Intro
The reason why churches split the most, it’s not because they run out of members, or because they run out of money. The reason why churches split or ceased to exist the most is because of slander!!
We have seen before how James talks about our tongue, how difficult it is for us to control it, James 3:1-12. In today’s text, we see that James comes back, briefly, to the same issue. If James sees it as something that must be touched not only once, but twice, must tell us something as to the seriousness of this issue.
Do you have trouble not keeping your thoughts to your self? If they are good thoughts, by all means, please, share it with the rest of us. But if they are thoughts against other people, please, don’t keep them to yourself either, but rather, expel them from your mind!!!
Today we will talk about two things. 1. How we as believers, should live in harmony, not slandering each other, and not judging us by any reason, but always restoring each other, with love and mercy. As you will see, this issue does not only affect how we live in peace within a congregation, but also how we approach and live with the world outside.
Let us turn to our text.
Living Together, Judging, with Mercy.
Vss. 11-12. Slander, in the OT Greek Bible, the LXX, we see the word slander defined as speaking falsely about a person, Lev. 19:16; Ps. 101:5, Prov. 20:13, Micah 3:7. But it may also refer to unloving criticism or negative judgment, Num. 12:8; 21:7; Ps. 77:19. Paul links gossip to pagan custom, Rom. 1:29-30. In II Cor. 12:20 Paul mentions it again, linking it with arrogance and jealousy. Peter also tell us not to be slanderous, but also, not to give any room for other to slander us, I Pet. 3:16; 2:12.
We get the picture that judging and slandering is bad. However, we also see that we are called to make judgment within the Church, cf. I Cor. 5. But within James, we are called to judge, but to do it with MERCY, James 2:12-13.
Isn’t it true that when we judge others, we usually do it out of pride, thinking that we are better than them?? That’s the sort of judging that should not take place among us.
If someone is in sin, we should not only judge them, as we see in I Cor., but to continue to the next phase, to restore them, Gal. 6:1.
Finally, when James mentions the Law of God, we are reminded of the verse in Lev. 19:18. We are compelled to love our neighbor as ourselves. Jesus also picked up in the Gospels, Mark 12:28-32. Remember, if we brake one aspect of the Law, we brake the whole!!
Conclusion
Only God has the authority to judge, and he has given to Jesus, cf. John 5:22-23. It is God who will bring all the hidden things to the light. We can judge with mercy, but always remembering, that Jesus will the ultimate judge, and let’s not take Jesus’ place, or else, we will be usurping his place as the great judge.
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