It is a common belief in today’s world that having tolerance for everyone and their lifestyles is the right thing to do, and that making judgments on anyone is considered a moral evil. Many Christians think that this worldview comes from the Bible, but contrary to what they think, it is not a Biblical idea. It is actually a cultural idea that has been recently incorporated into Christianity within the last several decades. The Bible does not hold the position that judging is immoral or sinful, nor does it have any teaching for tolerance. On the contrary, the Bible holds the position that judging is an act of love and is even necessary. It also holds the position that righteousness is required for salvation, and that we are called to be set-apart from sin. The common views of tolerance do not come from the Bible or even Christianity, but from the New Age Movement.

The New Age Movement was started by Helena Blavatsky, the founder of the Theosophical Society. Blavatsky’s successor, Annie Besant, adopted an Indian child named Jiddu Krishnamurti, of whom she believed was the Maitreya—the “World Teacher,” or the “New Age Christ” (i.e. the antichrist). Alice Bailey, another famous Theosophist who founded the Arcane School, also believed Krishnamurti was the Christ and believed he would return sometime after 2025 by manifesting himself into another physical body as the second coming of Christ. Krishnamurti used his position as the central figure of the New Age Movement to teach people that the highest ideal was to refrain from judging:

“The ability to observe without evaluating is the highest form of intelligence.” ―Jiddu Krishnamurti

Another influential person within the New Age Movement is Marianne Williamson, a so-called “spiritual” teacher and author of eleven books, six of which are New York Times Best Sellers. Williamson’s teachings are based on a book called A Course in Miracles, whose author, Helen Schucman, claims to have been contacted by Jesus Christ and scribed his words. This book teaches that each individual life is actually one collective life that is asleep and dreaming of separation, and one must “wake up” from this dream in order to merit Sonship by coming to the realization that every human being is all part of one collective soul. Williamson believes that we are not only all sons and daughters of God (a common belief among New Agers), but that we are all begotten sons and daughters because we are all, supposedly, one soul. She also claims she “may be the reincarnation of one of the women who followed Jesus—one who loved and adored him.” (Despite this, Williamson says she is a Jew, not a Christian.) It can be gathered from Williamson’s beliefs that she promotes tolerance for all:

“Try to see the good in others. When you’re tempted to judge someone, make an effort to see their goodness. Your willingness to look for the best in people will subconsciously bring it forth.” —Marianne Williamson

“Become more accepting. With every interaction, surrender any tendency to judge another person. Pray for a more accepting heart.” —Marianne Williamson

The teachings of Jiddu Krishnamurti and Marianne Williamson are representative of the “love and light” New Age ideal which has penetrated deep into popular culture. Here are some quotes about tolerance and judging from some of the famous musicians and television stars in America:

“I do not really judge. To each his own. You like what you like.” —Martin Lawrence

“Judge me if you want to. And as a matter of fact, it won’t even count, ‘cause the only person who can judge is God.” —Kelly Rowland

“Be strong, believe in freedom and in God, love yourself, understand your sexuality, have a sense of humor, masturbate, do not judge people by their religion, color or sexual habits, love life and your family.” —Madonna

“I am saddened by how people treat one another and how we are so shut off from one another and how we judge one another, when the truth is, we are all one connected thing. We are all from the same exact molecules.” —Ellen DeGeneres

“I do not believe in guilt; I believe in living on impulse as long as you never intentionally hurt another person. And do not judge people in your life. I think you should live completely free.” —Angelina Jolie

“I think tolerance and acceptance and love is something that feeds every community.” —Lady Gaga

“The least amount of judging we can do, the better off we are.” —Michael J. Fox

“I do not judge others. I say if you feel good with what you’re doing, let your freak flag fly.” —Sarah Jessica Parker

“I just try not to judge. do not judge me, and I won’t judge you.” —Reba McEntire

“Do not criticize that man unless you have walked in his shoes.” —Elvis Presley

This ideal of tolerance is a worldly belief, as these and other pop culture idols influence most of the general population. The New Age Movement has influenced many Christians through pop culture and other, more subversive means. These Christians have been fooled into thinking that love is tantamount to tolerance and believe they should not judge anyone whomsoever according to the New Age interpretations of Scripture. These Christians include some of the most influential representatives of Christianity of modern times.

