Righteous Judgment: The Forgotten Calling of Aluhym’s People

In many modern Christian spaces, the word judge has become almost synonymous with cruelty, arrogance, or hatred. To accuse someone of “judging” is often enough to silence any serious moral or theological conversation. The moment wrongdoing is named, a reflexive appeal is made to Messiah’s words, “Do not judge,” as though Scripture had placed a permanent ban on all forms of moral evaluation. Yet this cultural reflex does not arise from the full counsel of Scripture. It arises from a narrow and selective reading of it, whereas the Word of Aluhym does not abolish judgment; it redefines it.

From beginning to end, Scripture presents the people of Aluhym as a discerning, truth-loving, morally awake community — a people called not to condemn in self-righteousness, but to judge righteously; not to excuse evil, but to expose it; not to shame, but to restore; not to blur the line between light and darkness, but to walk in holiness and truth.

Far from being optional, righteous judgment is woven into the very fabric of covenant faithfulness. It belongs to love. It belongs to holiness. It belongs to spiritual maturity.

This article seeks to challenge the popular notion that believers must never judge, and instead to recover the biblical call to righteous, Spirit-led judgment — judgment that is humble, restorative, truth-centred, and shaped by the character of Aluhym Himself.

Judgment and Love Are Not Opposites

A prevailing assumption in much of modern Christianity is that love and judgment are incompatible — that to judge is to fail to love, and to love is to suspend all moral evaluation. Yet this assumption does not arise from Scripture. It arises from a cultural redefinition of love as mere affirmation and emotional comfort. Scripture never places love and judgment in opposition. On the contrary, it presents righteous judgment as one of the expressions of true love.

Biblical love is not passive. It is not indifferent. It is not silent in the presence of what destroys. Love, in the biblical sense, seeks the true good of another — their restoration, their protection, and their alignment with the ways of Aluhym. And seeking the true good necessarily involves discerning what is good and what is evil.

“Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good.” — Romans 12:9

This single verse holds love and moral discernment together. Love that refuses to abhor evil is not biblical love. Love that refuses to cling to what is good is not love at all, but sentimentality disguised as compassion. To abhor evil means to recognise it for what it is. To cling to good means to identify and pursue what is righteous. Both actions require evaluation. Both require judgment.

Scripture repeatedly portrays love as something that confronts when necessary:

“Open reproof is better than hidden love. Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.” — Proverbs 27:5-6

Faithful wounds are not acts of cruelty. They are acts of covenantal loyalty. They are the loving blows that awaken a person to danger before destruction takes hold. Deceitful kisses, by contrast, feel pleasant but conceal harm. They preserve comfort while allowing ruin to continue. 

In this light, silence in the face of sin is not love. It is abandonment. Scripture goes even further by teaching that the refusal to reprove is not morally neutral — it is itself a form of participation in sin.

“You shall not hate your brother in your heart. You shall surely rebuke your neighbour, and not bear sin because of him.” — Leviticus 19:17

Here, refusal to correct is equated with hidden hatred, and silence is shown to carry moral responsibility. To withhold reproof is not presented as compassion, but as a failure of love that allows sin to remain unchallenged and unchecked. Love that truly cares refuses to watch another walk toward destruction without warning, because it understands that to remain silent is to share in the harm being done.

This same principle appears in the imagery of the watchman:

“When I say to the wicked, ‘O wicked one, you shall surely die,’ and you do not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked one shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand.” — Ezekiel 33:8

Here Aluhym presents silence as culpability. The watchman is not condemned for inventing sin, but for failing to warn of it. In the same way, Scripture portrays loving warning as a moral responsibility, not an act of cruelty.

The pattern continues in the teachings of Messiah:

“If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone.” — Matthew 18:15

Messiah assumes that love will speak. Love will address. Love will confront — not to shame, but to win a brother back.

The apostle Sha’ul (Paul) echoes this heart:

“Speaking the truth in love, we may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Messiah.” —Ephesians 4:15

Truth divorced from love hardens into harshness, producing speech that wounds without seeking restoration. At the same time, love severed from truth dissolves into deception, offering comfort that soothes for a moment but ultimately leaves the soul unchanged. Biblical love refuses both distortions. It neither sacrifices truth on the altar of sentimentality, nor wields truth as a weapon devoid of mercy. 

True love does not flatter sin, nor does it redefine evil to make it more palatable. It does not cloak disobedience in spiritual language or excuse what Aluhym calls destructive. Instead, biblical love names what corrupts and points toward what heals. It exposes what leads to death and directs the heart toward the way of life.

“Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline.” — Revelation 3:19

Correction, therefore, is not the opposite of love; it is one of love’s clearest manifestations. It flows from a heart that refuses to abandon others to deception, even when silence would be easier. For this reason, righteous judgment is not a betrayal of love. It is love in action. To judge righteously is to say, in effect: Your soul matters too much for me to pretend this is harmless. To love biblically is not merely to affirm, but to care enough to tell the truth.

Notably, Scripture does not instruct us to avoid giving reproof out of fear that it may be misunderstood as being judgmental. Instead, it acknowledges that different hearts respond differently to correction:

“Do not reprove a scoffer, lest he hate you; rebuke a wise man, and he will love you.” — Proverbs 9:8

A wise person recognises correction as a gift, because they value truth more than comfort. A scoffer, by contrast, despises reproof, not because the correction is unloving, but because their heart resists accountability. This distinction further exposes why reproof itself is not unloving — resistance to reproof reveals a deeper heart issue.

Messiah Did Not Forbid Judgment — He Commanded Righteous Judgment

One of the most frequently quoted verses in discussions about judgment is:

“Do not judge, lest you be judged.” — Matthew 7:1

This statement is often lifted from its context and treated as a universal prohibition against all forms of judgment. Many Christians repeat it to mean that believers should never judge, never make moral evaluations, never call sin what it is, and never confront wrongdoing. I often hear Christians say, “We shouldn’t judge,” as though Messiah’s words were intended to silence all forms of judgement, including discernment. The phrase is commonly used to suggest that it is not our place even to acknowledge wrongdoing — as though calling sin what it is automatically equates to condemning a person. 

Yet this is not what righteous judgment entails. To make a judgment call about an action is not the same as condemning a soul. To say that something is wrong is not to declare that a person is evil; rather, it is to distinguish between behaviours that align with Aluhym’s will and those that do not.

When one says, “You are doing wrong,” it should not mean, “You are evil,” nor should it communicate, “I am better than you.” Instead, it is meant to convey something far different: “What you are doing is not good for you. יהוה has spoken about this in His Word. Please turn from it, because it is harming you, and because you are called to walk in a way that is pleasing to Him.”

In this way, righteous judgment is not rooted in superiority, but in genuine concern. It is not motivated by self-exaltation, but by love that desires repentance, healing, and restored fellowship with Aluhym — for the good of the person and for the sake of what is right and true.

Furthermore, Messiah does not leave Matthew 7:1 open-ended; He immediately clarifies its meaning:

“For with what judgment you judge, you shall be judged. And with the same measure you use, it shall be measured to you. And why do you look at the splinter in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the plank in your own eye? Or how is it that you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the splinter out of your eye,’ and see, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you shall see clearly to remove the splinter out of your brother’s eye.” — Matthew 7:2–5

Messiah does not say, “Never remove the speck.” Rather, He instructs that one must first deal honestly with oneself so that one may then see clearly. The issue, therefore, is not judgment itself, but hypocrisy. 

Righteous judgment, as Messiah presents it, involves self-examination, humility, and an awareness of one’s own need for mercy even while addressing another’s error. It is a form of discernment that refuses to pretend perfection, yet also refuses to pretend that sin is harmless.

To suggest that Messiah is teaching, “Under no circumstances can you judge because you, too, fall short,” would be a misreading of His words. Such an interpretation would imply that identifying and addressing sin is itself wrong, a conclusion that directly contradicts the many Scriptural commands to reprove, correct, and speak the truth in love. If no one were ever permitted to name what is wrong, then no one could be warned, no one could be guided, and no one could grow in understanding what is right.

Therefore, Messiah’s words do not abolish discernment and reproof; they refine it. He does not silence judgment; He calls it out of hypocrisy and into righteousness.

A Pattern Seen in the Torah: Judah and Tamar

This principle is not new to the New Testament. It is already visible within the Torah itself.

When Tamar was accused of immorality, Judah — unaware that he himself was the one who had fathered her child — responded with swift condemnation:

“Bring her out, and let her be burned!” — Genesis 38:24

Judah was prepared to pronounce a severe judgment upon Tamar, even though he himself had committed the very wrongdoing for which he was condemning her. Yet when confronted with the truth, his response changed:

“She is more righteous than I.” — Genesis 38:26

This account does not suggest that sexual immorality suddenly became acceptable. Tamar’s situation still required moral evaluation. What the passage exposes is Judah’s hypocrisy — not his act of recognising sin, but his failure to examine himself before judging another.

Judah’s error was not that he identified wrongdoing. His error was that he did so while blind to his own guilt. Once the plank in his own eye was exposed, he was forced into honest self-assessment.

