Is Republican front-runner Donald Trump a true, born-again Christian? Pope Francis was accused of questioning Trump’s faith last week. Many inside and outside Trump’s political camp responded with the old “trump-card” – the Bible says not to judge. A trump card is a playing card used in games in which this card is elevated above its normal rank. When it comes to the Bible, we preachers call that taking a verse out of context. The exact phrase, so often referred to, is Matthew 7:1 “Judge not, that you be not judged” (ESV).

You know how the “Don’t Judge Me” trump-card is used. An individual confronts another about an obvious sin. And then, often when the confronted person has never even read the Bible, they know about the trump-card. So the response goes something like this, “Don’t judge me. You’ve got no right to judge. God is my judge. God knows my heart.” The hope is to effectively silence their human judge and supposedly leave the matter between himself or herself and their final Judge. So what does the Bible really say about judging?

Judging yourself is required for seeing clearly to judge others. In reading the verses that follow Jesus’ words “Do not judge”, it’s clear that Jesus’ concern is for His followers to refrain from a hasty, hypocritical judgment: “You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye” (Matthew 7:5a). So before you judge, do something – take a good look at yourself. Let that self-evaluation govern your attitude as well as your words towards another person. But notice he says to do this “first”. Now what? Well read the rest of the verse – “and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.” Self-judgment done first will allow you to “see clearly” so that you can “then” proceed to humbly address the sins of another person.

Judging others is required for obedience and spiritual health. In Matthew 7:6, just a few sentences after saying “Judge not”, Jesus says “Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw out your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.” Not giving what is holy to people who are “dogs” and “pigs” requires judging. In other words, in order to obey Jesus’ words in this verse a believer must judge or discern the spiritual condition or receptivity of another human being.

Don’t let the “Don’t Judge Me” trump-card keep you from obedience in evangelism. Believers fall short in evangelism when they refuse to lovingly address the sins of others, but some won’t because of the trump-card. Do not mistake being a good moral person for being a true follower of Jesus. There are simply many people who call themselves Christians who are false converts. Jesus will one day say to them “I never knew you” (Matthew 7:23). And regardless of whether a person calls himself or herself a Christian or not, an individual who calls right what Scripture calls wrong, makes excuses for their sin, and loves and practices that sin is not born-again (1 Corinthians 6:9-10) – and Christians have a responsibility to warn them.

Believers are not the final Judge having the last word about a person’s soul, but we do have the Judge’s Word. Along with God’s Word, believers have a responsibility to declare its truth in love – even when others may try to silence them by using the “Don’t Judge Me” trump-card. Pope Francis has no special authority to judge the soul of Donald Trump. Yet is also true that while believers should refrain from a judgmental attitude, they are also clearly exhorted to judge others based not only on what that individual professes to believe, but also on the actions and words of the person. Even when the truth hurts, speaking it is the most loving thing believers can do. And that’s the gospel truth.