestruth.com to find that also. So, we’ve all probably heard this at some time or another that you can’t judge me, only God can judge me.
Is that true? Well, first of all, let us understand what it is that judging is. So, what is judging? Well, if we look in a modern dictionary such as Merriam-Webster or here as you see on screen from dictionary.com, the various options or various meanings of what judging or to judge means, it could mean something like to pass legal judgment on or pass on a sentence, to hear evidence or legal arguments in order to pass judgment or adjudicate, to form a judgment or opinion of, decide upon critically, to decide or settle authoritatively, condemn someone to pay a penalty, to infer, think, or hold as an opinion, conclude about or assess, to make a careful guess about, estimate of the ancient Hebrew judges, meaning to govern or lead, to act as a judge, pass judgment, to form an opinion or estimate, to make a mental judgment.
Now, not all of these are going to fall into what we discover from scripture about what judging actually means. In other words, from one person to another, from me to you, from you to me, what it would mean to judge one another. But we do find in scripture about Yeshua being our judge. We read in Acts chapter 10, verse 42, and he commanded us to proclaim to the people and to witness that it is he who was appointed by Elohim to be judge of the living and of the dead.
Second Corinthians chapter 5, verse 10, for we all have to appear before the judgment seat of Messiah in order for each one to receive according to what he has done in the body, whether good or evil. Acts 1731, because he has set a day on which he is going to judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed, having given proof of this to all by raising him from the dead. Who is this man? It’s Yeshua our Messiah.
So Yeshua our Messiah is going to be our judge. But does that mean judging in all contexts? Because we just saw judging can have several different meanings. So when we talk about judging, we need to understand what judging is in the context in which it is used. We just went over a few scriptures showing how Yeshua is going to be our judge. So what context is that? That context is going to be the judge of eternal life or destruction in Gehenna, hell, if you want to put it that way.
He’s going to judge our salvation and he’s the only one who can do that because he’s the only one described in scripture as doing that. So that’s one aspect, one context of judging as we get from scripture. But did you know that we also see other judges in scripture as well? But once again, all in context. For instance, we go way back in the Tanakh and we read in the book of Judges. For instance, Judges chapter 2 verses 16 through 18.
Then Yahweh raised up judges who saved them from the hands of those who plundered them. Yet they did not listen to their judges either. For they played the harlot after other gods and bowed themselves down to them. They turned aside quickly from the way in which their fathers had walked in obeying the commandments of Yahweh. They did not do as their fathers. Now when Yahweh raised up judges for them, Yahweh was with the judge and saved them from the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge.
For Yahweh was moved to pity by their groaning because of those who oppressed and suppressed them. Now here we have a description of other judges. So are these judges determining the salvation and eternal destination of everyone that they were judging? No. Again, we take it into context. And in this context, a judge is someone who governs, who guides and leads the people. Now if you remember from a previous drash, we told you the difference between a judge and a king.
A judge was not a king. A judge was actually very little and had very little in common with what a king would be. A judge did not have a lineage that he came from as we see other judges. A judge did not rule over the entire nation. It was just for a specific area at a specific time. So there’s various differences between judges and kings. But in this context, a judge simply meant someone who governed or led the people.
And we see this in other translations as well. Most translations that you find will use the word judges here. But other translations use words like leaders or rulers. These leaders or rulers govern the people for a set amount of time. These judges rule the people and govern the people for a certain amount of time. That’s the context in which this judging is. It doesn’t mean to determine the final and eternal destination of someone based on their salvation because that’s just for Yeshua.
This was just a judging in the context of governing. But there are other judges as well and other people who judge. For instance, we look in Matthew chapter 19 verse 28. And Yeshua said to them, Truly I say to you, when the son of Adam sits on the throne of his esteem, you who have followed me in the rebirth shall also sit on twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. Luke chapter 22 verses 28 through 30.
But you are those who have remained with me in my trials and I covenant for you as my father covenanted for me a reign to eat and drink at my table in my reign and to sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. So again, we take it into context as to what this word judge means when it’s used in this particular passage. What we see here, at least from my own personal discernment, is that this is also another instance of governing.
