James 4:11-12

Why is it that we seem to enjoy judging one another? Criticizing one another? In fact, even condemning one another? Well James has a word to say about this in James 4:11-12. He says this, “Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judges his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou are not a doer of the law, but a judge. There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou who judges another?” 

Now James is not talking here about proper evaluation of life, there is a place for proper evaluation. Christian love is not blind. Paul prayed for the Philippians that they might love God and that their love might grow more and more in knowledge and discernment. Christian love is not blind, Christian love sees the truth. You see James is not talking about speaking truth, when there’s something wrong in my life and you know about it, I want you to come and speak the truth in love. He’s talking about speaking evil. Beware of unspiritual, critical, criticism; why? Well to begin with God commands us to avoid it. “Speak not evil one of another, brethren.” And sometimes we have a way of saying it in just the right terms, sort of a half lie, sort of just a grey area and God doesn’t want that at all. God commands us, “don’t speak evil of one another.” 

Secondly, God is the Lawgiver. He is not the one who listens to us, we listen to Him! And God is the one who says I’ve given the law and I know how to judge. He is both Lawgiver and Judge. God has wrapped up in Himself the executive and the legislative and the judicial and that’s not our job. Let’s let God be the judge. If we something that bothers us in the life of a brother, let’s pray first, let’s pray for the very best for that person’s life. Let’s not become judges, let’s become friends. Let’s become encouragers, let’s ask the Lord to help our brother and to help us to help our brother. Because then there is harmony in the family and there’s holiness that glorifies the Lord.

James 4:7-10

No one appreciates good humor more than I do, but you know there are times in our lives when laughter is wrong. James writes in chapter 4 verse 9, “Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: and let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.” That’s quite a statement isn’t it? James is not denying the necessity for laughter. In fact the Bible teaches us that “a merry heart doeth good like a medicine” (Proverbs 17:22). There’s nothing wrong with honest, sincere, pure laughter. “The joy of the Lord is our strength” (Nehemiah 8:10). 

But when there’s sin in my life I have nothing to laugh about. There is a false joy; there is kind of shallow happiness, a kind of insincere laughter that covers up the real need in our lives. You see sin makes us very proud and very defensive. James writes like this, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” The devil enjoys it when we’re laughing about sin. 

“Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; purify your heart, you double minded.” Make chaste your heart is what he’s saying. He’s been talking about loving the world; he’s saying your hearts are divided; now you make your heart devoted to the Lord Jesus Christ. 

Sin can make us proud and defensive and Satan wants to make us proud and defensive. And when we are proud, we are resisting God. God resists the proud; He gives grace to the humble. And therefore, says James, here’s what you need to do. Number one, submit yourself, number two, draw near to God. How do you draw near to God? Well nearness is not geography. God is everywhere! Nearness means likeness. God wants to get closer to us in a deeper experience of love and He can’t do it because of our sin. And so He says cleanse your hands and purify your hearts. If you’ll just draw near to God by being more like Him, He will draw near to you. There is a laughter that covers up sin. There’s a laughter that robs us of the grace of God. But if we’ll yield ourselves to God and do His will we’ll have the true joy of the Lord as we walk in friendship with Him.

James 4:4-6

We are at war with each other because we are at war with ourselves. We read that in James chapter 4 verse 1. “From where come wars and fightings among you? Come they not here, even of your lusts that war in your members?” But why are we at war with ourselves? Because we are at war with God. Here’s what James tells us in James 4:4-6. “You adulters and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God?” He’s talking now about my war against God. “Whosoever therefore will be a friend to the world is the enemy of God. Do you think that the scripture says in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy? But He giveth more grace. Wherefore He said, God resisted the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.” 

Now in this paragraph James is telling us very clearly that if we are friends with the world we’re at immunity with God. Notice now, we’re at war with each other because we are at war with ourselves. We have desires within that are warring and we’re at war with ourselves because we are at war with God. We are the friends of the world instead of the friends of God. Abraham was a friend of God; Lot was a friend of the world. Lot got into trouble, he got involved in battles, he was taken captive in a war, why? Because he was a friend of the world.

