Percieving (discernment) vs Judging

The "whether those things were so" is the process of discernment. Discernment is perceiving the difference between two things; biblical truth and error. The Bible commands believers to discern differences between what they are taught, via a preacher, teacher, a ministry or an author, to the scriptures.

Then we are commanded by "the Lord Jesus Christ to "judge righteous judgment" John 7:24. He told a man, "Thou hast rightly judged" Luke 7:43. To others, our Lord asked, "Why even of yourselves judge ye not what is right?" Luke 12:57. The Apostle Paul wrote, "I speak as to wise men; judge ye what I say" 1 Corin 10:15. Again, Paul declared, "He that is spiritual judgeth all things" 1 Corin 2:15. It is our positive duty to judge."₁

This section begins with a passage that has frequently been misused by counselors and others. Doubtless, when you have pointed out sin you have had someone respond, "Judge not!" (PeaceMakers is often asked “who made you judge and jury”) Jesus did not forbid judging; He condemned the wrong kind of judging. What He had in mind is that sort of judging in which one judges another improperly—in ways that the one doing the judging would not care to be judged. Far from advocating never judging in any way at any time, the purpose of the passage is to show His own how to correct others correctly. The passage provides instruction in judging.
Note, first, that elsewhere Jesus commands us to judge: "Judge a righteous judgment" (John 7:24). Later on in this chapter of Matthew the disciples are encouraged to judge who is a false teacher. In that place, a proper basis for making the judgment is given (not by trying to judge someone's motives, but by judging the fruits of his teaching; cf. vv. 15, 16, 20). And, even more immediately, Jesus' words in verse 6 demand that a judgment be made about who is a dog or pig. So, counselor, it certainly doesn't mean that you cannot form an opinion of people. Indeed, if you are going to counsel at all, one of your principal activities will be making judgments about people. But if you heed Jesus' warning here, you will make sure that your judgments are based soundly on factual evidence.
To judge rightly, among other things, means that you will take the time to carefully gather data.l You will make no snap judgments. For instance, you will take the observation in Proverbs 18:13 seriously. You will not guess. You know that your own conclusions, unaided by the guidelines laid down in the Scriptures, are bound to be flawed. You will lovingly give the benefit of the doubt (I Corinthians 13:7). You will believe a counselee until the evidence proves otherwise. All this and more is summed up in the statement, "Don't judge unrighteously" (John 7:24). Notice from that exhortation that a wrong judgment isn't merely a mistake, it is a sin (it is "unrighteous"). So what you do is a serious matter. You may not take it lightly.
Footnotes:
1. See the chapters on data gathering in The Christian Counselor’s Manaul

In the parallel passage in Luke 6:37 an additional word is added to the word krinete ("judge") which is used here. It is katadikazete, "to condemn." Another way of judging wrongly is evaluating others from a faultfinding, censorious attitude in which one is ready at the drop of a handkerchief to pick him to pieces. That sort of thing is likely to characterize some of those you counsel. Even the best efforts of a wife or husband are condemned by a spouse who, when this attitude is present, can do nothing rightly. More than likely, you will also find such a person judging motives (trying to steal God's task from Him; He is the one who judges hearts). In this sense, Paul asks, "Who are you to judge another man's servant?" (Romans 14:4). And James asks, "Who are you to judge your neighbor?" (James4:11, 12).
The Lord Jesus told the one who is passing judgment on another to first Judge himself. He went on to say that he will be judged by the very same standards that he uses to judge others (v. 2). This is a strong warning. It amounts to an application of the golden rule to the matter of judging.
How, then, are you to judge? By judging yourself first, you will be able to learn to judge properly. If you are careful to preempt any judgment of you that would be according to unrighteous standards, you will be extremely careful about how you judge another. That is the background for learning to judge rightly. As you judge another, all the while you ought to be asking yourself, "Would I think it fair and right to be subjected to this sort of judgment?" If you keep that question in mind, you will find yourself steering clear of making unrighteous judgments.
Jesus went on to speak (as usual) in a hyperbolic fashion about logs and specks in the eye. Picture the situation: here is someone trying to remove a speck from the eye of another when he has a log sticking out ofhis own eye! Absurd? Of course. That's the point. That big log would keep him from even getting close enough to remove the speck from another (as, indeed, the spiritual log should). Moreover, it is absurd to think that one should be concerned about a tiny speck in another's eye when he has a log in his own. He must first remove his log before he can help another. That principle ought to be applied first to the counselor and then to the counseled. People who are able to see the speck in the eye of another are not always too swift at detecting the log in their own. That is why counselors are to be Nathans with respect to the Davids who come for counseling (cf. II Samuel 12).
Footnotes:
I. James is probably reflecting Jesus' words here in Matthew, as he frequently refers to the Sermon on the Mount about other matters.
Does that mean one is never to be concerned about specks in the eyes of others? Of course not. But one must not be hypocritical about it. Having removed the log, he will be able to see clearly (v. 5). Seeing clearly, he will be able to help others with their sins.
But there is one other caution in this matter of helping others rid themselves of specks. In verse 6 Jesus warns against feeding holy meat to scavengers (dogs). Being the garbage collectors of the time, dogs were considered unclean. To feed meat from the altar to dogs was a sin. This meat was to be eaten by the priests or burned. The dog who ate such meat would give no thought to the fact that it came from the altar. He would make no distinction between it and any other meat. Likewise a pig would care nothing about the value of pearls. He would simply trample them underfoot, turn on you and attack you because what you gave him was not edible. Neither the dog nor the pig will appreciate what you have done. You won't gain anything by your gifts; neither will thank you for the precious gift nor glorify God.
So, Jesus was saying, you should not attempt to remove specks from the eyes of unbelievers. You will only unnecessarily aggravate them. They will not appreciate it. You will lose your witness to them. It is not your task to try to reform unbelievers. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God (Romans 8:8). Why waste effort in turning them from one lifestyle that displeases Him to another that displeases Him? Your task with unbelievers is never to counsel, but only to precounsel them (that is, evangelize them). So, counselor, spend your time correcting believers—correctly.
Has what Matthew recorded been getting you down? Well, it need not. There are words of encouragement which, doubtless, Jesus knew that at this point in the sermon the disciples needed (vv. 7?12). But even these are not without a word of exhortation (the same principle is found in v. 12 that we encountered in v. 2). Counselors who have been in tense conversation with counselees ought to know when to sit back and throw out a word of encouragement. Jesus did.
Jesus knew that the disciples, hearing all that He had been saying might have been thinking, "Where would we ever get the strength to overcome worry, stop being censorious,….?" Again, remember that all of Jesus' commands are also encouragements. He never commands His own to do anything that they cannot do by His wisdom from His Word and by means of His strength. He even helps us pray (Romans 8) So we should not despair at His commands.
The answer is to come to Him in prayer (v. 7ff.). Three words—asking, seeking, knocking—are laid out before the wondering disciples. You ask. If God seems remote, seek, and even if He seems to have locked you out, knock. In other words, keep on praying until you get the wisdom and strength you need. These verbs teach persistence. They are not verbs that express actions but verbs that express habits: keep on asking, keep on ,, God amswers all prayers. But He does so according to His timetable. When you are ready to receive (you may think that you are when you aren't), He is ready to give. And He gives what He wants, m His way (sometimes through difficult experiences that when handled rightly make us strong). That is the sort of thing to explain to counselees. Often they will complain that their prayers are not answered

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