Jesus' Command to Judge

The Lord Jesus Christ says in John 7:24, “Judge righteous judgment.” This contradicts the idea that someone shouldn’t judge – just the opposite. When Jesus says what He says, He provides a contrasting judgment to the religious leaders in Israel in the early first century.

The Lord in the imperative commands to judge, but in a different manner than these hypocrites. First, He desires a different standard than them, not a superficial one based on mere outward circumstances. Instead, judge based upon the eternal rule of the Word of God, which aligns with God’s character. It requires an understanding of scripture, facts, and wisdom or spiritual insight, not prejudice, emotion, or tradition.

When a person makes a habit or lifestyle of making good judgments based upon the Bible, he has discernment. It is mandatory that true believers in the Lord test everything according to the truth (Philippians 1:9–10; 1 Thessalonians 5:21–22). Very often I call this having a scriptural grid up, that screens out whatever does not correspond to what God says.

Righteous judgment guards against deception. False teachers, cultural pressures, and spiritual counterfeits demand the same scrutiny today. This is a skill to cultivate, which involves knowing doctrine, observing fruit (Matt 7:15–20), and relying on the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 2:14–15). We cannot condemn others’ sins while excusing our own (Rom 2:1–3). Discernment begins with self-examination. To live like this requires being watchful, quick to listen, and slow to anger. It is not a condemnatory and censorious attitude of the heart that revels in the faults of others.

Biblical judgment is a process of making careful distinctions between truth and error, right and wrong, for the purpose of correction and potential restoration, done in a spirit of love for Christ, His church, and His Word.