Judge Not, That Ye Be Not Judged

Judge Not, That Ye Be Not Judged

"Judge not, that ye be not judged." — Matthew 7:1 (KJB)

This verse is one of the most quoted and most misunderstood passages in Scripture. Many take it to mean that Christians should never make any kind of judgment, as though discernment itself were forbidden. In today’s culture, it is often used as a shield against accountability: “Don’t judge me, the Bible says so.” But this interpretation strips the verse from its context and misses the true doctrine being taught.

When we read Matthew 7:1 in isolation, it seems absolute. Yet the verses that follow reveal Christ’s intent. In Matthew 7:2–5, Jesus warns against hypocritical judgment—condemning others while ignoring our own sins. He illustrates this with the image of a man trying to remove a speck from his brother’s eye while a beam remains in his own. The command is not to abandon judgment altogether, but to first examine ourselves, remove hypocrisy, and then we will see clearly to help others. Later in the same chapter (vv. 15–20), Jesus even commands discernment: “Beware of false prophets… Ye shall know them by their fruits.” That requires judgment, but righteous judgment rooted in truth and humility.

Rightly dividing the Word of Truth (2 Timothy 2:15), we recognize that Christ’s earthly ministry was directed to Israel under the law. Yet the principle carries forward into our present dispensation of grace. Paul echoes this in Romans 14:10-13, urging believers not to judge one another in matters of conscience, while also calling for discernment in doctrine and practice. In 1 Corinthians 2:15, Paul says, “He that is spiritual judgeth all things,” showing that judgment—when exercised spiritually and humbly—is necessary for sound doctrine.

For us today, the application is clear:

• We must avoid hypocritical, self-righteous condemnation.
• We are called to exercise spiritual discernment, testing all things by the Word of God.
• Our judgments must be tempered with grace, humility, and love, recognizing that we too stand by God’s mercy.

Thus, Matthew 7:1 is not a prohibition against judgment, but a warning against unrighteous judgment. In the dispensation of grace, we are exhorted to judge rightly, by the Spirit and according to sound doctrine, so that we may walk in truth and edify the body of Christ.

The Architect in Your Mouth: The Power of Life and Death

The Architect in Your Mouth: The Power of Life and Death

Every time you part your lips or strike a keyboard, you are not merely emitting sound waves or displaying pixels; you are releasing a force of nature. We often treat words like harmless confetti, tossed into the wind without a second thought, but the reality is far more sobering. Your tongue is a rudder that steers the massive ship of your life, and your speech is the literal "spirit" you exhale into the world. As the scripture warns in Proverbs 18:21, "Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof." You are eating the harvest of your own vocabulary every single day. If your world feels cold, check the temperature of your words. If your relationships are fracturing, look at the cracks caused by your critiques. You possess a creative faculty in your tongue and your personal reality is being framed by your declarations.

The Poison: A King’s Reckless Decree

To understand how words can catastrophically hurt, we look at the tragedy of Jephthah in Judges 11. In a moment of high emotion and spiritual bargaining, Jephthah made a rash vow: "If thou shalt without fail deliver the children of Ammon into mine hands, Then it shall be, that whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me... I will offer it up for a burnt offering." He spoke without thinking, and his words became a snare. Upon his victorious return, it was his only daughter who ran out to meet him. His own tongue had carved a path to his greatest heartbreak. This illustrates the "shocking" reality: your words can create a trap from which there is no escape. When we speak in anger, pride, or haste, we release "poison" that cannot be sucked back into the bottle. James 3:8 reminds us, "But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison."

The Medicine: A Centurion’s Authority

Conversely, words possess the atomic power to heal across dimensions. Consider the Centurion in Matthew 8, who approached Jesus on behalf of his paralyzed servant. He didn't ask for a physical touch or a complex ritual; he understood the legal authority of the spoken word. He said, "Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed." Jesus marveled at this faith. By simply releasing the "Spirit and Life" of his word, the healing was dispatched instantly. This is the "eye-opening" truth: your words of faith can reach into the souls of others, bridging gaps of distance and despair to bring restoration. When you speak truth, encouragement, and life, you are administering a spiritual medicine that the world desperately craves.

Taming the Fire: Your Daily Mandate

You must wake up to the fact that you are walking around with a loaded weapon or a surgical scalpel between your teeth. To "guard the mouth" is not a suggestion; it is a survival tactic. Before you speak, ask yourself if your words are building a cathedral or digging a grave. Remember that God holds us accountable for every "idle word" spoken (Matthew 12:36). Let your speech be seasoned with grace, for you are a creator, and the universe is listening to the blueprints you are speaking into existence. Be the master of your silence so that you may be the master of your speech.

Why don't Christians see the obvious inescapable contradiction in having both the Old Testament and the New Testament?

Why don't Christians see the obvious inescapable contradiction in having both the Old Testament and the New Testament?

Answering a Social Media Question:

It’s a fair question! At first glance, the Bible can look like a collection of conflicting instructions—dietary laws vs. liberty, animal sacrifices vs. a finished work, or "faith plus works" vs. "grace alone." If you try to mash it all into one flat message, you’re left with a theological headache.

However, the "contradiction" isn't a flaw in the Book; it’s usually a result of how we read it. Using the King James Bible (KJB) as our guide, here is how those pieces actually fit together perfectly through a principle called Right Division.

