Mat 7:2 (NIV) For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

How would someone go about judging another person? To make a judgment is to pronounce someone guilty or to give a verdict on the matter. That is the situation where we see someone doing something wrong and we take it to a place where only God can go. We attack them, try to force them to repent, only tell them what to do and not how, refuse to walk with them to recovery, let them know how repulsed we are of them, or alienate them. Another major way of judging someone is to step outside of the Biblical guidelines and start enforcing rules that are man-made.

James 2:13 (NIV) Because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment!

When we act like we are superior to someone who is sinning, we are being hypocritical. We are who we are because of the mercy and grace of God. We didn’t set ourselves free from the penalty or power of sin. When we get some kind of attitude where we start being critical and condescending to those who are having some kind of spiritual failure, we are being judgmental.

People’s spiritual failures don’t make them less than us. Even if we were living a fairly perfect life, we wouldn’t be doing it by our power or righteousness. The only way we could possibly feel superior to others would be by us being able to produce godliness on our own. That is never going to happen. Therefore, mercy has to be our constant attitude. Love must be our power, motivation, and guide. The most powerful concept for keeping us dealing with people in an attitude of love is found in the very next passage.