Judging Others

Judging.

    What a slippery slope.  I love what Beth Moore has to say.  If I could take the four pages that cover this out of her study on James and just retype them I would probably be better off.  But for the sake of time and room I will highlight just a few areas.

The royal law:  Love your neighbor as yourself.

James 4:11-12  "Brothers, do not slander one another.  Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it.  When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it.  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?"


(Beth)  "The Greek term translated "slander" in the NIV also means 'criticize' (HCSB) and 'speak against' (NASB).  The original word doesn't leave us room to excuse ourselves because what we said was simply the truth.  To James, if it was said critically or against another person, it was sin." 

I know for myself - and I'm sure many others - it is WAY too easy to say something that is slightly judgmental or unkind and then to tag on the line, "It's just the truth."  Sound familiar?  Ouch.  Romans tells us we condemn ourselves when we judge others and that we are without excuse.  It then says, "We know that God's judgement on those who do such things is based on the truth."  This speaks volumes to me.  We humans are so full of flesh.  Our judgments are based on our experiences, our hormones, the 'truth' that we want to hear, and the 'truth' that we are encouraged to believe.  Only God knows a person's heart.  He alone can judge based on truth.  We are better off to leave the judging of the person up to God.


Matthew 7:1-2  "Do not judge, or you too will be judged.  For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."


(Beth)  "Humanly speaking, a fine line can squiggle between wise discernment and sinful judging.  We need discernment in the worst way... True discernment breeds wisdom.  Sinful judgment breeds a condemning spirit."

1 Corinthians 2:15  "The spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man's judgment."

(Beth)  "People who walk in the Spirit judge 'things'.  Not people."


I think it's important to take a brief pause and make it clear that black and white sin can be judged.  God gives us clear instructions about what is an abomination to Him and what truly grieves Him.  We should call sin, sin.  However, you are judging the sin as sin - not the person as sin.  When slandering (criticizing) someone because of something they have done I truly don't believe it is of the Lord.  You criticize them rather than the sin.  The sin is what grieves the Lord.


James 4:11-12  "Brothers, do not slander one another.  Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it.  When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it.  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?"

Mercy Triumphs.

Friend of God

James 4:4  "You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God?  Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God."

In Beth Moore's study on the book of James, she writes, "The unspeakably high privilege of friendship with God makes a person humble and friendship with the world makes a person proud.  The former He graces.  The latter He opposes.  Can you think of anything in this world scarier than standing opposite of God?"

God calls us (as followers of Christ) his friends.  He does not rule over us as a power hungry master.  His work on the cross made it possible for us to have close communion with the Father.  The Holy Spirit now lives in us as our Counselor.  Isn't it awesome that God's wisdom is shared with us?  We have only to ask for wisdom and it will be given.

John 15:15  "I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business.  Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you."  (He is speaking to his disciples right before his arrest and crucifixion.)


I choose to be a friend of God.


Lord, keep my heart close to you that I will not give it away to the things of this world.