Judgment Belongs To God!
The Book of James • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Transcript
Toothpaste tube illustration.
smells good
taste good
but like words, when it is pushed out, it is really hard, if not impossible, to put back in the tube.
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?
The Command
The Command
Do not speak against one another, brethren.
The Greek word for speak is another interesting word that the full breadth of meaning may get lost.
kata + laleō = down + to speak
kata + laleō = down + to speak
Kata means "down," so in other words, we are bringing someone down with our speech... but do you know what English word we get from the Greek word Kata?
We get our English words “cataclysm” or “catastrophe” from this word.
Speaking negatively about someone can often does have catastrophic results!
We have discussed gossip before, but this is more than just gossip; if we speak against a brother with the intent to harm, it is sin!
Unfortunately, I believe this is a sin so accepted in our churches today that we don’t even notice when someone speaks badly of another believer.
But this is a sin that God hates, and we must be careful with our words and intentions.
Whoever secretly slanders his neighbor, him I will destroy; No one who has a haughty look and an arrogant heart will I endure.
I want to be clear here, this does not mean that a person cannot be discussed for the purpose of restoration or even confrontation within the principles given in Matthew 18:15-17.
What James is discussing is saying something about another believer for the purpose of harm. Saying things that would tarnish their reputation, discredit them, or cause them harm.
If we're not willing to speak directly to the person to understand or gently correct them in love, then we have no right to speak negatively about someone.
Have you ever heard the old adage “If you have nothing nice to say, say nothing at all”? That is exactly where this applies.
James continues in verse eleven, following the “Command,” to highlight the “Complication” of speaking against our brothers and sisters.
The Complication
The Complication
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.
Perhaps James was thinking of Leviticus 19:16 when he wrote this verse…
‘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.
While speaking slander against another clearly violates the law, there are many practical reasons mentioned in Scripture that we should also consider.
Let me give you three…
1. We all answer to the same master!
As believers, we serve the same God, and each of us will have to give an account for our actions. It is not our responsibility to monitor or judge the actions of other believers.
Who are you to judge the servant of another? To his own master he stands or falls; and he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.
God grows people in His timing and His way… so unless we go to them privately to encourage them in truth, speaking badly of them only causes us to sin.
Example (I have known people who, after they got saved, changed the way they dressed, and others for whom it has taken a while for the Lord to convict them that.)
2. Sometimes we don’t have all the facts!
He who gives an answer before he hears, It is folly and shame to him.
Example: The story of a pastor who judged one of the people who came to hear him speak.
3. Sometimes we judge the very thing we struggle with ourselves.
We see Joe Christian struggling with a life choice, and instead of meeting him with compassion and understanding—since we also have or are currently facing the same issue—we're quick to point out his faults.
“Why do you look at 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,’ and behold, the log is 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.
I'm not suggesting we should never challenge someone doing wrong, but when we do, we should do it with grace and love, knowing that we are only where we are by God’s grace.
James continues in verse 12 to clarify who the Judge is — and it’s not us!
The Clarification
The Clarification
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?
Clearly, James is referring to God; He is the lawgiver and judge…
Here’s the kicker…
When we judge other believers, we are positioning ourselves as God.
God knows every intent of the heart.
He knows our very thoughts and motivations.
God has every right to judge us, and he will one day at the judgment seat of Christ.
The thing is, when we judge, we can judge both ways incorrectly… LET ME EXPLAIN!
We may see someone who does and says all the right things
They dress to the nines
They always have a smile on their face
So we judge them as righteous and holy, yet their heart may be as black as can be, and they do these things for selfish gain.
We then see a person who maybe wouldn’t do things the way we think they should
After all that’s not the Baptist way
They dress differently
They have tattoos
But what we judge to be wrong, they may very well be living in the light God has given them, and they are growing in their faith by leaps and bounds.
Notice the second half of this verse: but who are you who judge your neighbor?
Only God is qualified to judge us, and He will judge us based on the words we choose.
“But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment.
“For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”
How can we then address this?
How do we shape our speech, thoughts, and actions to avoid judging others and being judged in return?
How can we walk humbly before God, as we saw in James 4:6-11, and also walk humbly before others?
The Correction
The Correction
Have you ever heard the old adage “If you have nothing nice to say, say nothing at all”? That is exactly where this applies.
For lack of wood the fire goes out, And where there is no whisperer, contention quiets down.
We quickly stop gossip and harsh speech when we choose not to throw another log on the fire. Just like a fire needs wood to keep burning, speaking ill of others ends when the words stop.
Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear.
What a blessed place this would be, what a beautiful world we would live in if we chose to speak life and truth, building each other up rather than tearing each other down.
What really gets to me, and I need to remind myself when I feel tempted to speak poorly of someone else, especially another believer, is this...
It is only by God’s grace that I am here today, preaching to you.
In my flesh, I am no better than anyone else.
I believe that if you are honest with yourself, neither are you.
Just as we are saved eternally through God’s grace, we are also saved from our sinful lives.
Truth to take home… Judgement in every form belongs to God. You and I, however, have been commanded to love, to encourage, and spur one another on in the faith. We can’t do that if we're judging each other.
Let’s Pray
