Judge Not
Luke 6:37 (NLTse) [37] “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn others, or it will all come back against you. Forgive others, and you will be forgiven.
There is a significant difference between judgment and discernment…
…God commands us not to judge others, but He does want us to be discerning. Jesus said we would know people’s spiritual condition by the fruit of their lives (Mt 7:16). He said grapes are not produced by thorn bushes. If a person’s life produces thorns, we can assume that person is not a grapevine! Are we being judgmental? No, we are being discerning. Scripture commands us to avoid associating with scoffers or fools (Pr 22:10;17:12). Unless we are able to identify scoffers and fools, we cannot obey God’s command. That is not being judgmental; it is being discerning. As Christians, we have been instructed to observe the lives of others so that we can help them while avoiding any sinful influence…
Matthew 7:16 (NLTse) [16] You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles?
Proverbs 22:10 (NLTse)
[10] Throw out the mocker, and fighting goes, too.
Quarrels and insults will disappear.