Over the last few weeks, we have covered some of the basic issues of judging and judgment. Understanding these is basic to living a great Christian life because they affect our basic relationship to others.

         A prevailing teaching throughout Scripture is that we cannot understand God without understanding His judgments. “Eternal judgment” is listed as one of the basic doctrines of the faith upon which a solid foundation for the Christian life is laid. Our King is also the Judge, and we must know Him as such, or we will not truly know Him as He is. A crucial truth about this is that His judgments are always righteous and true. They are the true measure of justice, and the whole world is going to greatly rejoice when He comes to judge the earth.  

         Then we are told His saints will sit in judgment with Him, even judging angels. As Paul explained to the Corinthians, one of the main things bringing shame upon the church is the failure of the church to have judges. We could point to events today that have brought great shame upon the body of Christ as the result of not having righteous judgment or righteous judges in the church. This is, to a large degree, the result of the skewed teachings on judgment. This is stated in I Corinthians 6:2-5: 

Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases?

Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life!

Therefore, if you have disputes about such matters, appoint as judges even men of little account in the church!

I say this to shame you. Is it possible that there is nobody among you wise enough to judge a dispute between believers? (NIV)

         We addressed previously how there is a prevailing misunderstanding with Christians and non-Christians alike that Jesus told us not to judge others. Not only is this the opposite of the truth, it is also a good example of how much delusion and deception comes from those who are prone to take things out of context.

         The text in which Jesus said, “Do not judge so that you will not be judged” (see Matthew 7:1), the word translated “judge” is the Greek word ‎krino that is the same word in other places translated “condemn” or “damn.” It should read, “Do not condemn lest you be condemned.” There are judgments of God that condemn, but most of them do not condemn, instead they are for the purpose of saving and redeeming. Until the Judge and His Judgment Day comes, our purpose for judging others should always be a redemptive purpose until the Lord has made it clear that the subject is incorrigible and beyond redemption.