"Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against 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 only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?"
"Don't judge me!" is a popular phrase in our culture today. Used often in self-defense, it warns us who are casting judgment or misinterpreted as appearing to be, that we are to cease and desist immediately. The role of judge is not ours, therefore who are we to judge others? We are just as sinful as those we fairly or unjustly accuse as guilty before God, are we not? Why do we believe we have the right to act as judge and jury over one another in the body of Christ? We must remember that James is addressing the church in this passage. He is not focused on judging others who do not share the same theology, for how can we hold non-believers accountable if their standard of righteousness is not our shared belief? Their judgment is one that God alone will administer because they have rejected His Word completely. But is it not fair to apply the same logic as it pertains to our fellow brethren? Is not God the only judge and jury we must answer to as Christ-followers? The answer is simple: Yes.
The prophet Isaiah stated plainly, "For the LORD is our judge; the LORD is our lawgiver; the LORD is our king; he will save us" (Isaiah 33:22). God is ultimately the one who every man, woman and child will be required to give an account on the day of judgment when we pass from this earth and take our permanent residency in heaven or hell. Not everyone in our world believes that truth, but we who trust Holy Scripture as absolute and inerrant believe that the choices we make here on earth echo an eternity. That means we are held accountable to apply the wisdom found in God's Word with an expectancy of judgment if we fail to live up to the standard we hold as our theology. It is not complicated to understand. If we believe we are saved by grace through the shed blood of Jesus, then we accept God's Word is true. And in order that our faith not be discredited, that which is written alongside such truth pertaining to the Gospel of Jesus Christ must be held in the same regard as inerrant and true.
It is imperative we firmly establish what we believe because it directly impacts how we interpret James 4:11-12. For if we believe God's Word is true, then as fellow brothers and sisters in Christ we must reconcile our misunderstanding regarding the issue of judging others. James states clearly that he is concerned with the evil that believers speak against one another. What he called out previously as vices of division within the church (jealousy, selfish ambition, boasting, pride, etc) have come to fruition in the form of evil spoken. James spoke at great length concerning the dangerous power our tongues exhibit if not tamed, and that lack of restraint is plaguing the church through evil spoken in judgment. It was true at the time James penned these words, and it is unequivocally true today as well. When we choose to speak evil against our Christian brothers and sisters, we assume a role of judgment that is sinful and divisive to the church of Jesus Christ.
The biggest misinterpretation we make is that we assume we are not allowed to judge at all. That is not Biblical though. Consider what Jesus taught within His sermon on the mount: "Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye" (Matthew 7:1-5). When taken in proper context, we learn that Jesus is conveying the importance of judging our own hearts first and foremost. We must sift our hearts in order to remove the impurities that plague our fellowship with God and one another (Matthew 13:24-30). For how can we look at our neighbor and call out their sin without reconciling the sin within our own hearts first? That is hypocritical, and we who practice such behavior are pronouncing judgment upon ourselves. Does that mean we are not allowed to hold others accountable within the church body? Absolutely not. But I would caution that the attitude of our heart must be evaluated before we open our mouths and speak truth in love rather than judgment. Make no mistake, Jesus does not contradict himself here. In the same token as Matthew 7:1-5, Jesus also provides the course of action we are to take if we find our fellow brother or sister in sin (Matthew 18:15-20). Therefore, there is a spirit of judgment we are called to make with our brethren, but with hearts that recognize our own sinful attitudes and actions first and foremost when we come alongside our church family in loving accountability.
Some of the greatest pain the church has caused itself rests on the sinful judgments Christ-followers have made against one another. Our over-saturation of church buildings strewn across the landscape of our country is evidence of this carnage. For history often repeats itself, and we have proven over the time that we have not learned from the same mistakes James called out to his brethren roughly 2,000 years ago. But that is not a reason to be discouraged and lose hope, for Scripture promises that each day brings fresh perspective and an opportunity for positive change if we so choose, because the Lord is rich in grace and mercy. "The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. 'The LORD is my portion,' says my soul, 'therefore I will hope in him'" (Lamentations 3:22-24). Are we called to judge? Yes. Are we called not to judge? Yes. What is the difference? In truth, it is the attitude of our heart and the purpose which precedes the words of accountability or judgment we speak toward our brothers and sisters in Christ, so as not to quench the Spirit's conviction by our selfish ambitions. "Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; for it is written, 'As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.' So then each of us will give an account of himself to God. Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother" (Romans 14:10-13).
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