"11Do not speak against one another, brethren. He who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks against the law and judges the law; but if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge of it. 12 There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is able to save and to destroy; but who are you who judge your neighbor?"
Good Morning my beloved, Welcome to worship this Lord's day! Let us rejoice for another day to worship and praise Him.
I would be surprised to find any verse of the Bible that is more misunderstood than
Jesus’ words in Matthew 7:1, "Do not judge so that you will not be judged." At the same time, there is hardly any verse that is more frequently disobeyed among Christians. Many Christians today, seem to have a critical spirit. Judgmental words flow out of a judgmental heart. Therefore, the sin begins in the heart. It is a manifestation of pride; thinking that we’re better than others. I've often wondered if some Christians actually think that criticizing others is some kind of spiritual gift!
Have you ever noticed that anyone driving slower than you is an idiot, but everyone going faster than you is a maniac?
Judging is to form an opinion and make a determination based upon evidence. Because we are all in the family of Christ, we are all brothers and sisters. Brothers and sisters are never meant to sit in judgement of one another. When we criticize or judge, we are in essence we’re saying, "I know better than God does." Therefore, the spirit in which judgement is done is key.
I would like to encourage all of you, that as you look upon your brothers and sisters in Christ, remember that the
playing field is level. We are all sinners in need of grace. It's crucial that we all recognize
that we have only experienced God’s grace through the blood of Jesus Christ.
Let's pray.
Heavenly Father,
Father, we as always, thank You for Your Word for us. Thank You for this wonderful reminder, that each of us have some soul-searching to do, that we need to take inventory of our own hearts. Lord, though we are new creations, none of us is without sin. Forgive us for the times that we have prejudged and misjudged others, judging unjustly and unfairly. Forgive us for the time we've lied, or spoken harshly or unkindly against any of Your children. Help us O' Lord to love others, as You have loved us. Help to humble ourselves, seeking forgiveness from those we have hurt. Search and examine our hearts and convict us of any unconfessed sin.
Guide our speech, that is might be edifying, uplifting bringing healing and purification. May our speech be seasoned with salt and arrest any corrupt conversations. Most of all, let us saying nothing that would bring You shame. Help us to think rightly about ourselves and others. Remembering that we are all Your children. For Christ's sake
In His name we pray
Amen
Today's Message: Who Are You To Judge?
In Romans chapter 2 verses 1-3, the Apostle Paul points out the absurdity of judging others when he says "Therefore you have no excuse, everyone of you who passes judgment, for in that which you judge another, you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. But do you suppose this, O ma, when you pass judgment on those who practice such things and do the same yourself, that you will escape the judgment of God?"
F.B. Meyer once said, "It is a terrible thing for a sinner to fall into the hands of his fellow sinners."
While we may be prone to blame the devil or others for our merciless attitudes and actions toward other, at the end of the day, it is we who are responsible.
Open your Bibles with me to the book of James. It is such a wonderful blessing to be able to study God's Word with all of you. I am thankful for your faithful and eager hearts.As we return to this wonderful epistle, we come to verses 11 and 12. Our passage today is hard-hitting and stands in stark contrast to the easy-believism that is so popular in our culture today.
I invite you to follow along with me as I read, while we prepare our hearts for the Spirit has to say to us. James 4:11-12.
"Do not speak against one another, brethren. He who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks against the law and judges the law; but if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge of it. There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is able to save and to destroy; but who are you who judge your neighbor? "
These verses begin with the command not to speak evil or to judge a brother in Christ and ends with another command not to judge anyone, and are in line with what James has been talking about throughout his epistle, what you speak is an indication of your heart. These verses speak of the issue of slander the blasphemous sin of defaming other people. When we speak against a brother or a sister, we are speaking ill of the law. Habitually speaking evil of others, betrays an unchanged heart. In essence, your words betray you. So, the speech of the tongue is truly a test of living faith. The mouth is the tunnel through which depravity exits the heart. If you are a new man, it should reflect itself, there will be a demonstrated change in your heart.
In typical James fashion, he gets right to the point. He doesn't mince words, in telling us there is no room
in the Christian life for a judgmental spirit. He gives no
circumstances under which being critical of others is acceptable
behavior. James is telling us that this is not the kind of speech expected of a Christian. I believe that if there is a list of sins to which believers are particularly prone, these two must certainly be high on that list.
