The Call to Humility and Understanding

The Power of Words

Okay, we left off with James imploring his reader to humility – and he suggested a number of approaches to achieving this state of mind. At verse 11, he returns to a topic he has been hitting on since he started – what we say, what comes out of our mouths. And so he writes:

James 4.end
May 10th 2015
Meat

11 Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge.
12 There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?
13 Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain:
14 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.
15 For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.
16 But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil.
17 Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sinMissing the mark of faith and love—no punishment, just lost growth or peace..

Wisdom from James

Okay, back to eleven, and we’ll wrap the chapter up.

"Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge."

The King James is tough. The TCNT of the verse says it this way:

“Do not disparage one another, Brothers. He who disparages his Brother, or passes judgement on his Brother, disparages the Law and passes judgement on the Law. But, if you pass judgement on the Law, you are not obeying it, but judging it.”

James could be speaking directly to some people or a person in this, OR the advice is so universal it could just be given for any and all who read it. Don’t speak evil of one another, brethren.

Reflections from Scripture

When we talked about the tongue back in chapter three we discussed that it is our nature to cluck about almost everything – the more salacious and intriguing the more clucking. Hold thy tongue regarding another person – especially within the body – a brother or a sister.

Commentary is not necessary on ANYTHING that is going on with them – their actions, their appearance, their family situation, their motives – whatever. What does it accomplish to speak evil about another in any way other than to shine a light on them, get others to think evilly about them, and promote ourselves over them as judge and jury, right? Few things are more common in the world but few things are more decidedly against the true spirit of Jesus. Listen to the words from other sources of scripture.

Ephesians 4:31-32

31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:
32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

Peter wrote in 1st Peter 2:1-3 something similar, saying:

1 “Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings,
2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:

3 If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.”

I truly envy truly gracious people – those who hold their tongue privately and publicly in their assessment of others. It’s a truly beautiful thing to see, described by Paul in Colossians 3:12-15 where he says:

12 Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;
13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.
14 And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.
15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.

James actually gives us a reason why we ought to hold our comments, saying:

He who disparages his Brother, or passes judgement on his Brother, disparages the Law and passes judgement on the Law. But, if you pass judgement on the Law…

The Law of Love

To make it simple I am going to assume that James is not speaking of the Law written in stone but of the only Law Christ gave – the Law to love. James seems to be saying that when we speak evil against others we are actually speaking evil of the law of love (disparage the Law) and he says, “pass “judgement on the law.” Then he adds, “But if you pass judgement on the Law you are not obeying it (you are not loving others) but you are judging the law.” Instead of considering the feelings of a brother in love we are setting ourselves up as a judge of two things – our brother and the Law of Christ which is love!

This passage is difficult. Again, James speaks of the Law and doesn’t explain whether he speaks of the Law of Christ (which is love) or the Law written in stone. It makes for explaining the real meaning difficult. So we have to look at context. The who what where when and why’s. He was speaking to convert Jews. The times were rife with division over disputable issues that appeared at the time as matter of life and deathSeparation from God—now overcome. Physical death remains, but it no longer separates us from life with God. – what to eat, to circumcise, to obey Sabbath, the place of the commandments in stone. Remember, Pauls letters had not been distributed widely yet. I believe this is the context admitting that I could be wrong.

Speech and Judgement

If I’m right, then we could suppose that among all the scattered Jewish converts there was all sorts of judgments going on – “Did you hear? Abe and Sarah didn’t circumcise little David!” Oi ya vey!” Etc. And so James tells them that when they speak evilly of their siblings in the faith they are judging them AND they have put themselves in the position to judge the Law (of love by Christ) rather than merely choosing to follow the law of Christ AND love. Simmered down to a nice manageable substance, hold your tongue and love each other – you have no right or power to judge the law of love.

In a religion where differences of opinion are plentiful (we operate under faith and love and NOT laws written in stone) love is the overriding principle – it covers a multitude of opinions and practices. But judging accomplishes nothing when love is the rule of the day. James has been warning against strife and envy and differences of action and opinion have the potential to create both through contentious debate and accusation of wrongdoing. So in one fell swoop James provides the solution – hold thy tongues, stop speaking evil of a brother which is akin to speaking evil of the Law of Love and making yourself a judge instead of a doer of the law. See its sort of implied here that it is the simple duty of every Christian to obey the law of love. We aren’t to assume the office of a judge about how this law is to be lived – what is proper and what is not – just love.

The Nature of Christian Love

Do what you believe the law of love allows you to do and let others do what they believe the law allows them to do – without evil speaking. We are not in the business as Christians to create new laws – that approach preceded us in the Nation of Israel. It’s simply to comply with the Law of Christ – to love – which embodies: Longsuffering, Kindness, No envy, Lack of self, Lack of pride, Good behavior, Patience in the face of provocation, A mind that doesn’t think evil; Doesn’t rejoiceth in iniquity, rejoices in truth.

It’s a love that beareth all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things and never fails. No room for judging others. No time. Just love.

Scripture is clear on the subject of judging others (which is best defined as condemning others – based on the Greek Krino). Jesus said in Matthew 7:1

1 Judge not, that ye be not judged.

2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?

