Distinguishing between judgement and discernment

As believers, we are warned to discern good from evil but not to judge people. Learning the difference, however, takes time and practice. In general, our judgments tend to be superficial and biased, based on what we can see. Even a small child can judge and condemn someone. True discernment sees beyond the superficial, and relies on Christ-like empathy and wisdom. We are called to grow in discernment in order to mature as a believer.

(See Chinese versions: 简体中文 > 区分批判力和洞察力 | 繁體中文 > 區分批判力和洞察力)

 

Hebrews 5:14 ESV  But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.  

A judgmental spirit uses many disguises 

No human being has the right to judge another human being. We are all sinful in one way or another. Only God, who is perfect and who set the Law of righteousness, can judge any one of us. How can imperfect people judge other imperfect people? 

James 4:12 NLT  God alone, who gave the law, is the Judge. He alone has the power to save or to destroy. So what right do you have to judge your neighbor?

Romans 2:1 ESV  Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things.

We live in an age where everyone proclaims their right to their personal opinion and free speech. This may apply to the world but as followers of Jesus, we are told we are “not of this world.” We are called to be self-controlled and focus on whatever is constructive and beneficial to others. Self-censorship may be seen as weak and undesirable by this world, but it is a very necessary part of us renouncing “ungodliness and worldly passions.”

John 17:16 ESV  They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.

1 Corinthians 10:23-24 NIV  “I have the right to do anything,” you say–but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”–but not everything is constructive. No one should seek their own good, but the good of others.

Titus 2:11-12 ESV  For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age,

Few people would admit to being judgmental because we have all learnt to disguise our judgments.

Many judgments, for example, are dressed up as “passing comments” or “jokes”. Popular entertainment often judges and ridicules people, and tempts us to laugh along with mockers. God’s Word calls this “corrupting talk” because it corrupts our hearts.

Proverbs 3:34-35 NLT  The Lord mocks the mockers but is gracious to the humble. The wise inherit honor, but fools are put to shame!

Ephesians 4:29 ESV  Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.

Alternatively, we may be asked for our “opinions” about other people. If we are not careful to consider our words, we can end up slandering someone. Our words will not go unnoticed by God. He will call us to give an “account for every careless word” we speak on Judgement Day. This is a reminder that will certainly keep any believer sober-minded.

Colossians 4:6 ESV  Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person. 

Psalm 101:5 ESV  Whoever slanders his neighbor secretly I will destroy. Whoever has a haughty look and an arrogant heart I will not endure.

Matthew 12:36 ESV  I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak,

Then there are judgments we call “stereotypes”. Or we give people unkind “nicknames”. We judge and evaluate people based on man-made classifications that mean nothing to God. God is impartial to our stereotypes; He judges people only on whether we follow Him or follow Satan.

Romans 2:11 ESV  For God shows no partiality.

Galatians 3:28 ESV  There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

The heart that judges

Judgments begin silently in our hearts. They do not need to be spoken out loud or acted upon. God sees our hidden judgmental attitudes and weighs our hearts.

Proverbs 21:2 ESV  Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the heart.

Ecclesiastes 12:14 ESV  For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.

We may not even notice when we have become judgmental. Here are a few typical hidden judgmental biases:

• Do we instinctively avoid certain types of people?
• Do we quietly scoff at people we consider foolish or unrefined?
• Do we roll our eyes at some types of behaviour?
• Have we agreed with social media posts that involve negative comments on certain people?

Romans 15:1 ESV  We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves.

Judgment hampers communications because our perspectives create a filter through which we see them. We do not see them as God sees them.

Why we judge

There are many reasons why we judge others in our hearts.

Perhaps we have been hurt or offended by someone and have legitimate grievances against them. Legitimacy, however, does not equate to authority. Only God, who created all people, has the right to judge His own creation. As sinful people, we do not have the authority to judge God’s creations – no matter how flawed they may be. When we judge other people, we place ourselves above God.

Romans 3:23 NLT  For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.

Romans 14:10-13 ESV  Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; for it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.” So then each of us will give an account of himself to God. Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother.

