Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.

–Parallel verses:
‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭4‬:‭31‬-‭32‬‬‬
Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Lately, I have heard people express many different forms of judgment, condemnation, and unforgiveness. Some are planning for the end times, holding onto all of their precious resources, and preplanning, based on what they think is fair, what they will do to people who are hungry and try to steal their food. Others look to blame their parents, spouse, children, bosses, etc. for all the problems they have in life. Some have been wronged, and they should feel pain and make smart decisions, but they take this too far and judge or condemn others. I like how Paul puts this in Romans (which quotes Deuteronomy 23:25): “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave the way open for God’s wrath [and His judicial righteousness]; for it is written [in Scripture], “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.” (Romans‬ ‭12‬:‭19‬ ‭AMP‬‬)

Why does the Bible instruct us so, when some people rightly deserve our vengeance and wrath? 1) The Romans passage tells us that this is taking away from God something that is rightfully his. 2) When we truly forgive, we recognize the gift of forgiveness Christ has given us and honor him by passing on this gift to others. 3) In Ephesians we are commanded to get rid of “bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.” And this is because it is a prison cell we put our hearts in, that cannot contemplate love and forgiveness at the same time. 4) We don’t always know the life issues, stresses, hardships, etc. that others are going through. When we seek to understand them, we can more easily forgive hurting people.

As hard as it may seem, we must ask God’s Spirit to help us forgive and let go. We must not judge or condemn. (This is not referring to societal justice, but personal judging and condemning.) Forgiveness brings such wonderful freedom in life, and we can follow God and his calling unencumbered by these nasty traits.

Lord, continue to teach me to be a more powerful instrument of your grace and mercy in forgiveness. If I realize this world is, in part, a testing ground and heaven is the ultimate prize, then I can gain the right perspective and forgive others. You modeled the ultimate forgiveness on it the cross, forgiving those who crucified you based on lies. I want to follow your lead.