James 4:11—Speaking against one another

Do not speak against one another, brethren. He who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks against the law and comprar cialis en espana judges the click reference law; but if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge of it. James 4:11

Do not speak against one another, brethren. So much of the disruption among the believers to whom James wrote had to do with this: they were in the habit of speaking whatever they wanted against whomever they felt deserved it. They were so busy biting and devouring each other that they were clueless to the fact that they were on the verge of entirely consuming themselves (see Galatians 5:15). A regular gingham dog and calico cat!

But the viagra visa uk neuroanesthesialab.com truth about the cat and pup
Is this: they ate each other up!  (From “The Duel” by Eugene Field, 1894.)

It seems that the church world today could use a dose of this caution from James. On both small scales and large, it seems, various Christians are exposing other Christians as frauds, demonic, money-grubbers, manipulators, controlling, false—you name it, they’re alleging it.  Arguably, there is a time and place for exposure and correction, and the Bible is clear about how and why it is to be done. The go-to Scripture for me is Galatians 6:1—“Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted.”

• How? In a spirit of gentleness, looking to yourself so that you won’t be tempted as well.
• Why? For the sake of restoration.

The fact of the matter is this: we believers need each other—and all the more as the world around us grows darker and darker. Do you have an issue with a brother? Pray about it. Do you see sin in your sister? Pray for her. Go to them, certainly; but take Galatians 6:1 along for the ride. Let all that you do be done in love (I Corinthians 16:14).

He who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks against the law and judges the law. If you speak against your brother, you’re speaking against the law. If you judge your sister, you’re judging the law. But No! you may think. He is obnoxious! She’s a Jezebel and a hypocrite and completely off! Even when what you say about them is 100% accurate, the Word is clear. You are to pray. Go to them. If they don’t listen, you take two or three others along. If they still don’t listen, you take them before the church (see Matthew 18:15-17). Why? For accountability. For restoration. Not for the purpose of utterly destroying them. And if you don’t want to do any of that, then just keep quiet.

The Law says this: “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” (Leviticus 19:16). The Lord Jesus said, “Do not judge so that you will not be judged” (Matthew 7:1). Bible commentator Matthew Henry (1662-1714) wrote, “A detracting tongue therefore condemns the law of God, and the commandment of Christ, when it is defaming its neighbor. To break God’s commandments is in effect to speak evil of them, and to judge them, as if they [God’s commandments] were too strict, and laid too great a restraint upon us” (see http://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/mhc/Jam/Jam_004.cfm; brackets added). Henry further wrote, “…if men break the law, leave that to judge them; if they do not break it, let us not judge them” (ibid; emphasis added). He also wrote, “Those who are most ready to set up for judges of the law generally fail most in their obedience to it” (ibid, emphasis added).

…but if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge of it. Your part is to be a doer of the Word (see James 1:22). You are not called to be a judge of it. As you step into the role of judging your brother or sister, you are usurping the authority that God has reserved for Himself. Someone else tried that millenia ago—Lucifer (see Isaiah 14:13), and he’s still at it. He’s called the accuser of the brethren in Revelation 12:10. My guess is that’s not the kind of company you’d like to keep.

Jesus said, “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 (Matthew 12:36-37).

May God help us all—especially me!—to guard our tongues.

Dorothy

He who guards his mouth and his tongue, guards his soul from troubles. Proverbs 21:23

Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips. Psalm 141:3