Does the Bible Really Say “Judge Not”? Handling Disagreements in Love

It has been said that there is no hate like Christian love. Sadly, there are times when Christians treat one another more harshly than they treat unbelievers. Much of that comes from misunderstanding both the purpose of God’s law and the way He calls us to deal with brothers and sisters who are still growing in their understanding.

So what do we do when there are disputes over what is and is not a sin? How do we handle it in love?

Some may believe something to be a sin that others do not. If it is not clearly spoken of in the Bible, then it is what we might call “doubtful,” because it isn’t clear to us.

But what if the Scriptures are clear? You may understand it perfectly well, but what about others? Do they see it as clearly? When we think something is clear, it is often because it is clear to us—not necessarily to others.

Perhaps they don’t know what you know. Perhaps they are like children, too weak in the faith to understand. You have no doubt about it, but they do.

As Christians, we have a duty to help one another understand the Scriptures. We should help each other live righteous lives, so we share what we know.

Paul wasn’t saying we should not reason together or address disagreements. He was saying we should accept one another even while we are growing in the faith, before we have matured to understand certain things clearly.

Not everyone is able to grasp what the Bible says right away. Sometimes they need to take what you say and let that seed of understanding grow. Until then, what does the Bible say about those who sin in ignorance?

If Jesus could ask the Father to forgive those men in the middle of crucifying Him because they did not understand what they were doing, would He not also forgive His children who sin unknowingly?

If God “winked at” the ignorance of people in times past, would He not also show patience toward His children in their ignorance while they are growing in understanding?

If something is a sin and yet it is not clear to your brother, it is important to remember that their ignorance does not validate the sin, but it also does not condemn them. Salvation was never given by having perfect knowledge of right and wrong or perfect righteous living. It comes through the grace of God through faith in Jesus while we were yet sinners.

Too often we set our brother aside, saying they are not Christians because they are simply ignorant. Paul warns against this.

With that said, there is a difference between someone who honestly does not understand and someone who does understand but is trying to pretend otherwise.

God will judge the heart of every man, and His Spirit will reveal the secrets of their hearts.

In the book of Leviticus we see laws about sinning in ignorance. There are sacrifices God commanded for when sin is committed unknowingly. Today we have one sacrifice for all sin, known and unknown: His name is Jesus.

But for the brother who does not know something to be a sin, consider these passages. Without the law, sin was dead. In other words, guilt was not yet fully accounted to a person (not imputed). But when it becomes known, he realizes he was already guilty without knowing it. God, in that sense, “overlooked” his ignorance.

This is what happens when we bring things to the attention of other Christians. They are made aware, and then they must decide how to respond in light of that knowledge. They also need to acknowledge that this too is covered by the blood of Jesus, and they should repent.

Therefore, have mercy on ignorant brothers and sisters, knowing that God also has mercy on your ignorance. Do not cast them aside or disown them. Teach them and let them learn.

Remember that it takes time for a seed to grow. Do not say there is no tree just because it has not yet come into its fullness. Have mercy and patience.

Because the law serves two primary purposes:

• It reveals what is right and wrong.
• It shows us that we have all sinned.

But it does not and can not make us clean.

Repentance is certainly a requirement for salvation, but perfect obedience to the law was never a requirement to become a Christian. We need to remember that when we correct a brother or sister who is unknowingly living in sin. Consider how you, too, may have acted wrongly in the past while believing you were doing what was right.

Does the Bible Tell Us Not to Judge People?

What about the rest of the world that know things are sin, yet continue in them?

There is a common saying, “Only God can judge me.” Typically, verses like Matthew 7:1 are used to justify that saying. But why would the Bible also say we are to judge all things in other verses?

It is because Matthew 7:1 is not the end of the thought. Verse 2 tells us that the judgment we use will be used to judge us. Verse 3 tells us that we should therefore consider our own sin when we make judgments, not if.

Matthew 7 is not telling us not to judge at all. It is telling us that if we are going to judge, we must do so with mercy and love. If we cannot do that, then it is better not to judge at all.

This is how we judge rightly. We must always remember that the law is meant to bring us to Jesus, not to make us righteous by keeping it.

As Christians, we must keep this in mind when addressing sin in others. Our goal is not to convict the world of sin—that is God’s work. Our job is to point people to the Savior.

When we declare what the Bible says about sin, we are often met with anger or defensiveness. It is common for people to respond by pointing out our sins in an attempt to deflect attention from their own.

This is why it is so important to approach these conversations lovingly, with humility and grace. When the spotlight is turned on us, we should not feel the need to defend ourselves. Instead, we should lead by example—acknowledging our own sin and sharing that we only point it out to show that we all need Jesus, not to elevate ourselves above anyone else.

The reality is that we are not the standard—the Word of God is. Pointing out someone else’s sin does not erase our own guilt, just as our sin does not erase theirs.

We are all guilty, and we all need to acknowledge that guilt. This is the real purpose of the law: to show us our need for a Savior.

That brings us to the next subject. The law was given in the Old Testament. But we have the New Testament today. So what is the difference? What changed? Is the law done away with? That will be the topic of the next study.

Continue To Unit 2:6 – Did Jesus Abolish the Law? What “Not Under the Law” Really Means OR

Return To Christianity 101 Unit 2 – Sin and Eternal Judgment