Do judging Christians make you want to avoid church? There’s a time for Christians to judge. Judge each other, that is. Even a way. And guess what? When it’s not right, it can be extremely not right.
I’ll give you a hint here.
If you’re commenting on someone, at church or anywhere, and you think you’re judging in a Christian manner, and you look even remotely like the judge in the picture – you’re not doing it right!
As the source article from crosswalk.com says for this topic,
We all have a bit of Pharisee in us, and it often comes out when we’re least alert. It might be that first thought that zips through our brain: “She never reads her Bible.” Or, “He’s always so gruff. He needs to develop more fruits of the Spirit.”
The problem is, our first thought isn’t always the best thought.
Even worse, sometimes our first thought is even worse than the thing we’re complaining about while we’re judging someone else for what we think they did wrong!
That’s not a good look for anyone. And it’s an especially bad look for someone who claims to be Christian.
Should Christians judge people?
I guess we should start with whether or not Christians should judge people? Some people, even some Christians, may think the answer is no. On the other hand, some might lean towards the answer being yes. In reality, it’s sort of somewhere in between. As you can hopefully tell from the opening, it’s yes, but …
So the question is, what’s the “but…”?
There are two main passages I’m going to point out here to try to answer that question.
When to judge – when not to judge
This first passage is likely to surprise some Christians. Actually, it’ll surprise non-Christians as well.
It might even anger some Christians. But we’ll get to that in part 2 of this 2-part miniseries.
It comes as Paul addresses an issue in the church in Corinth.
Expel the Immoral Brother!
1Co 5:1 It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that does not occur even among pagans: A man has his father’s wife. 2 And you are proud! Shouldn’t you rather have been filled with grief and have put out of your fellowship the man who did this? 3 Even though I am not physically present, I am with you in spirit. And I have already passed judgment on the one who did this, just as if I were present. 4 When you are assembled in the name of our Lord Jesus and I am with you in spirit, and the power of our Lord Jesus is present, 5 hand this man over to Satan, so that the sinful nature may be destroyed and his spirit saved on the day of the Lord.
The age old problem. Even before drugs and rock ‘n’ roll.
Even verse two isn’t new. Having said that, don’t jump to conclusions before you read both parts.
If you stop reading here, both Paul’s opening statement and my two statements can lead to wrong conclusions. And that, no surprise, can also be a cause of the angry judging Christians. Notice – I did say conclusions. Paul’s opening doesn’t give us carte blanche to judge everyone. Nor does it say we have the right to be super angry.
It does say something about grief though.
Let’s keep reading.
1Co 5:6 Your boasting is not good. Don’t you know that a little Yeast works through the whole batch of dough? 7 Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast—as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. 8 Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and wickedness, but with bread without yeast, the bread of sincerity and truth.
Uh oh. Yeast.
But wait. Yeast, like judging, can be either bad or good.
Was that good or bad yeast?
Like lots of things, yeast, in and of itself is neither good nor bad.
It’s whether you use it correctly that determines whether the outcome is good or bad.
The reality is that yeast is used as a comparison item for various reasons in the Bible.
Therefore, rather than essentially reinvent the wheel every time we come across yeast in a passage, I decided to write a general piece on the various uses of yeast in the Bible. You can use the link in the inset box to read the entire article – or go directly to the part on “bad” yeast by clicking here.
Ultimately, we find out that bad yeast in this contact isn’t the same as bad yeast to a baker. Rather, bad yeast in the context Paul uses isn’t yeast that doesn’t work. If anything, bad yeast is often stronger than normal.
It has to d with how rapidly something spreads and the impact it has when it spreads. Here’s the “yeast”, in this scenario.
It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that does not occur even among pagans: A man has his father’s wife. 2 And you are proud! Shouldn’t you rather have been filled with grief …
As the article on the significance of yeast in the Bible points out, in this context, yeast is equated with sin. In this case, a sin that’s so immoral that most people, even non-Christians, don’t do it.
Sexual immorality was a big issue all throughout the Bible, both the Old and New Testaments. Many people today think that somehow they know better. That there’s pretty much no such thing as sexual immorality. That (consenting) people can do whatever they want.
Furthermore, it’s now even considered hatred for Christians to follow what God teaches in the Bible. More on this thought in a moment, so please hang on.
Whether you agree with the things that are sinful or not, one has to admit that we’ve come a long way from God’s laws in the Bible to what many in our culture today to be sinful. That’s the impact of yeast.
Expel the immoral believer
Before we proceed, I want to point out the title of this section in the Bible and the section title I used above.
The NIV section title is, with emphasis added by me: Expel the immoral brother.
The key word there is brother. Of course, it could also be sister.
Which is why I used Expel the immoral believer.
Paul is addressing the believers in the Corinthian church in this passage. When we become Christians, we agree/promise to follow Jesus. While there’s not one single baptism script, since Baptists (in the larger sense) are among the largest denominations in the U.S., here’s a baptism “script” from Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minnesota.
Though there may be some variations, here is the basic schedule of a baptism service at Bethlehem:
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- The pastor will meet with baptism candidates 30–45 minutes before the service starts. Candidates will change into a baptism robe (provided).
- At the beginning of the baptism service, the pastor will say a devotional word about baptism.
- The pastor will ask the candidates to join him at the front to share their names, their testimonies, and why they want to be baptized. (Many services use a pre-recorded testimony video in the baptism service.)
- The candidates will join the pastor one at a time in the water.
- The pastor will ask the following questions of each candidate:
- Are you now trusting in Jesus Christ alone for the forgiveness of your sins and the fulfillment of all God’s promises to you, even eternal life?
