Paul doesn’t need to help me. I understand my place and that of the church. I understand the work of Jesus on the cross and the hopeless of humanity without it.
>>I can’t judge others.
And therein lies the problem with the modern church. We are taught that “judging” is anything critical of another person’s decisions. We are then told, “Don’t judge”. and are surprised when the homosexual steps up to the pulpit to preach, the adulterers and fornicators demand that pastos stop “judging” them, the young girls start dressing like prostitutes and tempt the men with lust issues and then the mothers of those girls tell the church to “stop judging”.
We wring our hands, asking “why is our church so weak?” and then demand that NO ONE ever be critical because “that’s judging”.
No. Its not judging. Judgement implies a sentence and punishment. If you are telling someone that their decisions are wrong and that they should rethink them, then there is no punishment. That is admonishment, not judgement.
But, in the bible, there is even a procedure for earthly punishment for transgressors ( https://bible.org/article/church-discipline ). But that is still no “judgement”. Its just discipline. There is a difference.
Our churches are weak and pathetic because we insist that they be that way.
Understand about pointing out sin to a brother, to a sister or fellow church member, having others do it, etc. but; you are judging all based on church attendance. Tell me the passage about attendance? The Lord knows we have those who are ill and disabled and many seniors are. My wife is enroute to a nursing home again.
Folks, Bryanw92 is right.
We grew up in a generation that has been taught "judge not lest you be judged." Yet we ignore other scriptures that teach to do just that, judge others, but it's not the type of "judgement" that spells out another's eternal condemnation.
I found three words in the Greek that the Bible translates "judge" or "judgeth." Those words are:
1. Krino
a.Strong's Concordance: by implication to try, condemn, punish: - avenge, condemn, damn, decree, determine, esteem, judge.
b. Thayers: to be judged, i.e. summoned to trial that one’s case may be examined and judgment passed upon it
2. Diakrino
a. Strong's Concordance: discern
b. Thayer's: to determine, decide a dispute
3. Anakrino:
a. Strong's Corcondance: properly to scrutinize, that is, (by implication) investigate, interrogate, determine: - ask, question, discern, examine, judge, search.
b. Thayer's: examine or judge, to investigate, examine, enquire into, scrutinise, sift, question, specifically in a forensic sense of a judge to hold an investigation.
So you see, in many cases we are commanded to investigate matters and make judgements/discernment's/examinations of different topics and matters as a part of our Christian experience. Any pastor who does not teach this is either very misinformed, a bad pastor, or a false prophet himself. There's no other way to look at it.
The Lord Jesus warned us in Matthew 7:15 about "false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves." Even the Apostle Paul us of "grievous wolves" in Acts 20:29.
We must be on our guard, especially in these Last Days.