Discipleship Devotional, May 26th, 2025
“Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.”
– John 7:24 (NKJV)
The scriptures encourage us to make sound judgments, to be able to discern between right and wrong, and to be able to point it out when we see it. Today, many lukewarm Christians use Matthew 7:1 as an excuse to walk disorderly, not paying attention to the context of the passage. They quickly pull out the phrase “judge not” as a shield whenever people give them sharp correction. This is wrong.
The fact that a correction hurt you does not mean that they are “judging you.” The Bible says in Ephesians 5:11 that we should not have fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness; rather, we are to reprove it. This means we are to correct it. Some translations even put it as expose it.
“Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.”
– Ephesians 5:11 (NIV)
“And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.”
– Ephesians 5:11 (NKJV)
This doesn’t mean we go around broadcasting people’s faults or spreading their personal issues. Rather, it’s about lovingly confronting individuals with the truth—bringing their actions to light in a way that helps them see their error. This is a form of reproof, not gossip. When we remain silent and allow others to continue down the wrong path, we may unintentionally give the impression that their actions are acceptable. Instead, we must be bold enough to show them that what they’re doing is wrong. That is the type of exposure, exposing the action to them that it is wrong.
So, what was Jesus warning against in Matthew 7? He was addressing the hypocrisy of judging others for the very things we ourselves are guilty of. His warning wasn’t about correction, but about condemnation. There’s a clear difference between condemning and correcting. Unfortunately, many people who dislike being corrected tend to label all forms of correction as condemnation.
Jesus had to say this because this was the trademark of the Pharisees. They did this on several occasions, including the famous story of the woman caught in the act of adultery. So in Matthew 7, Jesus was not saying that we should not correct people; rather, He was saying we should not condemn people. Therefore, we must cease using this scripture as a mask to allow licentiousness.
“My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.”
– James 5:19–20 (NIV)
Prayer
Thank you, Lord Jesus, for this message. From today, I am able to take correction, and I am able to correct others with wisdom.
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