That those who sit on the twelve thrones will govern the twelve tribes of Israel. They are not there to judge and determine the salvation of someone or the final eternal destination of someone. That is for Yeshua alone. Here we see another instance in context of governance. But that’s in the end times and just for those twelve. So what about judging in a greater context in everyday life that we go through nowadays? We can get some context on that and some instruction on that as we look at some other passages.
Now Matthew 7, 1 that we read at the very beginning, that was a short snippet of a much longer section. It was completely taken out of context and we did so intentionally because that’s generally how it’s stated out of context in normal conversation. When you’re just speaking with someone on the street or in church or on the internet, things like that, they’ll say, well don’t judge unless you want to be judged. That’s just a small part of it.
So let’s take it all into context. Matthew chapter 7 verses 1 through 5. Do not judge lest you be judged for with what judgment you judge you shall be judged and with the same measure you use it shall be measured to you. And why do you look at the splinter in your brother’s eye but do not notice the plank in your own eye? Or how is it that you say to your brother, let me remove the splinter out of your eye and see a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye and then you shall see clearly to remove the splinter out of your brother’s eye.
So in context, is Yeshua telling us not to judge anyone? No. As we can see from the context, what he’s saying here is do not judge someone hypocritically. If you’re committing a sin, don’t judge someone else for committing the exact same sin. Don’t judge out of hypocrisy. If you’re a smoker, don’t judge other people for smoking. If you’re an alcoholic, don’t judge other people for drinking alcohol. Yeshua is saying here first take the plank out of your own eye then you can help your brother to remove the splinter from his eye.
So correct the sin in your life before you go and you judge someone else for the sin that they are committing. It doesn’t say not to judge at all. It just says do not judge hypocritically. And the same theme of not judging hypocritically continues on in scripture as we see in Romans chapter 2 verses 1 through 3. Therefore, O man, you are without excuse everyone who judges, for in which you judge another you condemn yourself, since you who judge practice the same wrongs.
And we know that the judgment of Elohim is according to truth against those who practice such wrongs. And do you think, O man, you who judge those practicing such wrongs and doing the same, that you shall escape the judgment of Elohim? So once again, we’re not being told don’t judge at all. We’re being told do not judge hypocritically. Do not judge someone else when you’re doing that exact same thing. So if you’re doing a certain thing in your life, if you’re committing a certain sin in your life, hush.
Don’t speak to anyone else or don’t judge anyone else for that exact same sin. Do not judge hypocritically. We are actually told in scripture to judge. We are, in essence, commanded to judge by our Messiah Yeshua himself. John chapter 7 verse 24. Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment. So not only are we told to judge righteous judgment, we are told to judge. We’re also given another guideline for when we do judge, to not judge by appearance.
This is the same thing that goes or it goes along with the same thing as taught back in the Tanakh as well. There’s no contradiction. There’s no going against the Tanakh. It’s still completely in line with the Tanakh. We read in Proverbs chapter 31 verse 9. Open your mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy. This reminds me of the verse that states that Yahweh is no respecter of persons. Here we get sort of the same flavor of that.
Do not judge unrighteously. Do not judge according to the way someone looks, how wealthy someone is, how prominent someone else is. Judge righteous judgment. Again in Leviticus chapter 19 verse 15. Do no unrighteousness in right ruling. Do not be partial to the poor or favor the faith of the great, but rightly rule your neighbor in righteousness. So again, judge righteously. It’s not telling us not to judge at all, but to judge righteously. So if we are to judge righteously, and there are instances when we should judge, then who is it that we should judge? And likewise, who is it that should judge us? Colossians chapter 2 verses 16 through 17.
Let no one therefore judge you in eating or in drinking or in respect of a festival or a new moon or Sabbath, which are a shadow of what is to come, but the body of the Messiah. Certain translations like the King James state that the body is of the Messiah, but that is totally out of the flow of things here. Why would it just be saying the body of the Messiah? We already know that. But no, if you look at this verse on your screen, some of you should be able to determine what it is telling you here about judging.
