It isn’t your job to judge other people. That means that you cannot condemn anyone or think negatively about anyone’s situation or circumstances. Yes, it is a lot more than passing judgment in the traditional definition of the term.
You cannot even put yourself above others by thinking that you are better than they are. You may not think that you are judge-y, but if you do any of these things, then you probably are.
1. Comparing yourself to others and coming out on top: This creates an us vs. them mentality and immediately puts people into categories in your mind. It also means that you’re constantly judging other people and comparing them to yourself instead of just living your own life.
2. Constantly looking for the negative in people or situations: If you’re always focused on what’s wrong, then it’s going to be hard to see the good in anything or anyone – including yourself! And when we only see the bad, it makes it easy to pass judgment.
3. Seeing the world through black-and-white glasses: Another way of saying this is “thinking in absolutes.” For example, “He’s always late,” or “She never listens.” When we use absolutes like this, we subconsciously leave no room for nuance or Gray areas – which again makes it easy to pass judgmental statements about someone without really knowing them at all.
God wants you to think positively about others. Even if the situation someone is in is their own fault, it isn’t your place to judge them. Leave that up to God. For if you judge them, even in your mind, you will be judged as well.
Referenced Verses:
James 4:12
Matthew 7:1-2
Romans 2:1
Psalm 75:7
Deuteronomy 32:35
Romans 12:17-19
Video Transcript
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Today we are talking about how God is the judge, not you. You are not to judge other people, and so if that is something that you struggle with, judging others, then you got to stop. You need to stop. You can’t judge other people, and judging other people can take a variety of forms.
I don’t mean like if you are a court judge and you are listening to the attorneys present and then you make a judgment or a ruling based on that. I don’t mean that. We are to have judges. We are to have a court system set up.
God commands that in the Old Testament with Moses where all the people used to bring everything to Moses and Moses said, “I can’t do this. It’s too much for me.” God said, “Hey, talk to some other people” and Jethro recommended basically that Moses set up other people who know the law—who are judges—and then the people can bring smaller concerns to them and then greater concerns to Moses.
That is how we have it today. We have smaller courts, larger courts, and depending on the level of what needs to be judged, it could go all the way up to the Supreme Court. We have those levels. This is why it is so important that the people who are on those panels are godly people. They have to be. How else do we know that we are getting justice? They must be godly people.
This, the book of the law right here, the Bible, this is the Word of God. If the people who are not ruling our courts are not familiar with this book, with the ways of Jesus Christ, with how to live not of this world, with how to live storing up treasures in Heaven—if they are not familiar with that then the judgments that they are passing are not good. They can’t be. How could they be good?
No, beyond that, God is [the] judge. Not you. So something may happen to you or you may see other people, maybe the way they dress, you are not to look down on them. You are not to think that they might be lesser than what they are.
For example, one day I went to the bank and I wasn’t wearing this suit but I was wearing a gray suit with a nice shirt and I had a tie on, I believe, and I went in there, and from my car door to the bank like three people said “Hello” to me. This was in the summer and a nice day—so I walked in, “Hey, how are you?” “Hey,” three people: a couple in the parking lot. I walked into the bank and I was greeted before I even got up to the tellers, someone said “Hey, I can help you?”
Another day I went in there wearing construction clothing. I had on a pair of jeans that were dirty. I had on a gray t-shirt with some kind of builder’s logo on the back and I had like concrete dust and stuff a little bit. I mean, it wasn’t like dirty dirty that it was falling off, but I was kind of grungy. I had longer hair, and it wasn’t nice.
I walked into the bank and I had safety glasses on or something, and so from my car to the parking lot, I saw way more people this time. Not a word. Inside the bank, the person didn’t greet me. I walk toward the tellers. No one says hi. I go up to the teller, I stand there just like this. I stand there and they are doing something. It must have been 10 seconds, “Oh, how can I help you?”
Do you think there was some judgment going on there because I was dressed the way I was dressed? I was perceived differently than if I was dressed nicely. They were judging me unconsciously or consciously. They were judging me. When I was wearing a suit, I was perceived as more valuable. I was judged to be more. When I wasn’t, I was judged to be less. Don’t let that be you.
Don’t be the person who is judging people based on their appearance. Everybody is valuable. We are all unique. There is no one like us. We are rare and there is value in rarity. Therefore each person is valuable.
Don’t judge them based on their appearance. They could be a millionaire for all you know. I was the same person, I just wore a different outfit and look at the response that I had. Try the experiment yourself.
This goes beyond that. This is beyond simply looking at someone’s appearance and judging them. There is more. There is more. So what more is there? Well the first lesson, the point is don’t judge people based on their appearance. I know it could be hard but you really shouldn’t do it. Serve everyone equally. Treat everyone equally.
This is also very important. Today a lot of things are going on about race. We have a lot of problems in the world with people tearing down their own race, with people thinking that minorities are better than the majority.
With people trying to elevate statuses of different gender identities or how they identify as a person or whether they are this or that or him or her or his or they or whatever—all of this nonsense that is going on in the world.
