Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.
This is a beautiful passage from the very words of Christ which we should not take lightly. Indeed, I am worthy of hellfire if I do not obey them verily! It would appear then that we are indeed not to judge! Well I suppose then this leaves us in great peril as, following this, we are not given room to distinguish them that feed us and them that feed us to the wolves! Ah! But it is in these perplexities that the beauty of Scripture shines forth like a lamp! There is a simple solution. All we need do is read the rest of the chapter and the message becomes clear. For following the chapter we find immediately in verse 6, "Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you." (Mat 7:6) There must necessarily be a judgment to know whom are dogs and swine so as not to give what is holy nor cast pearls before. This verse even instructs us how to judge rightly whom are the dogs and swine. We are told that they are them as would "trample them underfoot."
But we find stronger proofs yet in vv. 15-20,
Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.
We are told here not only how to discern but we are infact told to judge! That we will "know them by their fruits"(KJV). This is even telling us to judge within the fold. To judge, discern, know them is our command.
Well then, how do we reconcile these two seemingly opposite commands of Christ? Quite simply actually. Scripture again answers our questions for us. The two passages in this chapter that condone, encourage, and command us to judge both lay out whom we are to judge. Namely, we are to judge, per vv. 15-20, them as are false teachers and those as would lead the flock astray, they are wolves in the Church. And the Dogs and Swine of v. 6 are quite clearly the unsaved, degenerate. This we easily infer from the fact that we are not to give anything "holy" to them and as we, the children of God are holy before Him, the only other camp are them unsaved. This leaves us to the conclusion that those in vv. 1-5 are quite literally, our "brothers"; that is, our true brothers and sisters in Christ. We are commanded not to self-righteously condemn our fellow redeemed as Paul expounds in Romans 14. The practical application therefore is that we are to be as wise as serpents but as gentle as doves (Matt. 10:16). To our brothers in Christ, we are not to be pompously judgmental, remembering that we were all redeemed by the blood of the lamb. But to them who clearly pretend to be of the faith, we are indeed to be watchful, warning, and proclaiming the truth in hopes that they would come to true repentance. And this in love, remembering our own condition ere we were bought by Christ's sacrifice.
Soli Deo Gloria
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