On Christians Judging Themselves and Not the World Around Them

Paul condemned spiritual pride.

He said in 1 Corinthians 5:11-12 that Christians should worry about their own lives and make sure the church is living the life of Christ in its purity and conduct.

Paul said, 9 "When I wrote to you before, I told you not to associate with people who indulge in sexual sin. 10 But I wasn’t talking about unbelievers who indulge in sexual sin, or are greedy, or cheat people, or worship idols. You would have to leave this world to avoid people like that."

In point of fact Jesus demonstrated what Paul is talking about in verses 9 and 10.  We see this in Luke 15 where it says: "Tax collectors and other notorious sinners often came to listen to Jesus teach. 2 This made the Pharisees and teachers of religious law complain that he was associating with such sinful people—even eating with them!" 

So, Jesus hung out with "notorious sinners" to the point where the religious people couldn't stand it.  He even re-stocked their wine supply at one party so the party could continue (John 2).

Paul goes on in 1 Corinthians 5:11-12 to clarify who Christians should judge:

11 I meant that you are not to associate with anyone who claims to be a Christian and yet indulges in sexual sin, or is greedy, or worships idols, or is abusive, or is a drunkard, or cheats people. Don’t even eat with such people.

Christians who say they follow Jesus and yet live in a way that is against His reputation is who Paul is talking about. 

To reiterate. Paul is clarifying that what he means is that Christians should only judge themselves. 

If there is someone in the church who calls themselves a Christian and lives like hell then that person is the one we should correct.  If we are going to pass judgement is on someone who says they belong to Jesus and yet they are marked with sexual sin of any kind, they cheat people, they are living a life of greed, they drink too much and/or they worship something other than Jesus with their time and money.  He says if someone says they represent Jesus and live contrary to that then that person is the one we should correct.

Paul writes later in Galatians 6:1-4 that " if a Christian is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently...each Christian should test their own actions.  We may be required to hold each other accountable but when we do we must do it right in gentleness.

Paul feels so strongly about Christians making sure that they have their own crap together that he says if you confront someone who is a Christian and yet they continue to live against the ways of Jesus that we shouldn't associate with them because they are misrepresenting Jesus and the Church: "Don’t even eat with such people." 

This next verse wraps up what Paul is saying about Christians only judging themselves.


"It is not my responsibility to judge outsiders, but it is certainly your responsibility to judge those inside the church who are sinning.  God will judge those on the outside.

Jesus said these famous words from Matthew 7: Do not judge others, and you will not be judged.  Why worry about the speck in your friend's eye when you have a log in your own?  How can you think of saving your friend, "Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye" when you can't see past the log in your own eye?  Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in friend's eye.  I love Eugene Peterson's paraphrase:  "It's easy to see the smudge on your neighbour's face and be oblivious to the ugly sneer on your own.  Do you have the nerve to say, "Let me wash your face for you" when your own face is distorted by contempt?  Wipe that ugly sneer off your own face and you might be fit to offer a washcloth to your neighbour."

Jesus said it first and Paul said it again in 1 Corinthians 5 - Worry about yourself.

In a world where it seems every other Christian is using social media to judge the world around them this is a timely message. 

So, Christians, worry about yourselves. 

Let God worry about the world around you. 

'Nuff said.