It says, therefore, let no one judge you in eating or drinking or any of that but the body of Messiah. So who is to judge you regarding what it is that you do, whether it be eating or drinking or a festival, peace day, or a new moon or Sabbath? Who is it that is to judge you on that? It’s not anyone on the outside. It’s those who are on the inside, our brothers and our sisters, our brethren in Messiah, the body of Messiah.
That’s who is to judge us, and that’s who we are to judge. For instance, in 1 Corinthians chapter 5 verses 12 through 13, for what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are inside? But Elohim judges those who are outside and put away the wicked one from among you. So Yahweh judges those who are on the outside. We are to judge those who are on the inside. It’s our brothers and our sisters in Messiah.
That’s who we are to judge. And once again, just to remind you that we are not here to judge our brothers and sisters’ salvation. That is for Yeshua at the end times. In context, what we are to judge is whether they are, the acts that they are doing is according to Scripture or whether it’s against Scripture. Are they doing what Scripture teaches, or are they contradicting what Scripture teaches? That’s what we are to judge. So if we are to judge, and we are to judge the acts, acts, not the person themselves.
That old cliche of love the sinner and hate the sin, sort of along that same line. We’re to judge the act. That’s what the sin is. The person is not the sin. The act is. We judge the act. If we are to do that, if we are to judge our brothers and sisters in Messiah, what are we to base our judgment on? Well, this is pretty obvious at this point, or hopefully most of you know is pretty obvious at this point.
But what we are to judge on is the Scripture, the Torah. 2 Timothy 3, verses 16 through 17. All Scripture is breathed out by Elohim, and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for setting straight, for instruction in righteousness, and that the man of Elohim might be fitted, equipped for every good work. Romans chapter 15, verse 4. For whatever was written before was written for our instruction, that through endurance and encouragement of the Scriptures we might have the expectation.
So what we are to judge on and base our judgments on is the Torah, the Scriptures. Not our own personal opinions, not man’s traditions, not even church traditions. It is the Torah, the Scriptures. That is what we are to judge on. Psalm chapter 119, verses 102 through 105. I have not turned aside from your right rulings, for you yourself have taught me. How sweet to my taste has your word been, more than honey to my mouth.
From your orders I get understanding. Therefore I have hated every false way. Your word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path. This is what should guide us, and this is what we are to judge on and judge according to. The words, the commandments, the Scriptures of Yahweh. Now there might be some things that aren’t explicitly stated and easily discerned from Scripture, what some people call the gray area, that we may not agree on one-on-one, we may have two different opinions about how to go about something.
For instance, a lot of people when they wear tzitzit, like I do, they’ll wear four tzitzit around their clothes. Other people may wear one, other people may wear nine, but how many does it say to wear in Scripture? It doesn’t. In that particular passage regarding tzitzit, it is said to tie tassels around the borders of your garments. Well, how many is that? This is where we could come into various interpretations. If someone wants to wear four, that’s not the same as someone who wears two or six.
And this is where we’ve got to be able to accept one another for differences that are not explicitly stated in Scripture. Some things that are explicitly stated in Scripture, Yeshua is the Messiah, Torah is our guiding path or guiding principle, the Scriptures is what we should base our doctrine and theology and judgment on, things like that, that Yeshua is the son of Yahweh, all of these things are explicitly stated and there should not be variance or gray area in these explicit things.
We should all be in one mind and one accord about such things. There are other things also that are explicitly stated and this is what we can judge people on. But the gray area, well, that’s going to take some compromise and give because it’s not explicitly stated and therefore we really shouldn’t or really can’t judge other people on. So, know what it is that you can and cannot judge people on. Wearing of tzitzit, it does say wear tzitzit, but it doesn’t tell us the exact number.
