Luke 6:37
Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:
Again and again, this and the parallel passage (not the same sermon though) in Mat 7 had been subject to much misuse and abuse. And here perhaps more so as it appears as a "standalone". But in truth, the micro context is all the way up to V.42 (which was also covered in Mat 7).
The problem is not in the judging, the condemning.
The problem is the attitude and intent behind it.
Do I want to be judged? Oh yes! If I am sinning against the Lord, I would want "judging" and "condemning" brethren to tell me so!
Even forgiveness. Some times we want to feel "magnanimous" but do realise that forgiveness can only be extended where there is repentance (cf. Luk 17:3-4).
Let us not be on the 2 ends of the spectrum. Let us genuinely seek the welfare of fellow brethren and be true "judges" just as we become humble and contrite as the accused. And when we seek forgiveness, make sure it is with genuine repentance, and we extend forgiveness, without doubt and limit to those who have earned forgiveness.
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