Read Revelation 2:12-17
The Lord knows all about our living conditions, the temptations to which we are exposed and the motives that govern our conduct. He can judge us correctly.
This is a factor we must bear in mind with regard to our evaluating another person's actions. We need to know how much the other person has to face and resist before we can be even reasonably accurate in our approving or disapproving of the other person's conduct.
Are we sure that if we would face the same problems in the same environment as the person we tend to criticize, that we would do any better than he did? Or it may be that in our case it is easy to run the race because there are few obstacles to hinder us.
Do we realize how easy it is to murder character by simply not knowing the facts about the other person? Our judgment may be harsh whereas our Saviour, knowing the circumstances, would render an entirely different judgment than ours.
For lack of adequate knowledge we might even commend a person when there is nothing to commend.
We must always keep in mind that there are hidden recesses of the heart that only God can know. Few of us know the burdens others may be carrying.
There is a great Judgment Day coming when the Lord Himself will evaluate what we have done in this life for Him. In that judgment (known as the Judgment Seat of Christ, 2 Cor. 5:10), we will not be judged as to whether we will get to heaven or not. That is not what is in view here.
There is no doubt that our Lord, who will be Judge at that time, will reverse many of our quick and unfair judgments.
"Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come" (1 Cor. 4:5).