Guarding Our Tongue: The Power of Our Words

Bible Passage: James 4:11-12

James 4:11–12 “Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?”

Big Idea: Our words have the power to uplift or destroy; therefore, as followers of Christ, we must commit to speaking with grace and truth, aligning our speech with our faith and love for others.

Illustration: Joseph and Potiphar’s wife.

Genesis 39:13–20 “And as soon as she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and had fled out of the house, she called to the men of her household and said to them, “See, he has brought among us a Hebrew to laugh at us. He came in to me to lie with me, and I cried out with a loud voice. And as soon as he heard that I lifted up my voice and cried out, he left his garment beside me and fled and got out of the house.” Then she laid up his garment by her until his master came home, and she told him the same story, saying, “The Hebrew servant, whom you have brought among us, came in to me to laugh at me. But as soon as I lifted up my voice and cried, he left his garment beside me and fled out of the house.” As soon as his master heard the words that his wife spoke to him, “This is the way your servant treated me,” his anger was kindled. And Joseph’s master took him and put him into the prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined, and he was there in prison.”

Genesis 39:21 “But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison.”

1. Slandering with Words Harms

2. Recognizing the True Judge

James 4:11 “Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge.”

3x brothers is used so he is talking to men and women in the church

3x phrase speak evil against or speak evil.

Speak Evil or speak against means to slander v. — to charge falsely or with malicious intent; attack the good name and reputation of someone.

Peter uses the same phrase of “speak evil against” or slander. Peter points out is should be expect from those who are evildoers outside of the church by unbelievers. James is referencing those inside the church, believers to whom it should not be named.

1 Peter 2:12 “Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.”

1 Peter 3:16 “having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.”

Peter uses the same phrase of “speak evil against” or slander. Peter points out is should be expect from those who are evildoers outside of the church by unbelievers. James is referencing those inside the church, believers to whom it should not be named.

Because Slander is lying, Slander violates the 9th Commandment

Exodus 20:16 ““You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.”

It is listed in the list of things the Lord hates.

Proverbs 6:16–19 “There are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers.”

Lying and slandering are an abomination to the Lord

Proverbs 12:22 “Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who act faithfully are his delight.”

Jesus said its better to suffer a horrible death than to cause these little ones who believe in me to sin.

Matthew 18:6 “but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.”

If fellow believers are viewed as God’s chosen ones why do you Galatians 5:15 “bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.”

It comes from the heart.

Matthew 15:19 “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander.”

When Gods chosen bite and consume one another it bears witness that they may not know God. If you have a new heart with new desires then you are a new creation because of Christ work in you.

2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”

If you are in Christ, it is part of the old sin nature that needs to be put away.

Colossians 3:7–8 “In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth.”

James: The MacArthur New Testament Commentary What We Think of Others

The first step in avoiding the sin of slander is not keeping one’s lips sealed, but keeping one’s thoughts about others right

4x in verse 11 we see judge the idea is to condemn. We need to stop here because there is a cultural idea that creeps into the church and even amongst believers that we have to agree in everything or we are judging one another. This is not true and is not what James is talking about when he talks about judging your brother or judging the law. The bible speaks often of confronting others in love when they are in sin. This is right and good and the bible provides instruction as to how to confront those who are in sin.

1 Corinthians 2:15 “The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one.”

Before you confront others in sin you need to first get the spec out of your own eye. Examine yourself to make sure your not in sin as well making you a hypocrite. Wwe must address our own sin first.

Matthew 7:3–5 “Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.”

Next, will grace cover it since sin has no dominion over those in Christ Jesus

Romans 6:14 “For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.”

If grace won’t cover it then restore it in spirit of gentleness guarding your own heart as you bear one another burdens.

Galatians 6:1–2 “Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”

In a spirit of gentleness as you guard your own heart bearing one another burdens. Paul gives the idea of restoring or repairing which I picture as walking and living along side showing ones sin the idea of keeping watch wouldn’t be so much an harsh correction but lovingly showing the right way.

Matthew 18:15–17 ““If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.”

