How can we judge with righteous judgment (John 7:24)?

The topic of judging others is a sensitive one. On one hand, Jesus clearly teaches us “Judge not, that you be not judged” (Matthew 7:1). Yet in John 7:24, He also says, “Do not judge by appearances, but judge with righteous judgment.” At first glance these verses seem contradictory, but a deeper look reveals important principles for understanding how we can judge righteously.

What does it mean to judge?

First, we must understand what Jesus means by “judge.” The word translated “judge” comes from the Greek word krino, meaning to separate, select, choose, determine, or judge. It can have either a positive or negative implication, depending on the context.

When Jesus says “Judge not” in Matthew 7, He is warning against self-righteous, prideful judgment that condemns others. This type of judgmental attitude is rooted in hypocrisy and fails to recognize our own flaws and need for grace (Matthew 7:1-5).

However, in John 7:24 Jesus encourages His followers to “judge with righteous judgment.” Here, the sense is to use wisdom and discernment to judge right from wrong, truth from error. We are called to judge teaching, doctrine, and sinful behavior, but always in a spirit of humility, gentleness, and seeking restoration (Galatians 6:1).

How can we judge righteously?

The Bible gives several principles for making righteous judgments:

1. Judge ourselves first – Recognize our own faults before judging others (Matthew 7:5). Examine our motives to ensure we are not judging out of a critical spirit.
2. Judge by biblical standards – Use discernment based on God’s word, not our own opinions (John 7:24, 12:48). Measure words and actions against the truth of Scripture.
3. Judge with humility – Approach others with gentleness and patience, not from a position of self-righteousness (Galatians 6:1). Remember that we too were saved by grace.
4. Judge for restoration – Seek to redeem, not condemn. The goal should be repentance and restoration of the person into right relationship with God (Matthew 18:15-17).
5. Avoid hypocrisy – Do not judge others for issues you yourself struggle with. Apply the same standard to yourself that you use to judge others (Romans 2:1-4).
6. Focus on heart attitudes – Judge based on motives and the condition of the heart. Actions can be misleading without discerning the underlying attitudes (Luke 6:37-38).

When should we judge?

The Bible gives some clear instances where righteous judgment is expected and necessary:

1. Within the church – Christians are to hold one another accountable to God’s standards of holiness, sound doctrine, and righteous living (1 Corinthians 5:9-13). Loving correction and restoration should be the goal.
2. False teachers – We are to identify and avoid teachers who contradict or distort biblical truth, while gently trying to turn them to repentance (Matthew 7:15-20, Romans 16:17-18).
3. Disputes between believers – Christians are called to judge disputes and grievances fairly within the church, based on God’s perfect standards of justice and righteousness (1 Corinthians 6:1-8).
4. Sinful behavior – We must confront ongoing patterns of sinful behavior within the church and call for repentance when there is hard-hearted disobedience (Matthew 18:15-20).
5. Doctrinal issues – Every teaching must be compared carefully against Scripture. We must identify and reject false doctrines, while being gracious with those who teach them (Galatians 1:6-9, 2 Timothy 3:16-17).

Cautions for judging righteously

While righteous judgment is at times required of Christians, we must be extremely careful. Here are some important cautions:

• Prayerfully examine your motives – Make sure a judgmental attitude is not masking your own insecurity, pride or hypocrisy.
• Judge only what is plain from Scripture – Do not make judgments on disputable matters not clearly addressed in God’s word (Romans 14:1).
• Watch your tone and attitude – Make judgments with gentleness and compassion, not hostility or condemnation.
• Focus on behavior rather than motives – We cannot know another person’s heart. But we can identify sinful behavior and gently confront it.
• Remove the log from your eye first – Always examine your own life for sin that needs confession and repentance before judging another (Matthew 7:1-5).
• Pray for humility – Ask God to reveal any pride or self-righteousness that distorts your judgments.
• Offer grace – Remember that we are all saved by grace. There is no room for harshness or smugness when correcting others.
• Speak the truth in love – Make the goal restoration into Christ-likeness rather than condemnation (Ephesians 4:15).

The dangers of judgmental attitudes

A critical, judgmental attitude towards others is dangerous for several reasons:

• It distorts our view of others and hinders relationships. We begin to negatively misinterpret people’s motives and actions.
• It reveals arrogance and self-righteousness. A judgmental person thinks they are above being judged themselves.
• It hurts our Christian witness. It is hypocritical to judge non-believers while asking them to accept God’s grace and forgiveness.
• It causes disunity and conflict. Harsh, critical attitudes stir up anger and resentment instead of promoting peace.
• It discourages and wounds people. Feeling judged by other Christians can deeply hurt people and turn them away from the church.
• It often exposes our own spiritual weaknesses. Pride, insecurity, jealousy and legalism often fuel judgmental attitudes.
• It distracts from our primary mission. Obsessing over others’ sins takes our focus off bringing people to Christ.
• It grieves the Holy Spirit. Judgmental pride quenches the work of the Spirit in our hearts and communities.

The damage caused by judgmental attitudes reveals why Scripture so strongly warns against this sin. A critical spirit corrodes our souls, destroys community, and dishonors God.

Leaving final judgment to God

Finally, we must remember that final judgment belongs to God alone. While we are called to make wise judgments in this life, only the Lord has the perfect understanding to give absolute judgments:

• He alone sees the heart and motives (1 Samuel 16:7).
• He alone has lived a perfect life by which to judge others.
• He alone has both perfect justice and mercy.
• He alone has complete knowledge of all people of all time.
• He alone has absolute and total authority to execute judgment.

Therefore, we can judge righteously only in humility, restraint, and dependence on God’s grace. We speak the truth, identify sin, and make judgments – but only to restrain evil, redeem sinners, and restore the fallen. Final justice and judgment belong to the Lord.

As Christians, we live in the tension of judging sin and error as the Bible commands, while avoiding the dangers of pride, hypocrisy and harshness that Jesus condemned. Only by the power of the Holy Spirit can we navigate these challenges and “judge with righteous judgment.”