James 4:11-12

hey hey good morning good morning welcome to coffee and devotions this morning we are going to be talking about quarreling fighting backbiting just talking bad about each other so I I have some coffee we'll pray and we'll get into God's word let's pray father we thank you so much for this day you have blessed us with your word you've given us your spirit and God we pray that you would please help us to understand it please instruct us Lord we need your help in Jesus's name amen all right here we go James 4: 11 and 12 do not speak evil of one another Brethren he who speaks evil of a brother and judges his brother speaks evil of the law and judges the law but if you judge the law you are not a doer of the law but a judge there is one lawgiver who is able to save and to destroy who are you to judge one another or we need to ask ourselves a what's this about B what's the best verse to summarize this and C what are we called to do so what's this about well there are people in the church I don't think James's wisdom that he's speaking to the churches is just theoretical but I think there's people who are speaking ill of each other so the the word here isal and so this is speaking against one another right they're quarreling they're fighting with each other and he's saying that ought not to be so remember you're part of the same family I love what Matthew Henry says on this he says our lips must be guided by the mouth or by the our lips must be guided by the mouth I wrote that downward our lips must be guided by the law of kindness as well as truth and Justice our lips must be guided by the law of kindness and of Truth and Justice see what's going on in the church is people are fighting with each other people are arguing with each other people are just devouring each other with their words right and they're supposed to right what did it say you're don't speak evil of one another Brethren he who speaks evil of a brother judges his brother right and and here's the thing we we see that when people are entrenched in what they want and they're entrenched in their ways and they may even have theological disputes and stuff like that but what's happening is that they're they're literally fighting against each other instead of having kindness towards one another even with their words remember what we had just talked about the the mouth being or the tongue being an unruly evil who can tame it James is saying you got to tame it right because the law was given by God we think of places like Leviticus 19 where it's said that we're not to be tail bearers or or those who who bend the truth right we're not to be those who are deceitful and c and cunning with our people but even more so we can think of the ninth commandment bearing false testimony against your neighbor we need to preserve the reputation and good name of our neighbor sometimes we're given over to gossip and to slander and when we do that when we look at someone look down our noses at someone we judge them and then we speak evil against them but it's not time to be judging this isn't a court of law this isn't saying you know or or even a church court isn't saying in there is a time in place in which you need to speak the truth to your brother even about his sin or or give testimony against your brother that's true that's not what this is talking about I think this is talking about Petty quarreling or even slandering against each other judging one another well you're tearing that person's reputation a good name down you're gossiping against them you're not building them up you're not using your mouth to impart Grace to those who hear no no no and James is saying when you do that you're saying the law of God that constrains your tongue you're saying it's too strict it's too harsh it's too severe I don't want no no and and you actually become a judge of the law rather than the doer of it so that's that's the type of Faith that's dead not the type of Faith that's living and so this is I think what James is getting at here when he's saying that whoever speaks evil of a brother and judges his brother speaks evil of the law and judges the law there's one lawgiver who's able to save and Destroy who are you to judge another again this is not talking about right we I know that there are people who say that they're Christians and and they're really antinomians they're against any type of law and they think that it's all Grace and that God doesn't constrain us no there is a there's a law of Christ that we follow right and so but that law of Christ is Spirit infused for others good and it's not just an an an an excuse for lawlessness that's not what this is getting at but this is Jesus told us to judge right we to judge the spirits but the same measure by which we judge so we will also be judged these people are backbiting and devouring each other speaking evil of one another may it not be so amongst us do we have a heart of Charity of Love towards others do we do all we can can to promote their good name to care for them even when they're not around us do we speak good of those who are in the church do we speak good of those people on the other side of town at the that other church right we may have disagreements we may disagree on some pretty serious issues but do we tear other people down with our words or do we impart Grace to those who hear I think there's a great deal to be said for Christian charity the law of kindness with our speech again right we live in such a day where anything could be abused any anything like this could could be taken by someone that oh like this is just saying you're spineless no this saying you're charitable you're loving doesn't mean you can't have a spine and say hard things or truthful things when they need to be said but we don't need to be jerks with our words do we speak good of others do we uphold the reputation so I think that's what this is about it's the best verse to summarize this well I have verse 11 underlined it's just two verses right so but I got verse 11 underlined but what are we called to do well maybe for some of us we need to repent we may have long habits of speaking poorly about people it just comes second nature to us James says that's not the type of faith that comes from above that's that's the type of worldly wisdom that comes from below it's Earthly and sensual and demonic we can't say whatever we want if we're going to say that we're in Christ because he's the judge and so we maybe we need to put away our filthy language put away our speech put away our sharp words and put on love who is it that you've been tearing down with your words can you start building them up can you care for them even with how you speak to them and about them let's pray father we pray that you would please put a bit in our mouth Ms Lord you have given us the law of kindness the law of Christ Lord we pray that we would be charitable and gracious with our words please father help us help us to love others well Live For Your Glory and not for ourselves in jesus' name amen May the God of Peace who will give you peace that surpasses all understanding through Christ Jesus be with you today may you glorify him in your thoughts in your words and in your Deeds I'll see you next time bye