- Do you forsake Satan and all his works and all his ways?
- Do you intend with God’s help to obey Jesus’ teaching and follow him as your Lord?
- The pastor will then immerse the candidate after saying, “On the profession of your faith in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and in obedience to his command, I now baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”
- After everyone has been baptized, the pastor generally will invite people to come forward to pray for those just baptized.
- The pastor closes with prayer.
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Notice what’s in there:
Do you intend with God’s help to obey Jesus’ teaching and follow him as your Lord?
It doesn’t ask if we’re going to follow the current cultural norms. Or if we’re going to reinvent what Jesus taught/commanded. Or essentially go church shopping for one that we like the way they pick and choose which of God’s Laws to follow.
There’s an expectation, and a promise from us, that we will follow Jesus. In that regard, expelling someone from the church for refusal to follow, or even try to follow, Jesus’ commands is justified. In fact, given what happens in these scenarios, it’s essential for the well-being of both the church and its individual believers.
That’s what the bad yeast comparison is all about.
Immoral brother/sister/believer does not mean all immoral people
Earlier, I point out that this was addressed to believers. I also pointed out that these believers promised to follow the teaching/commands of Jesus.
Now, Paul addresses the reality that what he wrote does not apply to all people. That we are not to expect, everyone to act like we promised to act.
1Co 5:9 I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— 10 not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. 11 But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat.
Ouch! Look again at what Paul wrote:
…you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler.
The key there is anyone who calls himself a brother, a sister, anyone who calls themselves a believer.
If that’s not quite enough to get the point across, Paul closed with:
1Co 5:12 What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? 13 God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked man from among you.”
Conclusion – Do judging Christians make you want to avoid church? Part 1
This is going to be a hard conclusion.
Do you remember the Great Commission? For that matter, do you know the Great Commission?
The Great Commission
Mt 28:16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Here’s something you maybe didn’t think about before. Jesus said, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations …”, to teach them what He commanded and baptize them. Do you realize, some of those people are going to come to you? Some will even come to your church. And they’re not going to be “perfect”.
Just as we brought all our stuff, our yeast, when we first began going to church, so will everyone else who enters the doors of your church. Even if someone comes from another church they’ve been attending for years, they still have yeast when they come to your church.
The image of the perfect church we might envision for the building we call “home” will be blown away. There were no perfect people in it before we got there. And there are no perfect people in it now. And no perfect person is going to walk through the doors until/unless Jesus comes to visit us after His second coming.
And we’re supposed to love all of them. And along with them, learn to be better disciples of Jesus. Together.
You know what that means, don’t you?
It means no judging in the manner of that mean-looking guy wielding the gavel at the top of this page. When we “judge” believers, we are to try to do it with love.
Of course, it means no judging non-believers at all. It doesn’t mean accepting everything from non-believers. There’s a reasonable expectation that some degree of decorum will be followed. Disruptions aren’t expected and shouldn’t take place.
After all, the church exists for a reason. To learn about God.
The thing is, even when we turn away people who don’t want to follow God, we can’t forget how Jesus Himself accomplished that.
The Rich Young Man – Mark
10:17-31 pp — Mt 19:16-30; Lk 18:18-30
Mk 10:17 As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
Mk 10:18 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. 19 You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.’’”
Mk 10:20 “Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.”
Mk 10:21 Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
Mk 10:22 At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.
Mk 10:23 Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!”
Mk 10:24 The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! 25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”
Mk 10:26 The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, “Who then can be saved?”
Mk 10:27 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.”
Mk 10:28 Peter said to him, “We have left everything to follow you!”
Mk 10:29 “I tell you the truth,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel 30 will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—and with them, persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life. 31 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”
No – we cannot do any of the stuff we looked at without God’s help. On our own, we’re the big bad judge banging the gavel in anger. But with God’s help, we can be more like Jesus, when His words caused the young man above to turn around and walk away:
Mk 10:21 Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
Mk 10:22 At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.
People may leave the church because they don’t want to follow Jesus.
But we shouldn’t be angrily judging people and having them walk away because of us not even trying to act after we promised Jesus we would try to follow Him.
A closing thought
Earlier, I said I’d address whether this kind of thing, asking people to follow Jesus’ teachings instead of cultural norms in a Christian church is hatred or not.
I believe it’s love. It’s not, or should not, be hatred. If we truly believe what we claim to believe, and even attempt to follow what we believe, then it is with love that we care about the eternal souls of everyone. Even for the eternal souls of people we strongly disagree with.
We try to follow Jesus. We try to follow God’s commands and do what He says is good. We also believe in the criteria God set for spending eternity with Him. He is Holy, so we should be Holy is the command.
Having said that, we also realize we will never attain that goal this side of Heaven. However, if we don’t even want to attain God’s definition of Holy, then we won’t spend eternity with Him either.
Therefore, it’s love that causes us to care about everyone’s soul. Along with that though, we must realize, God gave us the free will to reject Him. In that same manner, just as God gives everyone the free will to reject Him, so must we give everyone else the right to reject Him.
We choose to follow God, out of love. For those who choose something different, believe it or not, it’s out of God’s love that He will not force them into eternity with Him if they don’t want it.
Just as none of us has the right, the authority, or the power to change God’s Laws, none of us has the right, the authority, or the power to force anyone to love God.
The series on things that make you want to avoid church is based on 10 Ways You May Be Destroying the Church from crosswalk.com. Of course, from the opposite point of view – ways Christians may be making people avoid church.
image by DALL-E on Bing
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