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Week Seven: Judging

The idea that Jesus forbade His followers from judging is a myth. Sometimes refusing to make judgments or call sin "sin" can actually result in sin. Jesus didn’t simply say, “judge not,” he followed it by a clarification of what type of judgments to make, when to make them, and how to make them.

We put ourselves in a dangerous place when we judge others in an area where God has not spoken definitively. The Pharisees in Jesus’ day ended up acting holy about things God seemed to not care about, while missing the things He cared most about.

How do we judge? Evaluate and Protect…Discern and Restore:

If we refuse to judge, we miss out on truth. If we judge inappropriately, we pile extra judgment upon ourselves. We must remember that our ultimate purpose is to evaluate and protect or to discern and restore, depending upon the situation and the people involved.

Discussion Starters

• What does it mean to judge?
• In what ways should we judge?
• How have you judged others improperly?
• What does tolerance mean in today’s culture? Is it the same as it was?
• What does it mean to judge by evaluating and protecting?
• What does it mean to judge by discerning and restoring?
• Have you ever experienced restoration from judgment?
• Is it harder for you to judge other Christians or Non-Christians?
• How do you walk with non-Christians, while not judging but also being truthful and trying to win them over?