As God's firstfruits, we are called to judge situations, our government, people in office, each other, and especially ourselves, constantly. However, our judging must be righteous, grounded in the Word of God, the Bible, and not based on personal opinions or political correctness. God grants us permission to discern right from wrong, as seen in Matthew 7, where He instructs us to avoid casting pearls before swine and to beware of false prophets, necessitating judgment based on doctrine and deeds. Our judgments must be like a referee's call in a game, neutral and according to the rulebook, which for us is God's Word. Righteous judgment differs from being judgmental; we must not condemn others or pass sentences as a court judge would, nor should we judge others' motives. Instead, our discernment should be exercised with compassion, recognizing our own sins and need for repentance. God instructs us in I Corinthians 5:11-12 to judge within the Body of Christ, making calls on actions that could harm us, while avoiding a condemning attitude. Hebrews teaches that the spiritually mature discern between good and evil through practiced senses, emphasizing the importance of righteous judgment. We must judge with love and humility, speaking truth to one another as brethren, not ignoring sin in the name of avoiding judgment. Our primary focus should be on judging ourselves, examining our hearts and actions, seeking God's help to root out sin. When God reveals our faults, we must repent and make changes. Righteous judgment, balanced and rooted in love, requires us to confront erring brothers gently, practice church discipline, and support one another through God's laws and commandments, always setting a godly example to prevent stumbling or doubt among the brethren.

Judgment, as a weightier matter of the law, is crucial for ensuring justice in our daily lives. It involves making decisions for or against, implying a tribunal or formal justice, where conflicting claims are adjusted impartially, and deserved punishment or reward is assigned. Justice, in this sense, must be factual, reasonable, faithful, morally upright, good, fair, impartial, and legally correct. Our Savior admonished the Pharisees to include all aspects of justice in their thinking, not just the legally correct part, which they used to the exclusion of fairness and impartiality. We are called to judge with righteous judgment, evaluating the deeds of others carefully while considering our own weaknesses and sins. Our Lord instructs us to overcome our faults before making harsh judgments on others, ensuring we do not condemn when we ourselves may have greater issues. As we judge others, so will He judge us, reflecting the same attitude we show toward others. Righteous judgment requires us to analyze what is right or wrong based on the mind of God as expressed in His Word, applying it critically in every aspect of life. Making proper judgments is a constant challenge, essential to our purpose of learning to render decisions of right and wrong with wisdom. God trains us now to be leaders, teachers, kings, and priests, preparing us to rule with justice. He ponders our hearts over time, observing us in various circumstances to ensure justice is done carefully and individually. For us, He commands looking at the fruits of others' lives to judge righteously, analyzing people and their actions to choose mates, friends, and brothers in Christ. The Pharisees erred by abandoning God's instructions as their basis for judgment, relying instead on their own traditions that transgressed His law. Their decisions became harsh and partial, lacking the justice God desires. We must use the whole counsel of God to render justice, striving toward perfection with His Word as our guide. Judgment is weightier because it is the aim and purpose of the law, ensuring justice is done, reflecting God's embodiment of love and impartiality.

The concept of righteous judgment is integral to living a life aligned with God's standards. God never intended a completely non-judgmental atmosphere when Jesus said, "Judge not that you be not judged" (Matthew 7:1). Righteous judgment involves the ability to form opinions and make decisions based on discernment and good sense, as seen in the example of Zelophehad's daughters in Numbers 27:1-11, where God made a decree based on existing principles, establishing a precedent for future cases. Jesus commands us to judge with righteous judgment (John 7:24), highlighting the necessity of using correct standards to evaluate conduct or situations. The danger in judging lies in the quality of our judgments, as demonstrated by the misguided judgment of the Jews who believed Jesus had a demon due to their inability to recognize true godliness. Our own carnality can distort our judgment of others in whom Christ lives, making it challenging to assess godly qualities accurately. Judging is a necessary part of life within the church, as shown by Paul's judgment and subsequent disfellowshipping of a sinning member in the Corinthian congregation to protect spiritual and moral integrity. Christians are called to judge, as evidenced by I Corinthians 6:2, which states that saints will judge the world, implying that even the smallest matters must be judged by believers. Jehoshaphat's reforms in II Chronicles 19:5-9 charged judges to fear God and judge faithfully with a perfect heart, a principle that applies to our calling as future kings and priests who will judge in God's Kingdom. However, care must be taken in judging, as outlined in Matthew 7:1-5, where self-examination against Christ's standard is urged before criticizing a brother, acknowledging that human understanding is limited and we can never know all the facts or the whole person. Biases from personal experiences can color our judgments, making impartiality difficult. Thus, we must strive to judge righteously with love, thoughtfulness, and consideration, using the standards of God's Word and Family.

Jesus Christ taught that judgment must not be made according to appearance but with righteous judgment. This requires understanding the intent of God's laws as living guidance and standards for life that please God and extend mercy. When keeping God's commandments, mercy is shown to those in whose presence the commandments are kept. Righteous judgment weighs the relative importance of laws, since not every law bears the same weight in relation to God's purposes. Some laws hold greater seriousness than others, and circumstances such as whether an act is deliberate, done in weakness, or accidental affect the severity of judgment. Solomon requested an understanding heart to judge God's people and to discern between good and evil. This request pleased God, who granted Solomon a wise and understanding heart. Those called to become kings and priests must make judgments of themselves, of one another, and of situations that arise. Righteous judgment avoids the rigidity that characterized the Pharisees and instead aligns with the balance God applies. Love stands as the greatest quality, above all other attributes, and must motivate judgments so that they reflect God's purposes.

Righteous judgment requires balancing factors in daily choices of conduct and attitudes by means of God's word, especially His law, so that the wisest decision is reached in each circumstance. Jesus commanded such judgments while forbidding unrighteous ones, the distinction lying in the use of divine standards rather than human ones. Two guiding principles support this process: no law of God may be carelessly assumed to be done away, and not every law carries equal weight in relation to His purpose. Love stands as the greatest of all divine characteristics and must motivate every judgment, for without it even impressive gifts and sacrifices lack spiritual value. Not all sins stand on the same level; some lead to death while others do not, so decisions about sin require additional scriptural information to determine relative seriousness. All of God's commandments define righteousness regardless of when they were given, and they remain available for application whenever the same situations recur. The two greatest commandments, to love God fully and to love one's neighbor as oneself, stand together above all others as the guide by which every lesser law is measured, yet they do not cancel those lesser laws. Physical ordinances such as sacrifices illustrate this hierarchy: they retain teaching value but are less important than active, daily obedience expressed in service to others. Carnal thinking resists this ordered perspective and must be overcome by the Spirit so that judgments align with God's intent. Righteous judgment therefore trains believers for future rulership by developing the ability to weigh actions, persons, and circumstances according to their true significance in God's sight.