Other times, we judge other people for less obvious or even conscious reasons:

• Low self-esteem | We put others down in an effort to elevate or feel better about ourselves. | The Bible says: Philippians 2:3 ESV Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.
• Deflection | We justify our own sinful behaviour by identifying those who are “worse” than us. | The Bible says: Luke 6:37 ESV “Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven;
• Peer pressure | We want to be accepted and fit in with others. We fear people more than we fear God. | The Bible says: Proverbs 29:25 NLT Fearing people is a dangerous trap, but trusting the LORD means safety.
• Bitterness | We project our disappointments, pain, and bitterness onto others and judge them. | The Bible says: Hebrews 12:15 ESV See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled;
• Self-righteousness | We think we are more righteous than other people. | The Bible says: Romans 3:10 ESV As it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one;
• Self-hatred, self-accusation, lack of self-forgiveness | We judge ourselves very harshly and therefore judge others too. | The Bible says: 1 Corinthians 4:3-5 NLT As for me, it matters very little how I might be evaluated by you or by any human authority. I don’t even trust my own judgment on this point. My conscience is clear, but that doesn’t prove I’m right. It is the Lord himself who will examine me and decide. So don’t make judgments about anyone ahead of time—before the Lord returns. For he will bring our darkest secrets to light and will reveal our private motives. Then God will give to each one whatever praise is due.

Whatever our motivations may be, a judgmental spirit is one we must renounce. When we judge others, we bring God’s fiery judgment upon ourselves. The more harshly we judge other people, the more harshly God will judge us in return. Is it worth it?

James 2:12-13 ESV  So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty. For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

Luke 6:37-38 ESV  “Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”

2 Corinthians 5:10 ESV  For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.

Also, see Judgment and the abuse of wisdom

A healthy type of judgment: discernment

There is a type of judgment that is necessary for all believers and that is the ability to discern between good and evil.

1 Thessalonians 5:21 ESV  But test everything; hold fast what is good.

There are some Christians who in their effort to not be judgmental, have forsaken all wisdom and failed to test all things for sin and falsehood. This leaves them vulnerable to falling for any and every form of evil. This is how worldly attitudes and false teachings slowly seep in and corrupt our souls. This certainly is not wise.

1 Thessalonians 5:21-22 ESV  but test everything; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil.

The Bible calls us to develop the ability to:

• Discern God’s will | Romans 12:2 ESV Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
• Discern if our ways please God or not | Proverbs 14:8 ESV The wisdom of the prudent is to discern his way, but the folly of fools is deceiving.
• Discern what is evil and expose it | Ephesians 5:10-11 ESV and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.
• Discern between evil spirits | 1 Corinthians 12:10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.
• Discern if someone’s teachings are truly from God or not | 1 John 4:1 ESV Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.

As we can see, we are to judge spiritual matters, not people. However, this is not always so straightforward because what may appear right to us could actually lead to spiritual death!

Proverbs 14:12 ESV  There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.

Developing our acumen to discern involves the renewal of our minds, to see things from God’s perspective, rather the world’s. Thankfully, we can always turn to the Holy Spirit and God’s Word for discernment.

Romans 12:2 ESV  Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

1 Corinthians 2:14 ESV  The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.

Hebrews 4:12 ESV  For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

God will never rebuke us for asking for wisdom and discernment. There are no stupid questions before God, we simply need to ask for it from our hearts.

James 1:5 ESV  If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.

Using discernment in the body of believers

It is crucial for believers to know how to discern what is evil: sin and falsehood. Both can lead us down the wide path of eternal destruction if we are not discerning.

Matthew 7:13-14 ESV  “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.

Discerning what is sinful or false inside both our hearts and our Christian communities is crucial – not as a means to condemn, but rather to save. Here lies a key difference between discernment and judgment; discernment that is not loving, but is condemning, becomes judgement.