Jesus says in Matthew 25:40, "Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me."
And, in Matthew 12 verse 37, He says "For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”
When we stand in judgment of others, we’re really standing in the place of the ultimate Judge. We must remember to let God be the judge. While other sins require a particular set of circumstances before they
can be committed, slander needs only a malicious tongue driven by hatred. God's Word has much to say about slander.
In Exodus 20:16, it says "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor."
Leviticus 19:16 says "You shall not go about as a slanderer among your people, and you are not to act against the life of your neighbor; I am the Lord."
And, in Psalm 15:2-3, David says "He who walks with integrity, and works righteousness, And speaks truth in his heart. He does not slander with his tongue, Nor does evil to his neighbor, Nor takes up a reproach against his friend."
Isaiah 32:7 tells us "As for a rogue, his weapons are evil; He devises wicked schemes To destroy the afflicted with slander, Even though the needy one speaks what is right."
James uses the phrase "speak against," in fact, he uses it three times, in verse 11. I believe this is
so we are conscious of the fact that slander within the community of faith is slander against a brother.
Interestingly enough, in my experience, I have found that without exception, the people who have the greatest number of faults are
the most merciless in their criticism of others.
That’s a violation of Philippians 2:3-4, "Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others." If you’re a believer you ought to manifest it by loving your brother. Of course, the Bible does not condone speaking evil of anyone but especially fellow believers.
As a footnote, I believe that there is a difference between gossip and slander. Slander refers specifically to false accusations, whereas gossip, while never a noble undertaking, may actually be true.However, both gossip and slandering are not only harmful, more importantly, they're both sins. To slander someone is to talk down or assume a position of superiority over another. That is the issue in which James is speaking about. The bottom line is, we’re all going to end up kneeling side-by-side in the place of judgment facing God.
Clearly, James is connecting slander to be being judgemental. When we judge others, we’re actually claiming to have a better standard
of judgment than God does. I would like you to mark and remember this powerful truth: God is God and you’re not!
In verse 12, James reminds us of this truth, "There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is able to save and to destroy. In Matthew 10:28, "Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell."
The word "krinó," translated is the English word judge, it originally meant "separate." James does not speaking in terms of evaluation but rather of condemnation. He's speaking of those who place themselves in a position of judge over those to whom they talk down to. How you treat a fellow Christian is exactly how you treat Christ. Jesus did not condemn judgement per se, we are commanded to deal with sin. He does however, condemned the attitude in which we stand in judgement of others.
In Matthew chapter 18, Jesus says "And whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me; but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea."
Many people make this make of thinking Jesus is talking about little children. These are not physical children, He's speaking of, but rather spiritual children. Just to show you, look at verse 7, "Woe to the world because of its stumbling blocks! For it is inevitable that stumbling blocks come; but woe to that man through whom the stumbling block comes!" All of us are childlike until we come to maturity in Christ's presence, when you offend another believer, that is very a serious issue.
When you condemn your brother, you are condemning the law that forbids it. When you do that, means you disregard it in disobedience, as if it is unworthy of your attention. In other words, you sinning against the law. The Ten Commandments. Therefore, you're sinning against love. The Ten Commandments is love verbalized. Love is respectful, love is loyal, love is faithful to obey.
In Closing..
If we find ourselves speaking badly of others, if we have a condemning, judgemental spirit, then we need to contemplate the implications of our actions, then we need humble ourselves in the sight of the Lord. James wants us to understand that in speaking against our brothers and sisters, we are slandering family members. I am sure that most families today have rules about defaming one another in the home. We certainly do in our family. Should we not view the defamation of fellow believers, our brothers and sisters in Christ in the same manner? Since Jesus Christ is merciful, and forgiving, so we are called to be.
The one who exalts himself, diminishes his brother! We would all do well to think twice before we speak. I pray that we would all take this message to heart and avoid conflict, speaking against others in our homes, in our families, in the church, between churches and in all of our relationships. Let us who have experienced Christ's mercy show mercy to others
May it be so..
And now may the Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.
Now and forever, in Jesus' name
Amen
the Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.
Now and forever, in Jesus' name
Amen
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