Is true love unconditional and non-judgmental? God has unfailing love for us, yet he will ultimately judge us. I want to take some time this week to look at Biblical love. In the interim, I am going to make a quick stop today and talk about a separate but related topic. Without which it is difficult to operate with true Biblical love.
“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. “Matthew 7:1-2 NIV
We generally hear that love and judgment are opposites and we are not to be judgmental. Often, people quote parts of Matthew 7:1-2. So, is it unloving to judge people? What does it mean in Matthew? Well, if this is a prohibition against all judgment then we have some problems. I judge things all the time and every day. When I correct my children for doing wrong, have I not made a judgment about their behavior and found it wanting? This does not mean we are not to judge, rather it is a warning, “with the measure you use, it will be measured to you” as you read the rest of the passage you get a fuller picture, (it can be dangerous to pull a verse from the Bible without context).
Simultaneously, in Matt. 7:3-5 “3 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” What Jesus was doing here was giving a warning against hypocrisy, make sure that you clean up your own mess before you go trying to fix someone else’s mess. Get yourself right with God then you are ready to help others. Your own problems are most likely bigger and worse than what you think you see wrong with another. So how do we judge rightly?
Look at the fruit. When I look at the behavior of my children I am seeing the fruit of their action and so when we see good fruit we can judge something as good but if we see bad fruit we can just as easily determine something is not good, Matt. 7:15-20. After we have determined that something is not good and we must intervene let us do so with wisdom, not sure how, ask for God’s help, Matt. 7:7-11 and James 1:5 “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God.”
Lastly, it must be done in Love, “Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.” Romans 12:9 NIV, and “Love does no harm to a neighbor.” Therefore, love is at the fulfillment of the law.” Romans 13:10 NIV. When I correct my children, it is done out of love for their own good. It is their best that I have in mind when I judge their behavior. It is the same when we help others and it is to be done in love with the goal to see what is best for them.
The Black Eyed Peas had a number one hit, Where is the Love?, in 2003 and its lyrics raised pertinent issues about love in a broken world. The band communicates that if you have never known truth, then you have also never known love. Their moral complaint never progresses and doesn’t find the answer to the question. The word compassion comes from ecclesiastical Latin, is inspired by the Christian faith and used to guide the church’s behavior. Compassion should be followed by an appropriate response and conviction to do something about it. With injustices and if you call it such then you pass moral judgment. If you are compassionate then you must decide to do something about it…. or not. Where is the love?
God longs to shine his light of moral judgment in our hearts. It is not to shame us but to guide us to and transform us into the likeness of Jesus. He did something about it…He came into this world to be broken so we can know wholeness in Him. Let all that we do be seasoned to love others by allowing God’s truth and grace into our lives.
Anchor In The Storm 