To any bible believing Christian the answer is YES, but, for the modernist Christian church, they speak in one accord with a resounding NO. Instead, what pours out of their mouths is, “Don’t judge others, love and except everyone as individuals, after all, God is loving and gracious, and we are not under the works of the Law.” Well, the problem is, much of our modern church has become biblically naïve to the word of God.
Matthew 7:1“Judge not, that you be not judged. This verse is perhaps one of the most quoted, yet, most misunderstood verses in the scriptures. Of this verse, Barnes, Calvin, and Gill say this: Albert Barnes says, “It rather refers to private (or personal) judgment than “judicial.” John Calvin says, “These words of Christ do not contain an absolute prohibition from judging.” John Gill says, “According to the nature of the case; of judgment in the churches of Christ, offenders are to be called to an account, examined, tried, and dealt with according to the rules of the Gospel.”
This verse took place during Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, where many commands were given. In context, the story goes on to say, “First remove the log from your own eye, so that you can see clear to take the speck from your brother’s eye.” First, what is it to see clear? Would a log, beam, or plank, not obstruct one’s entire view? Biblically, is the non-believer not called blind? Did scales not fall from the Apostle Paul’s eye when Jesus called him unto salvation? Therefore, to see clear means, that God has shined the light of the gospel upon you, in the person of Jesus Christ, and the truth of God’s Word, through the Holy Spirit have enlightened you. So, to have God’s truth, is to see clear. Therefore, God’s infallible Word is the measure in which one see’s clearly.
Secondly, Jesus is commanding that no one is to cast personal judgement, through their own bias, or judge harshly, or hypocritically. Which is to say that the judgement MUST come from outside oneself. Be it judicially or biblically, the judgement cannot be formed through one own’s opinion.
Lastly, how could Jesus possibly be condemning all forms of judgement? Is God not called the Great Judge of Israel? Did God not appoint judges over Israel? Is Jesus not coming again to judge all manner of sin and unrighteousness? Did Jesus not say, “That non-believers will be judged by the authority of Scripture? John 12:48 “The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day.” So, the Scriptures have the absolute authority over sin and all manners of life. Also, are we not commanded to obeying the laws of the land? Meaning, if those laws are broken, one will be judged in a court of law, and punished for the crime committed.
All this to say, this is a lesson on righteous judgement, biblical judgement, and godly judgement. NOT a prohibiting of all forms of judgement. If that was the case, Jesus Himself would be breaking His own commands. So then Christian, when we judge, may it be according to the standard that Jesus laid out in His Word.