4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?

5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of

The Principle of Non-Judgment

His words are summarized by Luke saying (6:37)

“Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven.” What a creed!

Paul wrote something amazing in the last verse of Romans 2:1-4, saying:

1Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things.

2 But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things.

3 And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?

4 Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?

Paul's Teachings on Judgment

In 1st Corinthians 4:4-5 he says:

4 For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord.

5 Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.

Speaking of the highly charged elements of the law orbiting around the early church Paul said in Romans 14:

Romans 14:1 Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations.

2 For one believeth that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eateth herbs.

3 Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him.

4 Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand.

Then down the chapter at verse 18 he summarizes the point saying:

18 For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men.

19 Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another.

20 For meat destroy not the work of God. All things indeed are pure; but it is evil for that man who eateth with offence.

21 It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak.

22 Hast thou faith? have it to thyself before God. Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth.

23 And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.

Role of the Ultimate Lawgiver

Back in James 4 he says at verse 12:

12 There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?

I suggest that the lawgiver James speaks of here is Christ Jesus, as all things of the kingdom are in His hands as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. He is the one lawgiver and the law He gave is referred to as a New Commandment – love one another as He loved us. He is the great Legislator of the church which thrives not in brick and mortar but by the Spirit.

We are dead to the Law of physical observances. With all in Christ having liberty in Him to pursue Him from the heart, and since He looks upon us through the heart, we ought to let Him have the judgment seat and just choose to leave it all up to His perfect wisdom and insight.

It is a fundamental principle in Christianity that no laws are binding on the conscience except those that Christ has ordained; and that all attempts to make other laws relative to faith binding on a believer's conscience is an abrogation of Him and His reign and rules. His church is entirely secure when it adheres to this perfect principle of peace. But when it decides to introduce legislations into the minds and lives of believers, unrest will ensue as the result of unrighteous judgments.

Commitment to Non-Judgment

Let me be clear in two radical ways:

First, there is NOTHING a person does where I will judge them. Nothing. I will instead choose to love them and serve them and help them to the best of my ability.

Why?

Because only “the One Lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy,” is in a position to know all the facts of another person and to

Judgment and Condemnation in Scripture

do anything righteous about it. That being said, to judge means to condemn in scripture – failing to condemn does NOT mean failing to use wisdom. If someone says they have a bomb in their pocket I will not condemn them but will do all I can to remove them from the church to protect others.

We live in a time where taking reasonable action in the face of circumstance is viewed as condemning. Not so. So the alcoholic will not be in charge of the communion wine, the pedophile will not be over kids ministry, the mean-hearted will not get involved in projects with unwed mothers, and I will not be overseeing overnight women's retreats – and in light of last week's confession, working with Hispanic street gang members.

The One Judge

When James writes about the One Judge he says: “Who is able to save and to destroy.” I would suggest that James is referring to two things here – saving them in His imminent coming to Jerusalem, which James is going to hit hard in the next chapter – and/or His ability to save or destroy after this life.

Jesus said in Matthew 10:28: “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” This passage seems to be referring to His eminent coming because the word for hell here is Gehenna, an actual location in the Valley of Hinnom where thousands of Jews' bodies were tossed and buried in the destruction of Jerusalem.

Of course, when James words today the application is there is one judge who is able to save (to heaven) or to destroy in the lake of Fire – and to fear Him and Him alone. The word for destroy here is appoulomai and it speaks to loss and ruin but not utter annihilation. The whole issue related to judgment (condemnation) ought to therefore be safely left in his hands – He is qualified.

Avoiding Judgment of Others

Having introduced us to the One Judge James then adds a question: “Who art thou that judgest another?” I love this line because it puts me in my place and reminds me that I am nobody and have no right to judge another. The words are reiterated by Paul in Romans 14:4 when he asks: “Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand.”

We can’t judge – we are not qualified lacking knowledge of history, genetics, environmental upbringing, and circumstance. We can’t judge – we aren’t able being in flesh, equipped with prejudice and failures in our own flesh. We can’t judge – we have no right and only prove our hypocrisy in our every attempt. We can’t judge – in so doing we push God aside and take the throne. It is one of the key markers of true Christianity and the truest Christian heart.

At verse 13 James seems to switch gears a bit and says:

13 Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain:

It appears from the content of this verse that James decides to address another problem that was prevalent in the church at that time – the presumption – a confidence if you will – that believed all was well and the future was bright. All things considered, while the immediate argument seems to be they were willing to assume a great future was lying ahead, and were willing to presumptuously speak of their plans but the bottom-line issue (I believe) was they were disregarding the absolute uncertainty of life and their absolute dependence on God.

