Living Right

A tough old cowboy from Texas counseled his granddaughter that if she wanted to live a long life, the secret was to sprinkle a pinch of gun powder on her oatmeal every morning.

The granddaughter did this religiously until the age of 103, when she died.

She left behind 14 children, 30 grandchildren, 45 great-grandchildren, 25 great-great-grandchildren, and a 40-foot hole where the crematorium used to be.

Historical/Cultural Context -

The book of James was written by the half-brother of Jesus. The Son of Joseph and Mary. Written in the early 40s. He wrote to primarily Jews who were Christians, as at this time it was so early in the spread of Christianity that it had not been widely adopted by non-jews, also known as Gentiles. James encouraged his readers to live consistent Christian lives in the midst of persecution for their faith in Christ.

Biblical Text -

James 4:11–17 NKJV

Do not speak evil of one another, brethren. He who speaks evil of a brother and judges his brother, speaks evil of 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 one Lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy. Who are you to judge another? Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.” But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.

-[Prayer]-

Life Principle - Walking Right, Means To Speak No Evil, And To Watch Out For Presumption And Arrogance.

Life Point- Speak No Evil

Exegetical -

James 4:11–12 NKJV

Do not speak evil of one another, brethren. He who speaks evil of a brother and judges his brother, speaks evil of 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 one Lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy. Who are you to judge another?

James 4:11–12 NIV84

Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?

Homiletical -

Speaking evil of someone to others is prohibited. The word translated “speak evil” is actually better translated, in my opinion anyway, as “slander”.

What is slander?

According the ISB Encyclopedia

It is an accusation maliciously uttered, with the purpose or effect of damaging the reputation of another. As a rule it is a false charge; but it may be a truth circulated insidiously and with a hostile purpose.

So, slander could be falsities or it could be truth that is circulated but only to hurt someone.

slander or speaking evil of someone what else do we call that?

How about Gossip.

Ephesians 4:29 NKJV

Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.

Psalm 34:13 NKJV

Keep your tongue from evil, And your lips from speaking deceit.

Proverbs 6:16–19 NKJV

These six things the Lord hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him: A proud look, A lying tongue, Hands that shed innocent blood, A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that are swift in running to evil, A false witness who speaks lies, And one who sows discord among brethren.

You see that?

One who is a false witness and sows discord among brethren!

Discord, i.e. causing tension, fighting, evil amongst the brethren. This is evil and it is a sin in God’s eyes!

“speaks evil of the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge.”

If you are speaking evil of people, other believers then you are no longer living out the scriptures but now you have set yourself up as a judge over them.

How?

Because the Bible says don’t slander, don’t speak evil. But you think you know better and you slander and speak evil.

Think about this. The person whom sinned you don’t know what God will do with them. Perhaps later in life they will repent and come back to God and the church. However, here you are talking bad about them behind their backs, spreading rumor and innuendo. That garbage shouldn’t even be spoken about to other people. That is gossip!

When you say that a person is doing something and that will send them to hell. LikeI said earlier, are you God? Do you know what God will do with them later? I am sure many Christians in Paul’s day would have said he was going to hell because he was killing the believers, but God gave him a miraculous intervention.

Acts 9:3–18 NKJV

As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.” So he, trembling and astonished, said, “Lord, what do You want me to do?” Then the Lord said to him, “Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” And the men who journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice but seeing no one. Then Saul arose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened he saw no one. But they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank. Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus named Ananias; and to him the Lord said in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.” So the Lord said to him, “Arise and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus, for behold, he is praying. And in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and putting his hand on him, so that he might receive his sight.” Then Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he has done to Your saints in Jerusalem. And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name.” But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake.” And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once; and he arose and was baptized.

James 4:12 NKJV

There is one Lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy. Who are you to judge another?

There is one lawgiver, that is God. He is able to save to destroy. You are not, you do not know all things. He does. How dare we speak evil to one another or slander someone, or spread gossip. Remember doing such things makes you a person who is judging God’s law. In essence who are we to judge?

You know what the problem is with those that are self-deceived; other than being self-deceived? Many times they have a holier-than-thou attitude. They have this weird bent toward sinful rivalries and conflicts.

Being this way will, often times, lead to a bitter attitude. These Christians are often indifferent to the abysmal condition of their own faith.

These Christians are boastful and do a lot of bragging. They have done what James warns about in chapter 2:4. The have become “judges with evil thoughts. Their speech has become corrupt:

James 3:10 NKJV

Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so.

These kinds of Christians have usurped God’s role as judge, not only over themselves but over others. To behave like this shows that they have an abundance of pride and presumption.

Remember James 4:6?

James 4:6 NKJV

But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.”

The problem here is that they are self-deceived so they don’t know they are in pride. They don’t stop to do self-examination. They don’t ask God to show them their sins so that they may confess and repent of them. They are carnal, unspiritual and surface level. The problem is, 9 times out of 10, they think they are spiritual and a deep Christian. But in reality, they aren’t.

Illustration -

You know just a few months ago my wife and I were visiting some old friends. In times past we had accepted them as family, treated them as family. However since right before the pandemic any time I saw them I would pick up on an attitude change. I thought it was in my mind, because we have none them for over 10 years.

You see, while I was trying to be a good dad, teacher, Sunday School teacher and recently Pastor of this church; there was some gossip going on. False gossip. That I knew nothing about. To this day I don’t know the details. Again, I thought it was in my mind. Did they ever ask me anything? Did they ever seek me out or even let me know they had a problem. No, they didn’t.

