Be A Doer Of The Law and Not The Lawgiver

APRIL 19, 2020 STUDY NOTES JAMES 4:11-12 BIBLE TEACHER: CLIFTON JONES BE A DOER OF THE LAW AND NOT THE LAWGIVER INTRODUCTION James likes the word “doer,” it gets his point across, it identifies with action Jas 1:22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. Jas 1:23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: Jas 1:25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. In the previous verses of chapter 4, we learned how important it is to seek God’s will James gave us 10 commandments to obey and walk in God’s will The first commandment was to “Submit yourselves to God” In the tenth commandment James said to “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord” Drawing near to God will result in a life of humility, a life that is “God-ward” James now shows us the life that is “man-ward,” not God-ward, and not a life of humility In verse 11, James gives us another commandment which a doer of the law must obey It was given because there were those in the church who were haughty and proud They were allowing their tongue to get out of control, the classic chapter on the tongue is James 3 James now tells us more about the dangers of the uncontrolled tongue and how destructive it can be Jas 4:11 Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge. Speak not evil one of another, brethren. To “speak evil” is found 3 times in this verse, James makes a strong point The commandment is clear, “do not slander others,” do not criticize others Stop speaking against one another, stop accusing one another, stop running one another down Stop talking against your church family and tearing one another apart Stop trying to lift yourself up by lowering others with your tongue “One another” indicates that this was-something that was going back and forth They were doing to others what had been done unto them, which is a “get even” attitude They were slandering those who had slandered them The degree of the wrong was intensified because they were “brethren” Another strong point, the word “brother” is found three times in this one verse That is why James is so concerned about the slandering that was going on Members within the family of God were running one another down Slander is a sin that most people don’t place on the “most sinful list” It is not a sin that you put in the same class with adultery, murder, or stealing “To speak evil or to slander” means to blaspheme or insult with speech People will say, “I am not talking about them, or being critical,” I am just telling you the truth There may be truth in what was said, but the sin is the evil intention behind the words The sin is the evil intention of the one who is speaking against someone Deep down they mean to bring fault and harm against them You do not hear many messages speaking out against the sin of “speaking against others” But the Bible often speaks out against the sin of slander, criticizing, backbiting, and gossiping The devastating damage of slander is often found in the OT, Lev 19:15 Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment: thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor honor the person of the mighty: but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbor. “Righteousness” was to be the standard of living, especially before your neighbor “Righteousness” should be the guide of what is said about others, Lev 19:16 Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people: neither shalt thou stand against the blood of thy neighbor: I am the LORD. A “talebearer” was one who slandered his neighbor, better known today as “gossip” “Up and down” describes the path of “talebearing,” a destructive path from one end to the other Gossip injures all involved, the one who tells it, the one who hears it, and the one it involves Slanderous speech is dangerous and can endanger the life of many people It is compared to the harming of life and the shedding of blood The rebuke of one another is motivated by hate and results in sin against the neighbor, Lev 19:17 Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbor, and not suffer sin upon him. The way to deal with sin in the life of another person is not to commit sin in your own life Rebuke them face to face and not behind their back, rebuke them in the spirit of love, Lev 19:18 Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself: I am the LORD. Slanderous speech, revenge, and holding a grudge all violate the “Law of Love,” 1Jn 4:21 And this commandment have we from him, that he who loveth God love his brother also. According to Jesus the “Law of Love” is to love God first, Mat 22:37 Jesus said unto him, thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. Which is the first great commandment of love, Mat 22:38 This is the first and great commandment. The second great commandment is, Mat 22:39 And the second is like unto it, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. David tells us who will enjoy the presence of the Lord in the future kingdom, Psa 15:3 He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbor, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbor. His words also apply to Christians living in our world today, slander is not the Christian way of life As Christians we are not to slander or do evil to our neighbor Slander is found listed with the ways of the wicked, Psa 50:19 Thou givest thy mouth to evil, and thy tongue frameth deceit. The wicked give their mouth over to evil speaking, they deceive with the tongue They will even slander their own brother, Psa 50:20 Thou sittest and speakest against thy brother; thou slanderest thine own mother's son Listen to the despair of Jeremiah over his people, Jer 9:3 And they bend their tongues like their bow for lies: but they are not valiant for the truth upon the earth; for they proceed from evil to evil, and they know not me, saith the LORD. Their tongue is like a bow shooting arrows, the arrows are their wicked lies, one evil after another Those who slander cannot be trusted, they will deceive even their neighbor, Jer 9:4 Take ye heed every one of his neighbor and trust ye not in any brother: for every brother will utterly supplant, and every neighbor will walk with slanders. Jer 9:5 And