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Passing Judgment ( 25 )

Quotations from the writings of Ellen G. White with the phrase . . .

passing judgment

Related phrase: passing judgment on our brethren ( see below )

These words were spoken by the divine Teacher, our Lord Jesus Christ, for us to hear and to obey. God has not given men the power to read hearts. He has not placed them in the judgment seat, to pass sentence upon their fellow men. God has committed all judgment to His Son. Why, then, are human beings not more careful in regard to passing judgment upon one another? Let us seek to realize our own ignorance. When we have a full realization of this, we shall not speak evil of our brethren. { RH October 29, 1901, par. 2 }

God never intended that in his work the mind of one man should control the mind of another. Those who are trying to carry out their personal plans should carefully consider whether they are following the example of him who said, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” Those who follow in the footsteps of Christ will not act the part of an accuser, passing judgment on those who they suppose make mistakes. { RH November 14, 1907, par. 10 }

The fact that although they could find no sin in Christ the Jews would not receive Him proved that they themselves had no connection with God. They did not recognize His voice in the message of His Son. They thought themselves passing judgment on Christ; but in rejecting Him they were pronouncing sentence upon themselves. “He that is of God,” said Jesus, “heareth God’s words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.” { DA 468.1}

The Jews did not recognize God’s voice in the message of His Son. They thought themselves passing judgment on Christ; but they were pronouncing sentence on themselves. “He that is of God,” said Jesus, “heareth God’s words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.” { HLv 316.3 }

The people partook largely of the same spirit, intruding upon the province of conscience and judging one another in matters that lay between the soul and God. It was in reference to this spirit and practice that Jesus said, “Judge not, that ye be not judged.” That is, do not set yourself up as a standard. Do not make your opinions, your views of duty, your interpretations of Scripture, a criterion for others and in your heart condemn them if they do not come up to your ideal. Do not criticize others, conjecturing as to their motives and passing judgment upon them. { MB 123.3}

We wish to present temperance and health reform from a Bible standpoint, and to be very cautious not to go to extremes in abruptly advocating health reform. Let us be careful not to graft into health reform one false shoot according to our own peculiar overstrained ideas and weave into it our own strong traits of character making these as the voice of God, and passing judgment on all who do not see as we do. It takes time to educate away from wrong habits. { 3SM 284.5}

God declares that he has committed all judgment unto the Son. Not to finite men, who can judge only from the outward appearance, but to Him who reads the heart, who knows the secret springs of action, and who deals tenderly and compassionately, — to Him it is given to decide the case of every soul. And those who take upon themselves the work of passing judgment or pronouncing upon the motives of another, are assuming the prerogatives of the Son of God. Are they not thus also linking themselves with Satan, the usurper? { ST March 21, 1892, par. 7 }

Christ speaks of the church over which Satan presides, as the synagogue of Satan. Its members are the children of disobedience. They are those who love to sin, and choose to sin, always laboring to make void the law of God, which is holy, just, and good. It is Satan’s work to mingle evil with good, and to confuse the distinction between good and evil. Christ would have a church that labors to separate the evil from the good, whose members will not knowingly tolerate wrong doing, but will expel it from their own hearts and lives. How careful should we be in passing judgment on the work of others, how careful lest we become guilty of ascribing to evil agencies the manifestation of the Holy Spirit. { 1888 1554.2 }

passing judgment on our brethren

What kind of recommendation do you give to the world of the religion of Christ, if you go repining and complaining, and filled with sorrow? Those who keep the commandments of God should make it manifest that the truth is sanctifying the soul, refining and purifying the thoughts, and elevating the character and life. Christ has died that the moral image of God might be restored in our souls, and might be reflected to those around us. We need to drink deeper and deeper of the fountain of life. I hope that not a soul will be satisfied without making thorough work for eternity; and from this time on, may it be seen, both by precept and example, that you are representatives of Christ. You may have a living testimony to bear: “Hear what the Lord has done for my soul” The Lord is ready to impart still greater blessings. He permitted all his goodness to pass before Moses; he proclaimed his character to him as a God full of mercy, long-suffering, and gracious—forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin. Moses was to represent this character to the people of Israel, and we are to do the same. We are to go forth to proclaim the goodness of God, and to make plain his real character before the people. We are to reflect his glory. Have we done this in the past? Have we revealed the character of our Lord by precept and example? Have we not joined in the work of the enemy of souls, and misrepresented our Heavenly Father? Have we not been passing judgment on our brethren, criticising their words and actions? Then the love of God has not been enthroned in our souls. Let us make a decided change. Let us declare the character of God to the people as Moses did to Israel, both in spirit and life. We are to catch the light of his countenance, full of compassion and love, and reflect it to perishing souls. { RH February 26, 1889, par. 6 }

