Often in rebuking sin, people will respond by saying: "You're judging me," and the reference to Matthew 7:1-5, is often used for such a response. The truth of matter is--it is not the preacher, elder or fellow Christian that is doing the rebuking. It is the Word of God that is judging people by the Righteousness of God and what He expects from us. The passage in Matthew 7:1-5 is Jesus rebuking the hypocritical judgment imposed by scribes and Pharisees. Jesus is speaking directly to the scribes and Pharisees as seen by the use of the pronoun "you," and that is a direct reference to the scribes and Pharisees, that has continued since Matthew chapter 5.

On the other hand, does the Bible teach that some judging is approved by God? The answer is Yes. Two passages bear this out:

1. John 3:18, in the context John is remarking on the mission of Jesus and the sin of unbelief. In verse 18, John points out that those who have never believed have been judged by God "already" (18), because of their unbelief.
2. John 7:24, again Jesus is teaching in the Temple and pointing out the principle of Mercy over circumcision or the Sabbath. In addition, Jesus appeals to judgement based on "righteous judgement" and not according to the external appearance.

In conclusion, next time a preacher or an elder of the Lord's church offers their assistance, ask yourself this question, "Is he judging me or is he showing his love for me, by correcting and exposing the errors of my ways?"