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“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you.”
— *Matthew 7:1–2*
“Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things.”
— *Romans 2:1*
The central theme of these lyrics is one of the most serious spiritual laws in the New Testament: the measure of judgment.
Jesus teaches that the way we measure others determines how God will measure us. Paul confirms that when we set ourselves up as judges of other people, we actually call judgment down on our own heads.
This is not a minor issue. It governs:
The song simply repeats, in lyrical form, what the Word of God already declares:
This is a spiritual law—unbending, impartial, and inescapable.
Let us see how scripture unfolds this.
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### a. Matthew 7:1–2 – Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount
Matthew 7 is part of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5–7), where Jesus is not addressing unbelievers, but disciples. He is explaining the righteousness of the Kingdom of God, which surpasses the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees (Matthew 5:20).
The context is vital. Jesus has just spoken about:
Then He turns to a different, but related, danger: the hypocrisy of judgment.
He continues in the same passage:
“Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? … You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.”
— *Matthew 7:3–5*
So, Jesus is not forbidding all discernment. He is condemning:
His main point in verses 1–2:
How you deal with others is how God will deal with you.
### b. Romans 2:1 – Paul Writing to Religious People
Romans 1 describes the open, obvious sins of the Gentile world: idolatry, sexual immorality, violence, depravity. Many religious Jews in Paul’s day would have said, “Yes, those Gentiles are wicked.”
Then Paul turns around in Romans 2 and speaks directly to the religious moralist:
“You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.”
— *Romans 2:1 (NIV)*
His audience here is not primarily pagan. It is the one who:
Paul is stripping away religious pretense. He shows that judgmentalism is itself evidence of hypocrisy. The one who judges is not standing above the judged person; he is, in fact, exposing his own case before God.
So Jesus and Paul agree:
This is the spiritual law the lyrics are expressing.
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### a. “Judge” – Greek: *krinō* (κρίνω)
The verb translated “judge” is *krinō*. It has a broad range of meanings:
There is a kind of *necessary* judgment:
But in Matthew 7 and Romans 2, the emphasis is on condemnatory judgment—the attitude that places oneself as moral superior, pronouncing final verdict on another.
We might describe it this way:
So when Jesus says, “Judge not,” He is not abolishing discernment. He is forbidding the assumption of the judge’s bench—a place that belongs to God alone.
### b. “Measure” – Greek: *metron* (μέτρον)
The word *metron* means:
The picture is of a person using a *measuring scoop* or *standard container*. Whatever container you use for others, God uses for you.
If you:
The same word is used in Luke 6:37–38, which parallels our passage:
“Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”
— *Luke 6:37–38*
Here we see the principle clearly:
The lyrics repeat this spiritual law:
“The measure you give / will be the measure you receive.”
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I will take the song’s themes and relate them to the Word of God.
### 1) “For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you.”
This is an exact quotation of Matthew 7:2.
Key principle:
You write your own script for how God will deal with you, by how you deal with others.
Other scriptures confirm the same pattern:
Notice the “as” and the “if”:
So this is not a small, optional spiritual principle. It is bound up with:
If you live with a “measuring rod” of harsh criticism, you are fashioning the rod that will strike you.
### 2) “Judge not, that you be not judged. With the same measure you give, it will be given back to you. The standard you use will be the standard used on you.”
The lyrics repeat and reinforce Matthew 7:1–2 and Luke 6:37–38.
This brings us to a critical distinction:
#### a. What “Judge Not” Does Not Mean
It does not mean:
We are commanded to:
This is judgment as discernment, under God’s authority, guided by His Word, with a view to restoration.
#### b. What “Judge Not” Does Mean
It forbids:
This attitude is precisely what Jesus calls hypocrisy (Matthew 7:5). The hypocrite magnifies the speck in his brother’s eye but is blind to the log in his own.
The standard you use reveals the state of your heart. A merciful heart uses a merciful standard. A bitter heart uses a harsh standard.
### 3) “Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.”
This line comes from John 7:24.
“Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.”
— *John 7:24*
Jesus corrects the Jews who criticized Him for healing on the Sabbath. They judged by external traditions without understanding the heart of God.
This reveals another dimension of judgement:
So scripture does not leave us in a vague place. It commands us to judge rightly, which means:
Wrong judgment sees the outside; right judgment seeks God’s perspective.
### 4) “You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.”
This is the heart of Romans 2:1.
