Discernment vs. Judgment -I (Krino – Do Not Judge)
| April 4, 2016 | Posted by Pastor Viju Mathai under General, Sermons |
Pastor Viju Mathai
Latest posts by Pastor Viju Mathai (see all)
- Discernment vs. Judgment – V (God’s Guidelines for Discerning) - April 4, 2016
- Discernment vs. Judgment -IV (How do we Discern) - April 4, 2016
- Discernment vs. Judgment -III (Diakrino, Dokimazo) - April 4, 2016
(Developing Character Series)
Issue: Discernment Vs. Critical Spirit, Faultfinding, Judgmental
One gift that everyone in the church needs is the gift of Discernment to escape the end time deception.
End time deception: Watch out that no one deceives you (Mathew 24:4).
- The church will face deception like never before from within and without:
- Hypocrites, different gospel, different Jesus, False Messiah, False Prophets, False Apostles, False miracle workers
- False apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ.
- Rebellious people, full of meaningless talk and deception,
- Deception through fine sounding argument
- People who are zealous to win you over, but for no good.
- People will try to make us captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ.
- Ungodly people within the church, who pervert the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord.
- False teachers will twist the word and secretly introduce destructive heresies,
- In their greed these teachers will exploit you with fabricated stories.
- Stay focused: Satan will try to distract you to disqualify you, shipwreck your faith, distract you, and entice you.
- Keep watch Or you will stumble and fall
Sometimes we do not know whether we are discerning or we are judging someone.
Is it right to judge? Many claim it is not! Have you ever heard these phrases? — “You shouldn’t judge others” or “Judge not that you be not judged.” Still others are accused of being legalists or Pharisees if they dare speak out against the sin or worldliness of another Christian or Christian organization.
In fact, Charles Swindoll in his book Grace Awakening, characterizes those who dare discern as “squint-eyed legalists spying out and attacking another’s liberty (p.94).
Lying, stealing, cheating, adultery, murder, drunkenness and witchcraft are all sins which are easily definable from Scripture. Obedience may be difficult, but at least the concept of what the sins are is clear. But when it comes to the sin of judging and other sins of the tongue and mind it is much more difficult. We all know it is wrong to judge, but we don’t always know when we are judging.
- If I disagree with another believer, am I judging him?
- If I rebuke someone who is sinning am I judging him?
- If I write a book review and criticize some aspect of the book am I judging?
- If I point out failures of nationally known preachers or my pastor am I judging them?
- If I disagree with the policies of a certain Christian organization and share them with others, am I judging that group of believers?
- What if another believer’s doctrine is in error and a pastor preaches about that error from the pulpit has he judged that believer?
- Should we separate ourselves from other believers because of doctrinal error or if we do are we judging?
- Is my lack of support for the work of a particular Christian organization because of their doctrinal error judging from silence?
These are not easy questions to answer. Yet God does not leave us to grope around in the dark. The Bible gives some clear teachings on judging. Let’s examine them.
The Biblical Words “Krino”
Meaning: to pronounce judgment on someone’s action, condemn, sentence, criticize
- Krino is a term that matches God and not man at all
- The setting is a court where there is a “judge”, “a defendant”, “an accuser” and at least “two witness”. The judges’s job is to uphold the law and judge based on the the law impartially.
- A man makes “Krino or judgement” based on critical, judgmental, and self-righteousness, spiritual pride, angry, unforgiving spirit with a hope that the accused is condemned forever.
- There is no place for faith, hope of love in this. Just a complete condemning of a soul.
- Accusing someone and condemning them in their absence.
- Example:- He or she is a Pharisee, bad man, hypocrite , thief, a deceiver, false believer, not a believer but a carnal man
To judge, pronounce judgment, to sentence, to condemn.
Literally means “to separate, select, choose”; hence to determine and to judge. It is used 111 times in the NT to assume the office of a judge, undergo a trial, give a sentence, condemn, to be involved in a law suit and even to form an opinion. It is often used in a negative sense to condemn or find fault with (James 4:11).
James 4:11-12… Brothers and sisters, do not slander (krino; speaks evil of your brother, bad mouth, trash talk, pass judgement; robbers, evildoers, adulterers) one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister or judges them speaks against the law (James 2:8; Law of Love; love your neighbor as yourself) and judges it. When you judge (krino) the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. 12 There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?
James 1:26 (topic: human anger)… Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless.
Psalms 141:3-5… 3. Set a guard over my mouth, Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips. 4 Do not let my heart be drawn to what is evil so that I take part in wicked deeds along with those who are evildoers; do not let me eat their delicacies. 5 Let a righteous man strike me—that is a kindness; let him rebuke me—that is oil on my head. My head will not refuse it, for my prayer will still be against the deeds of evildoers.
“Do not slander one another”: When we slander others, we ourself are the judge, the accuser and the witness. We are holding this pseudo court based on assumptions (self-righteousness, spiritual pride, false humility, religiosity) and weakness (Critical spirit, emotions or anger and not Law of Love).
Only God who is the law giver, the just and the omnipresent, omniscient one can be all that in one person.