In this way, the Torah itself anticipates Messiah’s teaching. Judgment is not condemned; hypocritical judgment is.

Judah’s story illustrates precisely what Messiah later teaches in Matthew 7: righteous judgment must begin with self-examination, but it does not end in silence.

Matthew 7 in Light of John 7

Additionally, Messiah says the following elsewhere:

“Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.” — John 7:24

Here Messiah does not merely permit judgment; He directly commands it. Yet He also defines the kind of judgment required — not shallow, fleshly, or appearance-based judgment, but righteous judgment rooted in truth. If judgment were inherently sinful, Messiah would never instruct His disciples to practice it rightly. 

Moreover, if Matthew 7:1 were meant in the absolute sense that some Christians assume, then Messiah would be contradicting Himself here by commanding His followers to judge. Scripture does not contain such contradictions. Rather, Messiah consistently distinguishes between corrupt judgment and righteous judgment, rejecting the former while commanding the latter.

What Righteous Judgment Is — and Is Not

Righteous judgment, as Scripture presents it, is rooted in the Word of Aluhym rather than in personal preference, emotional reaction, or what one happens to think or feel about a person. It is accompanied by humility, recognising one’s own dependence upon mercy even while discerning what is right and wrong. It is aimed not at humiliation, but at restoration; not at winning an argument, but at winning a brother or sister back to what is true. Such judgment is willing to examine itself before addressing others, and it is motivated by a love for truth rather than a desire for control or superiority.

At the same time, Scripture is clear about what righteous judgment is not. It is not condemnation, nor is it an attempt to elevate oneself above another. It is not harshness for its own sake, nor the hypocrisy of demanding a standard from others while refusing to submit to it personally. Righteous judgment is never meant to become a weapon for ego, pride, or personal vendetta.

There is also an important distinction between judgment exercised for the sake of malicious gossip and judgment expressed as sober warning. Scripture does not endorse speaking behind the backs of others for the purpose of criticism or character assassination. However, there are times when stating that a certain behaviour is wrong functions as a form of protection, helping others to avoid imitating what leads to harm. Such speech is not motivated by a desire to tear down, but by a desire to guard and preserve.

Messiah Himself outlines this process:

“And if your brother sins against you, go and reprove him, between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not hear, take with you one or two more, that ‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word might be established.’ And if he refuses to hear them, say it to the assembly. And if he refuses even to hear the assembly, let him be to you like a gentile and a tax collector.” — Matthew 18:15–17

This passage reveals that correction is intended to be personal, measured, and progressive. It begins privately, escalates only when necessary, and is always oriented toward repentance and restoration. The goal is not exposure, but recovery; not punishment, but reconciliation.

The Apostolic Pattern: Correction and Accountability

The writings of the apostles consistently assume that believers will exercise discernment and address sin within the community of faith. There is no vision in the New Testament of an assembly that remains morally silent in the name of tolerance. Instead, the people of Aluhym are portrayed as a disciplined, accountable body, called to preserve holiness, protect one another, and walk in truth.

This pattern begins with the words of Messiah Himself:

“If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone.” — Matthew 18:15

Correction is presented as a personal and relational responsibility. It is meant to begin privately, with the hope of gaining a brother rather than exposing a failure. The goal is restoration, not humiliation.

The apostle Sha’ul echoes this same heart when addressing the pastoral care of the assemblies:

“Those who are sinning rebuke in the presence of all, that the rest also may fear.” — 1 Timothy 5:20

Here Sha’ul demonstrates that while correction often begins privately, there are circumstances in which public rebuke becomes necessary — particularly when sin is persistent, unrepentant, or damaging to the community. Such rebuke is not motivated by cruelty, but by the sober recognition that unchecked sin spreads and corrupts. It also establishes a precedent: righteous judgment, when exercised properly, serves not only to confront the individual, but to instruct and safeguard the wider body. In this way, it sends a clear message and produces a holy fear in those who might otherwise be tempted to walk in the same path, functioning as a deterrent against further wrongdoing.

Sha’ul also emphasises the posture with which correction must be carried out:

“Brothers, if a man is overtaken in some trespass, you the spiritual ones, set such a one straight in a spirit of meekness, looking at yourself lest you be tried too.” — Galatians 6:1

Restoration requires recognising wrongdoing. One cannot restore what one refuses to acknowledge. Yet recognition alone is not enough; it must be accompanied by gentleness, humility, and self-awareness. The one who corrects is not superior, but a fellow pilgrim who understands their own vulnerability.

