“Rather, it seems to me you are biased here in your judging. ‘Judge with righteous judgment.’ There are TWO separate things here — JMA’s actual meeting with this woman and the account of it that he included in a lesson. As a lesson for Christians, we are to consider it. And we are not ever to unthinkingly, uncritically accept what others say. Isn’t that an especially severe problem today? I also actually said we can’t know where his heart was with this. And I don’t think we have enough to go on to judge hers, either. No human being is perfect. Paul said he hadn’t reached perfection.”
What does judging with righteous judgment mean? Neither I nor MacArthur are condemning this woman. The judgment is made as to the reality of her either being converted or not. It is an assessment of something that none of us can prove or disprove objectively.
But let’s back up and examine why judgment is even necessary. The Bible asserts that we can know whether we have eternal life:
I John 5:13 NKJV
These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.
The Bible also directs us to examine ourselves and assess based on Biblical criteria whether we are “in the faith”:
2 Corinthians 13:5 NKJV
Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified.
The Bible further asserts that we can know if someone else is a believer:
Matthew 7:15-20 NKJV
Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them.
However, I will also point out that generally a new believer was received into the Church through baptism based on his or her profession of faith. In other words, they generally did not need to prove it but simply affirmed it verbally:
Acts 8:35-38 NKJV
Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him. Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, “See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?” Then Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him.
Why is it important to know if someone is a believer? There may be multiple potential reasons. One very important reason is that if a person does not currently possess eternal life, this can only be changed by them coming to realize their need for salvation. People must understand their need for Christ and salvation first, so they can receive Him and the gift of eternal life. A person who thinks they are already a “Christian” could wrongly think they already have salvation.
Luke 18:9-14 NKJV
Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’ And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
This passage speaks directly to our topic of discussion. The self-righteous person here incorrectly assessed his own standing with God as well as his perception of the other person who showed humility. This also demonstrates that the criteria we might instinctively use to measure might be different from what the Bible says. Therefore, it requires spiritual discernment. I might be wrong to think that the person at church who attends more, gives more, and serves more is right with God. Likewise, a believer who stumbles often might be despised, but God sees that he has humility. He also confesses his sin and seeks to change.
Another reason we need to know if someone else is a believer or not is because it relates to whether we are potentially able to work together for the kingdom of God. And perhaps the most important example of such a partnership is Christian marriage.
1 Corinthians 7:39 NKJV
A wife is bound by law as long as her husband lives; but if her husband dies, she is at liberty to be married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord.
2 Corinthians 6:14 NKJV
Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?
The Bible is very clear that a follower of Jesus cannot and must not get married to someone who is not a follower of Jesus.
A final reason I’ll suggest for discerning whether someone is a believer based on conduct is because there must be some minimal standard. I’ll make a comparison to immigration and citizenship. This forum has plenty of discussion about people illegally crossing the border and planting roots in America. A nation needs to have borders and standards for allowing someone to enter, remain, or become a citizen. Otherwise, you aren’t really a nation but just merely a piece of geography. Likewise, the church cannot function as a church if there is no standard of conduct.
A person cannot claim to be a follower of Jesus and knowingly, willfully, and stubbornly refuse to do what Jesus said to do. Yes, believers do fail. But a believer must be seeking to bring his or her life into obedience to Christ.
So, a believer cannot say don’t judge me on murdering because I’ve cut back on murdering. I used to murder several times a year, but now I only murder once or twice a year. (I’m being facetious.) A believer is not a murderer. A believer is not a thief. An adulterer. A homosexual (i.e. engaged in this or any other type of sexual immorality). An idol worshipper. A prostitute.
1 Corinthians 5:12-13 NKJV
For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside? But those who are outside God judges. Therefore “put away from yourselves the evil person.”
This passage describes a specific situation in the church at Corinth. A man was in a sexual relationship with his stepmother. Some members of the church there prided themselves on how patient and tolerant they had been in dealing with this case of incest.
I will not post the whole chapter here, but it is all very instructive. I suggest reading it. Paul warned them that allowing this man to remain in the church while unrepentant was corrupting the church. He instructed them to put the man out of the church. And significantly, it seems Paul was also saying this was necessary not only for the benefit of the church but also of the man so that his spirit would saved. In Second Corinthians it is clear that this man had repented and Paul commanded the church to be sure to fully receive him and comfort him.
2 Corinthians 2:5-8 NKJV
But if anyone has caused grief, he has not grieved me, but all of you to some extent—not to be too severe. This punishment which was inflicted by the majority is sufficient for such a man, so that, on the contrary, you ought rather to forgive and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one be swallowed up with too much sorrow. Therefore I urge you to reaffirm your love to him.
While the punishment may seem harsh, it is needed to bring about the changes that are required.
Revelation 3:19 NKJV
As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent.
Hebrews 12:6-7 & 11 NKJV
“For whom the LORD loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives.” If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten?...
Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
First on this comment of mine:
“No human being is perfect. Paul said he hadn’t reached perfection.”
What I meant was no human is perfect so no one can perfectly judge anyone or anything.
“What does judging with righteous judgment mean? Neither I nor MacArthur are condemning this woman. The judgment is made as to the reality of her either being converted or not. It is an assessment of something that none of us can prove or disprove objectively.”
You go on to refer to numerous Bible verses that don’t directly bear on this, at least not in the way that you’ve describe. For example, there’s nothing to suggest she’s a false prophet, such as she would be if she’d come up with her own Gospel and created a cult that teaches Jesus approved of and promoted prostitution. There’s no sense that she had that much self-assurance in her sin.
And I certainly believe that God means for us to warn and correct alongside comforting and encouraging people. But as they fit the unique situation.
“It is an assessment of something that none of us can prove or disprove objectively.”
For all we know, she might have left prostitution that very day.
This woman had just discussed her situation from a Christian perspective and then prayed to receive the Lord. She will reflect on that and either take what steps she can to turn from sin to follow the Lord at the proper times, as the Lord enables her to, or else grow more hard-hearted in sin. But to expect certain instant things from her isn’t Biblical according to the whole counsel of God.
And you cannot equate prostitution with murder, as you attempt to. JMA didn’t. Would Jesus have simply let murderers go?
Finally, one reason — and likely the best — not to judge people on insufficient evidence is that you’re not just judging them, but also the Lord, which is even worse. If you decide that a new believer isn’t a genuine convert because they don’t instantly pass a test you devised, but also realize that you don’t truly know his or her heart, then if the person is converted, you are denying the work of the Holy Spirit when you should have just accepted that you don’t know. It isn’t wrong to ask critical questions about the faith of others, but under the proper circumstances.
On 1 Corinthians 5, what the Lord has been showing me is how our society has regressed to being far worse in many respects than the Gentile one of that time. Paul wrote even Gentiles wouldn’t do such a thing, but today even worse is done, and such isboften looked as as entertaining, even comical, rather than being something to mourn.
Similarly, this is what the Lord has pointed me in regards to the border. It’s a constant refrain now that we’re close to the Last Days if not in them, and there’s great apostasy and wickedness and little fear of the Lord, even in the church here, which often confesses to being a lot like the church of Laodicea. And what is there to reap from such sowing?
“He that hath no rule over his own spirit Is like a city that is broken down, and without walls.”
Proverbs 25:28