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James 4:11-12
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.
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By Back to the BibleJames 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.