We’re all going to be judged one day. We will sit before God and receive judgment. And we make judgments all the time: we judge safety, prices, priorities. When we do that, we’re exercising discernment, what the Bible calls righteous judgment. But unrighteous judgment happens when you place yourself higher than another person—when you judge their clothes, or the way they worship in church. Matters of opinion are not a basis for righteous judgment.
Unrighteous Judgment
In Romans 14, unrighteous judgment was causing quarrels among Christians. Paul wrote, “As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand” (Romans 14:1-4).
God does not judge us for our diets, but He does judge us when we condemn each other over trivial opinions. Our food has no impact on salvation; neither does wearing shorts to church, or having tattoos, or singing loudly in worship. Romans 14:17-18: “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men.”
Stumbling Blocks
“Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother” (Romans 14:13). When we needlessly judge others, we create barriers that prevent them from joining the church or creating a relationship with God. Our responsibility, as Christians, is to lead others to Christ; we can’t do that effectively if we’re tearing people down or telling them they aren’t as good as us. Unrighteous judgment from the church causes people to turn away from God. But how do we avoid judging? Paul writes, in Romans 15:5, “May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus.”
God is, as always, the answer. If we look at others the way God looks at us, we will celebrate each member of God’s family, instead of judging them.
We’re All Family
We all have the same Father, and the same blood saves us. The same blood makes us brothers and sisters in Christ. Authority belongs to the Lord. Only He can save us, and only He can add to the Church. Everything we do ought to glorify and exalt him, whether we eat meat or go vegetarian, whether we dress up or put on shorts. We aren’t God, and it isn’t our place to judge His family.
Discussion Questions
