Here's the good news: Jesus' stern warning against judging others is itself part of God's grace; this prohibition is a signpost to freedom. . . .

This should be obvious when we consider how God chose to deal with the failures of this world: "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but have eternal life. Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him." God saved the world through love, not condemnation; God restored broken creation through grace, not judgment. The Devil, remember, is the one whom Scripture calls the Accuser. God is the Affirmer.

Grace alone has the power to change people for the better. Only in the capacious freedom of having already been accepted can people own their failure and walk down another path. Grace alone grants the courage to face wrong-doing; grace alone grants the ability to keep things in perspective, to see failure as only one thread in the larger tapestry of life; grace alone grants the strength to rise up with confidence to face a new future.

Donald McCullough, If Grace Is So Amazing, Why Don't We Like It?