Perhaps it doesn’t really care about the number, just that you wear tzitzit. So, hopefully that was a good example. There are many other examples, but that’s just one. So, when we do judge our brethren, as we have clearly saw, and judging our brethren according to their acts that they’re doing now, not judging our brethren on their salvation, how is it that we are to judge our brethren? Well, when we judge others, likewise, most people understand that we also, from time to time, get judged ourselves.
Usually, it doesn’t feel good, but reproof and correction is sometimes hard to take, but it is for our benefit. For instance, if we don’t know something’s wrong, we cannot fix it. Even if we think we’re doing something right, we need to know if we’re doing it wrong. If you feel fine, but you go to the doctor and he says, you have this lump that we need checked out, well, in a roundabout way, he’s judging the status of your health.
Now, you can take that and do something positive with it, or you can say, well, he’s just being judgmental. He doesn’t know what he’s talking about. I’m right. I feel fine. And disregard it. Likewise, when a brother or sister in the faith comes up to us and judges us, tell us, hey, this is the scripture and this is what you’re doing, you should examine that in your own life. Because you want to know if you’re doing something incorrectly.
Now, we’ve all come from various traditions and backgrounds. There are various things that we have in our minds and our beliefs that aren’t correct. But we don’t know that. We think we’re correct, but we don’t know that until it’s exposed, until it’s brought to the light, and that’s what judgment is for. We should welcome the judgment if someone thinks that we’re doing something incorrect, and we should examine ourselves. In Proverbs 10, verse 17, he who heeds discipline is in the way of life, but he who refuses reproof goes astray.
Proverbs 12, verse 1, whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid. So don’t despise reproof. Don’t despise judgment, especially correct judgment in this context, the judgment where someone is judging an act that you’re doing. Test it to the scriptures. Take what they’re saying with a grain of salt and examine yourself. It doesn’t mean they’re right, but it also doesn’t mean that you’re right in the way you’re currently doing things. Now, if you see someone that you judge to be doing something incorrectly, Yeshua actually tells us the process for going about this.
Matthew, chapter 18, verses 15 through 17. And if your brother sins against you, go and convict him between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not hear, take with you one or two more that by the mouth of two or three witnesses, every word might be established. And if he refuses to hear them, say it to the assembly. And if he refuses even to hear the assembly, let him be to you like the nations and a tax collector.
So if you see someone who you believe is doing something contrary to what scripture teaches, take it to them. Talk with them one on one. If at the end of that discussion you don’t come to a like mind and you still believe that you have the correct interpretation and that they do not and they are contradicting scripture, bring two or three more brothers with you. Do the same thing. At the end, if there’s still a variance there, take it to the body.
Take it to the church. Take it to the assembly. Still not? Then treat them like a nation, one of the nations, or a tax collector. But have that discussion first. Don’t just say, oh, you’re different. Get out. That is so against what Yeshua himself and the rest of scripture teaches about differences in the way that we see things from scripture. In fact, if you go up to a brother or a sister and you have this concern that they are going against scripture and you have a discussion, you might find out that you’re the one who’s in the wrong.
That’s a good thing because we each need to examine ourselves so we can all know what it is that we’re doing correctly and incorrectly. Galatians chapter six, verse one. Brothers, if a man is overtaken in some trespass, you, the spiritual ones, set such a one straight in a spirit of meekness, looking at yourself, lest you be tried too. So, we get this straight from scripture. Go talk with them and also examine yourself, lest you be tried as well.
And do it in a spirit of meekness, not in a spirit of pride and I’m right, I’m up on this pedestal, I know everything, let me set you straight. That is not the attitude you want to go in with. As the apostle Paul rides to the church at Galatia, go and have this discussion with them in a spirit of meekness. First Corinthians chapter 11, verses 31 to 32. For if we were to examine ourselves, we would not be judged.
But when we are judged, we are disciplined by the master that we should not be condemned with the world. So, from time to time, other people judge our actions to be against scripture or not in line with scripture. Just like we judge other people. But what if it never had to come to that? What if we were to judge and examine our own selves? Well, this is what Paul is writing to the church at Corinth. Examine ourselves so that we would not be judged.
