Jesus teaches in the Sermon on the Mount not to judge, warning against a faultfinding spirit that manifests as criticism. Criticism permeates society, evident in various fields like movies, music, and sports, where it is often seen as a way of life. This habit extends into personal relationships and church settings, where individuals criticize others for not meeting expectations or for perceived shortcomings in leadership. The reasons for criticism often stem from feelings of inferiority, pride, envy, or jealousy. It can make one feel superior by highlighting others' failures, or it may arise from desiring attention or a position someone else holds. Such criticism is deemed sinful, opposing love by emphasizing personal righteousness at another's expense. It is marked by impatience, unkindness, arrogance, and rudeness, distorting perspectives and fostering division. Historically, criticism originated with satan, as seen in the deception in the Garden of Eden, leading to distorted views of God and subsequent sin. Another instance in Numbers 12 shows Miriam and Aaron criticizing Moses, driven by envy of his leadership, resulting in division and divine retribution that affected the entire community. This illustrates how criticism within a congregation can hinder spiritual growth, create discord, and potentially cause others to stumble. Instead of focusing on others' faults, self-examination is encouraged. Acknowledging personal flaws and seeking God's guidance to correct one's own heart and thoughts is a better path than criticizing others.

Criticism pervades society, with many using demeaning remarks to belittle others, whether in politics, media, or personal interactions. Critical individuals often make rude comments, judge decisions, and focus on faults while rarely offering anything positive. This critical mood seems to influence everything, and negative comments are inevitable, no matter how hard one tries to avoid them. It is a challenge to control the tongue, and it is even tougher to manage the words of others. Negative remarks may come from unexpected sources, yet it is wiser to overlook offenses than to seek revenge. Justice often comes to those who condemn others, as their self-righteous attitude undermines the validity of their criticism. Such critics often disapprove of faults in others that differ from their own, rendering their negative comments less significant. Wisdom suggests not letting these remarks affect us or becoming irritated by crabby statements or sneaky suspicions. God hears all words spoken about us and by us, and He sees every situation. In trials, He may test our patience and forbearance, requiring us to endure criticism with compassion rather than vengeance. Accepting criticism without retaliation may lead to God compensating our anguish with a blessing. Forgiveness is crucial when wronged by criticism. Compassion and forgiveness toward others are necessary if we seek God's forgiveness for our own harsh words. Wisdom advises not to take every critical word to heart, recognizing that we, too, have spoken ill of others at times.

Criticism is an integral part of society, permeating various aspects of life with movie critics, music critics, art critics, and more. It is often seen as a way of life, where people attempt to remake others by pointing out their flaws. However, this critical spirit seeps into the church, leading to accusations, judgments, and fault-finding among members and toward leaders who do not meet personal expectations. Jesus warns against emphasizing the faults of others, recognizing the human tendency to engage in this behavior, possibly due to inferiority, pride, envy, or jealousy. Such criticism often stems from impure motives, seeking to elevate oneself at the expense of another's reputation, which is the opposite of love. Criticism distorts perspective, much like satan, the master of accusation, distorts views by accusing and criticizing, as seen in the Garden of Eden when he accused God of lying to Eve, leading to sin. Similarly, in the Old Testament, Miriam's criticism of Moses distorted Aaron's perspective, resulting in sin and delaying the journey to the Promised Land. This shows how criticism within the church can stunt spiritual growth. Furthermore, judging and criticizing others is hypocritical, as it often involves holding others to rigid standards while being more tolerant of one's own faults. Jesus illustrates this with the imagery of removing a speck from another's eye while having a beam in one's own, highlighting the irony and seriousness of such double standards. The solution lies in prayer and self-examination rather than judgment of others. Instead of succumbing to the critical spirit influenced by the prince of the power of the air, one should seek guidance from God's Holy Spirit, fostering a relationship with the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Engaging in honest self-criticism and prayer helps to neutralize the urge to criticize others, aligning one's actions with love and understanding.

