Stop Judging Me! It’s Judgmental… Says Who?

“Stop judging me!”

“It’s judgmental!”

Okay… says who?

“Judge” might be one of the most misunderstood words in Christianity today.

We’ve reached a point where simply saying something is wrong can get you called judgmental. And sometimes, “don’t judge me” has become a shield people use to protect, excuse, and continue in sin without anyone challenging them.

But like my big bro says:

“It’s not judgment to say what the Judge said.”

That line will make sense by the end.

I believe one tactic of the enemy is to distort the meaning of words. Because if you can change what a word means in people’s minds, you can change how they respond to what God actually said.

So let’s talk about the word judge.

What Does “Judge” Actually Mean?

One of the primary Greek words translated “judge” in the New Testament is κρίνω (krinō).

Depending on the context, it can mean to distinguish, evaluate, decide, determine, form a judgment, give a verdict, or condemn.

Based on the definition of the word, there are really two parts to the word  judge: discernment level and verdict level.

Think about a murder case. I can look at the evidence and say, “This person committed murder,” based on my evaluation of the evidence I’ve seen (discernment level) .

But I’m not the judge sitting on the bench, so I don’t get to hand down the sentence or verdict (verdict level).

It’s the same spiritually.

I can look at something and say, “Scripture calls this sin and the consequences.” But I don’t get to sentence someone’s soul to hell. That verdict belongs to God.

Now that we understand the difference, let’s look at how the Bible actually uses the word “judge.”

Let’s cover five areas.

1. Foundation: God Is the Ultimate Judge

Let’s establish this first.

God is Judge.

“God is a just judge…” — Psalm 7:11

And Psalm 96:13 says He will judge the world “with righteousness” and the peoples “with His truth.”

God has the authority to judge perfectly because He knows everything perfectly.

He doesn’t judge from appearances, incomplete information, personal bias, jealousy, favoritism, or hypocrisy.

His judgment is righteous. He discerns and ultimately makes the final verdict…

2. But God Also Gave People Responsibility to Judge

This is where the conversation gets interesting.

If judging were automatically sinful, why did God appoint judges?

“You shall appoint judges and officers… and they shall judge the people with just judgment.” — Deuteronomy 16:18

Moses judged disputes among Israel in Exodus 18:13. God raised judges in Judges 2:18. Numbers 35:24 describes the congregation judging certain matters.

And this doesn’t stop with government.

Paul tells believers:

“Do you not know that the saints will judge the world?” — 1 Corinthians 6:2

Then he takes it further:

“Do you not know that we shall judge angels? How much more, things that pertain to this life?” — 1 Corinthians 6:3

So Scripture does not teach the complete absence of judgment.

There is God’s judgment—He is the supreme Judge.

There is governmental judgment—authority delegated to maintain justice and order.

And there is individual judgment—where believers must distinguish truth from error, examine fruit, evaluate conduct, settle certain disputes, and even judge themselves.

That is why Jesus gives us a principle for judging:

“Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.” — John 7:24

Notice what Jesus didn’t say.

He didn’t say, “Never judge anything.”

He said: Judge righteously.

3. Yes, We Can Judge—but God Determines the Standard

Here is where we can get ourselves in trouble.

Just because Scripture permits judgment does not mean we get to judge however we want.

The question isn’t:

“What do I think about this?”

The question is:

“What has God said about this?”

2 Chronicles 19:6 says:

“Take heed to what you are doing, for you do not judge for man but for the LORD…”

That changes everything.

You don’t create the standard. God does.

Our opinions are not Scripture.

Our culture is not Scripture.

Our traditions are not Scripture.

Our feelings are not Scripture.

4. Yes, We Can Judge—but Not Everything Deserves Your Judgment

This one is important because sometimes we really do judge people over nonsense. 😂

The book of Romans addresses believers judging one another over food and certain practices that have nothing to do with God’s standards.

Colossians 2:16 says:

“So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths…”

There is a difference between calling something wrong because God called it wrong and calling something wrong because you personally don’t like it.

We cannot turn personal convictions into universal commandments.

For example: I might say jollof rice is better than fried rice.

God has no position on that. 😂

Sounds ridiculous, right?

But you would be surprised how much judgment happens because people confuse their preferences with God’s commandments.

Coughs ** think of denominations. 😂

Someone won’t even marry a Baptist because they’re Pentecostal.

Meanwhile… did God say that, or did your denomination?

There’s a difference.

5. “But the Bible Says Judge Not!” Let’s Clarify That

Now let’s deal with the famous one.

“Judge not, that you be not judged.” — Matthew 7:1

Conversation over, right?

Not quite.

Keep reading.

Jesus talks about someone noticing the speck in their brother’s eye while having a plank in their own.

Then He says:

“Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” — Matthew 7:5

Did you catch it?

Jesus never said:

Leave your brother’s speck alone forever.

He said:

Deal with your plank first.

The warning is against hypocritical judgment.

Don’t come judging a matter while refusing to confront yourself.

Righteous judgment starts with self-examination.

So What Does Biblical Judgment Actually Look Like?

God is the ultimate Judge.

God establishes the standard.

He delegates judgment within certain spheres of authority.

Believers are called to exercise righteous judgment and discernment according to His standard.

Hypocritical, partial, self-righteous, and unjust judgment is condemned.

And our personal preferences, traditions, and opinions must never become God’s law.

So the biblical message is much more precise than:

“Don’t judge.”

The better questions are:

By whose standard are you judging?

Are you judging according to truth or merely appearance?

Do you actually understand what God has said about the matter?

Are you guilty of the same thing you’re judging?

Did God call this wrong—or did you?

And lastly, the posture of our heart matters when judging a matter.

The goal shouldn’t simply be to call somebody out, embarrass them, or prove that we’re right.

The goal should be truth, correction, and restoration.

There should still be love in our posture.

And remember what we learned about love: love doesn’t mean being nice all the time. :)

So next time somebody says:

“Don’t judge me!”

Remember: It’s not judgment to say what the Judge already said.

Now you get it. 😉

🎶 Music Time

Marizu & Buchi — “Big God” 🔥

I love this duo! Father and son singing together—love to see generational blessings being passed down. ❤️🙌🏾