Examples: condemn someone’s soul due to anger and unforgiveness: people declaring someone else deserves to suffer in hell for their sinful ways
As Christians, we are told to leave this type of judgment to Christ. Only He is worthy to condemn a person’s soul to hell, declaring their deeds as unforgivable. He tells us to love and pray for our enemies, not to condemn them. We are to “judge” (anakrino) their actions as wrong without “judging” (krino) them for it. This is where unforgiveness comes in. When we judge (krino) a person for wrong doing, we are unwilling to forgive them because we have “judged” (krino) their action as unforgiveable. This “krino” judging is what we are NOT to do as Christians.
The motive in correction: Does this mean parents are wrong to punish their children? Is a court judge wrong for passing sentence on to a criminal? Of course not. These judgments do not condemn a person’s soul, they only attempt to curb wrong actions from happening in the future. They are not done with a vengeance, but are meant to be done with the idea of helping shape that person to fit within society’s rules.
To pass personal judgment on someone’s actions, thus to judge or criticize
It is the primary word used by Jesus in commanding believers not to judge –
Matt 7:1-5… 1. “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. 3 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
- Pride-filled Criticism is the kind of judgment that God declares inappropriate.
- Condemn not and you will not be condemned
I believe what is in focus here is the pride-filled criticism of a hypocrite who is critical of another person in order to make himself look good or justify sinful behavior or beliefs in his own life! He points out others faults when he has bigger faults of his own. This kind of judgment is wrong!
The Parable of the Pharisee and Publican illustrates this kind of judgment.
Luke 18:9-14… 9 To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ 13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ 14 “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
Those who criticize others to make themselves look good, to justify their own sin, to slander someone they dislike or to attract attention to themselves are engaging in unrighteous judgment which God condemns.
There is another aspect that comes into focus here as well. We cannot judge the heart or motives of any person. That is up to God.
Romans 2:16… This will take place on the day when God judges people’s secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares.
1 Corinthians 4:5… Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart. At that time each will receive their praise from God.
Note the Matthew 7 passage carefully. It is not a comprehensive injunction against any judgment, just against the wrong kind of judgment. In fact, Every believer has the obligation to test others by their fruits.
Matthew 7:15-20 (True and False Prophets)… 15 “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.
Finally, two final quotes relating to Matthew 7:1-5. One author notes —
“Christ gives us the right to help others after we have straightened out our own lives. He did not say that it was wrong for you to help your brothers or sisters get rid of their sins; but He did say that first you should take care of your own sin. In other words, we should be as severe with ourselves as we are with others.”
Matthew Henry says this about this passage –
“We must judge ourselves, and judge of our own acts…We must not judge rashly, nor pass judgment upon our brother without any ground.”
The Command Not to Judge
(Matt 7:1-2; Luke 6:37; John 7:24; Rom 2:1-5; 14:3-4, 10, 13; I Cor 4:3-5; Col 2:16; James 4:11; 5:9)
Mat 7:1-2… “Do not judge (“krino”), or you too will be judged. {2} For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
Luke 6:37… “Do not judge (krino), and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.
John 7:24… Stop judging (krino) by mere appearances, and make a right judgment.”
Rom 2:1-5… You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment (krino) on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. {2} Now we know that God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. {3} So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment? {4} Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you toward repentance? {5} But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed.
Rom 14:3-4… The man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not, and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn (krino) the man who does, for God has accepted him. {4} Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.
Rom 14:10… You, then, why do you judge (krino) your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat.
Rom 14:13… Therefore let us stop passing judgment (krino) on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother’s way.
Why are we not to judge? Because only God’s judgment is always just and always correct. Discerning right and wrong and being judgmental is two different things. You can discern right and wrong without passing judgment (sentence) upon a person.
Some of the reasons people get a critical spirit:
- Prayerlessness. Prayer is sign of humility and dependence in God. When we stay in an attitude of prayer then our focus remains on Jesus and not on others. You cannot be a person of continual prayer and be critical at the same time. When we are a prayerful person then we continue to keep our heart open to the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit produces in us the fruit of the Spirit. (Gal. 5:22)
- Carnality (walking in the flesh and not is the Spirit). Rather than drawing upon the Lord for strength and perspective, the critical person relies upon his or her own resources. Cynicism quenches the Spirit, directing us to walk by sight, not faith. As Spirit-filled Christians we will always, fundamentally, be people of hope (because of the great God we serve), while a fleshly person will be one of despair. Now that word comes off strong but what it really means is that a person is living for themselves rather than surrendered to living for Jesus. People who are living for themselves are always at odds with people who are living for Jesus. The flesh has always warred with the Spirit.
- Romans 8:7… The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so.
- Familiarity. This is what happens when a person either believes or has been taught that people called to ministry or other positions with the church are somehow above failure or struggles. When this is believed and then they get to know the human side of the leader, they become “familiar” with them and find out that they put their pants on the same as everyone else. This disappointment leads to becoming critical because they expected something else.
