Wow, lots of Christians judging other Christians...
Scripture makes it very clear that there is one supreme Judge of all—the Lord God—and that He alone has the authority to determine right and wrong motives and behaviors.
IMHO: Mother Teresa and numerous Catholic grandmothers around the world are Godly Women who are destined for eternal salvation...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mother_Teresa
Judge Not, That You May Judge Well
https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/judge-not-that-you-may-judge-well
Christians are not to judge other Christians. And Christians are to judge other Christians. That’s what the Bible teaches. In fact, the apostle Paul says both things in the same letter just a few paragraphs apart.
Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God. (
1 Corinthians 4:5)
Don’t judge other Christians.
For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? (
1 Corinthians 5:12)
Judge other Christians.
Is Paul contradicting himself? No. Paul is simply instructing us that there are things we must not judge and things we must judge.
This article goes on to address:
What We Must Not Judge
We must not judge “the hidden . . . purposes of the heart” of other Christians based on their decisions, actions, perspectives, words, or personality that concern us
if those things themselves are not explicitly sinful (
1 Corinthians 4:5). We must not assume sin if we suspect sin, given how biased our suspicions can be.
What We Must Judge
Christians must judge the explicitly sinful behavior of a professing Christian.
Jesus said a “tree is known by its fruit” (
Matthew 12:33). When do the hidden sinful purposes of the heart reveal themselves? In a person’s explicitly sinful behavior. That’s why Paul didn’t even have to be present to pass judgment on a man who engaged in sexual immorality (
1 Corinthians 5:3). And he explicitly instructed the Corinthian Christians to pass judgment on him too (
1 Corinthians 5:12–13).
Be Slow to Judge
When blatant sin is confirmed, Christians must lovingly judge Christians. But in most situations, we must be very slow to judge, exercising great care and restraint. Our sinful flesh has a hair-trigger to judge others. We must have a healthy suspicion of our own pride, and keep Jesus’s words ringing in our ears: “Judge not, that you be not judged” (
Matthew 7:1).
Jon Bloom (
@Bloom_Jon) serves as author, board chair, and co-founder of Desiring God. He is author of three books,
Not by Sight,
Things Not Seen, and
Don’t Follow Your Heart. He and his wife live in the Twin Cities with their five children
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