The line between judgment and accountability

Where’s the line between judgment and accountability? Jesus clearly warns us to be wary of the first (Matthew 7:1–5), but Paul calls us to seek out and practice the second (Galatians 6:1–5). 

The problem, though, is that a fundamental part of accountability is recognizing when people are acting outside of God’s will, and then holding them to a higher standard. That can sound an awful lot like judgment, and many interpret it as such. After all, few people take great pleasure in having others point out their faults, even if they would otherwise be blind to them.

Most of us naturally tend to view our criticisms of others as holding them accountable, while we see their critiques as judgment. This contrast in how we perceive negative comments is further complicated by the fact that we often can’t fully know what has motivated someone to point out our faults. A person’s motivation is the key difference in forming the line between judgment and accountability.

To that end, let’s take a closer look at what both Jesus and Paul described to help us stay on the right side of that line.

What is biblical judgment?

When Jesus told us not to judge in Matthew 7, it was in the context of ignoring our own sins to point out someone else’s faults. The Greek word used here for judgment is krino, which essentially means to habitually subject someone to harsh, sharp, unjust criticism. From this definition, we learn two important things about what Jesus is warning against.

The first is that Christ is not saying it’s wrong to point out people’s sins. Jesus outlines the proper way to go about addressing such sins in verse 3, but the general principle is that sin needs to be addressed, but in a way that does not lead us to sin in the process. That doesn’t mean we have to be perfect before we can address the sins of others, but we can’t be ignorant of our own shortcomings or else we act as a hypocrite and are likely to do more harm than good. 

The second truth we learn from this understanding of judgment is that the proper way to address the sins of others is to do so with the same love and mercy that God has used with us. Such an approach does not mean mitigating the gravity or seriousness of a person’s mistakes, but it does mean allowing God to guide our efforts at accountability to help make sure that we are not overly critical. 

However, staying on the right side of that line can be difficult, which is why Paul’s encouragement is a necessary companion to Christ’s command. 

What is biblical accountability?

In Galatians 6, Paul focuses on building up our fellow believers so that the community of faith and all those in it might more effectively expand the kingdom. He understands that not only will sin get in the way of that goal but that we will need the help of other believers to address the sins in our own lives effectively. 

To put it in Christ’s terms, we are incapable of consistently removing the specks in our own eyes without other people to help us recognize what they are. That dependence on other believers is one of the main reasons why practicing our faith in community rather than isolation is so important. Yes, the Holy Spirit will always be there to help as well but God designed our relationship with him to work best when we are walking alongside other Christians as well. 

However, Paul understood that accepting such accountability—even from other followers of Christ—would be difficult for us. That’s why he was quick to point out that it needs to be delivered “in a spirit of gentleness” (Galatians 6:1). And the manner in which it is delivered is often what separates accountability from judgment. 

Are you willing to be held accountable?

As Christians, we are frequently labeled as judgmental hypocrites who ignore Christ’s teaching to love our neighbors because we do not accept a particular behavior or lifestyle. Sadly, such criticisms are often accurate. Far too often, we lack grace, love, and humility while defending biblical morality, traditional marriage, or any number of other beliefs that often run counter to the opinions of popular culture. When that happens, we are being judgmental and society is right to call us out on it.

However, if our primary motivation is to help people live lives that the Lord can bless and better understand the God who wants nothing more than to pour out his abundant love and mercy on a culture that desperately needs both, then we can trust that we are acting in a way that pleases him. Others may not see it that way, and, unfortunately, in such cases there’s really not much we can do about it.

The hope is that, as they get to know us better, they will begin to understand that such critiques really do stem from love rather than hate. But there are no guarantees, and we need to be willing to take that risk when the Holy Spirit asks it of us. 

Ultimately, our job when holding people accountable is to point them back to the Lord and encourage them to seek his forgiveness. The moment we begin to act as the judge, though, we cross that line.

God wants nothing more than for all people to know him better and live in accordance with his will. As Christians, he has called us to help others do just that—which also means accepting similar help when someone else points out our mistakes. But the manner in which we speak and the heart from which our words come will determine whether such efforts serve God’s plans or those of the Enemy.

There’s a fine line between judgment and accountability. Tread carefully.