If we examined ourselves critically, it’s hard sometimes, but examine ourselves, judge ourselves, and we set things straight, then we would not be judged. 2 Timothy chapter 2, verses 23 to 26. But refuse foolish and stupid questions, knowing that they breed quarrels. And a servant of the master should not quarrel, but be gentle towards all, able to teach, patient when wronged, in meekness instructing those who are in opposition. Lest somehow Elohim give them repentance unto a thorough knowledge of the truth, and they come to their senses out of the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his desire.
Now, one thing I want you to notice here real quick, that refuse foolish and stupid questions, definitely, and do not breed quarrels. But notice there that you should be able to teach, patient when wronged, and in meekness instructing those who are in opposition. Two people in the body of Messiah have two different interpretations. Go up to them, talk with them about it, instruct them in the way that you came to this interpretation and ask them to explain how they came to their interpretation.
Iron sharpening iron. There’s going to be things that you’re going to learn, there’s going to be things that they’re going to learn, and at the end, regardless of which side you go to, they may come over to your side and be corrected, you may go over to their side and be corrected. But at least at the end, the hope is that you will both be with one mind and one accord, as it’s put. But do it with patience, do it with meekness, and instruct them.
Again, this is contrary to the way a lot of churches do it nowadays. A lot of churches, at least from my experience, they find out, oh, you don’t believe exactly as we believe, bye, get out. You get the left foot of fellowship, as I’ve heard it put sometimes. That’s not according to scripture. As we can already see from the scriptures we’ve already examined. We are to go to our brothers and sisters and talk with them, not just automatically kick them out, and talk with them in a spirit of meekness, calmly, civilly, professionally, not yelling and screaming and trying to beat our side down their throat.
This is not what scripture teaches. Meekness, patience, instruction, conversation. That’s what you should try first. Not automatically going to the division, which unfortunately a lot of churches do nowadays. Hebrews chapter 5, verses 13 through 14. For everyone partaking of milk is inexperienced in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe, but solid food is for the mature, whose senses have been trained by practice to discern both good and evil. Now here what it’s referring to is those who are young in the faith, regardless of what physical age you are.
It’s talking about those who are young in the faith drinking the milk, the basic stuff, the foundational stuff. What we might refer to as Sunday school. You learn about Noah and the flood, the creation account, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and the fiery furnace. You learn about Yeshua, probably the parables, things like that, the foundational stuff, the milk. But you start getting into the meat and the deeper stuff as you grow and mature. Apply this to our own lives.
There are still things that we don’t know. There are still things from scripture that we haven’t noticed other people have. Once again, go to them with a spirit of meekness, instruct them, because they may not be as far along in the walk as you are. Likewise, you may not be as far along in the walk as they are. So, do not despise reproof, do not despise instruction, and do not despise being judged. These are all things that help us to grow.
Don’t automatically be divisive just because someone believes or interprets differently. But are there anyone, is there anyone out there that we should not have fellowship with, that we should not associate with? Well, actually scripture does give us a list of people that we should not be in fellowship with and associate with. 1 Corinthians 5, verse 11. But now I have written to you, not to keep company with anyone called a brother, if he is one who whores, or greedy of gain, or an idolater, or a reveler, or a drunkard, or a swindler, not even to eat with such a one.
So, there is a actually rather small list of people that we are not to, quote unquote, keep company with. But not our regular run-of-the-mill brothers and sisters who have a slight difference in opinion and interpretation of something. Even if we disagree about certain points, again, there’s that gray area where things that aren’t specifically stated in scripture. Those differences in opinion, that gray area, we should have acceptance and love and compassion and fellowship with. We shouldn’t just automatically kick them out because they don’t line up with everything that we think and believe.
However, there are a small, there is a small list of the people who we should not. And Paul writes that small list here in the letter to Corinth. Because even if we do believe that someone has the wrong interpretation, the wrong belief about things that aren’t explicitly stated in scripture, we should still have fellowship with them. And this comes across beautifully, I think, in a parable that Yeshua himself actually taught. Matthew chapter 13, verses 24 through 30.