Sha’ul goes even further in his rebuke of the Corinthian assembly, confronting them for tolerating blatant, unrepentant sin within their midst:

“I wrote to you in my letter not to keep company with those who whore. And I certainly did not mean with those of this world who whore, or with the greedy of gain, or swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone called ‘a brother,’ if he is one who whores, or greedy of gain, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler – not even to eat with such a one. For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are inside? But Aluhym judges those who are outside. And put away the wicked one from among you!” — 1 Corinthians 5:9–13

Sha’ul makes a critical distinction here between how believers relate to the world and how they are to relate to those who claim the name of brother. He does not expect the assemblies to police the moral behaviour of unbelievers, but he does expect them to uphold holiness within the household of faith. Those who identify as belonging to Aluhym are to be held to the standard of Aluhym.

Rather than discouraging judgment, Sha’ul explicitly commands the assembly to exercise it. Tolerating unrepentant sin is not presented as mercy, maturity, or love, but as a failure to obey Aluhym’s instructions. The refusal to judge internal sin is therefore not compassion, but disobedience.

In Sha’ul’s theology, righteous judgment functions as an act of covenant faithfulness. It preserves the integrity of the assembly, protects the vulnerable, and calls the sinner back to repentance. Silence, by contrast, communicates acceptance of what Aluhym has condemned and ultimately harms both the individual and the community.

Taken together, these passages reveal a consistent apostolic vision: the people of Aluhym are called to be a community of truth, accountability, and restoration. Judgment, when practiced according to Scripture, is not an act of hostility, but an act of covenant faithfulness.

The People of Aluhym Are Called to Discern

Throughout Scripture, discernment is treated as a mark of spiritual maturity rather than an optional trait.

“But the spiritual person judges all things, yet he himself is judged by no one.” — 1 Corinthians 2:15

“Test all things; hold fast what is good.” — 1 Thessalonians 5:21

“Solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” — Hebrews 5:14

Testing, holding fast, and discerning all require evaluation. They require the ability to distinguish truth from error, righteousness from sin, and what builds from what destroys. A believer who refuses to judge anything cannot obey these commands, because discernment itself is a form of righteous judgment.

This calling to discern is not only about present maturity, but about future destiny.

We Are Being Trained for Future Judgment

All of this naturally leads to an even broader reality: righteous judgment is not only part of present discipleship, but part of the believer’s future calling. Scripture reveals that righteous judgment is woven into the destiny of the people of Aluhym.

“Do you not know that the set-apart ones shall judge the world? And if the world is judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Do you not know that we shall judge messengers? How much more, matters of this life?” — 1 Corinthians 6:2–3

These words are staggering. They indicate that those who belong to Messiah are being prepared for participation in His righteous rule. Judgment, in this sense, is not a foreign or forbidden activity, but a responsibility for which believers are being formed.

If believers will one day participate in judgment under Messiah’s authority, then it follows that we are being trained now through discernment, wisdom, and obedience. Present-day righteous judgment is part of that preparation. As we learn to distinguish between good and evil, truth and error, repentance and rebellion, we are being shaped into a people capable of handling greater responsibility in the age to come.

Why This Matters Today

A church that refuses to judge becomes unable to distinguish light from darkness.

“Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness.” — Isaiah 5:20

When believers abandon righteous judgment, compromise flourishes, truth becomes negotiable, and holiness is treated as optional. What Scripture calls sin is softened, excused, or rebranded, and the boundary between the holy and the profane steadily erodes.

Yet Scripture calls the people of Aluhym to something far higher:

“Be holy, for I am holy.” — 1 Peter 1:16

Holiness cannot exist without discernment. Discernment cannot exist without righteous judgment. Therefore, to reject righteous judgment is not humility. It is the abandonment of a core biblical calling.

Conclusion: Faithful Stewards of Truth

The call of Scripture is not that the people of Aluhym become softer toward sin, nor harsher toward people, but truer in both love and truth. The Word does not lead us into moral passivity, nor into self-righteous severity, but into a narrow and holy way where compassion and righteousness walk together.

We are not called to be executioners, delighting in exposing failure. Nor are we called to be spectators, quietly observing as deception spreads and souls are harmed. We are called to be stewards of truth — entrusted with the Word of Aluhym and responsible for handling it with reverence, humility, and courage.

May we, therefore, become a people who judge righteously — not from pride, but from reverence for Aluhym; not to destroy, but to restore; not to exalt ourselves, but to honour His Name and His ways. May our discernment be shaped by Scripture, measured with mercy, and strengthened by a holy reverence of יהוה.

“Open your mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy.” — Proverbs 31:9

May יהוה be with you and bless you.