“It is the Holy Spirit’s job to convict, God’s job to judge and my job to love.” —Billy Graham

“If someone is gay and he searches for the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge? We shouldn’t marginalise people for this. They must be integrated into society.” —Pope Francis

“I’m not the judge. You know, God didn’t tell me to go around judging everybody.” —Joel Osteen

“If you judge people, you have no time to love them.” —Mother Theresa

“Before you judge someone else, stop and think about all that God has forgiven you for.” —Joyce Meyer

Christians and non-Christians have a common view on what they think love consists of, but it is God who defines it, not man. If one is true to the Word of God then he cannot possibly say that love is tolerance without insinuating that God contradicts himself. If God is love, as the Bible says, and love is tolerance, as the Christians say, then that means that God is tolerance. To the contrary, God is staunchly intolerant of unrighteousness, as we will see in this essay, but first we need to establish what love actually is.

According to the scriptures, love is the fulfillment of the Law. To fulfill the Law is to love God with all your heart, being, and mind, and to love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:37-40). Take the following analogy, for instance. If you and your neighbor (whether it be a friend, a family member, or an acquaintance) are in a burning house, and your neighbor is asleep, will you wake him up so he could escape the flames? Or will you allow him to enjoy his sleep and let him burn? Which action constitutes love?

The Bible says that the wages of sin is death, and that those who break God’s laws are liable to be thrown into the lake of fire. Given the example of the burning house, we can compare the burning house to the lake of fire, and your sleeping neighbor to a sinner. How is it love to allow and tolerate your neighbor’s sin and not say anything knowing that the Bible makes it clear that his action or lifestyle will lead to his condemnation and death?

As another example, let’s say you have a friend who is gay. You could just tolerate his homosexuality and say to yourself, “I’ll just let God judge him,” or “I’ll pray for him,” or instead you could point out his sin so that he might repent, and if he does, he won’t be judged and condemned for that sin. Which would be a better course of action? In fact, if you do not judge him and warn him about the consequences of his sin, then you are allowing him to be subject to God’s judgment and destroyed for his sin, just as Sodom and Gomorrah were, and you will be held accountable for his death [second death].

[Ezekiel 3:18-21] – “When I say to the wrong, ‘You shall certainly die,’ and you have not warned him, nor spoken to warn the wrong from his wrong way, to save his life, that same wrong man shall die in his crookedness, and his blood I require at your hand. But if you have warned the wrong and he does not turn from his wrong, nor from his wrong way, he shall die in his crookedness, and you have delivered your being. And when a righteous one turns from his righteousness and shall do unrighteousness, when I have put a stumbling-block before him, he shall die. Because you did not warn him, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he has done is not remembered, and his blood I require at your hand. But if you have warned the righteous one that the righteous should not sin, and he did not sin, he shall certainly live because he has been warned, and you have delivered your being.”

So, as you can see, judging others is not an act of malice, but an act of love. One cannot love without judging. It is what God has instructed us to do (and is therefore fulfillment of the Law), and not just in the Old Testament passage above, but also in the New Testament.

[John 7:24] – “Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.”

[James 5:19-20] – Brothers, if anyone among you goes astray from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the straying of his way shall save a life from death and cover a great number of sins.

It is important for us to judge others, in order to attempt to save them from God’s righteous judgment, but we must consider that there is a difference between pronouncing a judgment to someone (e.g., “You’re committing a sin and you should repent because it is unrighteous and will lead to everlasting death”), and deciding their everlasting fate (e.g., “You’re going to hell for practicing this sin”). You will never know if a sinner who does not heed your warning at first will repent later on in his life. Only God will ultimately decide the fate of an individual at the second resurrection (Revelation 20:12-15).

