Some Observations on Judging

by George Bosworth

Some observations about judging, from I Corinthians 4:3-5:

"I (Paul) am not conscious of anything against myself, but I am not justified by this. It is the Lord who judges me. So don't judge anything prematurely before the Lord comes, who will both bring to light what is hidden in darkness, and reveal the intention of the heart. And then praise will come to each one from God."

There is an appropriate type of judgment, but this verse makes the point that the reasons we are not to judge:

I Am Not Conscious of Anything Against Myself

We are not to judge because we are not conscious of all things the way God is. Paul uses himself as an example for this: He is not aware of anything for which he might be condemned, but his own self-assessment is not the standard. We judge ourselves quite lightly, but that does not exonerate us. We judge others harshly, but that doesn't condemn them. Our perception is not the standard.

It is the Lord Who Judges

We are not to judge because God is the judge. If my first point is that we do not have the discernment that God does, my point here is that we do not have the authority that God does.

By God's authority, we are created.

• Because we are created by His authority, we are held to the standard He chooses.
• Because we are held to the standard He chooses, He judges us against His standard.
• Because it is His standard, He enforces the consequences of obedience or disobedience. (It is by this same authority that He gives a measure of grace- an amazing thought for another time.)

Can you imagine how damaging it would be to have a person performing the role of a judge within our legal system -- you know, courtroom and all -- when he has not been granted any authority? Such a thought offends us, yet this is our own position when we judge without having the authority for the standard or the execution of consequences for disobedience to the standard. We cannot reveal the intention of the heart. God can. Tremble at the difference.

Each One's Praise Will Come from God

Just like condemnation for disobedience comes from God because of His authority, Praise for obedience comes from God because of His authority. That isn't to say we should not recognize good choices -- something, like our "judgment", that is simply supposed to acknowledge the realities of God's standard -- but our own praise of others doesn't justify others any more than our own judgment condemns others.

Appropriate discernment is an important topic for another time, but lessons here:

• God's judgment is the only judgment that means anything, so don't attempt to usurp His authority to become judge.
• God's praise is the only praise that means anything, so don't seek meaningless praise from the corruptible world.

Let's not miss that God reveals the very intentions of our hearts. Tremble in the presence of such a judge, who yet extends mercy!