James Post #13 – James 4:11-17

I'm sorry that this post has taken a few days.  Sometimes life gets in the way of the best of plans.  The posts won't always be daily but if you keep your eyes open they'll be along.  I'm just glad you are all along for the journey through James with me.  Let's get started.

¹¹ Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister^[d] or judges them speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. ¹² There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?  ¹³ Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” ¹⁴ Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. ¹⁵ Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” ¹⁶ As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil. ¹⁷ If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.

Do you recall the last verse we talked about in the previous post?  It was James 4:10   "Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up."  It’s important to start with this verse today because in writing it James was reminding his readers that we have no reason to feel proud or important.  Whatever we have is a gift from God, given to us by Him with the idea that it is to be used by us for His glory, not our own.  The very next thing James addresses in his letter is two things that tempt many of us:  (1) judging others and (2) being prideful, self-important or self-sufficient (not needing God).  With that background let’s get started on our next study by reading verses 11 and 12 once again.

^11 “Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister^[d] or judges them speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. ¹² There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?”

These two verses deal with a sin which involves speaking ill of another.  It’s considered a sin because of “The Royal Law” talked about in Post #9 (also found in James 2:8, 9).  We are called to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. (Matthew 22:39)  When we “slander” someone it certainly can’t be considered an act of love, can it?  There is a lot to say about the concept of judging others and lots of confusion about it but in this post, focusing on James letter, we’ll just scratch the surface of the topic.  James says that when we “speak against” or “judge” a brother of sister we are “sitting in judgment” on God’s law.  The Greek word used in this verse for brother or sister is adelphos which refers to a believer, a part of God’s family.  This point hits us pretty hard doesn’t it?  James is say that when we speak ill of a brother or sister we are sinning.  The problem seems to be that when we judge very often we do it from a position of superiority.  We don’t see and comment on someone else’s behavior in order to help them see the need to change, we think of them in a judgmental way to put them down or condemn them.  We approach this from an attitude that we are somehow better than they are.  God says we’re all sinners and any good found in us is because of His presence in our lives.  Remember James 1:17 – “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”    Even the Apostle Paul understood this when he write to the church in Corinth:  “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them--yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.” 1 Corinthians 15:10.  When I read the second half of verse 12 I can only think of the phrase, “Just who do you think you are?”  There’s only room for one God in our lives and we aren’t him.  Thank God!  When you face a situation where you feel superior to another, just remember the familiar phrase, “There but for the grace of God go I.”  That one helps me often.  It’s a great reminder for me.

Verses 13-16 speak about the second point I mentioned above: being prideful, self-important or self-sufficient (not needing God).   Let’s quickly revisit those verses. 

¹³ Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” ¹⁴ Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. ¹⁵ Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” ¹⁶ As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil. Vs. 13-16

Paul wrote in Romans 12:3 - "Brothers, we ought not to think more highly of ourselves than we ought to think."  James tells us in this passage that our life is a mist.  Here today and gone tomorrow.   He reminds us that God is in control and we need to be mindful of that from day to day…even better, from minute to minute.  When we say "If it's the Lord's will" or "Lord willing" it keeps Him squarely in the of middle of our everyday life.  Boasting and bragging should not be a part of our personality.  Proverbs 27:1, 2 says it pretty well.  “Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring.  Let someone else praise you, and not your own mouth; an outsider, and not your own lips.”  That’s great advice.

¹⁷ If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.

James is saying in verse 17, "Hey, you know better…You know it's sin."  If you know how God wants you to think and to act and you don’t do it…it’s sin!

In the previous post I indicated that I liked the title WHO'S IN CHARGE HERE? for James 4:1-17 so I’ll end this post with that question.  Who IS in charge in your life?  Is it you or is it God?  Only you can answer that question.  You know what the answer is supposed to be.  As always, the choice is yours. 

Here’s a quickie phrase for you to stick in your head.  It’s a great guide when we are thinking of others actions or words.  When you are ready to “speak your mind” or “share your thoughts”, remember this little phrase,  'If it doesn’t build up, shut up!'   This is hitting me even as I type.  I need to work on this one myself!  Remember, we're all in this together.

Thanks for your faithfulness in following this blog.  As I wrote at it’s start, I will post as regularly as I can.  It’s been a couple days since my last post and some of you have indicated that you felt that you were getting behind while others were anxious for the next installment.  The great thing about a blog format is that you can visit anytime you want and read the individual posts at your leisure and at your speed.  So, thank you all for staying with me on this journey through James.  I’m learning every time I work through the next section and finding things I need to work on in my own life.  I hope it’s helping you in the same way.  God bless!