We are to judge only according to what God has told us in the Scriptures. It is a common belief among Christians that Christ was and will be the only one appointed to judge anyone. This notion is completely false. God has appointed many to judge before and after Christ’s time on Earth. Some Christians go so far as to say that Jesus himself didn’t even judge. Yet the Bible informs us to the contrary, for example, in the 23rd chapter of Matthew:

[Matthew 23:13-33] – “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you shut up the reign of the heavens before men, for you do not go in, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you eat up widows’ houses, and for a show make long prayers. Because of this you shall receive greater judgment. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you go about the land and the sea to win one convert, and when he is won, you make him a son of Gehenna twofold more than yourselves. Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears by the Dwelling Place, it does not matter, but whoever swears by the gold of the Dwelling Place, is bound by oath.’ Fools and blind! For which is greater, the gold or the Dwelling Place that sets the gold apart? And, ‘Whoever swears by the altar, it does not matter, but whoever swears by the gift that is on it, is bound by oath.’ Fools and blind! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that sets the gift apart? He, then, who swears by the altar, swears by it and by all that is upon it. And he who swears by the Dwelling Place, swears by it and by Him who is dwelling in it. And he who swears by the heaven, swears by the throne of Elohim and by Him who is sitting upon it. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you tithe the mint and the anise and the cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the Torah: the right-ruling and the compassion and the belief. These need to have been done, without neglecting the others. Blind guides – straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel! Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are filled with plunder and unrighteousness. Blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and dish, so that the outside of them becomes clean too. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you are like whitewashed tombs which outwardly indeed look well, but inside are filled with dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. So you too outwardly indeed appear righteous to men, but inside you are filled with hypocrisy and lawlessness. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous, and say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have taken part with them in the blood of the prophets.’ Thus you bear witness against yourselves that you are sons of those who did murder the prophets – and you fill up the measure of your fathers! Serpents, brood of adders! How would you escape the judgment of Gehenna?”

One thing to keep in mind is that there was once a whole period in ancient Israel where judges were appointed by God himself to judge his people in order to prevent sin from leading them astray, as recorded in Judges. Even after the Judges period, God appointed many prophets throughout the Old Testament period to judge the Israelites for their sins and to admonish them to repent. The judges and the prophets judged Israel not because they were full of hatred or whatever else the New Agers would charge them with, but because the one who sent them loved the Israelites and wanted them to repent so they wouldn’t experience privation and death.

The prophets didn’t vanish after the Old Testament period or trade in their views for more politically correct ones, either. There are many examples of the apostles casting the same judgment upon sinners after the time of Christ. For example, John makes judgments against various churches in the second and third chapters of the book of Revelation, and the fates for certain sinners toward the end of that book.

Here we have one where Stephen was judging the members of the Sanhedrin for persecuting those who delivered God’s judgment to them:

[Acts 7:52-54] – “Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who before announced the coming of the Righteous One, of whom you now have become the betrayers and murderers, who received the Torah as it was ordained by messengers, but did not watch over it.” And hearing this they were cut to the hearts and gnashed their teeth at him.

Here are two passages showing Peter casting judgment:

[Acts 5:1-6] – But a certain man named Ḥananyah, with Shappirah his wife, sold a possession. And he kept back from the price, his wife also being aware of it, and brought a certain part and laid it at the feet of the emissaries. But Kĕpha [Peter] said, “Ḥananyah, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Set-apart Spirit and keep back from the price of the land for yourself? While it remained, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your authority? Why have you conceived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men but to Elohim.” Then Ḥananyah, hearing these words, fell down and breathed his last. And great fear came upon all those who heard of this. But the young men arose and wrapped him up, carried him out and buried him. And it came to be, about three hours later, that his wife came in, not knowing what had taken place. And Kĕpha [Peter] responded to her, “Say to me whether you sold the land for so much?” And she said, “Yes, for so much.” So Kĕpha [Peter] said to her, “Why have you agreed to try the Spirit of יהוה? Look, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they shall carry you out.” And immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last. And the young men came in and found her dead, and carrying her out, they buried her beside her husband.