If your brother sins against you and grace won’t cover it. You can’t walk it out in restoration, go to him or her. Personally and Privately and tell them their fault. If he listens then you have gained your brother or sister. If they don’t, take one or two others who are close to the situation. Don’t use the fact they don’t see their sin as a reason to gossip or slander them. Take one or two others tell them their fault. Sometimes we see what we think is sin and when we get to this step we find that its more of a preference issue that actual sin. The one or two others act as a witness having seen seen the sin as well. If they still don’t listen, you tell it to the church. The goal in all this is restoration not to cast people out. Christ desires unity in his church and he has given us tools to deal with the remaining sin that we find in our flesh with fellow believers. With those outside of Christ often these precepts work well but don’t be caught off guard should an unbeliever not respond favorably.

Continuing in James, James says “The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. “

What James is saying is that gossip and slander against fellow image bearers mars the image God has given us as fellow image bearer. We can expect that those outside the church will slander others but this ought not be so in the church or among those who claim the name of Christ. The mark of a disciple is their love for one another. They fulfill the royal law of love by loving God and loving each other. To slander is to condemn what God calls redeemed. Its to condemn what Christ died for and there for to speak evil against the law of love. John says that God is love and when we condemn what God has called good we are usurping Gods authority and kicking him off His throne. We are saying I know better God than you and that person who I am slandering they are not your child, they do not belong to you because I am the rightful judge. May it never be so.

Summary:

It is OK for us to disagree, there is room for preference in the Church and among believers.

When sin presents its self and it will, if grace won’t cover it, it is unloving to not address it with the precepts the bible gives us for handling sin. But to speak lies and slander someone or to speak harshly to those in the church violates the royal law of love and has no place among believers. When it does in essence for those guilty of slander you are saying I know the person your slandering better than you do God which makes us judge and this ought not be so.

Don’t be surprised if biblical precepts believers are called to use don’t work in a lost and dying world. It doesn’t relieve the believer of following commands but proves 1 Corinthians 2:14 “The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.”

2. Recognizing the True Judge

James 4:12 “There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?”

Lawgiver - someone who lays down a code of law.

Slander places oneself above God. Much the same way Satan sought to unsuccessfully usurp Gods throne. Isaiah 14:13–14 records Satan’s blasphemous “I will” rant where he says “I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God I will set my throne on high; I will sit on the mount of assembly in the far reaches of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’”

The desire to usurp the place of God has been the essence of every sin ever committed. Sin seeks to dethrone God, to remove Him as supreme Lawgiver and Judge and rule in His place. Because it asserts that the sinner is above God’s law, as noted in the previous point, sin strikes a murderous blow at the very person of God Himself.

John F. MacArthur Jr., James, MacArthur New Testament Commentary (Chicago: Moody Press, 1998), 224.

There is one lawgiver and judge and that is God himself. God is the one who gave the law and the commandments for our instruction.

Exodus 24:12 “The Lord said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain and wait there, that I may give you the tablets of stone, with the law and the commandment, which I have written for their instruction.””

He is our judge, lawgiver, our king who will save us.

Isaiah 33:22 “For the Lord is our judge; the Lord is our lawgiver; the Lord is our king; he will save us.”

God puts one down and picks another up. He is the judge who humbles and exults.

Psalm 75:7 “God who executes judgment, putting down one and lifting up another.”

It is God who sees the secrets of our hearts by Chris Jesus

Romans 2:16 “on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus.”

The son does what the father sees. The Father has given the Son all authority to judge that all may honor the Son.

John 5:22 “For the Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son,”

Judgement will come just like death. Are you ready? You will receive what is due as you stand before the judgement seat of Christ. It will happen soon! We will be paid for what we have done.

Hebrews 9:27 “And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment,”

2 Corinthians 5:10 “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.”

Revelation 22:12 ““Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done.”

Do you know the Son? Has the son revealed the Father to you?

Matthew 11:27 “All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”

More importantly does He know you? Is your name written in the book of life?

Revelation 20:15 “And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.”

Summary:

James gives us an strong admonition against speaking evil and slandering. When we speak evil it comes from the heart and could very well be evidence that we do not know Christ. If its a habitual sin then its likely caused by a bad root. You will know a tree by its fruit. Bad fruit indicate a bad root! Come to Jesus!

Do you know Jesus or more importantly does he know you? Does your life represent a direction in obedience? Come to Jesus.

Do you 5 have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.