A Winning Attitude

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.

Romans 2:1 (NIV)

The Bible does not rule out the possibility of passing judgment on a person's attitude or behavior—particularly that of a Christian. However, does your judgment aim to bring about a change in that person's behavior, or to foster an awareness of an attitude that is a source of offense? If this is the objective of your judgment, then the term can be replaced by "exhort" or "correct," for you are working toward the salvation of the soul of the one you are judging. You might then ask me: "What is the difference? It is still a judgment."

Any judgment directed against a person's actions or behavior that serves only to disparage or criticize them is reprehensible. The reason for this is that we all make mistakes; we all stumble and fall into sin at one point or another in our lives. No one is perfect or without sin, with the exception of Jesus Christ. Consequently, when you judge the sin of another while you yourself are sinning, you become inexcusable. It is in this sense that Paul reminds us that we, too, commit exactly the same things. This does not necessarily mean performing the exact same actions or adopting the exact same behaviors as the person we are judging.

The Bible exhorts us to do everything in our power to flee from sin. Some people rely on the words of Jesus recorded in Matthew 26:41—"The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak"—to justify their own sin, while simultaneously pointing an accusing finger at the sins of others. This is a human weakness that Paul exhorts us to correct; for by persisting in it, we bring condemnation upon ourselves. Therefore, following Paul's example, I encourage you to allow yourselves to be guided by the Holy Spirit. And instead of judging another person for their sin, pray that God grants them forgiveness—and preserves you yourself—so that you do not find yourself in the same situation as they are. This is a winning attitude for one who judges with the aim of correcting.

May God’s grace and peace be with you.