This one word response from a non-believe to Christians can cause the casual Christian even to stir, but to the faithful, it brings a firestorm of emotion.  The question has been answered thus for quite some time.  The question we as Christians must first ask ourselves then is simply, “Is it true” or “Is that always bad?”

How does this relate to the church?

I believe the answer to our first  question is easy:  Yes.  The church has, in the past, been quite judgmental. Such as The Crusades to the Catholics, “being judgmental” or “holier than thou” has become an easy criticism to the secular world about Evangelicals.  I do not feel it necessary to try to eradicate a judgmental nature among Evangelicals in a blog post, there are many books on the subject.  Rather, I wish to deal with the question,”Is being judgmental always bad?  Delving into the issue of being “judgmental” is a huge task.  I will try to do so accurately, if not gently. Jesus has told us:

“Do not judge others, and you will not be judged.   For you will be treated as you treat others.”  Matthew 7:1-2

 The answer is pretty clear.  As is much of the message of Christ, we are to love others- not judge.  However, how do we define judgment?  As Christians, I believe we should see judgment as a holy and righteous act; an act privileged only to God himself.  It is the act at we either the righteousness of Christ in us allows us eternally into the presence of God, or our sin is judged to be damnable for us to Hell.  It needs to be noted that this deals with judgment of the soul, not of character.

As Christians, I believe we are to be, read correctly “good judges of character”.  I.e. we are to see people as they are, and judge their character by it’s “fruits”.  (Galatians 5:22-23)  This is especially true in the church.

In 1 Corinthians 5, Paul says:

“It isn’t my responsibility to judge outsiders, but it certainly is your responsibility to judge those inside the church who are sinning.  God will judge those on the outside; but as the Scriptures say, “You must remove the evil person from among you.”

How harsh, contrary even, to the typical evangelical church today! Yet, I believe, we must remember the teachings of 2 Timothy 4:3-4:

“For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions,  4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.”

If, for the sake of not being judgmental, we lose grasp on ourselves, our members actions within and outside of the church, and we lose sight of truth- we have lost the church.  It is only through the grace of God in church discipline, an action seen by many inside and most outside the church as the dreaded “j-word”, that we can maintain ourselves in striving towards godliness.Pastors, if you do not watch yourselves and watch your church, you have done both a disservice.

Is it wrong to be judgmental like this?
Tell me what you think.