Paul exposes a spiritual trap:
This is terrifying if we take it seriously.
How many times have you said in your heart:
Every such statement is a measure. God notes it. You are defining the universe in which you want to live.
Paul goes further in Romans 2:
This does not primarily refer to visible, external sins only. Often:
Jesus made this very clear:
So when you inwardly condemn another’s adultery while indulging in pornography or lustful fantasies, God sees that as “doing the same things.”
Paul’s statement is simple:
You are saying, in effect, “God, this is the standard I believe is right and just.”
God replies, “Very well. By your own words I will judge you.”
### 5) “The measure you give will be the measure you receive.”
This line sums up the core spiritual law.
This same principle appears in many forms in scripture:
It is not only about finances. It touches:
You are continually setting spiritual patterns: how you treat others is how heaven will treat you.
For some believers, many of their unanswered prayers, inner torment, and lack of peace can be traced not to lack of faith, but to wrong measures:
Heaven responds: “You have chosen your measure.”
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This teaching is not theoretical. It demands response. I will give four simple but decisive steps.
### First, We Must Acknowledge God Alone as Judge
We must consciously renounce the role of judge in our hearts.
Scripture is clear:
Action:
This does not mean abandoning discernment. It means refusing the inner posture of condemnation.
### Second, We Must Judge Ourselves First
Paul teaches:
“But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged.”
— *1 Corinthians 11:31*
This is the divine order:
1. Judge yourself before God
2. Then, if needed, help your brother
Jesus: “First take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.” (Matthew 7:5)
Action:
We must not analyze ourselves endlessly, but we must allow God’s Word to examine us (Hebrews 4:12–13).
### Third, We Must Forgive and Release
Much judgment flows from bitterness and unforgiveness. Jesus binds these together in Matthew 18: the unforgiving servant is handed over to the tormentors.
If you:
You are probably operating in judgment, not mercy.
Action:
Forgiveness does not:
But it absolutely cancels your right to be judge. You hand that role back to God.
### Fourth, We Must Deliberately Sow Mercy
If the measure we use is the measure we receive, then we must choose to sow mercy, kindness, and generous judgment.
That means:
Action:
If the answer is no, then you have your answer: do not speak it.
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### Proclamation (Confession of Faith)
Say this aloud, thoughtfully, as an act of submission to God’s Word:
“I confess that Jesus Christ is my Lord and Judge. The Word of God declares that with the judgment I pronounce, I will be judged, and with the measure I use, it will be measured to me. Therefore, I renounce the role of judge in the lives of others. I step down from the judge’s seat.
I acknowledge that there is only one Lawgiver and Judge—God Himself. I choose to judge myself by the Word of God, that I may not come under His judgment. I repent of every harsh, critical, and condemning attitude. I repent of measuring others with a standard I would not want applied to me.
By the grace of God, I choose mercy. I choose forgiveness. I choose to sow kindness, not condemnation; blessing, not cursing. I forgive all who have sinned against me or offended me. I release them from my judgment. I hand over all final judgment to God.
From this day forward, I ask the Holy Spirit to help me judge not by appearances, but with right judgment, rooted in God’s truth and God’s mercy. With the measure I now give—mercy, grace, and forgiveness—I believe it shall be measured back to me, in Jesus’ name. Amen.”
### Prayer
“Father, in the name of Jesus, I come under the authority of Your Word.
You have said, ‘Judge not, that you be not judged,’ and ‘With the measure you use it will be measured to you.’ You have shown that in judging others, I condemn myself, for I do the same things.
I ask You now to search my heart. Expose every hidden judgment, every harsh word, every inner sentence I have passed on others. I do not defend myself. I bring my sin into Your light. I confess it and renounce it.
Lord Jesus, cleanse me from a critical spirit. Deliver me from hypocrisy. Set me free from the bondage of unforgiveness and bitterness. Teach me to see people as You see them. Teach me to judge with right judgment—according to truth, but also according to mercy.
Holy Spirit, put a guard over my mouth and over my thoughts. Before I speak, remind me: the measure I use will be measured back to me. Help me to sow mercy, that I may reap mercy; to sow forgiveness, that I may reap forgiveness.
Father, I thank You that the blood of Jesus cleanses me from all sin when I walk in the light. I receive Your cleansing. I choose Your way. I will no longer live as judge of others, but as a servant of the Judge of all.
I ask it in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.”
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