We are to go forth to proclaim the goodness of God and to make plain His real character before the people. We are to reflect His glory. Have we done this in the past? Have we revealed the character of our Lord by precept and example? Have we not joined in the work of the enemy of souls and misrepresented our heavenly Father? Have we not been passing judgment on our brethren, criticizing their words and actions? Then the love of God has not been enthroned in our souls. Let us make a decided change. { FW 61.4}

There have been, I was informed, misunderstanding not only of the testimonies, but of the Bible itself. Men have exalted themselves and esteemed themselves too highly, which leads to the denouncing of others and passing judgment upon their brethren. Envy, jealousy, evil speaking, evil surmising, judging one another, has been considered a special gift given of God in discernment when it savors more of the spirit of the great accuser, who accused the brethren before God day and night. There has been a spirit of pharisaism, a hard, unsympathetic spirit toward the erring, a withdrawing from some and leaving them in discouragement, which is leaving the lost sheep to perish in the wilderness. There has been a placing of men where God alone should be.—Letter 14, 1889. pp. 4-6. (To Dear Children of the Household, May 12, 1889.) { 11MR 235.1 } { 12MR 17.3 } { 1888 312.3 }

Lose sight of all others except Christ. We want Christ in our humanity, and Christ wants to abide in us. We are human and fallible, every one of us, and unless Christ is formed within, the hope of glory, we shall make wonderful blunders in estimating our fellow workers according to our pattern and measurement. God sees beneath the surface. He sees all the good, and He marks all the evil. Leave to Him the work of passing judgment on your brethren. { UL 28.3}

passing judgment on others

The practice of passing judgment upon others is common, indeed, it is almost universal, even among those who claim to be Christians. Many regard it as a mark of superior discernment to criticise the motives of others. But in the light of the Saviour’s words it is a very serious thing thus to sit in judgment upon another. The wisdom displayed in discerning stains upon the character of others is that described by the apostle James, which “descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.” { ST March 14, 1892, par. 2 }

The messenger of God looked at a writing in your hand, and spoke these words: “You will not care to immortalize these things, for they are not true.” God pities the poor, self-deceived souls who are trampling upon His truth. Let the wheat and the tares grow together until the harvest. Pity and deplore the blindness of the minds that are under the dominion of Satan, but restrain your own wrath and passion, and do not pass your judgment upon them. Leave in God’s hands the despisers of His truth. The right and liberty of passing judgment upon others is not given to you. It was not given to Moses to pronounce judgment against rebellious Israel. The glaring weakness of His agents, as displayed by Moses, will bring its reward. { 13MR 312.1 }

Oh, how deceptive is the human heart! How easy it is to harmonize with that which is evil! There is nothing more detrimental to the soul’s interest, its purity, its true and holy conceptions of God, and of sacred and eternal things, than constantly giving heed to and exalting that which is not from God. It poisons the heart, and degrades the understanding. Pure truth can be traced to its divine Source, by its elevating, refining, sanctifying influence upon the character of the receiver. The Author of all truth prayed to His Father, “Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; that they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me” ( John 17:20, 21). Things will be constantly arising to cause disunion, to draw away from the truth. This questioning, criticizing, denouncing, passing judgment on others, is not an evidence of the grace of Christ in the heart. It does not produce unity. Such work has been carried on in the past by persons claiming to have wonderful light, when they were deep in sin. Heresy, dishonesty, and falsehood were all blended in them. { 2SM 78.3}

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