1. The Key: Rightly Dividing

The Bible itself provides the "instruction manual" for how to read it without getting confused.

2 Timothy 2:15: "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."

To "divide" doesn't mean to discard. It means to recognize that God has dealt with different groups of people (Israel and the Body of Christ) under different "economies" or programs. When you stop trying to apply instructions meant for Israel's prophetic kingdom to the current age of grace, the contradictions vanish.

2. Prophecy vs. Mystery

The "clash" most people see is the difference between the Prophetic Program (found in the Old Testament and the Four Gospels) and the Mystery Program (revealed to the Apostle Paul).

• Prophecy: Concerns the Earth, the nation of Israel, and a literal kingdom. It has been spoken "by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began" (Acts 3:21).
• The Mystery: Concerns the Heavens and the Church. This was a secret "hid in God" until it was revealed to Paul.

3. Why You Need Both

You might wonder: "If we live under the Mystery today, why keep the Old Testament at all?" The answer lies in how God’s full plan is structured.

Romans 16:25-26: "Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, but now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets... made known to all nations for the obedience of faith."

To have a "stable" faith, Paul explains you need:

"My Gospel" & The Mystery: To know your specific identity and instructions today.

The Prophetic Scriptures: To understand the foundation, the character of God, and the legal necessity of a Redeemer.

4. Perfect Synergy

When you see these as two distinct programs under one overarching plan, they don't fight; they harmonize.

The Prophecy shows God’s righteousness and His dealings with the nations through Israel.

The Mystery shows God’s incredible grace in forming a new agency (the Body of Christ) during a time when Israel is fallen.

Without the Old Testament, the New has no context. Without the Pauline Epistles, the Old Testament has no "finish." When you rightly divide, the Bible becomes a masterpiece of "perfect synergy" rather than a book of errors.

Woven by His Word: Finding Your Purpose in the Master’s Plan

Woven by His Word: Finding Your Purpose in the Master’s Plan

The realization that the Almighty God personally spoke you into existence is the most humbling truth a soul can carry. You are not a product of chance, nor a mere bystander in the universe; you are a deliberate act of Divine will. Before the world was formed, the Lord had already envisioned your life and penned your days in His book.

Created by His Hand

The King James Bible captures this intimacy in Psalm 139:14-15: "I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth." We must recognize that while we are the focus of His affection, He remains the sole source of our wonder. Our design is not for our own vanity, but a testament to His genius. We are "curiously wrought"—intricately woven together—so that our very existence points back to the Creator. When we value our purpose, we are actually valuing the Workman who fashioned us.

Ordained for His Purpose

The Lord’s Supper: A Holy Remembrance and Humble Examination

The Lord’s Supper: A Holy Remembrance and Humble Examination

"Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world." — 1 Corinthians 11:27-32 (KJB)

The ordinance of the Lord’s Supper is a sacred observance established for the purpose of remembrance. It is not a mere ritual or a social tradition, but a spiritual act where believers look backward to the cross and forward to His return. According to the King James Bible, we do this to "shew the Lord's death till he come." The bread represents His body, broken for us, and the cup represents the New Testament in His blood. By partaking, we are publicly testifying that our life and salvation are found entirely in the finished work of Jesus Christ. This is the "why" of the ordinance: to keep the sacrifice of Christ at the forefront of the believer’s mind and the church’s mission.

The setting for this ordinance is any gathering of believers where the Lord is honored. While often observed in a formal church service, the power of the ordinance lies not in the architecture of a building, but in the humble hearts of those gathered. Whether the assembly is large or small, formal or informal, the requirement remains the same: it must be a gathering characterized by unity and a recognition of the Lord's presence. When believers come together to eat this bread and drink this cup, they are acting as "one body," and therefore their hearts must be aligned with the holiness of the One they are remembering.

Understanding God’s Grace: Not in Instant Miracles but in Lasting Maturity

Understanding God’s Grace: Not in Instant Miracles but in Lasting Maturity

In many circles of modern Christianity, there is a prevailing sentiment that God is essentially "on call," always attending to the immediate needs and welfare of the believer as if He owes them or as if, through His love, He is expected to provide constant earthly comfort. Believers today often expect instant miracles or immediate answers to prayer because they figure that since they are Christians, God is obligated to shield them from all hardship. While God’s love for us is indeed infinite, this specific theology of guaranteed physical health and wealth actually belongs to God’s dealings with Israel in the kingdom dispensation. During that time, God made literal covenants with Israel to protect them, heal them, and save them from their earthly enemies as a sign of His favor, promising that "the Lord will take away from thee all sickness" (Deuteronomy 7:15) and that they would be "blessed in the basket and thy store" (Deuteronomy 28:5).

However, these national, physical covenants were not made with the Body of Christ today. We must recognize that God works with us in the Dispensation of Grace (Ephesians 3:2) in a very different way. In this present time, we are told that we "walk by faith, not by sight" (2 Corinthians 5:7), which means we do not rely on the visible "sight" of constant miracles to validate God's presence. Our primary blessings are not found in the bank account or the doctor’s office, but are "spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ" (Ephesians 1:3). While God certainly has the power and ability to work miracles today, it is not His current focus or His method for proving His love toward us. Our inheritance is spiritual and eternal, and we are instructed to set our affection on things above, not on things on the earth (Colossians 3:2).