The Sermon on the MountSample

Judgment and discernment

Verse 1 has often been misunderstood, as if the believer should never make judgments on others. Yet verse 6 implies that we must know how to discern the attitude towards the Gospel of those around us, and verses 15-20 indicate that we must recognize a false prophet.

The illustration of the speck and the plank highlights the need for believers to avoid a sense of superiority that leads to the habit of criticizing everything and everyone. We should apply the same standard to others as we have already used for ourselves (James 2:12,13). We need to understand how to use discernment in specific situations and how to evaluate our own lives according to the criteria we find in the Bible.

All of us will be subject to God's judgment (Romans 14:4,10-13), and our interactions with others should help them prepare for this judgment (Galatians 6:1-5; 1 Corinthians 5:12,13). Jesus himself invited us to judge correctly, not according to appearances (John 7:24 NIV; Isaiah 11:3-5).

To prevent negative reactions from those who misunderstand our message, it's necessary to use discernment when sharing the Gospel message. Holding sins against sinners will not help them - it must be the Spirit who convicts them of sin.

• How do you judge yourself and others?
• What criteria do you use?