We are all humans. We are all equal. That is where it should end. Instead, everyone wants to do all this other stuff, and why? So they are seen or judged differently. That is all of this world. It is not of God. Keep that in mind as well when you encounter that.
Now obviously you need to be respectful, but if you are going to share Jesus with them, maybe don’t call them out right away on that, but start sharing Jesus and they can make a change in their life. Remember that God is [the] judge. Not you. You are unable to judge others. You are unable. You literally are not able to do it.
You say, “What are you talking about? I judge other people all the time. I look at someone and I can tell based on this—that this is how the type of person is. They are okay.” There is a difference between reading people and judging people.
You could look at someone and read their body language, their human behavior, their emotion and you could say that they have a specific type of profile, that they have a way of life or a way of thinking.
Okay, that isn’t judging. That is reading. But the second you take it beyond that and you start inferring different things about them or character or status or assigning them a value or turning your nose or anything like that, now it is judging and that is wrong.
The reason you are unable to do that, you may be able to do it, you might be able to, as in you do do it, but you are not allowed to. The reason is because you are guilty of sin exactly as they are.
James 4:12 says, “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 is saying there is only one person that can do that. Who are you to do it? You are not able to do that. You can’t because you are guilty exactly as they are.
Do you want a guilty convicted murderer judging other murderers? No, you don’t. Now of course in the justice system of today’s world, that is why the judge that is there is not a convicted murderer judging the trial of a murder. Again that is different. We are talking about a different form of judging.
Not only are you unable to judge them, you are commanded not to do so. Matthew 7:1-2: “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
The second you start judging someone else for something, whether it is appearance or the way they talk or whatever the case may be, instantly you will be judged for that same thing. Instantly it is added to your file.
Jesus is the only one without sin, therefore He is the only one who is able to judge others. If you are an imperfect person, if you decide to judge others, then you will be judged in the same way. The standards you use against others will be used against you.
Really what is happening is when you judge others you are setting yourself up to receive the same form of judgment. You are placing yourself under a curse. You are adding another judgment to your file. Do you want to be judged for many many many more things? Stop judging others.
Romans 2 Verse 1 says, “You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.” Stop judging other people.
You are guilty of the same things. They are sin. Sure you may have a different type of sin, may be different, but it is still sin in God’s eyes. Remember all sin is the same except for a couple things—blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.
You know you can’t do that, sinning against yourself, you can’t do that. But the other sins that you commit outside your body, those sins in God’s eyes, the punishment is death. For the wages of sin is death. That is very very simple; it is black and white. You sin. You die. End of story.
Judging someone else when you have done the same thing, you have sinned, you are judging someone else’s sin, that is wrong. Now guess what? You are going to be judged accordingly to that as well. Fortunately for us, Jesus died and paid that price. So that when your day of judgment comes, God says, “Why’d you do this? Why’d you do this? Give me an accounting of this.”
He shows you literally everything you have ever done wrong. Believe me, I am sure mine is a very long list. What is your answer going to be on that day of judgment? When the one who can judge and who is able to judge judges you?
He says, “Hey, I have never done any of this stuff. I was tempted just like you but I didn’t do it. Why did you do that?” What is my answer gonna be? I know it. Do you? Do you know your answer?
The answer is gonna be, “I am imperfect. I can’t do it, but Jesus died so that I don’t have to and I lived my life with Him in my heart constantly asking forgiveness for all of my sins knowing that I am imperfect and that I need Him to pay for me and thanking Him for that.” That is the answer. Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior. Is He yours? He can be if you ask.
Continuing on. You are putting yourself under a curse if you judge. We just read this. You are condemning yourself—Romans 2:1. All these verses will be referenced in the description below by the way. You are condemning yourself.
If you judge others, you are condemning yourself, for the measure that you use on them, it will be used against you. Every time you judge someone you are adding another judgment to your file.
For example, let’s say God is only judging you for a few things, maybe a few thousand things, a few thousand. Maybe when you judge others, every single time, thought, verbal, any of that, every single time you are adding another thing. Now all of a sudden you are at 4,000, 5,000, 6,000. You are adding judgments to your original list.
Let’s go to Psalm 75:7. It says, “But it is God who judges: He brings down one, he exalts another.” Okay, we have talked about this before. Proverbs says those who humble themselves will be exalted. For example, if you go to someone’s house, a barbecue for example or a banquet, you are not to sit at the head of the table.
Don’t take the high seat. Take a lower seat, and it is better for them to say, “Hey, no, come up here, sit up here” then for them to say, “Hey, you are sitting in my seat. Go somewhere else.” Take the lower spots and be exalted, for if you humble yourself you will be exalted.
God is judge; He will humble those who continue to live in error and He will exalt those who strive to be righteous. Try to be like Jesus; keep trying to be like Jesus and you will be exalted. Do you want to increase judgments upon yourself? You want to be judged for more and more and more? If not, stop judging.
