Judgement vs. Discernment

I appreciate all of your comments about my thoughts.  I have definitely written more on this subject…and I completely agree that often times we are so quick to not call sin sin…and by not doing this people, families and our society is suffering tremendously.

First, I find it helpful to actually look up words and understand their meanings…so let’s start there.  I’m using Urban Dictionary here because – while Merriam is good – semantics play in to defining words in our culture and must be taken into account when looking at these two words in our present age:

By no means do I pretend to have all the answers and understanding of how to apply discernment vs. judgement…but I do think there is a difference.  Maybe the difference being we are judgmental of only ourselves while at the same time allowing the Word to be the mirror we hold up to people and allow the Holy Spirit to be the one that brings discernment into someone else’s life.  I think it is a matter of realizing that we are ALL PRONE to deception of our own sinfulness…and out of that realization is where we approach others and say “me too…I struggle with sin and if you allow me to – I would like to struggle with you through this sin.”

If they react positively to this type of “discernment” we have brought forth – then we follow a certain path.  But if they choose to continue in their sin, then we turn them over to that sin…that the point of being discerning and “casting people out of fellowship” is to allow the redemptive work of the Holy Spirit to hopefully redeem them for the glory of God.  That if our motivation is anything other than this – then we know that we are not the ones to bring to light that person’s sin.  

I think my point mostly is that yes – we need to use discernment – ESPECIALLY in the church when others are adversely affecting those that they are “leading/guiding/shepherding/etc.”    But often times, more often than not – before we turn to discernment, before we really get to know people and their stories and their hearts – before we learn perhaps that they are doing so much better than where they used to be, before we learn that they are on a journey just like us – we make judgement calls on their actions and characters – we pretend we know more than them about their own lives.  We pretend to think that their sins are greater than ours and therefore they cannot love and desire to serve God.  We pretend that we are not sinners ourselves, that we aren’t chalk full of sins that has left a wake of brokenness in our path.  We invalidate them and their feelings and their walks and PRETEND we are the Holly Spirit.  

Ultimately, the difference in the story I use from Matthew is that we ARE NOT Jesus…we are the sinners.  Jesus addressed mostly the Pharisees of his day (the Church of ours) with this sin of judgement, with their hardened hearts bent towards power and control displayed in judgmentalism…Jesus told them not to judge the lady using the report card they wouldn’t use on themselves.  Jesus was the one that held the report card up to them – the Pharisees.  Jesus NEVER once said that the woman hadn’t sinned…He just pointed out that every one there had sinned…and that EVERYONE deserved to be stoned for their sins.  The Pharisees were the ones to walk away before they allowed themselves to be extended His mercy and grace.  The woman stayed and thus received the mercy and grace.  The Pharisees needed more time in order to realize their sin and to be refined by it…the woman was at the end of her rope and was ready to receive the mercy and grace and command to not sin any more.  The Grace and Mercy Jesus offered was for both the woman and the Pharisees…but just like us – they were free to either accept it or reject it.