[Acts 8:20-23] – But Kĕpha [Peter] said to him, “Let your silver perish with you, because you thought to buy the gift of Elohim through money! You have neither part nor lot in this matter, for your heart is not right before Elohim. Repent therefore of this evil of yours, and plead with Elohim to forgive you the intention of your heart For I see that you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by unrighteousness.”

Here are two examples of James casting judgment:

[James 1:26] – If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is worthless.

[James 5:1-6] – Come now, rich ones, weep, crying aloud over the hardships coming upon you! Your riches have rotted, and your garments have become moth-eaten. Your gold and silver have become rusty, and their rust shall be a witness against you and shall eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days. See, the wages of the workmen who mowed your fields, which you kept back, cry out. And the cries of the reapers have reached the ears of יהוה of hosts. You have lived on the earth in pleasure and luxury, you have fattened your hearts, as in a day of slaughter. You have condemned, you have murdered the righteous – he does not resist you.

Here is a passage in Romans where Paul makes judgments against various sinners:

[Romans 1:18-32] – For the wrath of Elohim is revealed from heaven against all wickedness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known of Elohim is manifest among them, for Elohim has manifested it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible qualities have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, both His everlasting power and Mightiness, for them to be without excuse, because, although they knew Elohim, they did not esteem Him as Elohim, nor gave thanks, but became vain in their reasonings, and their undiscerning heart was darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and changed the esteem of the incorruptible Elohim into the likeness of an image of corruptible man, and of birds and of four-footed beasts and of reptiles. Therefore Elohim gave them up to uncleanness in the lust of their hearts, to disrespect their bodies among themselves, who changed the truth of Elohim into the falsehood, and worshipped and served what was created rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amĕn. Because of this Elohim gave them over to degrading passions. For even their women exchanged natural relations for what is against nature, and likewise, the men also, having left natural relations with woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing indecency, and receiving back the reward which was due for their straying. And even as they did not think it worth-while to possess the knowledge of Elohim, Elohim gave them over to a worthless mind, to do what is improper, having been filled with all unrighteousness, whoring, wickedness, greed, evil; filled with envy, murder, fighting, deceit, evil habits; whisperers, slanderers, haters of Elohim, insolent, proud, boasters, devisers of evils, disobedient to parents, without discernment, covenant breakers, unloving, unforgiving, ruthless; who, though they know the righteousness of Elohim, that those who practise such deserve death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practise them.

Notice how the last verse from the Romans passage states that not only sinners deserve death, but also the ones who tolerate such practices. This applies to all the heterosexuals who support gay marriage and/or tolerate homosexuality, to those who support Israel’s occupation of Palestine (the “Christian” Zionists), to those who tolerate and support interracial breeding, and to those who tolerate or support the sins of sinners in general, including the lies of politicians and the violence of law enforcement agencies.

All the above examples from Scripture should not leave any room for doubt that Christ is not and never was the only one in history who was fit or mandated by God to judge others. The key is that we are only told to judge others according to God’s mandates just as the first Christians did.

The apostles, as well as Christ, are representative of how every Christian should live and behave. They are the true representatives of Christ whom all Christians should rely on rather than on the Pope or any of the contemporary Christian preachers and theologians who preach tolerance.

Jesus was sent to save people from their sins (Matthew 1:21) by preaching righteousness (the upholding of what is right), not tolerance (the upholding of what is wrong). The prophets before him and the apostles after him were sent to preach the same message, which was one of righteousness (obedience to God), not tolerance.

[Galatians 1:9-10] – As we have said before, and now I say again, if anyone brings a ‘Good News’ [a gospel] to you beside what you have received, let him be accursed. For do I now persuade men, or Elohim? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I should not be a servant of Messiah.

