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"Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye." Matthew 7:1-5
Too often, professing Christians use only the preselected quote I have in my thread header as a way to justify themselves that we should not ever judge brethren in light of doctrinal errors. Immediately it is apparent that such people take this passage out of context and make doctrine off this one quote from Scripture. This is how false doctrine is born. When one fails to look at Scripture in light of other Scripture, not correctly interpreting verses in context, the Word becomes very confusing.
"Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." 2 Timothy 2:15
"Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables." 2 Timothy 4:2-4
If you read the Matthew 7:1-5 passage in context you will see who it is being addressed to! It is being addressed to hypocrites! Those who judge others in spite of the fact that they themselves do the very things they are judging others about! This verse says nothing about those Christians who are concerned about sound doctrine, nor does it forbid Christians from sounding the alarms to false doctrines.
We as Christians are to judge ourselves(1 Corinthians 11:31-32, 2 Corinthians 13:5), will judge the world and angels(1 Corinthians 6:2-3), our brethren in light of their conduct(2 Thessalonians 3:14-15). Note that in order for us to discern conduct, we must make a Biblical judgment toward that brethren as to whether or not such conduct is Godly or not. This is NOT the same type of hypocritical judgment that Matthew 7:1-5 teaches us.
We are not to judge trivial matters or traditions of Christians(so long as conduct is not diametrically opposed to the Word of God and/or would be a stumbling block to the unsaved). See Colossians 2:16-17, 1 Corinthians 10:23-33 to read more about this. Matters of the heart, only God knows(1 Corinthians 4:1-5, 1 Samuel 16:7). We can only take man's testimony that they believed the Son of God, but only God knows who are His(2 Timothy 2:19).
We are not to yell that pentecostals, charismatics, catholics are going to hell, that is not our judgment to make. But we are to warn people that profess to believe another gospel(whether it be those of a particular denomination, an individual,etc), that if they do in fact believe in another Jesus by believing partly in themselves for salvation that they will go to hell(which is only reminding them of a Biblical truth). It is Biblical to warn unbelievers that they will go to hell if they do not trust on Christ for their sins. Jesus warned about hell much in his ministry, so should we, and to point them all to the Savior!
When a professing Christian asks me if they are going to hell(eg: for not believing in eternal security), I will never say "yes" or "no" but will say that only if they believe a counterfeit gospel will they burn in the lake of fire for eternity. The judgment is ultimately God's. Men are justified before men(James 2:18) but God knows the heart(1 Samuel 16:7, 2 Timothy 2:19).
Therefore, it is my duty to warn professing Christians to make sure they are in the faith(2 Corinthians 13:5). A professing Christian who declares works/rituals saves them and/or that their salvation is partly based upon their own effort in good living is a testimony that conflicts with the Scriptures. Therefore, I will doubt that this person is saved, and even warn them about it, but it is not my place to condemn them that "they are going to hell"....A professing Christian who declares that they are trusting partly in themselves for salvation and not completely on Christ gives me no reason to believe that they are saved.
If anybody declares the plan of salvation as the catechism teaches, their testimony declares that they are going to hell in their sins. If anybody declares that water baptism has saving power, their testimony declares that they are going to hell in their sins. This is only Biblical observation on the basis of matching their testimony to Scripture(Isaiah 8:20). When I declare that preachers who are preaching another gospel are leading multitudes to hell, that means that their testimony condemns them under Scripture. Again, God knows who is His(2 Timothy 2:19) and I will continue to warn the body of Christ against false gospels, because those who have never trusted in Christ ALONE to save them and die never trusting in Him alone, will end up in the lake of fire for all eternity.
"In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;" 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9
Too often, professing Christians use only the preselected quote I have in my thread header as a way to justify themselves that we should not ever judge brethren in light of doctrinal errors. Immediately it is apparent that such people take this passage out of context and make doctrine off this one quote from Scripture. This is how false doctrine is born. When one fails to look at Scripture in light of other Scripture, not correctly interpreting verses in context, the Word becomes very confusing.
"Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." 2 Timothy 2:15
"Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables." 2 Timothy 4:2-4
If you read the Matthew 7:1-5 passage in context you will see who it is being addressed to! It is being addressed to hypocrites! Those who judge others in spite of the fact that they themselves do the very things they are judging others about! This verse says nothing about those Christians who are concerned about sound doctrine, nor does it forbid Christians from sounding the alarms to false doctrines.
We as Christians are to judge ourselves(1 Corinthians 11:31-32, 2 Corinthians 13:5), will judge the world and angels(1 Corinthians 6:2-3), our brethren in light of their conduct(2 Thessalonians 3:14-15). Note that in order for us to discern conduct, we must make a Biblical judgment toward that brethren as to whether or not such conduct is Godly or not. This is NOT the same type of hypocritical judgment that Matthew 7:1-5 teaches us.
We are not to judge trivial matters or traditions of Christians(so long as conduct is not diametrically opposed to the Word of God and/or would be a stumbling block to the unsaved). See Colossians 2:16-17, 1 Corinthians 10:23-33 to read more about this. Matters of the heart, only God knows(1 Corinthians 4:1-5, 1 Samuel 16:7). We can only take man's testimony that they believed the Son of God, but only God knows who are His(2 Timothy 2:19).
We are not to yell that pentecostals, charismatics, catholics are going to hell, that is not our judgment to make. But we are to warn people that profess to believe another gospel(whether it be those of a particular denomination, an individual,etc), that if they do in fact believe in another Jesus by believing partly in themselves for salvation that they will go to hell(which is only reminding them of a Biblical truth). It is Biblical to warn unbelievers that they will go to hell if they do not trust on Christ for their sins. Jesus warned about hell much in his ministry, so should we, and to point them all to the Savior!
When a professing Christian asks me if they are going to hell(eg: for not believing in eternal security), I will never say "yes" or "no" but will say that only if they believe a counterfeit gospel will they burn in the lake of fire for eternity. The judgment is ultimately God's. Men are justified before men(James 2:18) but God knows the heart(1 Samuel 16:7, 2 Timothy 2:19).
Therefore, it is my duty to warn professing Christians to make sure they are in the faith(2 Corinthians 13:5). A professing Christian who declares works/rituals saves them and/or that their salvation is partly based upon their own effort in good living is a testimony that conflicts with the Scriptures. Therefore, I will doubt that this person is saved, and even warn them about it, but it is not my place to condemn them that "they are going to hell"....A professing Christian who declares that they are trusting partly in themselves for salvation and not completely on Christ gives me no reason to believe that they are saved.
If anybody declares the plan of salvation as the catechism teaches, their testimony declares that they are going to hell in their sins. If anybody declares that water baptism has saving power, their testimony declares that they are going to hell in their sins. This is only Biblical observation on the basis of matching their testimony to Scripture(Isaiah 8:20). When I declare that preachers who are preaching another gospel are leading multitudes to hell, that means that their testimony condemns them under Scripture. Again, God knows who is His(2 Timothy 2:19) and I will continue to warn the body of Christ against false gospels, because those who have never trusted in Christ ALONE to save them and die never trusting in Him alone, will end up in the lake of fire for all eternity.
"In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;" 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9