You see friendship with the world means I am friendly with that which crucified Christ. The world hates God. The world wants to substitute everything for God. Now James tells me that God is seeking our friendship, God is seeking our love. The Holy Spirit within is enviously, in the right sense, wanting us to be devoted wholly to God. He’s talking about that jealous love that a husband and a wife have for each other, they don’t want anyone else to interfere. Ah, but when you love the world you can’t have the love of God within you. He’s telling us that we should have humble obedience to the Lord. God’s going to resist the proud. If we’re humble, if we’re walking with God, if we’re the friend of God in dedication we won’t be at war with God, with ourselves or with anyone else.

James 4:1-3

Why is there so much war in this world? And not just war among nations, war among families and war among churches sometimes. Why is it that Christian people, who are supposed to be peacemakers, are war mongers? Well, we are at war because we are in trouble with ourselves and with others and with God. You see James tells us in James 4:1-3, that there’s war on the outside because there is war on the inside. 

Here’s what he says. “From where come wars and fighting’s among you? [and remember he’s writing to Christian people] Come they not here, even of your lusts that war in your members?” [Oh ho, there’s war on the inside!] “You lust and have not: you kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: You fight and war, yet you have not, because you ask not. You ask, and receive not, because you ask amiss, that you may consume it upon your lust.” It’s pretty obvious what he’s saying here. He’s saying if there is war among people it because there is war within people.

When you read the letter that James wrote you detect evidences of the people he was writing to were not getting along too well with each other. They were vying for positions to be teachers in the church. The rich and the poor were vying against each other, some of the rich people hadn’t paid their bills as they should and the poor were getting poorer. There is war among people because there is war within people. 

Now what cause the war within people? He talks about the lust, the pleasures, the desires that are at war within our bodies. You see when we have wrong desiring and wrong praying, we’re going to have wrong living. These people were desiring things, they weren’t praying about it. When they did pray about it, they prayed selfishly. James is saying here, if you really want to solve the wars in your life you’ll do it in the prayer closet. You’ll do it on your knees before God. Because there is war on the outside that means there is war on the inside and if there is war on the inside it’s because I’ve not been praying as I should. The secret of peace is a prayer life that brings the peace of God to your heart.

James 3:13-18

If you want to make a success out of your life it’s not enough to have knowledge. Now knowledge is good, but you also have to have wisdom. Wisdom is the right use of knowledge. But beware, there is a wisdom that comes from above and there is a wisdom that comes from beneath. There is the true wisdom and there is the counterfeit wisdom. How can you tell the difference? 

Well James writes about this in James chapter 3 and beginning at verse 13, “Who a wise man and endued with knowledge among you?” You see wisdom and knowledge go together. “Let him show out of a good life his works with meekness of wisdom.” Ah ha, the way to discover wisdom is to watch somebodies life! Wisdom is the right use of knowledge not the right use of words. Wisdom is not a speech that we give; wisdom is a life that we live. “But if you have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, [writes James] glory not, lie not against the truth.” The person with true wisdom will not be competing; he will not have envy and strife in his heart. 

“This wisdom [the kind that produces trouble] descended not from above, but is earthly, [that’s the world] sensual, [that’s the flesh] devilish [that’s the devil]. For where envying and strife are there is confusion and every evil work.” In other words, the first mark of real wisdom is an obedient life that brings peace not strife. 

“But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable,” I hear people say, “Oh we must have peace at any price!” God never said “Peace at any price!” He says peace is based on purity. When you have wisdom from above your speech is pure, your motives are pure, your heart is pure before God. True wisdom is gentle. True wisdom listens and can be entreated. True wisdom is full of mercy. True wisdom produces good fruits. True wisdom is not partial. True wisdom is sincere and not hypocritical. And what’s the result? “And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by them that make peace.” The true peacemaker is the person who walks in the wisdom of God. Let’s get our wisdom from above, not from beneath.

