6 Comments

1. Frank Antonowitz says:

   September 20, 2009 at 3:28 am

   A lot of “Christians” like to quote the first few lines but they seem to ignore verse 5.

   3. “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4. How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?

   5. You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

   We are called to keep out brothers on the straight and narrow path, not the pagans.
   When we see a Brother in Christ straying from His truth we are to quietly bring it to their attention.
   If they refuse to see His truth then you escalate the attention.
2. jaskot says:

   November 18, 2009 at 4:04 pm

   That’s funny that your comment on “judge not…” includes instructions on how to judge.
3. dmetzler says:

   April 9, 2010 at 2:54 pm

   On this topic of judging, consider that God is a Judge, there is a whole book in the Bible titled “Judges” whom God called, appointed, blessed, and then in I Corinthians 6:1-6, we find that God’s people will judge the world and angels. So the whole counsel of God acknowledges judgment as a reality which leads me to believe the condemning of judgment of Matthew 7 has to do with the motivations of the heart when judging. A critical spirit for example is always wrong throughout scripture while godly discernment is always a good thing. Both lead to “judgments”, but one tears down while the other is for good.
4. markagordon says:

   October 20, 2010 at 4:32 pm

   That was very clearly stated dmetzler. I completely agree with you. I hope all Christians understood this.

   Here’s a bit a Jude. Notice verse 22:
   17But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. 18They said to you, “In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.” 19These are the men who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit.

   20But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit. 21Keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.

   22Be merciful to those who doubt; 23snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.

   24To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy— 25to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.

   Father, thank you for giving us the power by Your Spirit to live this out.
5. Asraya dasa says:

   January 14, 2011 at 5:46 pm

   Nice verse there in #22. “Hate the sin, not the sinner.” Proper discernment is necessary for us to avoid ungodly association and to help others do the same. Intelligence is given by God for this purpose. But judgment itself is reserved for those empowered by the Lord to see all of one’s works and to carry out the condemnation (i.e. not for we of little capacity). That is not our function. We’re simply here to help ourselves and each other to avoid “the fire” of faithless existence by discerning the paths and pitfalls of the world in the light of God’s word and the exemplary character of saints.
6. bro.larry says:

   March 29, 2011 at 8:35 pm

   We are told to judge not a brother. However we are told to judge righteous content.