This study was first taught on February 1, 2011

Topic: Judge Not (1): Introduction

No audio available for this study.

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Background
The last time we met, we saw the three important things that the Lord told us about our attitude to the future: (1) take no thought for tomorrow; (2) tomorrow shall take thought for the things of itself; and, (3) every day comes with its own challenges. Thus, we summarized our attitude toward the future as follows:
1. Don’t be anxious, neither be troubled, nor fret yourself about tomorrow (and by implication, the distant future); but commit each day into God’s hands.
2. Every day has its own challenges; but as you live for God, He will take care of them for you.
3. Tomorrow comes with its own challenges, not even known today; and God will take care of them, the same way He is taking care of today’s challenges.
4. Live one day at a time! Don’t crowd your life with thoughts of the future.
5. Commit each day to God; then get out of the way, and let Him do His thing.
6. Planning is good, only if it is based on wise and godly counsel; and especially, if such counsel is from God.
7. Walk with God one day at a time; one step at a time; and at His pace.
8. Faith (absolute trust in God and His word) is the key to being able to live one day at a time; not by following the predictions of soothsayers (stargazers, horoscopes, journalists, professors, politicians, magicians, herbalists, false prophets, etc.), nor by heeding the stories of talebearers.
9. When next worry about tomorrow wants to arise, remember, “I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.” Also, you can face tomorrow because Jesus lives.

Scripture Text(s)
Matthew 7:1-5
The Lord is telling us tonight not to judge others, so that we are not judged in return. We are thus being warned to avoid the law of reciprocity on the matter of judgment. May the Holy Spirit help us as we commence a mini-series on “Judge Not”, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
The word ‘judge’ means; to adjudicate or sit over a matter; to pass or pronounce judgment on someone or something; to be critical of someone, or to criticize a person or idea destructively; to render a personal opinion on someone or something; and, to assume the office of a judge. So when the Lord, Jesus, says not to judge, He is saying that we should not presume to sit over a matter; we should not pass judgment (of commendation or condemnation) on someone or something; and so on.
James 4:11-12; Romans 14:3-13; 2:1-3; Matthew 26:6-13; John 12:2-6; James 2:10-13; Matthew 7:3-5; Ezekiel 16:52; 1 Samuel 16:1, 4-13; Proverbs 18:13, 17; John 7:51-52; 1 Corinthians 4:3-7; Galatians 5:19, 20; Luke 6:37-38; Acts 7:60; Luke 23:34; 2 Timothy 4:10-11, 14-15.

Conclusion
The Lord is telling us not to judge others, when we have not been appointed to do so. There is also the issue of how qualified we are to judge others, since we may not have all the facts on hand. He is also concerned that we may render our own opinion on a matter, which is a reflection of how we feel about that matter, rather than based on a standard yardstick which can be applied across board.

He warns that if we go ahead and judge others, we will have ourselves to blame, for according to the personal yardstick, we use to judge others, so will we be judged. To avoid such biased judgment therefore, we should leave the matter of judgment in the hands of God, and those who are entrusted with judgment.

Critical and hypocritical judging gives rise to prejudices (biases or judging beforehand), and profiling (judging people based on race, nationality, ethnicity, tribe, and so on). These have far-reaching implications in our walk with God, and make us arrogant and proud. For instance some believers have been entrapped into thinking that they must marry from their own tribe only, believing no other tribe better than theirs; or that people from certain parts of the world or country, are all bad, except themselves and their tribesmen!

Rather than judge others, we are advised to forgive those who offend us, or make excuses for people when they err against us, or leave them in God’s hands. But do not judge, when you don’t have all the facts at hand!

Let us go to God now; asking forgiveness for our past indiscretions, and seek His help so that we do not repeat them again.

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