Judging others, right or wrong? (A biblical argument, not just a rant)

There are many ideas and opinions on this topic, many I have found to be based on out of context scripture and leaning slightly liberal in direction. If you think that I am now about to rant about it, you are indeed wrong. I propose that there has been enough ranting, over what is right and what is wrong, and enough bickering based on hypothetical situations. Let me be clear, this discussion is only to be used in Christian relations, it is another topic for another time, but as Christians we have NO right to hold those that do not claim Christ as their Lord and Saviour to our standard of living, specifically the bible. So if you are looking at lost people's actions through the lens of the bible, STOP IT! Yes they are sinners, yes they need Jesus, but if you are going around trying to tell them how bad they are and how much they need Jesus then you are attempting to do the Holy Spirit's work, and therefore have failed before you even opened your mouth. You are a hindrance to the kingdom not a help so back off. 

The most common scripture that is used concerning this topic is "do not judge others" which is 1/2 a quote. The entire quote can be found in Matt 7:1 "Do not judge others, or you too will be judged.", lets continue on to verse 2, "For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." Luke 6:37-38 records it this way "Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."

What can we say then? Do not judge? It certainly appears so, in both cases it appears that there is a command, backed up with the warning that our judgement of others will be then used and held against us. This might not bother you, as you will never have sex before marriage, so you can judge that couple you know allowed temptation into their relationship, or you will never have an abortion so why should you care about judging harshly the actions of those involved with the issue. Well my answer to that, which could take a whole other note, is that you are justifying your actions, based on one, the standard cannot be held to you if you do not do the same action, and second that God sees all sins as individual and separate from each other. Which, even though the first might appear to be logical, it is not, and the second is covered extensively in scripture, allow me to deviate briefly.Throughout the bible there is a theme of internal vs external, the heart (the seat of your emotions driving your actions) vs the outward actions or appearance. This concept is really picked apart by Paul in Romans discussing how circumcision, the covenant between Abraham and God, is invalid if it is only a matter of flesh, if there is no internal character motivating the outward display of said character, then it is meaningless. For example, a person can put a sign in front of a building that says "Christian Church" (I despise denominations, but that is a topic for another day.), but if they are sacrificing animals and calling upon zeus, satan or zork, master of the interplanetary alliance, then it is not a Christian Church, the outward label, or display, does not represent the inward character. 

Back on track to the previous arguments, which I would submit go awry in the heart. Listen (read) carefully i don't want to be mistaken for some heretic, actions do speak louder than words, no doubt. But from the previous argument, the outward appearance holds little weight as to what is the inward character agreed? Therefore, when we sin, yes God sees the outward rebellion toward his commands, but his gaze passes through our actions and straight at our rebelling heart. Yes, I believe that there are some sins that in action hold greater weight than others, but this is not a discussion about that. If you are following me this far, then I would submit, that sin as a condition of the heart, that all sin, to God, has the same motivation, the same origination. All sin stems from a heart that has forsaken God, and has chosen to act out of it's own will and desires. If then this is can be held to be true, you thinking hateful thoughts or internally cussing out a crying baby as an inconvenience at walmart, is, at it's roots, the same condition that would lead a young lady to abort an unwanted child out of inconvenience to her. Remember these are not the same actions, and as actions they hold different weights, but as a matter of the heart, they are identical. If you look to another human and entertain sexual thoughts about them, your heart is not different than the couple that allowed their hearts to be swayed by passions of the flesh. This can be seen in Matt 5:21-30. 

If then actions might be weighed differently, but in all matters of those actions can be traced to a sinful heart. Then the standard at which you judge a person, as you might think you are judging their actions but you are indeed judging their heart, can then be used, to judge your heart. Therefore there is not a sin on this earth that you can judge that you will be free from returning judgement from God, and lets be honest, God is more patient and just than any person on this earth so I would rather be judged by him, and not by my standard. I don't feel that I need to expound on the fact that God is the only being in the universe with the ability to judge justly and righteously, if you have disagree with that, well perhaps you should start reading your bible. In conclusion, going back to the passage in Matthew, Jesus asks us, how can we pull the speck out of a persons eye, when we ourselves have a plank, but it does not end there, we are commanded to remove the plank, or get our heart right with God so that we might be loving with the right motive, and then to remove the speck out of our brother or sisters eye. We are not to judge the speck, we are not to lord it over them and make an issue out of it, but HELP them to remove the speck after we ourselves are in right relationship with God, the judge. See we don't need to judge anything, God already has done it for us, and set the standard. All we have to do is hold up the standard, let God's word judge and then love the person enough to help them through the sins and effects of the sin.

Before I end, let me also be clear on this, removing the spec involves the other persons trust, and willingness to allow you to remove the spec, this is built on relationship with the person, don't just try to take specs out of everyones eye. Lastly, the bible is very clear and specific when it warns us that not all who have a spec or a log will be willing to remove it, or allow us to help them remove it. Love them, continue to minister to them, but if they are not having a change of heart, then the bible has instructions for that.