Is judging others a sin?

When Jesus met the lady who had been caught in adultery—she was tried and sentenced to death by stoning—it was Jesus who stood as much as deliver her from the evil judgment (see 1 Cor. John 8:7). In this account, many scholars imagine that Jesus began writing down within the sand all of the sins of the lady’s accusers. Perhaps Jesus was encouraging them to first consider and cope with their very own sin before they stoned a lady to death for her sins.

“Why do you see the speck in your brother’s eye, but not the beam in your individual eye? Or how will you say to your brother, “Let me take the speck out of your eye,” when there may be a beam in your eye? Hypocrite, first take the plank out of your individual eye, and then you definately will see clearly to remove the speck out of your brother’s eye” (cf.Matthew 7:2-5).

Part of judging rightly is that we must first cope with our own sin, after which we will clearly see learn how to help others who’re caught in sin. Judging others becomes a sinful behavior after we judge with pride by comparing or belittling others. Such judgment can harden our hearts, increase our arrogance, and hurt those we judge.

“Do not speak evil against yourselves, brethren. He who speaks ailing of his brother or judges his brother speaks ailing of the law and judges the law. But for those who judge the law, you usually are not a doer of the law, but a judge. There is just one lawgiver and judge, the one who can save and destroy. But who’re you to guage your neighbor?” (James 4:11-12).

We mustn’t judge others out of malice or treat them harshly. The apostle Paul warned against contempt for others and judging other believers on the idea of minor differences that cause internal strife (cf. Romans 14:1-13). Bad judgment can divide the body of Christ. It can lead us away from God and the work He is doing in our lives, and from bearing the fruit of the Spirit and spreading the dominion of God. When we judge properly in love and humility, we honor each God and the opposite person by helping them pursue righteousness.

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