Matthew 7:3-6
Throughout the Sermon on the Mount, the Lord is warning against extremes in many areas of life. The Lord is guiding us toward a balanced Christian life. Judgment is not wrong. Unrighteous judgment is wrong. In fact, a lack of judgment (discernment) is wrong after you judge yourself.
I. Hypocrite vs. Helper v.3-5
A hypocrite is the sense of this scripture is one who judges others without the authority to do so while refusing to admit and deal with their own weakness and failure.
As long as there are benefits for being seen as a Christian there will be hypocrites in the church. Only persecution and suffering seems to root them out.
Individuals are more likely to explain their own actions by their environment, yet they attribute the actions of others to 'innate characteristics', thus leading towards judging others while justifying ones' own actions.
There is just a natural tendency to see our faults with a telescope, while we look at other's faults with a microscope.
In James 1:14 it says that sin cannot be blamed on external factors
To say the right thing at the right time in the right way is harder than it would seem.
Jesus condemns selfish judgment, but he condones self-judgment.
We should judge ourselves so that we can rightly and gently help others.
II. Spiritual Profiling v.6
Matthew 7:1-5 teaches us not to be "judgmental" in the way we deal with others, but Matthew 7:6 warns us not to become "judgment-less" in the process.
Being naive is not a fruit of the Spirit.
Who are the “dogs”?
The dog came to be a picture and a metaphor of everything that was contemptible within a human being.
Don’t get in a fight over the gospel!
Who are the “hogs”?
Swine are a metaphor of one who doesn't have the spiritual ability to recognize the value of something that is given to them and can't discriminate between what is good and what is bad.
Don’t waste your time with the spiritually undiscerning!