Jesus commanded his disciples to “go and make disciples of all the nations” and to teach them to obey everything he commanded, and this very well applies to every Christian who considers himself to be a disciple of Christ. It is impossible to preach the gospel or to admonish sinners to repent without pronouncing any judgment of their sins. How else are you going to wake them up and turn them to obedience? You can’t just pray for them and expect God’s will to be made manifest without doing something about it. Isn’t it our job as Christians to carry out God’s will which is to preach, inform and judge? How can one establish the kingdom of heaven without action? Faith without works is dead.

It should now be clear to anyone at this point that God calls his servants to judge, and that includes anyone who thinks to serve him at the present time. Furthermore, all throughout Scripture we are told that God isn’t tolerant of sin:

[Deuteronomy 25:16] – “For all who do these, and all who do unrighteously, are an abomination to יהוה your Elohim.”

[Psalm 5:3-5] – “O יהוה , in the morning You hear my voice; I present myself to You in the morning, and I look up. For You are not an El taking delight in wrong, nor does evil dwell with You. The boasters do not stand before Your eyes; You hate all workers of wickedness.”

[Psalm 34:12-16 (1 Peter 3:10-12)] – “Who is the man who desires life, who loves many days, in order to see good? Keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking deceit. Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace, and pursue it. The eyes of יהוה are on the righteous, and His ears unto their cry. The face of יהוה is against evil-doers, to cut off their remembrance from the earth.”

[Proverbs 6:16-19] – These six matters יהוה hates, and seven are an abomination to Him: a proud look, a lying tongue, and hands shedding innocent blood, a heart devising wicked schemes, feet quick to run to evil, a false witness breathing out lies, and one who causes strife among brothers.

In spite of all the evidence from Scripture, most Christians believe that judging others is a sin because of passages in Matthew 7 and John 8. First let’s look at Matthew 7:1-5.

“Do not judge, lest you be judged. For with what judgment you judge, you shall be judged. And with the same measure you use, it shall be measured to you. And why do you look at the splinter in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the plank in your own eye? Or how is it that you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the splinter out of your eye,’ and see, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you shall see clearly to remove the splinter out of your brother’s eye.”

This passage is a warning to those who are unrighteous against judging others. The negativity is clearly aimed against hypocrisy, not judgment. Throughout the gospels the Pharisees are portrayed as having claimed to observe the Law of Moses and of trying to judge Jesus. But in Matthew 23 it is he who is judging them by their own measure (according to the Law). So this passage is not a commandment; it’s a warning. He’s not saying “it’s a sin to judge”; he’s saying, “If you are sinning, then it’s not your place to judge because that makes you a hypocrite.” Considering that he also instructed his disciples to “judge with righteous judgment” (John 7:24), clearly the act of judging in itself is not a sin or contrary to his teachings. There is no instruction which says that the one who has already removed the plank from his own eye does not have the authority to remove the one in his brother’s. Otherwise why did he tell them to remove the plank before they judged, instead of just telling them not to judge at all?

Christians also fall back on John 8 which tells of a woman who was accused of committing adultery. Jesus’ response to the Pharisees is, “He who is without sin cast the first stone.” The Pharisees attempted to uphold the Law by tricking him into condemning her to death, or else into condemning himself for going against the mandate of the Law. According to the Law, there must be at least two witnesses to a crime in order for a sentence to be executed (Deuteronomy 17:6, 19:15). In this case, there was not even one witness to her alleged crime, therefore no one had the authority to pronounce her guilty of breaking the Law. So in the context of the Law, and of the narrative, Jesus was actually telling them, “Let the first witness come forward so that we can execute justice according to the Law.” Because he was called to judge the matter, and because no witnesses came forward, he was obligated to pronounce her innocent according to the Law. This was certainly not an instance of Jesus going against the Law to show compassion, but actually an instance of him upholding the Law to save a woman from being stoned for a crime which was only alleged and not witnessed. So this passage cannot be invoked to say that Jesus taught that it is wrong to judge, but only that it is wrong to judge by any standard other than the one God gave through Moses and his prophets.

