Judging One Another

Anyone perusing this collection of discourses cannot help but notice that it is advocated that:

The King James Bible is the word of God.
The Old and New Testaments do not conflict with one another, for the reason that the same Living God wrote them through His chosen ones.
The Bible does not contradict itself on matters of doctrine, but rather that misunderstanding by mankind makes it appear so.
God wants to teach us Himself, through His word and through His Holy Spirit and it is not necessary for any man to interpret for us as to what He says.
Professing Christians who are not Biblically reborn have no hope of missing the second death.
The fact that we are born again does not automatically ensure everlasting life with our Lord one day.
Being obedient through "gladness" and "rejoicing" enriches our walk on the narrow road, as the Comforter manifests Himself in our earthly lives.
Our souls are the real "me" and our bodies are merely stopover points, entities wherein the decision is made where we each shall move on to.

So, what does the Bible and therefore God, say about judging one another?

First of all, lets consider what the word judge means.

Discernment
Being reborn, when you see a professing Christian or a friend on the wrong road to heaven and you inform him of the fact in a Christian manner, you are being obedient to your Covenant with God.

Condemnation
When you spitefully condemn someone for committing a sin, even though they may need to be convicted of it, you are disobedient to your Covenant with God.

The one builds up, but the other destroys.

Building up: And it came to pass at the end of seven days, that the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me. When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul. Again, When a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumblingblock before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Nevertheless if thou warn the righteous man, that the righteous sin not, and he doth not sin, he shall surely live, because he is warned; also thou hast delivered thy soul.; (Ezekiel 3:16-21)

What is the purpose behind your words?

If you love Jesus Christ with a rejoicing heart, you will certainly want to impart to anyone who will listen, the joy that you have in your life. When you see that person doing something that places his or her spiritual well-being in jeopardy, it is your will as well as your duty to inform him or her.
I know a professing Christian who legally carries a pistol around with him. He was told that this gun was a stumblingblock to his spiritual walk as it was evidence of lack of faith in the power of his Covenant Partner to protect him, as well as being a bad witness to those who become aware of the fact.
When the Holy Spirit opened a door of opportunity, an old and good friend, who is a pagan and whose wife is a "sometimes" Roman Catholic, was given an article concerning Roman Catholics being unable to reach heaven.

The New Covenant is so full of scriptures that command us to judge one another, to help us over a hump when it is needed. This means that we must use our spiritual discernment to judge spiritual things.

Here are a few examples:: All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:; (2 Timothy 3:16); But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed. For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision. And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation. But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?; (Galatians 2:11-14); Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.; (2 John 1:9-11); And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.; (Hebrews 10:24-27); For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within? But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.; (1 Corinthians 5:12-13); Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision: But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.; (Acts 26:19-20)

Condemnation: The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.; (Proverbs 18:8)

This kind of judging is most often done behind an open hand to a third party. It is usually even more destructive if the target is aware of the whisperings. Many people that do this don't realise that they are destroying themselves.
If they are reborn, their willing or presumptuous sins will be shown up on that day.

If they are not born again it doesn't matter anyway, because their names are not in any of the books of life.

The following two passages of scripture are the most often quoted to show that Christians must not judge each other:: Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.; (Matthew 7:1-5)
In the first part of this passage we are not dealing with judging but with hypocrites. The last few words actually confirm that it is right to judge.
: Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things. But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things. And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God? Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; Who will render to every man according to his deeds: To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile;; (Romans 2:1-9)
Hypocrites are also described here; and what is more, a condensed teaching on the whole subject of judging.
I know a professing Christian couple, who are both counsellors in their denominational church. When a lady church member went to the lady counsellor for marriage counselling, she was told that divorce was sin. A few years later, their daughter was encouraged to divorce her husband.
These people are hypocrites, not so?

How many do you have in your church?

Here is another passage that is sometimes used as a reason "not to judge":: Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations. For one believeth that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eateth herbs. Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him. Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand. One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks. For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's. For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living. But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother's way. I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean. But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died. Let not then your good be evil spoken of: For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men. Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another. For meat destroy not the work of God. All things indeed are pure; but it is evil for that man who eateth with offence. It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak. Hast thou faith? have it to thyself before God. Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth. And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.; (Romans 14:1-23)
This scripture certainly states that we must not judge, not so?
However it deals with two subjects:

Condemnation does have its place in Christian society if there is a righteous purpose behind it as in this example. Witnesses to the act were provoked unto love and to good works.
Jesus said:: Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous, And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets. Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets. Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers. Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?; (Matthew 23:23-33)

So where does the idea come from that we must not judge one another?

However, it is a mistake for any Christian to have a condemnatory , "holier than thou" habit of looking at others, seeing the sins that they commit and saying "they are going to hell" or some such utterance. God does the condemning - Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.
Our duty is to guide all those professing Christians that we see with sin in their lives in a kindly, brotherly and not a superior or condemnatory way.: And I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye are also full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able to admonish one another.; (Romans 15:14)

If our sins are pointed out to us and we do nothing about it, God will judge us on that day.: And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God? Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; Who will render to every man according to his deeds: To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: For there is no respect of persons with God.; (Romans 2:3-11)

However, if we see some professing Christian sinning and don't show them, we will be judged accordingly. Thereafter we must leave it in God's hands, we must not point a finger at that "sinner", because who is perfect on this earth?

Christianity is a walk along a narrow path and is a story of progress.: For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.; (Romans 7:14-25)