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This program is made possible by the giving of the God called Partners of Renner Ministries. Get ready for a teaching that feeds your spirit and your mind, where the word is the anchor in uncertain times. And doctrine doesn't bend to culture. We keep it simple, but dive deep, revealing a truth that strengthens us, a love that emboldens, and a mission that touches the world. Let's join Rick Renner. Welcome to today's program. My name is Rick Renner and my friends, today we're going to return to one of my Red Letter series where we're dealing with what Jesus said about being Are you ready? Being judgmental. What did Jesus say about being judgmental? And what is the difference between, between judging and being judgmental. There's a very big difference and that's what we're going to begin with in today's program. But the whole series, it's a five part series, it's called what Jesus Said about Being Judgemental comes with a study guide that's filled with all the points, all the principles. This is really a topic that we need to understand because people are confused about the difference between judging and being. Judge not. And I also want to mention to you my wife's book which is called Unstoppable. Many times people stop because people have judgmental attitudes about them and it just stops them dead in their tracks. But God wants you to be unstoppable and Denise's book is just amazing and it would set you free. But you can find out more about all these resources by going online or by giving us a call. And please write down that number. And when you need prayer, always have that number nearby so you'll have a number to call when you need somebody to pray with you. We're here for you. We want to pray with you. And we believe that praying with you is one of the primary ministries which God has assigned to our ministry. And by the way, if you're a partner, I want to say thank you for being a partner with our ministry. You are so vital. And if you're not a partner yet, would you please pray about becoming a partner with our ministry? But I want you to reach for your Bible and today we're going to be looking at the topic, the difference between judging and being judgmental. Many times when you're in a conversation with someone and you're trying to deal with an issue that really needs to be addressed, they will say, you're judging me, you're judging me. And it slams the door on the conversation when in fact you're really not judging them at all. You're trying to help them. But many people use that as a way to stop a conversation or if they feel uneasy, to tell somebody else to stop what they're saying. You're judging me. You're judging me. What is the role of judgment? And what is the difference between judging and being judgmental? Well, I want to begin with the words of Jesus in Matthew 7:1 2. And these are words that, that are greatly misconstrued. But let's see what Jesus said beginning in Matthew 7. 1. Judge not that you be not judged. This is what people always say, you're judging me. Judge not that you be not judged. Well, we need to understand really what Jesus was saying in this verse. Beginning in verse 1 says, Judge not that you be not judged. Verse 2. For with what judgment you judge, you shall be judged. And. And with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you. Again, this verse is really not about judging as much as it is about being judgmental. Judgmental. But what is the difference between judging and being judgemental? Well, listen to this. What does it mean to judge? The word judge, pictures, discernment, perception or evaluation. It involves forming a decision or opinion about something or someone, particularly after careful consideration. Judgment is an essential skill for decision making. Navigating complex decisions, making informed choices, and gaining insight into oneself and the world at large. And maintaining a healthy and balanced sense of judgment is crucial for personal development, achieving success, avoiding danger, and fostering meaningful relationships. And without such judgment, life would be fraught with tragic events. But healthy judgment is vital for a balanced, fulfilling and secure life. And in fact, my friends, you judge things all the time. Now, this may seem overly simplistic, but I really want to make my point and I've written down some areas where we all are judging things all the time. For example, you should judge when you should and should not cross the street. You don't just randomly walk out into the street and say, I can do what I want to do. You judge whether or not it's safe to cross the street at that moment. And where you should cross the street that requires judgment. You judge what time you should wake up to get to a meeting on time. You think about it. You evaluate what time should I get up? That's a kind of a judgment. You judge. Hopefully if you're eating too much or if you're eating too little, you need to be a judge of that. It takes evaluation. It takes real contemplation to judge whether you're eating too much or eating too Little. You judge whether or not you're getting enough sleep. You. You judge how close you should come to the car in front of you, when you should slow down, when you should stop. All of that is a form of judgment. You judge if you're eating correctly, or at least I hope you do. Because if you don't make a judgment in that area of your life, you're gonna be in trouble. You judge whether you have enough money in your budget to do something extra. If you do something extra with not making a judgment about your budget first, you're going to get into trouble. So judgment is required for even how you manage your finances. You judge whether or not some people are good for you or not good for you. You need to be discerning. You need to be evaluating. That is making a judgment. That's not being judgmental. That's not the same thing. You're judging, you're discerning, you're perceiving, you're evaluating. Are these people good for me, or are these people not good for me? You are using judgment to determine if your kids are telling you the truth or if they're fudging a little bit on what they're telling you. You have to make a judgment about that. Judgment is required to