As God's firstfruits, we are often accused of judging or intolerance when we speak out against sin. The world insists on political correctness, claiming we should not judge situations, government, people in office, or each other. Yet, we are called to judge right from wrong, making righteous judgments based on God's Word, the Bible. Our discernment is necessary to identify sin as defined by God, not by our own standards. There is a clear distinction between judging and being judgmental. Judging involves making calls based on God's Word, like a referee using a rulebook, without taking sides. Being judgmental, however, is akin to a court judge passing a sentence, declaring guilt without full understanding or compassion. We must not judge others' motives or rush to condemn, as this is not our role. Instead, our judgments must be balanced, rooted in Scripture, and exercised with love and humility. God instructs us to judge and discern actions that could harm us, as well as to confront erring brethren gently with truth and love. We are to judge situations, government, the world, each other, and especially ourselves daily, ensuring our judgments align with God's Word. However, hypocritical, harsh, or self-righteous judgment is wrong. A judgmental attitude, marked by superiority or sanctimoniousness, is not fitting for us. Our primary focus should be on judging ourselves, examining our hearts and actions, and repenting when God reveals sin in our lives. By deepening our relationship with God and maintaining humility, we can judge others correctly from His Word. We must care enough to speak truth to each other, even if it risks accusation of judging, for ignoring sin in the name of not judging does no service to those we love.

Criticism, as it pertains to judgment, often reveals a deep hypocrisy among those who engage in it. Many in society today criticize or cancel others based on personal and emotional standards that lack a common, higher foundation, rendering their judgments unfair and flawed. Such criticism is hypocritical because it imposes individual standards that others cannot possibly meet, driven by personal feelings rather than rational or shared principles. Jesus Christ, in Matthew 7:1-5, warns against this condemning form of judgment, highlighting its hypocritical nature. Critics and condemners point out minor faults in others while being blind to, ignoring, or justifying their own far graver sins. This hypocrisy is illustrated through the exaggerated imagery of a speck in a brother's eye versus a plank in one's own, emphasizing the disparity between small and monumental faults. Jesus condemns this behavior as it fosters failure, conflict, and disunity, opposing the unity and growth He seeks within the church. Furthermore, the act of criticism without self-examination is akin to play-acting, where the critic pretends to be more spiritual or qualified to judge, while overlooking their own guilt. Jesus models the proper approach in John 8 with the woman caught in adultery, refusing to condemn her despite His authority to do so, setting a high standard for disciples to follow. Instead of condemning, He urges self-examination and humility, prioritizing the removal of one's own flaws before attempting to assist others with theirs. Only through such a process can one offer genuine, unhypocritical help, building up rather than tearing down through criticism.

The danger in judging lies in the quality of our judgments and the actions we take based on them. Jesus commands us to judge with righteous judgment, as seen in John 7:24, yet many fail to do so because they use wrong standards, unable to recognize true godliness. The Jews, for instance, misjudged Jesus, accusing Him of having a demon, due to their carnality and prejudice, which distorted their perception of His true nature. Similarly, our own carnality may cloud our judgment of others in whom Christ lives, making us ill-equipped to assess godly qualities or understand the factors behind another's conduct. Judging remains a necessary part of life in the church, as evidenced by the apostle Paul's actions in disfellowshipping a man for blatant sin in the Corinthian congregation, based on trusted testimony, to protect the spiritual and moral integrity of the group. Despite his warnings in Romans 14 against judging another's servant, Paul clearly believed judgment was essential in such cases. However, care must be taken, as Matthew 7:1-5 advises against hasty criticism without self-examination, recognizing that human understanding is limited and we can never know all the facts or the whole person. Our judgments are often out of proportion because we lack the complete perspective that only God possesses. We may form unfavorable impressions based on a person's weaknesses while remaining unaware of their strengths. Additionally, built-in biases from our experiences can color our judgment, making impartiality nearly impossible. Thus, while we must judge, we are urged to do so lovingly, thoughtfully, and considerately, using the standards of God's Word to ensure righteous judgment.