Grace Next Door

We’ve all heard someone quote, “Judge not,” as if Jesus was shutting down every form of discernment. But if you read what He actually said in John 7:24, you realize He wasn’t saying, “Don’t judge at all.” He was saying, don’t judge by appearances, judge with righteous judgment.

That’s a whole different conversation.

Judging righteously isn’t about nitpicking people or playing “spiritual cop.” It’s about learning to see with God’s eyes. It’s about discernment, not personal biases or emotions but the truth of His Word and the leading of His Spirit.

It Starts in the House of God.

The Bible says in 1 Peter 4:17 that judgment begins at the House of God. That means before we ever think about calling out the world, we have to start by looking in the mirror. Not in shame, but in honesty. If we belong to Jesus, we’re part of His family and He’s committed to keeping His house in order.

Paul put it plainly in 1 Corinthians 5:12–13: “Do you not judge those who are inside? But those who are outside God judges.” In other words, God never told us to nitpick unbelievers into behaving like Christians. He told us to love them and share the gospel. But inside the Body, we hold one another accountable—because holiness matters.

Humility First

Here’s where Matthew 7:1–5 comes in. Jesus says to take the plank out of your own eye first, then you’ll see clearly to help your brother with his speck. That’s the whole point—clear vision starts with humble repentance.

If I’m walking around with unaddressed sin in my own heart, I can’t see clearly enough to help anyone else. Righteous judgment begins with letting God search me, break me, and heal me.

Why It Matters

Righteous judgment isn’t cold, harsh, or condemning. It’s loving enough to say, “I see where this path leads, and I care too much to stay silent.” Proverbs 31:9 says, “Open your mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy.” That’s action. That’s compassion. That’s God’s heart.

And here’s the part that makes it even more sobering: 1 Peter 4:18 says, “If the righteous one is scarcely saved, where will the ungodly and the sinner appear?” That’s not meant to make us fearful—it’s meant to wake us up. If living for God takes such grace and perseverance for those who belong to Him, how much more urgent is it for us to shine His light in a dark world?

Training for the Kingdom

Paul takes it even further in 1 Corinthians 6:2–3. He says the saints will judge the world—and even angels. That means the discernment we walk in today is practice for eternity. In Revelation 20:4, we see believers sitting on thrones, given authority to judge with Christ.

This isn’t about bossing people around in heaven. It’s about ruling with the same heart as our King…perfect justice, perfect mercy, perfect love. And that starts here and now, in how we treat each other, how we handle truth, and how we let God shape our character.

It’s okay to judge righteously.

Righteous judgment is really about two things:

Living under God’s judgment first letting Him deal with our hearts before we try to deal with anyone else’s. Loving enough to speak truth, not to shame, but to restore.

We don’t judge by appearances. We don’t judge hypocritically. We judge with a heart that has been broken by grace, restored by mercy, and committed to the truth because one day, we’ll stand beside Jesus and judge with Him.

Until then, let’s be the kind of people who walk in both truth and love, people who let God’s Word guide our discernment, who keep our own hearts pure, and who care enough to help others walk in freedom.