determine if your kids are being honest or if your kids are being dishonest. That's just a normal course of life. Or you have to judge whether someone who works for you is doing a good job or not doing a good job. You can't just let them do what they want, especially if you're an employee. You have to be able to judge their work. Does that mean you're being judgmental? No, it means you're evaluating. That is a form of judgment. You have to determine or judge whether or not a person deserves a raise or doesn't deserve a raise. You don't just hand out raises to determine whether somebody deserves a raise. You have to be able to evaluate or to judge the kind of work that they are carrying out. And on the basis of your evaluation or your judgment, you determine whether to give them a pay increase or whether not to give them a pay increase. All of these are forms of judgment that we use every single day in our life. Judging is necessary for life. And in 1 Corinthians 6:1:5, we are even told that a day is coming when we as believers are going to judge angels. So there's nothing wrong with judging. That is not what Jesus was talking about when he said, judge not, that you be not judged. Jesus was talking about being judgmental. So now we have to ask the question, what does it mean to be judged? Judge mental. Listen to this. Being judgmental involves viewing others in a negative light, often using derogatory language to describe them, and quickly forming opinions based on superficial observations or limited evidence. A judgmental individual tends to develop opinions about many people, usually harsh and critical, and is often based on exteriors and or insufficient knowledge of the other person. This attitude usually stems from the belief that one's own opinion and values are right while others are deemed to be bad or wrong, leading to a sense of superiority over others. But individuals with a good sense of judgment are typically not regarded as being judgmental. Now, let me give you examples of being judgmental. You can be judgmental of people that are just different from you. So you're judgmental of them because they're not like you. That's not judging them for the sake of evaluation. That's just being judgmental of them. My friends, that's always wrong. Or you can be judgmental of people who are of a different color and you can just judge them and categorize them and condemn them and just be judgmental of them simply because they are of a different color. Or maybe someone speaks a particular language that you don't care for and you just judge them. You put them in a category of being people that you don't like. And really, you have no reason to not like them, but you're judgmental of them because you don't like their language. Or maybe they have an accent that you don't like. You say, oh, they're northerners. Ugh, you know what northerners are like. Or maybe they have a southern accent. You say, oh, these southern people, they speak with such a twang and you just become judgmental and condemning of them. My friends, that is never right just to categorize a whole group of people and become judgmental of them. Or you might be judgmental of someone that is a member of a particular Christian denomination that you don't like. You may categorize the whole denomination, say, ah, they're not saved, they don't know the Bible, they all believe this, when in fact you don't even know the person that you're being judgmental about. And they may not fit into your mental category of of them at all. Or you may be judgmental of people who are of another faith. You might say, oh, well, you know about them, you know they're of another faith, they're opposed to Christians, and you may just put them all into one Category and just judge them and condemn them. That is being judgmental. And what you're categorizing them to be may not be what they are at all. Or you could be judgmental. Hold onto your seat of somebody who is of a different political persuasion. You gotta really be careful about this. When you just deem everybody that's in that group to be bad, to be left to be woke. They're all bad, when in fact they're not all bad. But you've become judgmental of them. You've categorized them. You've damned them, you've put them in prison. You say they're all like this. That is a judgmental attitude. That is not right. Or you might be judgmental of somebody that you're upset with. And maybe they really did something wrong. Maybe they really did something that hurt you or offended you. But you know what? Since then, they may have changed. But now you've categorized them, you've judged them. You've been judgmental of them. You've locked them up in prison. You've said, that's who they are. That's who they're always going to be. That is not really judging. That is being judgmental. And my friends, it is never right for us to be judgmental. And that's what Jesus was really referring to when he said, judge not that you be not judged. He wasn't referring to judgment, which is required for life. But Jesus was really talking about having a judgmental attitude. We are never to have a judgmental attitude. Others just lock them up, categorize them, say, that's who they are. That's what they've always been. That's what they'll always be. Never give them an ounce of mercy or belief that they could change. You just judgmentally lock them up, categorize them and say that's who they are. That is what we're commanded by Jesus not to do. And I want us to look at some scriptures where Jesus refers to a judgmental attitude. For example, in Luke 6, 37, 38, Jesus says, verse 37, Judge not, and you shall not be judged. He's talking about being judgmental. We know that because then he says, condemn not. He's really talking about a judgmental and condemning attitude. And you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Then in verse 38, Jesus adds, Give and it shall be given unto you good measure. Pressed down, shaken together and running over shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure you mete withal, it shall be measured to you again. And of course, we all use verse 38 to describe giving. Give, and it shall be given unto you. And we believe that because it's the law of sowing and reaping. But if you're going to really use this verse in context, Jesus is talking about condemning, he's talking about being judgmental, and he's also talking about forgiving. And Jesus basically says, give if you judge, if you condemn, or if you forgive of these, whatever you give, it's going to be given to you again, and it's going to come back to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure you meet withal, it shall be measured to you again. So, friends, if you have a condemning, judgmental attitude of others, you are setting yourself up for it to come back in your direction. That's what Jesus was saying in these verses. But then let's go to John 7. 