I am not the only one who holds this viewpoint. Some of the popular online Christian resources have much to say on this.

Got Questions.org

http://www.gotquestions.org/do-not-judge.html

ChristianIssues.biz

http://www.christianissues.biz/judging.html

BibleQuestions.org

http://www.biblequestions.org/bqar284.html

BibleBelievers.com

http://www.biblebelievers.com/jmelton/Judging.html

Christian Civilization

http://www.christianciv.com/Judge_Others.htm

You can find similar perspectives from the above sites on the matter of judging. Now let us examine the matter of sin and righteousness in order to address a possible objection: the argument that “because we all sin, all judgments are hypocritical.” This argument assumes that Christ was the only human in history who has never sinned as the Christians allege (and also Mary according to Catholics). Here is the problem with this argument:

a) It assumes that all the prophets (except Jesus himself) and all the apostles were hypocrites.

b) It makes it sound like Jesus wasted his breath by saying things such as “Be perfect, even as your Father is perfect,” “Judge with righteous judgment,” and, to the woman in John 8, “Go and sin no more.”

c) It contradicts the many passages which speak of certain men and women as righteous, of righteous deeds, and of God’s expectation that his people will obey his commandments, by which they are defined as righteous.

First of all, how can someone make a righteous judgment without being righteous? Either this is impossible and God is a liar for saying it’s not, or else it is men who have lied in order to discourage others from following God’s commandments.

Secondly, how can any sinner claim to be a true disciple of Christ and follow him down the “straight and narrow” path knowing that Christ was righteous and he isn’t? How can one be obedient to Christ and not do what he says [Luke 6:46]? Many Christians think they will receive salvation and be given everlasting life just by believing that he died for them and living the way he commanded “as best as they can,” which really means making no effort at all to live up to his expectations. Wouldn’t it make more sense to suppose that if his message was indeed impossible to obey in the fullest, then he would have taught something more appropriate, or nothing at all? On the other hand, both the Old Testament and the New Testament inform us that it is very easy to obey God even to the fullest extent of the Law, and that it is a simple matter of choosing to do so and then following through with the choice.

[Deuteronomy 30:11] – “For this command which I am commanding you today, it is not too hard for you, nor is it far off.”

[Matthew 11:30] – “For My yoke is gentle and My burden is light.”

There are many passages where God demands nothing short of perfection, telling us through his prophets that anything short of it necessarily leads to death and that only strict obedience to him through repentance is the basis for redemption and everlasting life. Here are a few:

[Isaiah 56:1] – Thus said יהוה, “Guard right-ruling, and do righteousness, for near is My deliverance to come, and My righteousness to be revealed.”

[Proverbs 15:9-10] – The way of the wrong one is an abomination to יהוה, but He loves him who pursues righteousness. Discipline is grievous to him who forsakes the way; he who hates reproof dies.

[Matthew 5:48] – Therefore, be perfect, as your Father in the heavens is perfect.

[Matthew 6:33] – But seek first the reign of Elohim, and His righteousness, and all these matters shall be added to you.

[Romans 4:7-8 (Psalm 32:1-2)] – Blessed are those whose lawlessnesses are forgiven, and whose sins are covered, blessed is the man to whom יהוה shall by no means reckon sin.

[Philippians 2:14-16] – Do all matters without grumblings and disputings, in order that you be blameless and faultless, children of Elohim without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding on to the Word of life, for a boast to me in the day of Messiah, that I have not run in vain or laboured in vain.

[2 Timothy 2:22] – If, then, anyone cleanses himself from these matters, he shall be a vessel unto value, having been set apart, of good use to the Master, having been prepared for every good work. And flee from the lusts of youth, but pursue righteousness, belief, love, peace with those calling on the Master out of a clean heart.

To refute the argument that only Christ was ever able to attain the level of perfection which God demands, here are a few passages from Scripture where it speaks of righteous men other than Jesus:

[Genesis 6:9] – This is the genealogy of Noaḥ. Noaḥ was a righteous man, perfect in his generations. Noaḥ walked with Elohim.