James 3:9-12

James must have been a great nature lover because throughout his letter you find many illustrations from nature. He’s talking about the tongue in chapter 3. He has told us that the tongue is like a bit and a rudder, it has the power to direct. And the tongue is like a poisonous animal and like a fire; it has the power to destroy. That sounds very negative and so in verses 9 through 12 of James chapter 3, James tells us that our tongues have the power to delight. 

He talks about a fountain and he talks about a tree. “Therefore bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, who are made after the similitude of God.” He’s talking about how we use our tongues. “Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.” Now he answers the question by using two illustrations. 

One, James 3:11, “Does the fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter?” The answer is no. Two, “Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? Either a vine, figs? So can no fountain yield salt water and fresh.” He compares your tongue and my tongue to a fountain that sends out beautiful, clean, cleansing, refreshing water. He compares the tongue to a tree that can produce fruit that can encourage and strengthen others. 

The tongue is a fountain. If the heart is clean then the lips will be clean. Our Lord said, “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” (Matthew 12:34). When the heart is fixed on the things of the Lord the lips will speak forth the things of the Lord. The tongue is like a fountain that water should come out pure and sparkling and bright, bringing refreshing. By the way, that water can put out some of the fires that other tongues start! We should use the tongue as a beautiful fountain, water to wash the wounds that have been made by the poisonous animal. 

The tongue is like a tree, providing shelter and fruit and beauty, food for others. I trust that our tongues will be used by the Holy Spirit of God to bring delight and strength and help to others in the Christian life.

James 3:3-8

The tongue is a small member in the body and yet it has great power. You can do more damage with your tongue than you can with your fist. In fact we are told in James chapter 3 that the tongue has many different powers. James uses a number of illustrations to describe the power of the tongue. For example, he talks about a bit in the horse’s mouth, and he talks about a ship that has a small rudder. Now the bit is much smaller than the horse and the rudder is much smaller than the ship and yet the bit and the rudder have the power to direct. You want to direct that horse, you use the bit and the bridle. You want to direct that ship, you use the rudder. 

The tongue has the power to direct. When you speak to your friends you can direct them in the wrong path or the right path. When you speak to your children and the way you speak to them, you can direct them the right way or the wrong way. Sometimes just the right word said at just the right time in just the right way has changed the course of somebody’s life. Let’s be careful what we say. 

Then he also talks about the tongue being a fire, James 3:6, he talks about the tongue being a poisonous beast, “For every kind of beast, and birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed by mankind: But the tongue no man can tame;” a poisonous beast. 

Well the poisonous beast and the fire have the power to destroy. Oh our tongues can do so much damage! Someone said, “Well I lose my temper and I flare up but it’s over with!” Yeah so is an explosion, but there’s a great deal of wreckage left behind. A volcano just blows right up and think of all the damage that is done. 

Your tongue has the power to direct, you have no idea how you can guide people’s lives. Your tongue has the power to destroy. Fire if it’s under control is a good thing. An animal if it’s under control is a good thing. And the tongue if it is under control is a good thing. We can’t tame our tongues but God can tame our tongues. “Create in me a clean heart oh God and renew a right spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10).

James 3:1-2

One of the key words in the epistle of James is the word perfect. It’s used six times and it refers to maturity in the Christian life. Now one mark of maturity is the ability to control the tongue. This is what James says in James 3:1-2, “My brethren, be not many teachers, knowing that we shall receive the greater judgement. For in many things we all stumble. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, [a mature man] and able also to bridle the whole body.” Quite a statement isn’t it? 

I get the impression that among the people to whom James was writing there was a lot of competition. They all wanted to be teachers in the church they all wanted to be teaching the Word of God. And James said, “Now wait just a minute. Do you know what you’re saying?” A teacher has to use his tongue, now the tongue is an easy member to lead you astray. In many things we all stumble. “If any man does not stumble in his words he is a mature man. And you can be sure he can control his whole body” (paraphrase). James seems to be saying here that the hardest part of the body to control is the tongue. I wonder if you and I have not experienced that. 

