Do Ye Judge Uprightly?

"Do ye indeed speak righteousness, O congregation? do ye judge uprightly, O ye sons of men?"  (Psalm 58:1).

The first part of the verse is asking a very poignant question. The word, “Indeed” is used to stress and emphasize it.  The Psalmist is asking the congregation, if you are truly speaking righteousness or is it something else of your own design, interests or liking?

Do you have your own righteousness, O congregation, which is of the law? Or do you have the righteousness of God which is by faith in Jesus Christ?

Righteousness through faith in Jesus Christ leads to grace, mercy and forgiveness. Jesus blotted out the, “handwriting of ordinances (the law) that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross” (Colossians 2:14).

Jesus Christ has, “made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life” (2 Corinthians 3:6). Righteousness by the law leads to condemnation.

If you indeed O congregation, speak righteousness through Christ then the words that you speak will be of the Holy Spirit and they will be life.

But Righteousness through the law frames sins, with the church and everybody condemned inside.

So what righteousness do you speak O congregation? Is it of the letter of the law or of the Spirit of Christ? Depending which righteousness will determine how we judge. Are we speaking life or death? Christ or the law?

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.” (Colossians 3: 16-17).

Judging and admonishing is not a bad thing, as a Christian, it is our obligation to judge a brother. The “Judge not” verse that so many love to quote from Matthew 7 must be read in its entirety and taken in full context. The prohibition to judge comes from when we ourselves have an even bigger sin to wrangle with than does our brother. How can we point out sin and help another with their sin if we have not identified and corrected the even bigger sin within us? As Jesus instructs to do, first, we are to cast out the beam that is in our own eye, then we will be qualified to cast out the twig in the eye of a brother.

It is our responsibility as a Christian to “reprove, rebuke and exhort” (2 Timothy 4:2) a brother. Why? Because we love them and do not want them to die! The purpose of judging is to rid a brother of sin so that they can live!!!

Jesus said, “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten” (Revelations 3:19).

"Love can be known only from the actions it prompts. God's love is seen in the gift of His Son” (Vines Expository Dictionary).

When it comes to judging, we are to, “be found in him (Christ), not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith” (Philippians 3:9).

Judgment is not pointing out fault and condemning. The Christian judgment is a course correction, to right a brother who has fallen out of the way. Judgment is meant to keep us all in the Holy Highway to God.

If we simply point out someone’s fault, then we have both condemned them as well as secured their place in Hell. But if we identify the sin and then help the fallen back to the way of the Lord, then we have saved them from eternal damnation.

“Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful” (Luke 6:36).

So we as a congregation, we as a church must ask our self. "Do ye indeed speak righteousness, O congregation? do ye judge uprightly?

Are we beating people over the head with the Bible or are we using the Bible as a life preserver and bringing the fallen back on course to God?

Helping a brother out of sin does come with a warning.

“Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted” (Galatians 6:1).

Although it is our responsibility as a Christian to help course correct a brother back in the way, it is by no means mandatory, especially if you are contending with a beam in your own eye. The Bible is very clear. Whatever standard you use to measure another, that same standard will be used to measure you. Are you able to withstand that same scrutiny?

“Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven” (Luke 6:37)

Bill Hitchcock