Who Can Judge

Written by  Peter Amsterdam

Some Christians give Christianity a bad name because of their strongly judgmental attitudes,which come across as self-righteousness. Such people may think they are upholding the faith or standing for good causes, but their pronouncements are often harsh and overlook the fact that God loves all people, including those who have rejected or not understood Him. When we interact with people whom we feel are in the wrong, God still expects us to respect them as people whom He created and loves.

God doesn’t condone evil or wrongdoing and neither should we, but we also need to bear in mind that Jesus taught through both word and example that judgment should be tempered by mercy and forgiveness.1 We may be convinced that someone’s actions are wrong or misguided, but God still expects us to be compassionate with the person.2 We may not agree with others’ beliefs or approve of their actions, but that doesn’t make it right to adopt a judgmental attitude toward those people. We need to consider how Jesus would respond, and act accordingly.

Doing so isn’t always straightforward or clear cut. Jesus cautioned us to not judge or condemn others,3 but He also told us to “judge righteous judgment,”4 which involves discerning, evaluating, and differentiating between right and wrong. How do we know when to apply each admonition?

If someone does something that is obviously morally reprehensible, it is reasonable that you would feel compelled to speak out, especially if others are being harmed or led astray as a result.

But there are some situations when right and wrong aren’t so clearly delineated. Something that is wrong under most circumstances might be necessary under other circumstances, such as committing violence to defend oneself or other innocents. In other situations, only time will tell. Jesus said that we would be able to judge people and situations by their fruits,5 meaning we will know only after the situation has played out.

We also need to guard against common pitfalls in the judging process, such as the temptation to make blanket judgments about certain types of people or situations, or to make issues more black-and-white than they actually are.

We shouldn’t feel compelled to judge every person we encounter whose life seems to have gone wrong, or condemn others because of the poor choices they seem to have made. We should be more concerned about helping them than about judging them. We can’t know the burdens and weights that people carry, or all the reasons they make the choices they do. Only God is in a position to pass wise and fair judgment.6 He knows their hearts.7 He understands everything about them in a way that we would never be able to.

We can offer advice or support when appropriate, but it’s not likely that people will be receptive to offers of help if they aren’t presented lovingly. We need to remember that we are also sinners8 who need God’s love, mercy, and forgiveness, which can cover a multitude of sins.9

Judgmentalism portrays the opposite of God’s unconditional love. Judging or labeling people by their perceived weaknesses, or their past, or their physical characteristics, or their age, or their ethnicity, or their beliefs, or any other factor works against the inclusiveness and spirit of love that should be the hallmarks of our lives as Christians. We should be known for our love and lives that manifest the fruits of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.10

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1. John 8:3–11; Matthew 12:10–14
2. Matthew 9:13; 12:7; Luke 10:30–37; Galatians 6:1
3. Matthew 7:1
4. John 7:24
5. Matthew 7:20
6. James 4:12
7. 1 Samuel 16:7
8. Romans 3:23
9. 1 Peter 4:8
10. Galatians 5:22–23 NLT


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