Non-believers’ favorite teaching of Jesus is, “Do not judge.” Whenever a Christian speaks about the goodness or badness of an idea, action, or choice, they’re ready to recite it from memory with all the earnestness and pomp of an old-school Bible-Thumping preacher.

The problem is Jesus doesn’t teach that.

Jesus on Judging

Far from forbidding judging others, Jesus and his Apostles command it. Consider:

In John 7:24, he instructs, “Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly,” urging righteous discernment.

In Matthew 18:15, he directs believers to confront a sinning brother, saying, “Go and point out their fault,” outlining the process of corrective judgment.

Jesus also warns in Matthew 7:15 to “watch out for false prophets,” requiring evaluation of others’ obedience to Scripture to discern the trustworthiness of their words.

Even in Matthew 7:1, where He says, “Judge not, lest you be judged,” Jesus is not prohibiting judgment but hypocritical judgment, illustrating in Matthew 7:4-5 that one must remove the “log” from their own eye so they can see clearly to help a brother with a “speck.”

This call to judge rightly isn’t just from Jesus—Paul echoes it, urging believers to judge within the church to maintain its purity (1 Corinthians 5:12).

Jesus is against hypocritical, undiscerning, and ill-founded judgments, but he clearly calls believers to judge with fairness and wisdom to uphold the truth and protect themselves and the church.

Defining Our Terms

Why are so many confused about this? The problem lays in incorrectly defining the word “judge.” In today’s normal use, the word judge means to look down on or condescendingly evaluate someone. This understanding of judgment is obviously wrong and the passages above show Jesus think so too. However, the definition of the word judge is to form an opinion or conclusion about something. If you see a man with a gun in hand in public you judge him dangerous and call the police. If you enjoy a conversation and think someone kind, you’ve judged them. When a friend is crying you judge them in need of your care. Judgments are decisions. Understanding this definition gives us some helpful insights.

Judging is neutral. Judging itself is not inherently right or wrong. How and why you judge determines its morality.

Judging is unavoidable. Whenever you make decisions based on what you hear or see, you are judging. Every hour, you make judgments.

Judging is important. The decisions you make have an enormous influence on the kind of life you live. Your soul, your family, your church, and your life hang upon the soundness of your judgments.

Judgments can be good or bad depending on the criteria and motive, but they are not inherently wrong; they’re unavoidable and important. Everyone makes judgments about everything.

Judge Correctly

Some fear judging lacks love or humility, but Jesus shows it embodies both when aimed at restoration and grounded in truth. As quoted above, Jesus says, “Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly” (John 7:24). The question, then, is not, “Should I judge?” but “How am I judging?”

Here are three necessary aspects of godly, correct judgment.

(1) Correct Judgment Is Based on Truth

Godly judgment is based what we see in life by the light of God’s Word, not our fleeting opinions, emotions, preferences, biases, or sinful tendencies. It’s discerning what people say and do in the light of God’s standard (Matthew 7:15-20).

(2) Correct Judgment Is Made with Humility

How easy it is to have 20-20 vision of other peoples’ sins while being blind to our own! Godly judgment can only be made with humble and honest self-examination. If we don’t examine our own sin correctly, how could we possibly help others with theirs? Matthew 7:5 warns to remove your own “log” before pointing out another’s speck. It’s a clear-eyed judgment unblinded by self-defending pride.

(3) Correct Judgment Is for the Sake of Love

Love for God and others is the driving motive of godly judgment, not pride or prejudice. It’s aim is restore or protect, not ruin or insult. Jesus urges Christians to confront the sin of their fellow church members to “gain your brother” (Matthew 18:15). Paul tells believers they are to judge those within the church (1 Corinthians 5:12) in order that they may be “saved on the day of the Lord” (1 Corinthians 5:5). Correct judgment is a redemptive act to heal believers from soul-killing sin (Matt. 18:15; 1 Corinthians 5:1-5), protect the purity church (1 Corinthians 5:6-7), and thus magnify the glory of God. Correct judgment is not prohibited because of love, it’s fueled by it.

Our world is filled with “dangers, toils, and snares.” If we are wise as serpents and innocent as doves” (Matthew 10:16) in our judgments (that is, our opinions or conclusions about what we see or hear), then we’re in danger, of little use to those we love, and open to all Satan’s deceptive schemes.

Beloved, judge well.