The phrase "go to now," (age nun,) is a phrase that today might be, “On your way,” OR “Have at it,” OR EVEN “Come on now – listen.” It’s designed to get attention, as if there were something that James wanted them to really understand. “Hey, ye that say, “To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain,” You who have so many plans revolving around your lives . . . You who have absolutely no idea what is around the corner and act as if you are in charge . . . “ye that say, “To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain,”

Recognizing the Tenuousness of Life

Sell, and get gain,” Notice that line, “that continue there a year?” It’s telling. We have a tendency to affix spans of time to our plans and in so doing we may find ourselves neglecting the reality that God may have other ideas – which will prevail. It’s not a directive against planning – it’s a directive to remind us that we are NOT in charge and to always keep in the forefront of our minds that God is. This advice in that day was especially pertinent as the coming of the Lord with wrath was just around the corner. Applying it to us is the same principle – make plans but realize the end can happen at any time – so balance this fact out in how you approach life, and plans, and most importantly where you place your priorities.

Life as a Vapor

James makes more of his point in verse 14, saying:

14 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.

I’ve had some unique engagements with the passing of others. Some are taken abruptly and without any notice. Others have faded from this mortal bye over the course of years and months allowing them to prepare themselves and their families. James is reminding us that believers ought to live as if the end is within seconds – not neurotically – but with the idea in place that every second counts, that God is in charge, and we are able with this perspective to choose where we will place our focus and outlook and world view. People ask me sometimes why I always seem like I’m in a hurry in conversation. I think it’s because I do see this life as very tenuous and in the hands of God and because there is only so much time allotted to each of us I want to use the time to do what I’m called to do. Never to the exclusion of love and service – but maybe to the exclusion of the inane. James asks: “For what is your life?” And then answers saying: “It is even a vapor, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.” In comparison to this world and its material existence our life by comparison is a vapor- one that appears for a little while then disappears – and quite frankly so do most if not all of our contributions or creations while here.

The Impermanence of Life's Foundations

It’s not a dour point of view or so morose that we become nihilistic – it is also a gift and God has given us His Son who makes life MORE abundant. He is not preaching asceticism – he is appealing to priorities and reminding those who have concluded that they can make big plans – including the exact spans of time they will do things – that it’s hard to have anything concrete when the foundation is like a mist fading from a cold pane of glass. In other words, if our plans are predicated on the continuance of our lives we need to realize who has his hand on the switch – and include Him in all we think and plan and want to accomplish.

Job reiterates the tenuousness of human life, saying:

“O remember that my life is wind; Mine eye shall no more see good.” Job 7:7.

Psalms 78:39 says,

For he remembered that they were but flesh. A wind that passeth away and that cometh not again.

James says that life is here then “vanisheth away.”

It completely disappears. Like dissipated vapor, it is entirely gone. There is no remnant, no outline, nothing that reminds us that it ever was. So instead of making our own plans without a thought of what God has in mind, James says: (verse 15)

15 For that ye ought to say, “If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.”

In other words recognize and include in your plans the absolute reality of the Lord and His will into your life. Last week we spent most of the time talking about humility and James directions on how to cultivate it. To make plans without considering the Lord is almost as if in our heart He doesn’t exist, He doesn’t matter, and that He has no say. Being married as long as I have I realize the importance of including my wife in my plans. To make vacation plans or purchase plans without her says to her that she is not relevant in my

Recognizing God in Our Plans

Life can often seem like a series of self-driven plans, where one might act independently, overlooking the presence and influence of God. However, those who truly focus their hearts on God acknowledge that He not only has the power to change our well-laid plans but including Him and His will can indeed enhance them. Interestingly, the audience of James seemed to have a different perspective.

James points out:

16 But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil.

In simpler terms, they should have been including God in their planning. Instead, they were relying on their own skills, boasting about their self-sufficiency. This human tendency to plan without considering God is, according to James, an act of boasting.

Understanding the Nature of Boasting

James asserts: “All such rejoicing is evil.” This behavior is based on a misunderstanding of our dependence on God and overestimates our abilities amidst the uncertainty of life. He concludes chapter four with an important statement:

17 “Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.”

Sin, in this context, is discussed concerning the liberty believers have when deciding what to allow themselves. There's also a strong emphasis on refraining from judging others based on their choices. Ultimately, everyone is accountable to the One True Judge, underscoring the need for tolerance regarding others' actions.

The Personal Responsibility of Knowing and Acting

Again, James emphasizes:

17 “Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.”

Young’s literal translation iterates this concept with: “to him, then, knowing to do good, and not doing, sin it is to him.” Under former legalistic systems, prohibitions dominated. However, in Christianity, where the Holy Spirit dwells within, guiding each of us, we are responsible to God by the moral compass written on our hearts.

James takes the conventional "thou shalt not" approach and turns it, saying, "The person who (NOW) knows to DO GOOD – and doesn’t, that is sin." People often try to interpret this into actionable religion, but Jesus has offered freedom beyond written law. Instead, we have two commandments – to believe and to love – which guide our consciences.

Liberty and Love Beyond Religion

James provides clarity on discerning sin: "When you (YOU, YOU – NOT ME – YOU KNOW TO DO GOOD and you don’t, that is sin." The Spirit encourages love. When love is called for and one refuses, it is sin. Importantly, each person is personally responsible for their choices in light of their understanding.

Religious systems cannot mandate love. They attempt control but genuine love must emanate from individuals who, in their circumstances, KNOW what they should do. Praise God for this liberty, responsibility, and the freedom to choose, underscored by His grace to love even when opting for a different path might be appealing.

Q and A