they will deceive everyone his neighbor, and will not speak the truth: they have taught their tongue to speak lies and weary themselves to commit iniquity. Slander is a deceiving path and not the path to learn the truth of God, Jer 9:6 Thine habitation is in the midst of deceit; through deceit they refuse to know me, saith the LORD. Proverbs warns against associating with those who slander and gossip, Pro 20:19 He that goeth about as a talebearer revealeth secrets: therefore, meddle not with him that flattereth with his lips. One who travels the path of gossip cannot be trusted, do not associate with them Paul places the sin of slander in-the midst of a list of other sins, among the sins of those who are lost, Rom 1:28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Words coming from an unworthy mind and an unrighteous tongue, speaking words that are useless Look close at the category of sins that are identified, Rom 1:29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, “Whisperer” is a word found only here in the NT Referring to those who “are whispering” about others which is “slanderous gossip” The original word refers to those who are doing their gossiping in a secret way Like, “I am going to tell you, but I wouldn’t tell anyone else, so don’t you tell anyone I said it” And the next word Paul listed is backbiters,” Rom 1:30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, In verse 30, “backbiters,” also has the meaning of “to slander” or “slanderous speech” It picks up where the last verse left off, referring to those “secret slanders” Here we have the “backbiters,” slandering which is out in the open A step above the so-called secret gossipers of verse 29, there is now no secret about it They openly speak against others and harm their reputation Look close at the other sins that “slander” is listed with, slander is a destructive sin It is listed with sins that Christians would not dare to be identified with Slander is a sin that Paul feared he would find in the Corinthian church, 2Co 12:20 For I fear, lest, when I come, I shall not find you such as I would, and that I shall be found unto you such as ye would not: lest there be debates, envyings, wraths, strifes, backbitings, whisperings, swellings, tumults: Gossip and slander are sins that the church of today must fear and not allow to take place It does not normally happen in the church worship service It happens where 2 or 3 are gathered-together to discuss the worship service and the church members Which James now explains was taking place, He that speaketh evil of his brother, The brotherhood of the Christian family is important to James The word “brother” is found 19 times in the letter, it is found 3 times in this verse The family of God is to love, support, and protect one another Slander, backbiting, criticizing, derogatory remarks, should not be found among Christians Such things are destructive to the Christian life and the church, Gal 5:15 But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another. Christians are not to be tearing one another apart with things that should not be a part of our life, 1Pe 2:1 Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, Peter gave us a list of 5 things to get rid of immediately they should not be a part of our daily life Paul gives us a list of things to get rid of, get them out of our life now, Eph 4:31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: Then he gives us a list of things that must be a part of our life right now, Eph 4:32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. Get involved in the things that will encourage and build one another up Paul is telling us to be gracious toward one another through the Grace God has bestowed upon us James agrees, explaining to us what happens when you don’t share grace with one another and judgeth his brother, Judging one another has the meaning of criticizing and condemning When you “speak evil” of a brother, you “condemn” them Some Christians spend a lot of time looking for faults in other Christians How hard is it for God to find fault in us? What does God do when He does find fault in us? Does he tell everyone that knows us about our faults? No, but God will discipline us James does not have in mind forming an opinion of someone who is in the wrong, we should do that But to judge, condemn, or slander is not an evaluation of others for the purpose of correction This verse speaks of someone who is constantly backbiting, fault-finding, and criticizing others The original language presents it as an ongoing activity, pointing to a habitual action It is what they continually do, they live to judge others, do you know anyone like that? speaketh evil of the law, So, what does James mean by the term “law?” He used the same word when he spoke of the “perfect law of liberty,” Jas 1:25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. He used the same word when he spoke of the “royal law,” Jas 2:8 If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well: The “royal law” is a commandment found in the “perfect law of liberty” It is the “Law of Love” commanded within the Word of God for the Christian Condemning others through slander is a violation of the “Law of Love” Constantly tearing someone apart doesn’t even fall under “tough love” By criticizing and condemning others, you are doing what love tells you not to do You set yourself up in the place of God’s law and violate the “Law of Love” This law was given in the OT, it was brought to light by Jesus in the NT, strongly emphasized by Jesus, Joh 13:34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. Joh 13:35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. No higher law can be given, fulfill this law and there is no need for any other laws Paul spoke of this “royal law,” Rom 13:9 For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. Paul agreed with Jesus, if there is love, all law is fulfilled, Rom 13:10 Love worketh no ill to his neighbor: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. Paul told us how to fulfill this royal law, Gal 5:14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. Notice the emphasis, “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself” How do we explain love for