Authentic Christianity-Part 15

Introduction- James 4:11-12

The last time we were here in the book of James we considered what is needed if believers are to enjoy victory and draw near to God.

We must submit ourselves to God and resist the devil if we are to enjoy victory in the Christian life—this involves total surrender to God and active resistance to the devil.

We were challenged to draw near to God with the assurance that in drawing near to Him, He will in turn draw near to us.

This also involves cleansing both our actions and our thoughts and taking sin (that which separates us from God) very seriously.

Finally we were challenged to humble ourselves—this involves recognizing who we are in the light of who God is—and assured that if we will do so God will in His perfect timing lift us up.

Tonight we will again see another passage which is very practical in nature and which will likely bring about conviction in each of our lives.

The subject of the two verses before us this evening involves our treatment of one another—specifically how we speak about one another.

Speak Not Evil (Vs. 11a)

Earlier in this epistle James has spoken about the danger and the power of the tongue and its ability both to build up and to destroy.

Now he hones in on a specific use of the tongue in speaking evil one of another.

This passage addresses brethren and challenges them that they should not speak evil of one another.

It is vitally important that we understand the nature of this instruction in order to properly interpret the passage.

The idea of speaking evil of one another in this passage involves slanderous speech—that which is meant to tear down the character of another in the eyes of someone.

This does not mean that we ignore sinful actions or attitudes in others, but in these cases the scripture plainly calls upon us to speak the truth in love.

The speech at issue here is when we go to someone and speak evil of a brother/sister to them with the intent to lower others opinion of them or to question their character or motives.

This we must never do—there is no circumstance in which it is appropriate to criticize a brother or to attempt to tear him down in the eyes of others.

There are so many instances where you and I may be tempted to criticize others or to question their character in our conversation with others but we must resist this temptation.

If we notice sin in the lives of a brother we ought to go directly to him and in loving confrontation address it directly rather than pointing it out to others or questioning their character or motives.

If we love one another as we should then we will have genuine concern for one another and we will be careful to address sin or offense in a manner that is likely to lead to restoration and reconciliation.

This will lead us to abstain from speaking evil about one another and will instead cause us to pray for them and even to lovingly confront them if that is what is required.

The Tony Evans Bible Commentary IV. Hostility or Humility (4:1–17)

“Don’t speak about a fellow believer with the intent of doing harm rather than providing help.”

A Dangerous Position (Vs. 11b)

The first phrase in the second part of this verse gives us further insight into the nature of the commandment to “Speak not evil one of another.”

The one who speaks evil of his brother does so because he has passed judgment upon him.

Judging our brother involves making assumption about his motive and character which in truth we do not have sufficient knowledge to discern.

You and I can certainly see what a man does but we can never truly discern why he does it and thus we are unqualified to pass judgment.

The individual who speaks evil of his brother and who passes judgment on him—the scripture declares, speaks evil of and judges the law.

The assumption here is that in judging or speaking evil of a brother we go beyond the law and are thus placing ourselves in a position as a critic of the law as though it were not sufficient in itself to judge men.

When we set ourselves up as a judge of other men’s behavior we are then in a position that is not rightfully ours.

Illustration— Officer involved shootings—anyone can sit back and judge the officer’s behavior after the fact but no one has any idea what was going on in the mind of the officer in that moment and the pressure and threat level that he felt personally that caused him to act as he did.

When we become a judge of others we are now no longer a doer of the law (which is what we each ought to be) but rather we have become a judge.

Matthew 7:1–5 “Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.”

Jesus spoke plainly on this subject during the course of his earthly ministry in what we refer to as the sermon on the mount.

Jesus clearly expresses the fact that we are not to judge others—rather we should first judge ourselves and we should then be in a position to help others to address the sin in their lives.

Even when a brother/sister has violated the clear command of God and has committed sin you and I do not have the right to judge their motives or their character based upon their behavior.

We certainly have a right to confront them with regard to their sin, but we do not have the right to defame them or to slander them among others.

Often you and I may judge others purely on the basis of what we expect from them and this is where we may speak evil of them or unfairly criticize them in conversation with others.

We must understand that men are not subject to our expectations but rather to God’s law in their lives—we do not have the right to judge others by their failure to meet our expectations of them.

The scripture plainly indicates that we are not qualified to stand in judgment of others—we ought instead to endeavor to keep the law ourselves—making sure that we obey His commandments and respect His judgments.

One Lawgiver (Vs. 12)

This final verse declares that there is only one lawgiver and that He alone has the power to save and to destroy.

This singular lawgiver obviously speaks of God—He alone is qualified to stand in judgment over men and to save or to destroy them on the basis of His judgment not ours.

The question is then posed who art thou that judgest another?—this is to say what makes us believe that we are qualified to judge others.

The point being made in this passage is simply that we should leave the judgment to God for He alone is qualified in His infinite knowledge and wisdom and by the fact that He alone is perfectly just.

You and I do not have the right to impose our own standards or expectations upon others for in doing so we act in the role of a lawgiver and in truth we claim a role that belongs only to God.

You and I must be careful that we submit to God as the lawgiver and allow Him to stand in the position of judge over men and that we do not usurp His authority by attempting to place ourselves in a role reserve for Him alone.

This same sentiment is echoed in Romans 14:4- Passage Romans 14:1-13

Romans 14:4“Who art thou that judgest another man’s servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand.”

This is spoken in the context with regard to dietary choices that were made among some believers—they were encouraged not to judge one another in these matters of personal convictions.

Instead they were encouraged to allow the Master to judge their actions for each is subject to Him not to each other.

I may be tempted to impose my viewpoint and my own personal convictions or expectations upon others but in doing so I become a judge and I step into a role that I am utterly unqualified for.

I must allow God to judge His servants and trust that He will judge justly and that He does not need my assistance in the matter.

God is perfectly capable of judging men—He has not given us the authority to judge others but only to judge ourselves.

Conclusion

Much strife and contention could be avoided if each of us would heed the instruction given in this passage of the scripture.

We must resist the temptation to speak evil one of another—we must not criticize or attempt to tear down a brother however guilty he may be.

We ought instead to pray for him and we ought to do all that we can to help him if he be entangled with sin with a genuine concern for his spiritual restoration.

We must avoid setting ourselves up as the judge of other men’s actions—it if perfectly acceptable for us to lovingly correct a brother who has sinned—but we have no right whatsoever to pass judgment upon him making assumptions about his character and motivation.

We must endeavor to remain in the position of a “doer of the law” and not a judge or critic of the law.

We must trust that God is perfectly capable of judging men and does not in any way need our assistance.

God is perfectly just and He knows the deepest thoughts and motivations of all men and thus He alone is qualified to judge men.