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“Only God can judge me”
On the surface, this saying is true. It is only for God to judge the merit of a human soul. (Revelation 20:11-15) And we are warned not to be “judgemental” in how we regard the sins or station of others. (Matthew 7:2) The danger of this saying, however, is found in its dismissiveness, particularly as it relates to the missteps and misdeeds of our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.
We are indeed called to judge one another. “Judgement,” in this sense, might be better described as “admonishment”: warning or reprimanding a fellow believer in accordance with the Scriptures.
Paul, in his epistle to the Romans, acknowledged that Christians should admonish one another, when such correction or instruction is born of good intent and Scripturally-based. (Romans 15:14) He likewise urged the church at Thessalonica to make it clear to fellow believers if their actions were out of step with the Will of God. (2 Thessalonians 3:14-15) And Jesus Himself gave us very specific instructions for how to admonish and resolve issues with fellow Christians. (Matthew 18:15-17)
Admittedly, admonishing a fellow believer can be uncomfortable. For some, the prospect of calling another Christian out for their misdeeds may seem hypocritical – especially if he is or she is struggling with the same fault. There are those who will, in fact, cite Jesus’ example of the speck in our brother’s eye versus the log in our own (Matthew 7:3) as grounds for avoiding the admonishment of another believer altogether.
The point Jesus was making in this verse, however, was not that we should never admonish another believer; rather, He was illustrating how hypocritical it is to call someone on the carpet for his or her sins, yet be unwilling to acknowledge our own sin frailty in kind. Such a thing is not admonishment at all; it’s blame-laying.
Admonishment should always, always, always be based in the love and truth of God’s Word. (2 Timothy 3:16) Anything short of that and our admonishment won’t only fall on deaf ears: it will be at odds with the Will and Heart of Christ.
Thus the saying should go, “Only God can judge me, but I am accountable to my brothers and sisters in Christ.”
On the surface, this saying is true. It is only for God to judge the merit of a human soul. (Revelation 20:11-15) And we are warned not to be “judgemental” in how we regard the sins or station of others. (Matthew 7:2) The danger of this saying, however, is found in its dismissiveness, particularly as it relates to the missteps and misdeeds of our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.
We are indeed called to judge one another. “Judgement,” in this sense, might be better described as “admonishment”: warning or reprimanding a fellow believer in accordance with the Scriptures.
Paul, in his epistle to the Romans, acknowledged that Christians should admonish one another, when such correction or instruction is born of good intent and Scripturally-based. (Romans 15:14) He likewise urged the church at Thessalonica to make it clear to fellow believers if their actions were out of step with the Will of God. (2 Thessalonians 3:14-15) And Jesus Himself gave us very specific instructions for how to admonish and resolve issues with fellow Christians. (Matthew 18:15-17)
Admittedly, admonishing a fellow believer can be uncomfortable. For some, the prospect of calling another Christian out for their misdeeds may seem hypocritical – especially if he is or she is struggling with the same fault. There are those who will, in fact, cite Jesus’ example of the speck in our brother’s eye versus the log in our own (Matthew 7:3) as grounds for avoiding the admonishment of another believer altogether.
The point Jesus was making in this verse, however, was not that we should never admonish another believer; rather, He was illustrating how hypocritical it is to call someone on the carpet for his or her sins, yet be unwilling to acknowledge our own sin frailty in kind. Such a thing is not admonishment at all; it’s blame-laying.
Admonishment should always, always, always be based in the love and truth of God’s Word. (2 Timothy 3:16) Anything short of that and our admonishment won’t only fall on deaf ears: it will be at odds with the Will and Heart of Christ.
Thus the saying should go, “Only God can judge me, but I am accountable to my brothers and sisters in Christ.”
About this Plan
Not everything that sounds Biblical actually is. Like the Bereans of old, we must test the wisdom of the age against the Truth of God’s Word. (Acts 17:11) This five-day study will examine some popular sayings and expressions which are often attributed to the Lord, but are in fact found nowhere in Scripture – as well as teach you what God really has to say on such matters.
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