[Genesis 15:6 (Romans 4:3)] – And he [Abram] believed in יהוה, and He reckoned it to him for righteousness.

[Job 34:5-6] – “For Iyoḇ [Job] has said, ‘I am righteous, but Ěl has taken away my right. Would I lie concerning my right? My wound is incurable—without transgression.’”

[Ezekiel 14:14] – …even though these three men, Noaḥ, Dani’ĕl, and Iyoḇ [Job], were in it, they would deliver only themselves by their righteousness,” declares the Master יהוה.

[Psalm 1:5-6] – Therefore the wrong shall not rise in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For יהוה knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wrong comes to naught.

[Matthew 13:46] – Then the righteous shall shine forth as the sun in the reign of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!

[James 5:16] – Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, so that you are healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous one accomplishes much.

[Revelation 14:1-5] – And I looked and saw a Lamb standing on Mount Tsiyon [Zion], and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His Father’s Name written upon their foreheads. And I heard a voice out of the heaven, like the voice of many waters, and like the voice of loud thunder, and I heard the sound of harpists playing their harps. And they sang a renewed song before the throne, and before the four living creatures, and the elders. And no one was able to learn that song except the hundred and forty-four thousand who were redeemed from the earth. They are those who were not defiled with women, for they are maidens. They are those following the Lamb wherever He leads them on. They were redeemed from among men, being first-fruits to Elohim and to the Lamb. And in their mouth was found no falsehood, for they are blameless before the throne of Elohim.

Righteousness is obedience to God, which requires keeping the commandments. Contrary to what most Christians believe about the Law—that is, the belief that Jesus and/or Paul did away with it—the following passages show that they, and even James the Just, fully supported it and taught the importance of obeying it.

[Matthew 5:17-18] – “Do not think that I came to destroy the Torah or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to complete. For truly, I say to you, till the heaven and the earth pass away, one jot or one tittle shall by no means pass from the Torah till all be done.”

[Matthew 19:17] – And see, one came and said to Him, “Good Teacher, what good shall I do to have everlasting life?” And He said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good except One – Elohim. But if you wish to enter into life, guard the commands.”

[Luke 11:27-28] – And it came to be, as He was saying this, a certain woman from the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, “Blessed is the womb that bore You, and the breasts which You sucked!” But He said, “Blessed rather are those hearing the Word of Elohim and watching over it!”

[Romans 2:13] – For not the hearers of the Torah are righteous in the sight of Elohim, but the doers of the law shall be declared right.

[Romans 7:12] – So that the Torah truly is set-apart, and the command set-apart, and righteous, and good.

[James 1:25] – But he that looked into the perfect Torah, that of freedom, and continues in it, not becoming a hearer that forgets, but a doer of work, this one shall be blessed in his doing of the Torah.

Anyone who keeps the Law sincerely does not sin. If anyone would like to raise the argument that the Law requires sacrifice, the Law only required sacrifice if one broke the law and was bound to all the laws of sacrifice until he learned to live righteously. So by definition, the one making the sacrifice is not one who is keeping the Law.

Most Christians believe that it isn’t really possible to be without sin because no one can actually live up to the standard of righteousness. Christianity teaches that because everyone has sinned at some point, they are judged as sinners forever. Thus, only God’s grace can redeem them while their sin still remains. This teaching is contrary to Scripture, which says that sin is the choice to live according to one’s own lusts rather than according to God’s law:

[1 John 3:4-9] – Everyone doing sin also does lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness. And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin. Everyone staying in Him does not sin. Everyone sinning has neither seen Him nor known Him. Little children, let no one lead you astray. The one doing righteousness is righteous, even as He is righteous. The one doing sin is of the devil, because the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of Elohim was manifested: to destroy the works of the devil. Everyone having been born of Elohim does not sin, because His seed stays in him, and he is powerless to sin, because he has been born of Elohim.