24, where Jesus also speaks about a judgmental attitude. He says, judge not according to appearance, but judge righteous judgment. He's talking about exteriors, judging people by superficial things. Judge not according to the appearance. Then we go to John 8. 7, where Jesus is with the woman who was caught in the act of adultery. And the people have gathered around her, they're ready to stone her. And we read in verse seven. So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself and said unto them, he that is without sin among you, let him cast a stone at her first. Jesus let them know that having a judgmental attitude was not correct. Then we go to Romans 2:1,4. And in Romans chapter 2, verse 1, it says, Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgeth. It's talking about those that have a judgmental attitude. For wherein you judge another, you condemn yourself. For thou that judgeth another does the same things. But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things. Verse 3. And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them that do such things? And dost thou the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God? Verse 4. Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance in longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth to repentance? It's amazing that in this verse we find that being judgmental is also being hypocritical. Because when you judge others, usually you're guilty of the same thing that you're being judgmental of them about. That's really what these verses say, and when you tend to be judgmental of others, you need to look in the mirror and find out if you're guilty of the same thing that you're being judgmental about. Then you go to James 2:1:4. In James 2, one says, My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons. With respect of persons literally means in the Greek, don't judge them by their face, don't judge them by their color, or by their exteriors, or by what you see. Verse 2. For if there come into your assembly a man with a gold ring and goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment. Verse 3. And you have respect to him that wears the gay clothing, and say to him, sit thou here no good place, but say to the poor, stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool. Verse 4. Are ye not then partial in yourself and have become judges of evil thoughts? Or you've become judgmental of that person because he's poor, you've just categorized him, you've put him in one category, condemned him, locked him up, said, that's who he is, that's who he'll always be. That is a judgmental attitude. Or then we read in James 4:11, 12, speak not evil one of another brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother and and judges his brother, speaking to being judgmental, speaketh evil of the law and judges the law. But if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge. There is one lawgiver who is able to save and to destroy. So who are thou that judges another? Or what in the world are you doing being judgmental of other people? Now, that's a lot of verses about how wrong it is to have a judgmental attitude. Not judging. Judging is required for life. You have to judge who should be your friend, who should not, who you should believe, who you should not believe, you have to judge all kinds of things in life. But being judgmental is categorizing people, just locking them up in that category, condemning them to always be in that category. And my friends, that is not right. But we as believers need to understand there is a time to judge. For example, in 1st Corinthians 6:1:5, we read verse 1. Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust and not before the saints? Verse 2. Do you not know the saints will judge the world? That means there's a right time to judge. And if the world shall be judged by you. Are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters? It's talking about evaluating, discerning, perceiving what's right and what is wrong. There is a role for that kind of judgment. It says, know ye not that we shall judge angels, how much more things that pertain to this life. If then ye have judgments of things pertaining to this life, set them to judge who are least esteemed in the church. I speak this to your shame. Is it so that there's not a wise man among you? No, not one that shall be able to judge between his brethren. And so we find that even the least among us should be able to have enough judgment or discernment or perception or evaluation to determine what is right, what is wrong, who needs to be corrected, who should not be corrected. So there is a right role for judging, but we are never called to be judgmental. So when the Bible says, judge not that you be not judged, don't throw up your hands and say, oh, you're judging me, you're judging me, you're judging me. When in fact it really might be a person that's trying to help you. They may have evaluated something in your life that needs to be addressed. And you're slamming the door on the conversation by saying, you're judging me, you're judging me. My friends, there is a role for correct judgment in life, but we are never called to be judgmental. You are never to say, well, you've made a mistake here, you've always made a mistake here. You're never going to change. You're never going to change. That is categorizing them, locking them up in that category, condemning them. That is being judgmental. And God never does that with us. And we are never to do that with one another. So this is the beginning of our series. What Jesus Said about being Judgmental. I'll be back in just a moment and I want to pray for you.