1. In this portion of His Sermon on the Mount Jesus revealed His will concerning "unfair judgment." 2. Although we have been exposed to a great amount of unfair judging lately, the Lord's followers are to avoid it. 3. The first point we need to make is that . . .
Discussion:
I. JESUS COMMANDED HIS FOLLOWERS TO AVOID UNFAIR JUDGMENT
A. Jesus said very plainly in vs.1a, "Judge not." B. Since this is a command of Christ, we must: 1. understand what the Lord was teaching 2. obey Him [in this case we must avoid "judging"].
II. LET US DETERMINE WHAT JESUS WAS TEACHING
A. To understand what Jesus was teaching, we must define the word "judge." 1. In general, "judge" means "to form a conclusion on the basis of evidence." 2. In the context, Jesus talked about the practice of "severely and unfairly finding fault in other people." B. In vs.3-4 Jesus illustrated the kind of "judging" that He forbids. 1. Jesus talked about a man who had a "beam" in his eye. 2. This man overlooked his "beam" to point out the "mote" in his brother's eye. 3. We must not condemn others for doing the same things that we do. 4. The Jews were guilty of this kind of judging (Romans 2:1-3, 21-24). C. It is unfortunate, but this command of Christ is often misapplied. 1. Some people believe that the Lord forbids all judging. a. This is a misapplication. b. The Lord does not forbid all judging because we are actually commanded to make certain judgments (John 7:24). 2. Some people believe the Lord's command means that we cannot point out others' faults to them. a. This is another misapplication. b. Consider the commands given in Matthew 18:15; 2 Timothy 4:1-2. 3. The Lord does not forbid all judging, but He does forbid "severely and unfairly finding fault in other people."
III. JESUS EXPLAINED WHY WE MUST AVOID UNFAIR JUDGMENT
A. (vs.1b) We must avoid unfair judgment so we will not be judged ourselves. B. (vs.2) We will receive the same judgment that we pass out (Galatians 6:7). C. Other reasons why we must not judge: 1. Pointing out the faults of others while overlooking our own can become a habit. 2. When we participate in this kind of judging, we influence others to do the same thing.
IV. FINALLY, JESUS SHOWED HOW UNFAIR JUDGMENT CAN BE AVOIDED
A. First, we must realize that unfair judgment is a sin. 1. The Lord forbids it, and if we do it we transgress His will (1 John 3:4). 2. Jesus also said that a person who constantly looks for faults in others while overlooking his own is a hypocrite (vs.5). B. Second, we must pull the beams out of our own eyes. 1. The Bible teaches us to judge ourselves (2 Corinthians 13:5). 2. We must judge ourselves by the Lord's standards (2 Corinthians 10:18). 3. After judging ourselves by the Lord's standards we can see clearly so we can in turn help others with their faults. C. Third, practice "the second commandment" (Matthew 22:39).
Conclusion:
1. "Unfair judgment" is something that the Lord's followers must avoid. 2. This practice is serious -- it will affect the destiny of our souls.
