Are You A Righteous Judge?
We all have a natural instinct to make judgments. From a survival perspective, judging if a fruit was safe to eat, a bridge could hold our weight, or a person was an enemy or a foe could be a matter of life or death. Since we are created in the image of God, who is a judge, we judge.
In 1 Corinthians 6:2 Paul explains, “Do you not know that the saints will judge the world?”
Our judgments should line up with God’s justice. God is a just judge. Psalm 89:14 describes the basis of God’s judgment, “Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; steadfast love and faithfulness go before you.” God’s judgments are pure and holy. As 1 Samuel 16:7 explains, “The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”
Any person’s personal relationship with God and their inner character can not be measured by a bank statement, or outward appearance like height, skin color or the style of clothes.
Unfortunately, without the redeeming work of the Holy Spirit in our lives, our natural inclination to judge can be distorted by evil desires. James 2:4 challenges early believers,
“Have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?” Our evil thoughts lead to putting people down and judging others for their outward appearance, success, and wealth.
James warns these early Christians that they had dishonored the poor with their evil thoughts. As believers, we haven’t always taken James’ warning to heart. Historically, our culture and even the church have tolerated discrimination that devalued people based on outward appearance, ethnicity, and gender. If you have felt judged by other Christians and religious leaders, you are not alone. Jesus was also dishonored.
In John 8:48-49, Jewish leaders attacked Jesus with a racially motivated slur and accused him of being demon possessed. He replied, “I am not possessed by a demon” and “I honor my father and you dishonor me.” By dishonoring God’s only son, they were dishonoring God.
Similarly, when we dishonor other people because of how they look or the clothes they wear, we are dishonoring God’s beloved children. It is unacceptable behavior for brothers and sisters in Christ.
Finding freedom in this area starts with looking in the mirror. Often the person I judge the harshest is myself. When we judge ourselves for our hair, skin, success, or intelligence, we are judging God. We are questioning God’s sovereignty, goodness, and wisdom in creating us and allowing the life experiences that he permitted to develop our character.
We all will have physical limitations and challenging life experiences that will teach us about God and be a bridge that connects us to others. For instance, doing without material things can lead to spiritual riches that are only nurtured by the faith that springs from having to depend on God to meet our daily needs.
Here’s how James 2:5 explained this, “Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him?”
All of us will go through times when we are poor in spirit. By allowing those challenging times, God is opening our eyes to the Kingdom of heaven and a greater understanding of his provision.
It is time to stop equating outward appearance, material success, and accomplishments with spiritual approval. God completely loves you, not because of how much money you have, how you look, or your accomplishments. He love you because you are precious and valuable to him. Once you understand how passionately and deeply God loves you, you will be able to share that grace and love with others. Your natural inclination to judge will turn into a celebration of God’s grace and love in your life and in others.
~ Penny Noyes, M.Ed. just released her fourth book Seeing Value: A Biblical Perspective on Intrinsic Value on Amazon. She also writes for Christianity.com, GracefullyTruthful.com and her blog. She is a wife to Tom, mom to Chris and John, Step-mom to Hillary and Jeremy (son-in-law) and a Mimi to the cutest grandkids ever.