As John says, sin is lawlessness. This means that anyone who sins is lawless, and therefore that anyone who does not uphold the Law is lawless. One cannot uphold the Law if he is preaching its antithesis of tolerance.

[2 Timothy 4:2-4] – Proclaim the Word! Be urgent in season, out of season. Reprove, warn, appeal, with all patience and teaching. For there shall be a time when they shall not bear sound teaching, but according to their own desires, they shall heap up for themselves teachers tickling the ear, and they shall indeed turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to myths.

Seeing the importance of righteousness, it is our duty to judge ourselves. 1 Corinthians 11:31 states, “For if we were to examine ourselves, we would not be judged.” Every responsible Christian takes it upon himself to examine and judge himself to determine whether or not he is living according to God’s standards, and improves himself as a disciple if he needs to. The problem is that most Christians judge themselves as sinners, which is the only reason why they cannot be righteous because they have judged themselves to be unrighteous, and therefore God will judge them as such.

As we have seen from Ezekiel 3:18-21 and Romans 1:32, tolerating others’ sins is actually a sin itself, and it is also antithetical to love because it means you don’t care about the negative consequences that will befall them. Love is an action that consists of doing what is in the best interest of your neighbors, and judging them when they err is necessarily part of it, while allowing them to sin is obviously not in their best interest. On the other hand, anyone who sincerely desires to be on good terms with God must know if he is breaking his Law so that he can repent. If he doesn’t know, then he must be told.

We have seen that God commands us to judge, that the Bible records people other than Christ casting judgments, that Christ never said it was wrong to judge. and that righteousness is possible and mandatory. Now one last thing that needs to be addressed here, which is that we are commanded to separate ourselves from those who refuse to repent after they have been warned.

[1 Corinthians 5:11-13] – But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone called ‘a brother,’ if he is one who whores, or greedy of gain, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler – not even to eat with such a one. For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are inside? But Elohim judges those who are outside. And put away the wicked one from among you!

[2 Corinthians 6:14-15] – Do not become unevenly yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness? And what fellowship has light with darkness? And what agreement has Messiah with Beliya‛al? Or what part does a believer have with an unbeliever?

[Ephesians 5:6-7, 11] Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these the wrath of Elohim comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore, do not become partakers with them. And have no fellowship with the fruitless works of darkness, but rather reprove them.

[2 Thessalonians 3:6] – But we command you, brothers, in the Name of our Master יהושע Messiah, that you withdraw from every brother who walks disorderly and not according to the tradition which you received from us.

[1 Timothy 6:3-5] – If anyone teaches differently and does not agree to the sound words, those of our Master יהושע Messiah, and to the teaching which is according to reverence, he is puffed up, understanding none at all, but is sick about questionings and verbal battles from which come envy, strife, slander, wicked suspicions, worthless disputes of men of corrupt minds and deprived of the truth, who think that reverence is a means of gain – withdraw from such.

[2 Timothy 3:2-5] – For men shall be lovers of self, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, thankless, wrong-doers, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, fierce, haters of good, betrayers, reckless, puffed up, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of Elohim, having a form of reverence but denying its power. And turn away from these!

[2 John 1:9-11] – Everyone who is transgressing and not staying in the teaching of Messiah does not possess Elohim. The one who stays in the teaching of Messiah possesses both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house nor greet him, for he who greets him shares in his wicked works.

In conclusion, the Bible does not condemn the act of judging, but rather it condemns sin and the tolerance of sin. We are commanded to be set-apart and righteous, and the only way to distinguish righteousness from sin is to judge. We are also commanded to love, and judging is loving. The world may hate you for doing it, but the world also hates God, whom judges it every day. Whose opinion about you matters most—Man’s or God’s? Just remember when you cast a righteous judgment upon someone, it is not you who is actually judging them, but God who has already judged, and you are merely delivering the message.

“Do not mind anything that anyone tells you about anyone else. Judge everyone and everything for yourself.”

—Henry James, brother of William James

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