John 3:17-18 ESV  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

Judgment	Discernment
Condemnation – Judgement assumes someone is forever condemned to stay a certain way.	Salvation – Discernment sees what blocks someone from God, and if they are willing to be saved.
Opponent – Judgement actively puts people on opposing sides. It always drives disconnection.	Observer – Discernment takes a more passive position, as an objective observer.
Glorifies Satan – Judgement focuses on and highlights how Satan has successfully trapped a person made in God’s image with sin or falsehood. It “glorifies” Satan’s work.	Glorifies God – Discernment highlights God’s will.
Pride and self-righteousness – Judgement assumes we know the full picture and therefore know better.	Humility and empathy – Discernment requires the humility to know that only God has the full picture. It also requires empathy to see things from other people’s views.

We ought to note that there will be times where judgment is needed – and that is to discern when the health of the body of believers is at stake.

1 Corinthians 5:12-13 ESV  For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? God judges those outside. “Purge the evil person from among you.”

Here are some actual examples of how this biblical principle has been put into practice:

• Apostle Paul openly rebuked a group for condoning a man who had sexual relations with his own mother. He judged the unrepentant man and instructed them to remove him from their midst. | 1 Corinthians 5:1-4,5 ESV It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not tolerated even among pagans, for a man has his father’s wife. And you are arrogant! Ought you not rather to mourn? Let him who has done this be removed from among you. For though absent in body, I am present in spirit; and as if present, I have already pronounced judgment on the one who did such a thing… you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.
• Paul openly named the false teachers, Hymenaeus, Alexander, and Philetus, who were leading the early church members astray. | 1 Timothy 1:19-20 ESV holding faith and a good conscience. By rejecting this, some have made shipwreck of their faith, among whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme. | 2 Timothy 2:16-18 ESV  But avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness, and their talk will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, who have swerved from the truth, saying that the resurrection has already happened. They are upsetting the faith of some.
• Apostle Peter openly confronted Ananias and his wife Sapphira for lying to the Holy Spirit about the amount of money they had contributed to God’s work. Both died on the same day. | Acts 5:3 ESV But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land?

We see that when such judgment is passed, it is done openly before a group of believers as a form of church discipline, not secretly as a personal attack.

Using discernment in our personal relationships

What should we do if the Holy Spirit helps us to prophetically discern someone’s hidden sins and strongholds? Should we respectfully confront them or just pray for them without saying anything to anyone?

1 Corinthians 14:24 ESV  But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or outsider enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all, the secrets of his heart are disclosed, and so, falling on his face, he will worship God and declare that God is really among you.

It all depends on how God leads us. To begin with, it is helpful to discern if they:

• Have the wisdom to listen to godly counsel | Proverbs 9:8-9 ESV Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you; reprove a wise man, and he will love you. Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.
• Are simply weak in faith and should be shown grace | Romans 14:1 ESV As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions.
• Have been blinded by Satan that they will be unable to see the truth even if we told them | 2 Corinthians 4:4 ESV In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
• Will reject godly counsel and attack us instead | Matthew 7:6 ESV “Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.

Then we can ask God, “Please give me Your wisdom. What do You wish for me to do with this insight?” God often gives us discernment to protect an individual or a body of believers.

The first are fellow believers who have wandered off the narrow path of eternal life and need our loving counsel to save them from spiritual corruption.  We are to do so in a way that leads to peaceful relations and builds one another up. For this, we need to know how to speak the truth in love. See Learning to speak the truth in love

James 5:19-20 ESV  My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins. 

Romans 14:19 ESV  So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.

The second are people who unrepentantly corrupt the body of believers. The Bible also makes it clear that we need to consider asking those who are unwilling to submit to God to leave our communities after warning them a couple of times. Examples include people who brazenly tempt believers into sexual immorality and wild living, quarrelsome people who love to stir up conflict and trouble, or false teachers. Such people do not truly follow Jesus and may even be used by the devil to sow division or lead people astray.

Titus 3:10 ESV  As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him,

Discernment is a gift that brings life when used as God intends. It becomes deadly when we use it to attack other people in judgment. As we grow in our relationship with God, may we abound more and more in uplifting discernment, and less and less in condemning judgment.

Philippians 1:9-11 ESV  And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

 

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