Now you may say, “Well, there is a lot of bad stuff in this world and a lot of things that are happening to me. I got scammed out of some money” or “I loaned someone some money and they never paid me back” or “I was in line and someone cut me off or someone ripped me off” or “Somebody cheated me or they punched me and I didn’t punch him back” or whatever all these things in this world are happening against you. Where is the justice?
Where is their judgment? Be patient. Be patient. Who would you rather have judge them, humankind or God? Think about that for a minute. God, His judgment is final. They will get what is coming to them.
Heck, we let serial killers run free. Why? Because lock them up [for] 10 years, out on good behavior, 20 years. This, that, the other thing. They are still here. Are they reformed? That is another topic, another debate. God’s judgment is final. He doesn’t tolerate that.
Wages of sin—death. Oh, you killed? Death, death, death, eternal separation from God. There is only one thing that can save them. That is Jesus Christ. Only one thing; that is it. Here on Earth, there are a number of things that could save a convict.
If they are a bad enough criminal, yeah, they get locked up—time, good behavior, parole, all this stuff. They have an opportunity to change. Now if they truly change that is great. Only one thing though can truly do that, Jesus Christ.
Think about this. Someone has wronged you; someone has scammed you. What is the best thing that could happen for you? Well, that they get justice. Or that you get made whole again. I understand but that they get justice. Take it down to the bottom, that they get justice. That justice is served.
Think about the best form of justice that could happen. They are going on living their life in a certain way, if they get Jesus in their life [and] they make a change, their life is different, their old self is literally gone; it is dead. Their old ways are gone. You have changed their life. You have come, you have killed them, they have had death. Their old life is gone. They have become something else.
You have made such a change in their life. The best thing that could happen is then for them to come to Jesus and literally, everything has changed their life, is turned upside down. “Vengeance is mine,” says God. He will take care of it. You just have to be patient and trust that no matter what happens in your life, God has got you. He has got your back. He cares for you, dude.
Let’s go to Romans 12:17-19. It says, “Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written, ‘It is mine to avenge, I will repay,’ says the LORD.”
What do you think would be worse, God’s wrath or the wrath of humans or mankind? If you have an enemy, whose wrath would you rather have upon them, yours, someone else’s, or God’s? God’s wrath is going to be the worst for them, because guess what, God’s wrath could change their entire life, could turn their whole life upside down. So it was written, “it is mine to avenge,” says the Lord.
Let’s go to the original text then; Deuteronomy 32:35 says, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay when in due time their foot will slip. Their day of disaster is near and their doom rushes upon them.” Be patient. If something has happened to you, if you are at the raw end of a deal, if you need justice in your life and it is not happening here in this world, don’t worry, this world doesn’t matter.
In due time God will avenge. He has got your back. Let him fight your battles. We talked about that before in a card here on how it is important to let God fight for you. Do that. Give it to God. If there is something going on, give it to God. Trust that He will take care of it. Vengeance is His.
Remember the best thing that can happen, the best form of justice is that you take that person that wronged you and they follow Jesus. Their entire life as they know it, is ripped from them. Their old self dies. They become a new creation. They are literally not the same. They are completely different. I can’t think of a worse punishment—to be pulled from everything and have a new life.
Not only is that the worst punishment that they could have on this Earth. It is the best thing that could happen to them and those around them. So it is a good and a bad. It is an excellent thing. It is a great way for you to have justice because they will never do that again. They will never rip someone off again.
Hopefully, they have come to Jesus, they became a Christian. Their old ways are gone so you have permanently solved that problem and you have changed that person and gotten someone to come to the Kingdom of God. How incredible.
Let’s pray. Lord thank you for this message. I ask that these points would hit home. That people would remember that they need to not be judging. That they are sinful as well and that whether it is even seeing someone in the way they perceive them or whether it is the way they think about them, Lord change that in our lives.
I ask that You would help all of us treat everyone with equity and equality. That we would treat each person equal, the same, whether man or woman, whether black or white or red or yellow, whatever they are—however they identify—that we would treat them with your love. Whether they are healthy or sick, dressed up or homeless, it doesn’t matter, that we would treat them all as a human being.
That is it. That is the bottom line. That is as far as it should go. Human being, boom, done. Lord, I ask that they would remember that when something happens to them, that You are the judge and that they would trust You.
That vengeance is Yours and that they would allow You to take that vengeance and that they would do so in love, not like “God smite that person, they just did that.” No, but that they would do it in love—“Lord Jesus, please, something has happened to me, please take care of it for me however you deem appropriate.” That is it. That they would just trust You with it. Not tell You what to do with it. That is so important.
That we continue to live in love and be blessed to be a blessing with those around us. Lord Jesus, I ask that they would cease their judgment and that they would start turning to You with everything. That they would pray continually all the time and then if they need prayer that they would be bold and courageous and that they would comment below so that we can continue to pray for them. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
If that is you, if you need prayer, if something is going on in your life, comment below “Pray for me” or tell us what it is. We will pray. We will pray for you. We would be so happy to pray for you. If you want to contact us, we would be even happy to pray with you. God bless.
