Do not judge, or you too will be judged.  For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

Matthew 7:1-2

I ran through a stop sign. I was out in the country, no one was around, so I rolled slowly past the stop sign. A police officer was hiding behind some hedges, and as I continued past the cherry-apple red road marker, he came out from his hiding-place with his sirens screaming. Looking in my rearview mirror I saw his lights flashing and sunglasses reflecting the bright rays of the noonday sun. 

He got me! The Whyatt Earp wanna-be caught his man.

So I pulled over and he wrote out a ticket for $50 bucks! Then he handed it to me with a mocking smile, “Next time, come to a full stop. Have a good day.” I was mad, red-hot angry, so I said, “In my opinion I think you purposely trapped me.” He pointed to some words on the back of the ticket and said, “If you want to argue this ticket you can go to court and explain it to the judge. Good luck!” He then sped off down the lonely highway, probalby laughing his badge off.

So two weeks later I went to the judge to argue. It was my turn, “Case # 201893,”  not really sure what the number was, “come forward to make your plea.” I said, “Not guilty. I was framed.”

The judge with a stone-blank face, zero emotion, asked me simply, “Sir, did you come to a full three second stop? That is all I want to know, and I don’t care about your opinion concerning the police officer’s behavior. Did you come to a complete stop?” 

“No, I did not.’ The gavel sounded, the judge said, “Mr. Weeks, you are guilty for failing to comply with the local ordinance, you must pay the $50 fine within 30 business days. Have a good day.” Then the bailif yelled out, “Next!” 

I was speechless, the law was the law. My opinion didn’t matter a whit. And there was nothing to argue. I didn’t stop and that was that. The law truly is no respector of persons, that means it does not play favorites. And that is true with the court room of heaven, the law is the law.

So when people talk about not judging one-another, when it comes to the law you will be judged. All people will be judged, that is why Hebrews 9:27 says this, “Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment.” Once you die you face the courtroom of heaven. 

“So what will you be judged on? And I just want the facts.”

Okay, here they are, as plain as can be:

(1) The Authoritative Law: John 12:47-49. Here is what it says…

“If anyone hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge that person. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; the very words I have spoken will condemn them at the last day. For I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me to say all that I have spoken.”

Note three ideas: (a) The first time Jesus came, he came to save, not to judge. That means when he came he came out of mercy, God held back our deserved punishment (wrath) and placed it upon his Son at the cross. So Jesus’ primary work was to save. (b) The second time Jesus comes, “the last day”, he is coming to judge those who rejected the words he delivered the first time he came. The period between his first coming and second coming is the grace period. He is giving all of mankind a chance to hear and respond to his original words. (See 2 Thess. 1:6-11). (c) The words that Jesus spoke were given to him by the Father. So it is the Father’s words that every person will be judged by.

What specifically are the summation of his words: Romans 3:22-24, & 6:23, “This righteousnessis given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus…For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” So regardless of who you are, if you sin you deserve eternal damnation, if you believe in Jesus Christ you are saved. That is the law.

(2) The Adjusted Law for those Who Claim Ignorance (“I never knew”): Romans 2:1-3…

“You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. Now we know that God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. So when you, a mere human being, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment?”

So when a person claims they never knew the words of God so therefore they should not be judged for them, God will comply. But his new set of standards may not work in the ignorant person’s favor. The standard is much more harsh: “Every point at which you judge other people you will be judged.” So if you don’t like it when people lie to you, if you ever have lied to someone else, you will be held guilty. If you don’t like it if people talk behind your back and you talk behind someone’s back, you are guilty.  Etc, etc, etc… Condemnation is self-inflicted.

The reason this is so is because God has written his law in our hearts according to Romans 2:15. What this means is that by nature we all know the just requirements of the law because the law is in us. That is why we are so good at judging others. Even those who demand not to be judged, judge others everyday. Even when they say, “Dont judge me,” they are judging you for judging.

(3) The Books: Revelation 20:12…

“And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life.The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books.”

There are a group of books that God is going to show people at the very end of days. Many bible scholars believe there will be four of them: The first three are your specific account ledgers. We are not sure but here are the speculative titles:

• Book One: The Book of Words (Matthew 12:36). “Every word that has been spoken.
• Book Two: The Book of Works (Romans 2:6). “Everything a person has done.”
• Book Three: The Book of Motives (Ecclesiastes 12:14). “Every secret thing.”

That leaves the final book: The Book of Life. This is whether or not you are considered by God to be a child of faith. If you are you get in, if you are not you are left out. This is found in John 1:12-13.

Conclusion

Judgment is a rather simple thing, everyone will eventually be judged. The hard part is how to communicate it. Some people are really poor at it. Some people don’t communicate it at all for fear of offending. But regardless, every person will be judged. 

The advice in Matthew 7:1-2 is not about not judging, it is a warning about your own personal judgment. If you judge, you will be judged by the same standard. Are you ready for that.

But if every person is going to be judged wouldn’t it be wise to warn them all even if it sounds like judgment?

What if I was driving with my brother and he saw that I ran a stop sign. Would he be wrong for saying, “Chris, you idiot, you have to stop at the stop sign or you will get a ticket.” Does it matter if he is nice or not?

Not according to the law.