self? Love for self is not “selfishness” We must understand it this way, do you want to be lied to, cheated, abused, or falsely accused? If we love others, we will never do those things to them Do you want others to slander you? When you judge others, you have become a judge of the law and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge. If you are judging others through slander you are taking the position that belongs to God You are attempting to determine right from wrong and in so doing you are not right, you are wrong We attempt to know what is right for others when we do not know what is right for us Instead of the law governing your life you are now governing the law You have taken God’s law into your own hands and have set yourself up above the law When you do that, you exempt yourself from the law, you think you are not obligated to God’s law You assume that you have a better law and you are not keeping or practicing God’s law Instead of obeying God’s Law, you become a judge of God’s Law and not “a doer of the law,” Rom 2:13 For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified. Some believe that God has given them the gift of “guarding,” that it is their job to guard the church They “dog” the church by going around sniffing for problems And then they bite the ones that they think is guilty James is going to show us that those who slander put themselves in God’s position Jas 4:12 There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another? There is a strong emphasis upon “one,” God is the “Only One” who gave the law The law givers in our government should agree with God’s law and not contradict it God is the sole Lawgiver, the “One Lawgiver” is the “One Judge” God is the only One who can be the absolute judge of others Too often people want to criticize God’s Law instead of obeying it They want to dethrone God and His law and set themselves up as “lawgiver” That is what you are doing when you set yourself up as a judge of others Satan tells you that you don’t have to obey God’s Law because you have a better one Satan wants you to believe that God needs your help in judging your “brother” James says that our help is not necessary, God can handle it “Only God,” is the One who is-able to save He is the only one who has the power and authority over life and death God is the one who can carry out the proper judgment upon those who are guilty What does James mean by the term “save?” What does he mean by the term “destroy?” It is obvious that the word “destroy” is opposite in meaning to the word “save” The “saving” is presented as an act of God, He alone is able to “save” To “save” is to rescue from danger and destruction; to save one from perishing And God alone “is able” to save, spiritual salvation is the prime example, Rom 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. and to destroy: “Only God” has the power and authority “to destroy” The meaning is to “utterly destroy,” completely-destroy, to perish Spiritual destruction is the prime example, Mat 10:28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. The word does not mean “extinction” or annihilation, but total loss through separation It is not the loss of being but the loss of well being Those who are not saved are identified in Scripture as those who are lost Being “lost,” they are separated from God, being separated from God is the loss of well being Having made such a strong point, James now has a question, who art thou that judgest another? Have you ever had someone upset you and you respond with, “Who do you think you are, anyway?” That is exactly what James now says, “Who are you, anyway?” What makes you think that you can properly judge your neighbor? The one who slanders another only thinks he knows the punishment they deserve The one who slanders always has a suggestion for punishment, give them what they deserve It is easy for a Christian to get in the habit of criticizing others Once they get into that habit it is hard for them to see the good in others The eyes and mind are set upon seeing the faults of others and that is all they look for The word translated “another” means “near,” referring to the one who lives near us There is nothing like a nosey neighbor, one who gossips and criticizes If your neighbor talks to you about your other neighbor Who will be the subject of conversation when they are talking to your other neighbor? Your slander can tear a life apart but only God can put that life back together CONCLUSION Let’s think about how Satan works in our minds through the slander of others: Believing that making others look bad makes us look good Believing that tearing others down builds us up Thinking how right we are by talking about how wrong others are Finding pleasure in speaking or hearing about the faults and failures of others Thinking that our mistake and failure was really-not that bad compared to theirs Thinking that we will clear our conscience by criticizing someone who made a mistake We must realize what Satan is doing through slander, he is eating away the life of 3 people: The one who slanders another The one who enjoys listening to the slander of others The one who is being slandered As Christians we must listen to God’s Word and remember who we are We are a child of God and so is every one of our brothers and sisters in Christ We must speak to one another in love and build one another up, Eph 4:15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: The faults of others must be covered with love, 1Pe 4:8 And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins. The sin of others is not to be over-looked Christians must minister to those who have sinned But it must be God’s way and not man’s way, Gal 6:1 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. To be “spiritual” we must be obedient to God’s Word and be filled with the Spirit We can then fulfill the law of Christ, Gal 6:2 Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. Before we attempt to minister to others be sure we have cleared our eyes, Mat 7:5 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. Be careful what you say about others, you may be talking about your family Listen to the song and praise God for your family THE FAMILY OF GOD---Bill Gaither