- Spiritual Pride and Judgmentalism (Spiritual Stronghold). This happens a lot in churches and in the hearts of people that have a performance mentality. It is another side of legalism. If people think that they are performing up to standard, then those that don’t seem to be meeting their standard are looked down upon. This especially has happened in times past with Pentecostals and Charismatics who got spiritually prideful over the receiving gifts of grace called spiritual gifts. Discerning right and wrong and being judgmental is two different things. You can discern right and wrong without passing judgment (sentence) upon a person. You cannot think more highly of yourself than you ought without having a low self-esteem. Thinking you are superior will cause you to be critical.
- Faulty understanding of God’s abounding grace. A critical person has experienced little grace. It is far easier to see others’ sins than our own.
- Ingratitude towards blessings of God. When a person forgets or can’t see the blessings of God in their life then they become critical. They have lost the joy of living and the joy of their salvation. The Bible teaches us that when we pray, we are to also be thankful. (Phil 4:6) It also teaches us to give thanks in everything. (1 Thess. 5:18) When we are thankful for everything and grateful to God for all the blessings He has given us, then that means we are also grateful for the people that are put in our lives. How can you be grateful to God for those people and critical of them at the same time?
- Very low self-esteem. When you meet people who are constantly critical, you can be pretty sure that they feel rotten about themselves. They see themselves as unattractive, failing, or in some manner unworthy. Pointing out others’ weaknesses works as an anodyne to keep people from seeing and feeling their own pain.
How to overcome a faultfinding and critical spirit:
What is the antidote to a critical spirit? Below ae something that it definitely is not.
- The answer does not lie in – never analyze things?
- Always to go happy-go lucky?
- Repressing all warning signs Holy Spirit is showing?
- Defending someone even when you know something is not right?
- Act very humble and end up being a hypocrite?
- Acting that everything is chirpy and happy when they are not?
No, this won’t do. Exchanging dull gray sunglasses for rose-tinted glasses is no solution. Fake smiles, repressed anger and a lot of spiritual “praise-the-Lords” don’t build God’s kingdom. Sin needs to be confronted and rebuked—in ourselves, yes, but also in others.
- Accept & Repent: If you know you are guilty of this sin then repent. The first thing you need to do is agree with God about what He thinks of this. You have been agreeing with yourself way too much and you need to agree with God about this. God calls it sin. So call it sin and ask God to forgive you and turn away from following this path anymore.
- Remind yourself of the grace that God has shown you. We simply must have our spiritual eyes opened to see two truths: the heinous depth of our own sin, and the amazing grace of God’s love toward us in Christ. Instead of focusing on the lack in the lives of others, remind yourself of the lack that is in your own life and how God has graciously dealt with you rather than finding fault with you. Spiritual sight here is not something we can will. God must give it. But we can cry out to him for it. “Lord God, would you open my eyes to see myself soberly? And then to know your love more intimately?” We desperately need the existential feel of our own sin and God’s grace. No mere head knowledge, here. “Wash your hands, you sinners, and let there be tears for the wrong things you have done. Let there be sorrow and sincere grief . . .” (James 4:8–9). When King David’s blind eyes were finally opened to his sin with Bathsheba and Uriah, he didn’t merely acknowledge it in some academic, emotionally removed way; he fell on his face, wailed, and fasted for three days! I never, ever will forget how I felt those first few months after I married my wife, Anitha. Believing, knowing, experiencing her love for me, even as she was getting to know my weaknesses and sins, was overwhelming, Yes, I still noticed others’ shortcomings, but this awareness no longer consumed me, for—oh, happy day!—I was loved. Experiencing grace motivated me to extend grace.
- Pray: when we’re bothered by another’s actions, we must pray—for both the person and our response to them. Instantly and fervently. What would happen if we channeled all our critical energy into a running dialog with that person’s (and our) Creator?
- Read the Word: washing of water which is the word of God
- Fight this Spiritual Stronghold (submit to God and resist the devil): If you believe you have been demonically influenced then start engaging in spiritual warfare. The Bible teaches that it is through prayer and fasting that demonic power is overcome. (Matt. 17:21) Start spending more time in prayer. Spend some time fasting. Get your Christian friends and leaders to agree with you in prayer that this demonic stronghold will be defeated in you.
- Walk in the Spirit. Instead of focusing on the lives of others, make your focus to stay filled with the Holy Spirit throughout your day. The fruits of the Spirit and birthed by the Holy Spirit in you. Keep your focus on staying filled with His Spirit and you won’t have time to look for the faults of others.
- Be Diplomatic: we must learn to be diplomatic and direct in confronting people one-on-one. No fake smiles where we try to call darkness ‘light.’ No repression of negative feelings, but instead, direct, tactful communication. The goal here is not to blast people or tell all of their hidden character flaws; the goal is God’s glory and the reconciliation of broken relationships.
- Be an encourager: we need to be encouragers, genuinely upbuilding others and helping them become all that they can become, all that God longs for them to become. I want to get excited about making others successful! I can be an encourager in others’ lives like Barnabas was to Paul, and trust God to provide encouragement for me as well. I have watched people melt at a rightly-timed, genuinely motivated word of affirmation and gratitude. And I know how empowered I feel when I’m around a genuine encourager. Instead of seeing only the downside of the people around us, let’s pray for the ability to see what God is doing in others’ lives, and then add our own two cents in furthering along his good work.