I am thinking this is all in my mind, until one day we are at a gathering and they happened to be there. The woman comes up to my wife and says, and I quote, “We sure do miss you; even though your husband is a putz.” Needless to say, we are now dis-associating with them.

For those of you who were like me, I didn’t know the exact definition of the word “putz” so I looked it up. This type of individual is a stupid, foolish, or ineffectual person. A synonym for this is JERK. I am not sure where they got that. I never intend to treat people wrongly, that is never a motive for me. I have no idea what colored their opinion, but there you have it.

Now, moving right along....

Life Point - Watch Where You’re Walking

Exegetical -

James 4:13–17 NKJV

Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.” But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.

Homiletical -

This next section is more about presumption, and arrogance enacted in the Christian’s life.

James uses the idea of the business man here as an illustration. This would have been something they could relate to.

This is all about the pride of the successful person. This kind of pride should never be in the Christians thinking. This person says to himself, and maybe others, “look at me, look at what I have done with my hands and intelligence. I am a self-made person. No one helped me, I got here all on my own.”

Every-time I here someone like this, I know I am not going to be able to change their mind, so I let scripture do it.

James 4:14 NKJV

whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.

Everything I own will, eventually, belong to someone else. My house, my car, my money. Nothing is mine. When I am dead and gone the things of this temporary life won’t mean a thing. So instead of hoarding everything, how about I do what scripture said? How about helping the brethren, the sick, the widows, the destitute. How about tithing.

James 4:15–16 NKJV

Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.” But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.

I used to have a friend that would talk about all the people they witnessed to and the people that got saved. Then they got mad about something and stopped going to church. Now it is all about their stuff, and their new toys. You know what? I know of some pastors like that too.

Jesus spoke a parable about this to illustrate the point of pride, boasting and arrogance.

Luke 12:13–21 NKJV

Then one from the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” But He said to him, “Man, who made Me a judge or an arbitrator over you?” And He said to them, “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.” Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. And he thought within himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?’ So he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.” ’ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’ “So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”

Of course, always remember:

Proverbs 16:18–19 NKJV

Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall. Better to be of a humble spirit with the lowly, Than to divide the spoil with the proud.

Life Point - Live Right

Exegetical -

Berean Study Bible (James 5:1-6)

Come now, you who are rich, weep and wail over the misery to come upon you. Your riches have rotted and moths have eaten your clothes. Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and consume your flesh like fire. You have hoarded treasure in the last days. Look, the wages you withheld from the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of Hosts. You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in the day of slaughter. You have condemned and murdered the righteous, who did not resist you.

Homiletical -

They keep saying a new world order is coming. It came out of President Biden’s mouth during a speech. Do some research on “The Great Reset.” I have heard about it here and there for over 10 years. I don’t necessarily believe everything they say about it, but a lot of it I can see happening today. If this is happening, it reminds me of the stock market crash of 1929.

People were throwing themselves off the roofs of buildings and committing suicide in other ways as well.

What happened?

They had placed their trust in the world’s system. In something that is temporary and not in spiritual matters whatsoever. Does that mean we should not use the stock market? That we should not build a retirement portfolio? No. It means don’t put your trust all in it. When you trust something implicitly you put your money there.

If you want to know people’s hearts, see where they put their time, energy and money.

Matthew 6:19–21 NKJV

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

The real sad part of this whole thing is that God through James was speaking to the “brethren” those that were saved. Those that had called on the name of Christ. These same people were also cheating their workers.

There are many today who have cheated their workers and who call upon the name of the Lord. There are many Christians who cheat on their taxes, cheat on their wives, tell lies, and speak evil of others and are calling themselves Christians.

Christianity is not just something you do on Sunday. Your beliefs ought to inform every area of your life. If someone in your life tells you to do something you know is wrong, whether on the job site or not. You don’t do it. If the Bible says to do something, you do it. This isn’t that hard of a concept to get and understand. The problem, at least for some, is the consequences that will come from following the morality of scripture.

Following scripture has caused me to lose promotions. Following scripture has caused me to be the butt of jokes in the work place. Following scripture has caused those above me to pile on the work.

The question is, will you do and act as God says, or will you do what the rest of the world is doing?

All that to say, Christianity is something you live out, not something you take off on Monday when work comes. If you love Jesus, and are truly saved, you will naturally want to do good. You may not always do good, but you are going to want to strive to live the Holy life that God has called us to live. You know, even Paul had a problem with walking in Holiness.

Berean Study Bible Struggling with Sin

14 We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. 15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do, I do not do. But what I hate, I do. 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I admit that the law is good. 17 In that case, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.

18 I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my flesh; for I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want to do. Instead, I keep on doing the evil I do not want to do. 20 And if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.

21 So this is the principle I have discovered: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law. 23 But I see another law at work in my body, warring against the law of my mind and holding me captive to the law of sin that dwells within me.2

24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25

- Romans 7:14–25(BSB)

Does this mean we get frustrated and just give up? NO. The person who gives up only piles on more sin and it makes them feel worse and worse. Hopefully, eventually, they will come to Christ and repent. It is better that if you fall, you get right back up again and live right.

Proverbs 24:16 NKJV

For a righteous man may fall seven times And rise again, But the wicked shall fall by calamity.

Life Principle– Walking Right, Means To Speak No Evil, And To Watch Out For Presumption And Arrogance.

Call to Action – altar call….