Jesus said in Matthew 7:1, “Judge not, that you be not judged.” Many take this statement to mean that God does not want us to ever evaluate the behavior of others, yet this is clearly not in line with God's will as expressed in other scriptures. Christ's point was that we are not to condemn people for their sin, no matter how grave of an error was made. We do not have the authority to reject others based on their wrong-doings, because we have all done our own share of terribly wicked deeds.

     God wants all men to receive His care and forgiveness, and if we do not extend it to them, it will not be extended to us. Matthew 7:2 says, “For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged.” This is demonstrated in a parable in Matthew 18. Here there is a servant who is forgiven by his master for his mistakes, yet the servant shows no grace to one of his indebted peers. The Master of the unmerciful servant then had him tortured for the way he treated his fellow worker. Following the story Jesus explained, “So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses.”

     Sadly, there are many people in the Church who are judging one another and holding bitterness toward their brothers in Christ. This is a terrible way for people to live. There are edgy Christians who despise the uptight ones, and traditional Christians who despise the compromising ones. There is strife between generations, and strife within generations. This is all in complete rebellion to the Word of God, which says in Leviticus 19:18, “Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself.” No one has the right to disobey this command.

     All human beings are imperfect, and in the Body of Christ there will be much imperfection. Because of this the opportunities to become wounded and let down by our fellow believers are numerous. Yet the Lord demands a certain level of vulnerability from us, where we welcome and affirm people despite their potential to hurt us. This is what Jesus did for us when He allowed us to enter His kingdom.

     Luke 6:27-28 reads, “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you.” This verse is applicable to a wide variety of situations, even in relationships shared by members of one spiritual community. No child of God is allowed to hate anyone who has offended them, on any level. We are to have soft hearts, and if we do not, it is our own fault. God has loved us when we least deserved it, and because of that we are fully capable of loving others (1 John 3:19).

     2 Peter 2:20 indicates that it is possible for one to give up their faith after receiving salvation, and it warns that life will get worse for such a person than it was before they met Christ. Accepting a judgmental attitude is likely a major reason people end up in this state. We must be very careful to make sure that our own hearts are not stained by this evil. The danger is too great to ignore.