We live in a world that absolutely abhors the idea of accountability. We want the freedom to say what we want to say, do what we want to do, and do it with whoever we want; and not only do we not want to face any consequences for our actions but we don’t even want anyone to point out that we shouldn’t have said what we said, done what we’ve done, or done it with whoever we did. So when, out of an abundance of love and concern, someone points out that they shouldn’t have said or done what they did this is most often the defense: “yeah, well only God can judge me.” And with those few words so many people believe that their guilt is absolved. After all, if no one has the right to point out their guilt then their guilt can’t really exist, right?
Do you remember as a child being in a circumstance where you were afraid? Maybe it was a fear of someone, a fear of something (like an animal), or a fear of something in your imagination (i.e., the Boogeyman) – how did you handle that fear? I know the answer you give might vary, but a lot of times as children we tend to just close our eyes and block it out. Why would we do that? Because in our adolescent minds if we can’t see it then it’s not really there and so it doesn’t pose a danger to us. Sounds silly, right? As adults we learn we can’t just close our eyes to things we fear; instead we have to stay vigilant and aware.
Yet, that’s exactly what so many people are guilty of doing when they try to justify their clearly sinful behavior with the weak defense of “yeah, well only God can judge me.” The fact is, whether that statement is completely true or not doesn’t matter because the basic premise should still be enough to make us tremble in fear. Whether anyone else has the right to pass judgment on our actions (and we’re going to get to that in a minute) is secondary to the fact that God can judge us and God will judge us. Hebrews 10:30-31 warns us “…The Lord will judge His people. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” The fact that God is our Judge shouldn’t be an excuse for sin, it should be a deterrent. Better to have judgment passed on us by our peers now and make appropriate changes than to remain in our sin and one day stand before the Judge of all the earth because by then the time for making changes will be gone forever.
But back to the statement under question. Is it Biblically accurate to say that “only God can judge me?” Well, the simple answer to that question is “it depends.” What I mean is, it depends on the context in which you ask the question.
Is it true that only God will serve as our eternal Judge, determining our eternal fate? In that context the answer to the question is an emphatic “yes,” and aren’t you glad for that. I mean, no disrespect, but I don’t want any of you determining my eternal fate. Why? Because your judgment (and mine, too) is imperfect. I don’t mean that we necessarily mean to be unfair (though “if the shoe fits,” right?) but we are imperfect. We can’t be imperfect people and have a perfect judgment. And lest you be offended let me ask you a question – “have you ever made a wrong decision?” If your answer is “yes” then you’ve proven my point. If your answer is “no” you’re a liar and you’ve still proven my point. When it comes to making a final decision as to whether our lives have been lived in righteousness or not that responsibility does fall solely in the hands of the only true holy and right Judge and that is God. After all, God alone can judge in perfect righteousness (1 Peter 2:23; Revelation 16:7).
However, is it true that only God possesses the ability to judge actions (our own and others’) and determine if they are right or wrong to help in setting each other on the right course? In that context the answer to the question is an emphatic “no.” Not only can we honestly assess the right or wrong of each other’s actions, we have a responsibility to do it. Yes, you heard me right. Not only can we righteously judge each other’s actions, we have a responsibility to do it. Now you’ll notice that I included an adverb attached to the word “judge” – that’s the word “righteously.” But for our judgment of one another to be righteous it has to meet a few criteria:
1. It has to be according to the right standard – the standard is God’s word. We do not have the right to judge others based on our own opinions. That’s a baseless and unrighteous judgment. That type of judgment won’t even fly in a court of law, much less the court of God. We’re talking about facts; things that we can uncontrovertibly know. God’s word is the only right standard for any judgment deemed to be righteous (2 Timothy 3:16-17.
2. It has to be done with a right heart – that is a heart that is humble enough to search its own life long before it searches anyone else’s. In Matthew 7 Jesus had something to say about that. Ironically, most people look at Matthew 7 and all they see is verse 1 (“Judge not, that you be not judged”) and that is the entire basis for rejecting the fair and compassionate critiques that others may offer them. But what Jesus is actually speaking about has less to do with the act of judging and more with the heart behind our judgments (vs. 3-5). He warns that before we judge other people’s ventures in darkness that we better make sure we’re walking in the light. And this is His warning, “For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you” (vs. 2).
3. It has to be done for the right reason – in other words we have to ask ourselves the question, “why are we passing this judgment?” Is it to build up or to tear down? Are we pointing out that person’s sin in order to help them come out of it and encourage them to do better to the glory of God? Or are we pointing out that person’s sin because it makes us look better or improves our image in some way? Judgment must ultimately be done out of love, and you remember that Paul said, “love…does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth” (1 Corinthians 13:6). Or in James’ words, our goal should always be that, “if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins” (James 5:19-20).
So, two things in closing:
Can we just stop with the idea that it’s wrong to judge one another? There’s not a single one of us that makes it through a single day without passing judgment on one another’s words and deeds in some form or fashion, and biblically God didn’t intend for us to. We can and will judge. Instead, when we do judge one another let’s make sure that it is with the right standard, the right heart, and the right reason (John 7:24).
Is it true that “only God can judge me?” Well, depending on the context (as explained above) yes and no. But can we stop using it as a justification for sin? The fact that God can and will judge us should be enough to make us tremble in fear. Maybe, just maybe, we should be humble enough to know that we are not always above reproach and that a kind word of correction is sometimes needed to help set us back on course.
-Andy
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