Psalm 1:1-3 (AMP) reads as follows: Blessed [fortunate, prosperous, and favored by God] is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked [following their advice and example], nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit [down to rest] in the seat of scoffers (ridiculers). But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on His law [His precepts and teachings] he [habitually] meditates day and night. And he will be like a tree firmly planted [and fed] by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season; its leaf does not wither; and in whatever he does, he prospers [and comes to maturity].
Why is this man so prosperous? What about this man distinguishes him from other men? This man does not walk in the counsel of the wicked. To walk, according to Webster’s Dictionary, means to pursue a course of action or way of life, to conduct oneself, or to behave. This man refuses to act, think, or behave like the world. He refuses to conform to the world but rather chooses to be transformed by the Word of God (Rom 12:1). He does not seek advice or counsel from the wicked. He does not open his ears to everything that comes from their mouths. Instead, he inclines his ears to the counsel of God, and his spirit listens for and obeys the still small voice (I Kings 19: 11-12).
I was listening to radio program recently where someone shared take-aways from this scripture. He stated that “to comply with this scripture and put yourself in the position of the blessed man, you are required to judge biblically to discern what and who are wicked and what and who are not.”
Unbelievers especially like to quote Matthew 7:1, which admonishes believers to judge not. Even Christians get worked up over this verse, often refraining from delineating, verbally or otherwise, between right and wrong. And yet, this delineation is necessary if believers are to follow the instructions of Psalm 1. The only way not to stand in the path of sinners is to discern that path by judging it according to the Word of God.
Matthews 7:1 does not forbid the simple act of judging between right and wrong but rather the act of condemning people. Sometimes, Christians are condemning, which is certainly against scripture. Other times, however, Christians are accused of being judgmental for simply voicing a Biblical perspective that differs from the world. Such accusations have caused Christians to shy away from making a difference between right and wrong. As a result, the lines between the Church and the world have become blurred. Proverbs 4:19 informs us that the wicked stumble because their way is darkness. The righteous, however, are children of the light who give off light in a world of darkness (Ephesians 5:8). However, if the lines are blurred because we refuse to judge between right and wrong, we fail to be the light that the world desperately needs.
Consider the following words of David from Psalms 101:3: I will set no worthless or wicked thing before my eyes…it will not grasp hold of me. How can David make such a commitment without knowing how to judge between right and wrong? The fact is that we must judge everything that comes before our eyes. We must recognize the path of the wicked as something that directly opposes the Word of God, which leads to sorrow (Proverbs 4:14; Psalms 101:3). And this requires judgment. We must judge who comes into our immediate circle of influence. Many of us were admonished by our parents to judge the company we keep. I remember my mother telling me not to associate with girls who were promiscuous or those who used drugs. Her instructions kept me from walking in the counsel of the wicked or following their example and being taken off the blessed path. To follow those questions, however, I had to determine (or judge) that I could not keep company with certain people, not because they were inferior to me but because they could negatively influence me.
We are not to judge people (that is God’s business), but we are to judge actions according to the Bible. For example, God loves homosexuals, and so should we. However, God has already judged the act of homosexuality as a sin, and as Christians, we should agree with that judgment. The same thing can be said of every other sin. Here’s the deal: just because a person is involved in a sinful act does not make that person worthless. After all, how can we deem someone worthless for whom Jesus died and paid the penalty of sin? Judgmentalism becomes a problem then when we apply it to people rather than actions.
So the next time you are accused of judging, think for a moment. Are you judging a person—that is, condemning them, deeming them unworthy and inferior, or looking down on them? If so, stop it! Are you judging that an action is wrong, or a sin, according to the Word of God? If so, refuse to be bullied into changing—or not expressing—your perspective. Because that kind of judgment, in today’s world, is needed! GOD bless and continue to Hear His Voice.
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