An Error in Judgment

‍TEXT: Matthew 7:1-5,15-23; Romans 2:1-3

OBJECTIVE

The students should be able to explain that God forbids judging one another—we must judge ourselves. However, the fruit of a person’s life, is indicative of his spiritual attainments.

REFERENCE INFORMATION

The noun judge means “a person qualified to form an opinion; a person who decides, criticizes, condemns.” God’s Word tells us, “Judge not, that ye be not judged” (Matthew 7:1). It also states, “Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them” (Matthew 7:20). It is not our place to judge, yet each person is known by the fruit he produces.

In the New Testament the idea of judgment appears in both the human and the divine context. However, Jesus warned against uncharitable judgments, as did Paul. Too often the person judging is guilty himself, perhaps of the same offense or even worse. See Romans 2:1.

QUESTIONS

Have you ever had a foreign object in your eye? It may have been very small, but it still hurt a lot, didn’t it? Jesus warned us about looking for and trying to remove the mote from our brother’s eye when we may have a beam in our own eye. Usually when a person sees too many things wrong with others, he has a serious “eye” problem. Judgment belongs to God. “I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings” (Jeremiah 17:10).

1. What is the meaning of the word judge? How is this word used in the context of Scripture?
   
   Response: Allow time for your students to offer their definitions. They should conclude that judge means “to weigh evidence from both sides and to reach a decision based on evidence examined.” In Scripture this word is used in the sense of condemning another or assessing the measure of his guilt.
   
2. Jesus strictly forbids judging others. Why do you think He did so?
   
   Response: Jesus commands those who have been forgiven not to judge, so that they will not be judged. The forgiveness we receive at salvation frees us from God’s judgment for the sins we have committed. Students should be encouraged to realize the importance of not judging. Ask your students what happens when a person does judge another. See Romans 2:1.
   
3. In 1 Corinthians 11:31, we read that we can only judge ourselves. If we faithfully do this in the light of God’s Word, we will escape the condemnation which the world will receive at the Judgment Seat of God. Another reason for self-examination is found in 2 Corinthians 13:5. What is it, and how do we judge ourselves?
   
   Response: We examine ourselves to be sure of our stand before God. Allow students’ responses. Some answers may include: self-examination, listening to God’s Spirit, comparing one’s life to God’s Word, or looking at ourselves as God would see us. You may wish to point out that simply judging ourselves alone will not secure our entrance to Heaven. We must follow up on the judgment by repenting and receiving salvation.
   
4. While we are warned against judging others, the Bible does tell us, “by their fruits ye shall know them.” We can judge ourselves because we have all the information, but we are limited by God’s Word to examining the fruit of another’s life. We need to be careful in our examination of others because we cannot see their motives or the circumstances involved. When might there be a need to be able to recognize the spiritual condition of others?
   
   Response: Students may bring up the thought that we must be aware of a person’s spiritual condition before we can help him. They should also see the importance of recognizing the spiritual condition of each person who has an influence on their lives. This knowledge will help each of us to not be pulled down by associating closely with those who are not spiritually minded.
   
5. List the points of evaluation you feel should be used in examining the spiritual condition of another’s life.
   
   Response: The points mentioned may include whether the life being examined is doctrinally sound, conversation above reproach, unselfish in actions, reacts under stress in accordance with God’s Word, holiness exemplified, respect for things godly, in conformity to God’s Word. Point out that the points of evaluation for examining others do not include a right to judge their motives, purposes, reasons, or feelings, unless they have stated them to us. The criterion must be: are their outward actions sanctioned by the Word of God?
   
6. How does the fruit of the Spirit or the lack of it displayed in one’s life indicate his spiritual condition? See Galatians 5:22-26.
   
   Response: Our lives display either the fruit of the Spirit or the works of the flesh. Discuss with the students the fact that the fruit of the Spirit cannot be counterfeited. How a person exemplifies the fruit of the Spirit is a good indicator of his spiritual condition.
   
7. Think about it: If you subjected yourself to the same type of evaluation that you apply to others, how would you measure up?
   
   Response: Student responses to this question will not be necessary. But encourage students to look into their own lives. Do they pass? Use the challenge set forth in this last question as a springboard into your wrap-up. Point out that God forbids judging one another, but we must judge ourselves. Looking at the fruit of our own lives is a good indicator of our spiritual condition.

CLASS ACTIVITIES

Write the following examples, or others which you come up with, on a large cardboard or blackboard and have the students read each pair of statements and discuss which attitude they would rather have. The first ones show a judgmental attitude and the second ones show the attitude we should have as fruit testers.
1. (a) I don’t know how she can call herself a Christian! She still hangs around with the bad crowd at school and I even saw her going into a movie theater last week. I don’t do those things, and she shouldn’t either. Wait until I tell our Sunday school teacher.
(b) She calls herself a Christian but still does some things God’s Word shows us are wrong for a Christian to do. I hope she asks the Lord to help her.
2. (a) Look at those kids, always doing those awful things. I know they’ll get their punishment. There’s no hope for people like that.
(b) I know those kids don’t know God and don’t know how to do right. I’m going to ask the Lord to help me be an example for them to follow.

Take to class an apple and a banana. Ask what kind of tree each one came from. Then ask if a banana can grow on an apple tree. Compare this to the fact that neither will bad “fruit” grow in the life of one who is a Christian. If a person does not have the fruit of the Spirit he is not saved. James 3:11-12 implies that no one can be both good and bad; they will be either one or the other.

Take to class some fruit, preferably some fresh and some bad or rotten. Use these to demonstrate why we need to test fruit (Matthew 7:20). Present the fruit to the students and discuss how before the fruit is eaten we must make sure it is edible; no worms in apples, no mold on oranges, etc. We must “test” the fruit because if we did eat some fruit that was bad, we might get sick. This has a spiritual meaning too. We must look at others and test their fruit. If their fruit is bad or evil—i.e., they swear, have bad tempers, or other actions that are opposite of the fruit of the Spirit—then we should not fellowship with them. We should help them by praying for them.

Bring several books with different types of jackets or covers to class. Ask your students how they select a book at the library, bringing out that we usually look at the cover or jacket to decide whether we feel the book would be interesting or not. Just so, people look on the outward appearance or behavior of people to determine what type of persons they are.