And he said to them, So here you have the weeds and the wheat all growing together, but in the end times, they will be separated and sorted through. So even if we have various opinions and various interpretations of how things should be done according to scripture, again, that are not explicitly and specifically stated in scripture, it will all be sorted out in the end. We will all have the law and the Torah and scripture written on our hearts.
We will all know and we will not need our brother to instruct us anymore. So we will discover the things that we personally have been incorrectly believing. We will be set straight. So, yeah, even if someone doesn’t believe exactly like we believe in every aspect, we should still have fellowship with them and we will all be sorted out there at the end. Because these divisions, they really bring down the body of Messiah. As Messiah states in Mark chapter 3, verses 24 through 25.
And if a reign is divided against itself, that reign is unable to stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house is unable to stand. So we can’t be divided or we’re not going to be able to withstand the world. Granted, we have to be in the world, but we should not be of the world. And those of us who are not of the world, we are of the body of Messiah, we should not be divided.
And there’s all sorts of things, little things, that scripture doesn’t even teach on. That churches have split over in the past and there’s way too many divisions within the body nowadays. Unfortunately, it’s been like that for thousands of years actually. But it should not be that way. Scripture does not tell us to divide over non-scriptural things. Things that aren’t taught in scripture. Titus chapter 3, verse 10. Reject a divisive man after the first and second warning.
Do not be divisive. 1 Corinthians chapter 1, verse 10. And I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our master Yeshua Messiah, that you all agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be knit together in the same mind and in the same opinion. It’s going to be rather difficult, if not impossible, to be completely of the same opinion before the end times on every single thing. But what we can be of the same opinion on is that we should not be divisive.
That we should still fellowship even with our brothers and sisters in Messiah who do not completely agree on everything that we see and believe. They, yes, might be wrong. But we also might be wrong. And that’s where judging comes in. We’re to judge our brothers and sisters in Messiah according to the scriptures. And it’s for their benefit so that they would correct their life and the actions they’re taking. At the same time, we are going to be judged by our brothers and sisters in Messiah.
Do not let those outside of the body judge us. But those inside the body, those are the ones who are to judge us. And when we are judged, examine ourselves, correct our ways so that we will not be judged. So, in summary, judging should be taken in context in which it is used. And there are various meanings and contexts in which the word judging can be understood. For instance, judging can mean governing or leading or ruling a certain group of people.
Like back in the book of Judges. Judging can also mean something to the effect of pointing out an act that is against scripture. This is the kind of judging that we are to do with each other within the body. Our brothers and sisters of Messiah. Judging can also mean determining the salvation and final reward of someone. But this context of judging is for our Messiah Yeshua alone. Not for us. We are not to go up to a brother and sister and say, you are unsaved.
Because we do not know their hearts. We do not know their minds. Well, we know their minds sometimes, but we do not know their hearts. We do not judge someone’s salvation based on our own doctrines, based on church traditions. No. We are flawed in that way because we have foundations and things that we come from that have led us astray because of tradition. Yeshua is the one who determines salvation. Not us. We are to judge without hypocrisy, as Yeshua told us.
Remove that plank in your eye, and then you can help someone remove the splinter from their own eye. We are to judge righteous judgment. We are not to judge according to appearance. We are not to judge according to wealth. We are not to judge according to prominence or status of someone. We are to judge righteous judgment. Righteous judgment. We are to judge according to Scripture. Not according to man’s tradition. We’re not to judge according to church tradition even.
Because the church is not above Scripture. Scripture is above the church. So, we’re to judge according to Scripture alone. We’re not to be divisive either. Because a house or a body divided against itself cannot stand. There are way too many divisions today. And Scripture tells us, do not be divisive. And we are not to judge. We’re not to be the judge of someone else’s salvation. That is for Yeshua alone. It is not our place. It is not our authority.
And it’s not within our ability to judge someone else’s salvation. Once again, the judgment of salvation is not up to us. It is up to Yeshua alone. And that’s just the God honest truth.
