Guarding Our Lips
"Do not speak against one another, brethren. He who speaks against a
brother or judges his brother, speaks against the law and judges the
law; but if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge
of it. There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is able to
save and to destroy; but who are you to judge your neighbor?" (James
4:11-12)
I have admitted to those that I know, on more than one occasion, how difficult it can be for me to control what I say. As women, we seem to have an extra hard time holding back our comments and opinions whether good or bad. Our church has been preaching through the book of James for the last several weeks, and the Holy Spirit has been convicting me of my speech more than ever. You might assume that I am referring to the passage in James on "Taming the Tongue", but I was given some new insight from chapter 4 during the service yesterday. The Bible gives us several verses in warning against gossip, slander, and dissension. Some of them are even specifically aimed toward women. We are quick to skip over these verses or to acknowledge that we may have an issue in this area but then make no changes. I would like to give three modern examples of how this passage on slander and judgement may be playing out amongst believers in the church today.
1) Judging others' motives.
2) Judging how others spend their money.
3) Judging how others raise their children.
(Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on James by Craig Bloomberg and Mariam Kamell)
Do any of these hit home with you? I know I have been guilty of these judgements on many occasions. James 4:11-12 warns us that when we speak against our brothers and sisters in Christ, we are not only going against the law of love (love your neighbor as yourself) but are also assuming the position as judge over the law. How ridiculous! You can't break a rule and then judge others based on that same rule. God is the ONLY one in authority to both give the law and to judge over it. When we gossip or slander others, we are showing the true condition of our hearts. "The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart." (Luke 6:45)
Do not become double-minded; claiming a new life in Christ and yet seeking to fill your own worldly desires. We must first repent, humble ourselves, and draw near to God. Second, we must seek to build up our brothers and sisters in Christ. When you hear negativity about those around you, take a stand for love and grace toward the accused and the accuser. After all, have we not been shown the ultimate forgiveness, grace, and love from our Heavenly Father?
I have admitted to those that I know, on more than one occasion, how difficult it can be for me to control what I say. As women, we seem to have an extra hard time holding back our comments and opinions whether good or bad. Our church has been preaching through the book of James for the last several weeks, and the Holy Spirit has been convicting me of my speech more than ever. You might assume that I am referring to the passage in James on "Taming the Tongue", but I was given some new insight from chapter 4 during the service yesterday. The Bible gives us several verses in warning against gossip, slander, and dissension. Some of them are even specifically aimed toward women. We are quick to skip over these verses or to acknowledge that we may have an issue in this area but then make no changes. I would like to give three modern examples of how this passage on slander and judgement may be playing out amongst believers in the church today.
1) Judging others' motives.
2) Judging how others spend their money.
3) Judging how others raise their children.
(Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on James by Craig Bloomberg and Mariam Kamell)
Do any of these hit home with you? I know I have been guilty of these judgements on many occasions. James 4:11-12 warns us that when we speak against our brothers and sisters in Christ, we are not only going against the law of love (love your neighbor as yourself) but are also assuming the position as judge over the law. How ridiculous! You can't break a rule and then judge others based on that same rule. God is the ONLY one in authority to both give the law and to judge over it. When we gossip or slander others, we are showing the true condition of our hearts. "The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart." (Luke 6:45)
Do not become double-minded; claiming a new life in Christ and yet seeking to fill your own worldly desires. We must first repent, humble ourselves, and draw near to God. Second, we must seek to build up our brothers and sisters in Christ. When you hear negativity about those around you, take a stand for love and grace toward the accused and the accuser. After all, have we not been shown the ultimate forgiveness, grace, and love from our Heavenly Father?
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