Stop to think of the blessedness of the privilege of speech. If you could not speak, think of how much you would lose? You couldn’t talk to your loved ones, if you couldn’t talk to instruct your children. You couldn’t praise God; you could praise Him in your heart of course, you could pray in your heart. You’d have a difficult time witnessing to the lost. Oh, the blessedness of speech, but oh, the seriousness of speech. 

We sometimes take it for granted. We say well talk is cheap, oh no, talk is very expensive for those of us who use our tongues, especially in ministry, are going to face the greater judgment. And I sometimes read that verse and I tremble. We’re going to face a more severe judgment and we also can cause more severe problems. We can cause other people to stumble by the way we use our tongues. James is going to have great deal to say about the tongue in the rest of this chapter, but right now for today let’s just recognize the blessedness and the seriousness of speech and let’s give this gift to the Lord.

James 2:20-26

“For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.” You find that statement in James 2:26. James is not telling us that we’re saved by faith plus works; I want to make that clear. Or that we are saved by works apart from faith. No, James is simply saying that you prove your faith by the life that you live. 

He gives us two Old Testament examples. He talks about Abraham in James 2:21 through 24 and then he talks about Rahab the harlot in verses 25 and 26. This is an interesting selection isn’t it? Here’s Abraham a man, Rahab a women. Abraham a Jew, Rahab a gentile. Abraham a morally upright man, Rahab she started off as a harlot, became a believer. And yet both Abraham and Rahab had faith, and this faith was proved by their lives. I think James chose these two examples to say to us, “Whether you’re a Jew or a Gentile, whether you are a man or a woman, whether your previous life was moral or immoral, if you have trusted Jesus Christ, you’re going to prove it by your works.” 

You see Rahab and Abraham were different from each other and yet they had much in common. They trusted the same Lord. They gave evidence of this faith by their works and God made note of it and God says to us follow their example.

Dead faith is faith that does not lead to works. Why cannot dead faith lead to works? Because there’s no life down inside! When you put your faith in Jesus Christ the Holy Spirit comes to dwell within you and the power of the Holy Spirit transforms your life. We are “created in Christ Jesus unto good works, that God has before ordained that we should walk in them.” Paul wrote that in Ephesians chapter 2 verse 10. Abraham proved his faith by his willingness to sacrifice his son. Rahab proved her faith by her willingness to risk her life to hide the messengers. True faith is always shown in faithfulness. Let’s not have dead faith, let’s have a living faith that works and brings glory to God.

James 2:14-19

We are not saved by faith plus works; we are saved by a faith that leads to works. This is what James tells us in James chapter 2 and verse 17, “Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.” We’re saved by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. When He died on the cross He said, “It is finished” (John 19:30). By that He was saying “I have fulfilled all the types, I have fulfilled all the prophecies and I have paid the full price for sin.” Our redemption is complete, it is finished. 

But remember James chapter 2 verse 17, “Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.” James talks about three kinds of faith, only one of which is acceptable to God. He talks about lying faith, “What does it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? Can that kind of faith save him?” “If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, and one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled;” That sounds so pious doesn’t it? “Notwithstanding you give them not those things which are needful to the body; what does it profit?” (vv. 14-16). This is lying faith; it’s all talk, no walk. It’s all declaration, no demonstration, lying faith. A lot of people have that. “Oh yes, oh yes I believe in God, I believe in Christ!” But there’s nothing practical that proves it.

In verse 19 of chapter 2 James talks about trembling faith. He says, “You believe that there is one God? Great! The demons also believe and they tremble, we don’t even tremble, but they do!” Here is trembling faith but it doesn’t save them. 

And he talks about real living faith. “Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works” (v. 18). Now he wasn’t boasting here, he was simply quenching the argument! We don’t want to have lying faith that is all words. We don’t want to have trembling faith that’s just all emotion. We want a living faith that involves the mind and the heart and the will and faith that leads to works. That means obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ as we trust and obey.