12/28/12. James 4:11-17. ONLY ONE LAWGIVER, JUDGE, AND LORD-my devotional

Key Verse: 4:12                                                                                      Kevin Jesmer NIU UBF

“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?”

Dear Father in heaven, thank you for your love on our lives and just being there in the midst of so many “difficult” events. A friend of mine died in a car roll over. Please draw her near to you to spend eternity with you. Comfort her family and grant them peace and hope and assurance of your love and presence. Thank you for a good night’s sleep and a snowy morning to meditate on your word. What joy to my soul! Please illumine my heart with you spirit and your word. I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen!

Part 1: Do Not Slander One Another (11-12).

As Christians, we need to be careful on how we speak about others. Verses 11-12 read, “Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sisteror 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?”

We should not slander or speak against a Christian brother or sister. (Or anyone else for that matter.) If we slander or speak disparagingly about another, we are sitting on the judgment seat. We put ourselves above the law. One who slanders makes himself a lawgiver and judge. James introduces the One who is able to save and destroy and asks a pointed question to be answered by our Christian conscience: “Who are you to judge your neighbor?”

How easy it is to slander our neighbor. Subconsciously, it is an attempt to make ourselves look more righteous in our own eyes. It is kind of a power trip. We are attempting to create a moment of fame in our own hearts. We also want to slander our neighbor to others around us so and gather a group based on slandering. How foolish! We should not do this. I remember even Donald Trump, when the media asked him to comment on newly divorced wife, Ivana, he simply said, “She is a wonderful person.” And that was Donald Trump! I have done my fair share of slandering in the past and have regretted every sentence of it. I am thankful that Jesus forgives me.

Does Jesus ever slander us? No. He says things like, “I love you my precious child.”, “I am with you always to the very end of the age.” Many times he is silent. Jesus is very inclusive and kind and truthful. He sees and hears and speaks with the truth. Not by slanderous hearsay.

How can we slander anyway? We don’t know the whole story. We are blinded by our own prejudices. What we may believe as true is not true. There may be so many circumstances concerning a person’s situation. We are not God. We are not the judges of others.

Slandering also damages our Christian witness among the people around us. Do you think that people will be impressed and attracted to Jesus when they hear our slandering? I don’t think so. They will think we are two-faced and they will wonder when the time will come when we slander them. They will avoid our negativity. Our slandering is actually unchristian.  We need to tame our tongues and use them to praise the Lord and build others up. James 3:7-9 reads, “All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, ⁸ but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. ⁹ With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness.”This sums it up so eloquently. Lord, save me from slanderous desires and help me to be an encouragement to all people.

Part 2:  Do Not Boast (13-17).

Excluding God in our plans and boasting about our achievements is another issue to avoid as a Christian. Verses 13-17 reads, “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”

James addresses the attitude of independence to carry on as we want in the secular realm without any consideration of God. It is OK for a Christian to be a business person. Abraham owned huge flocks and herds. There are my rich Christians doing many wonderful works of God in this world. I am thinking about the owners of Hobby Lobby right now. In this passage James is not attacking their profit motive so much as their failure to take God into their planning. James asks them another self-examination question: If we act as if we control the future then what is our life? The decisive factor to be remembered in all planning is “if the Lord wills.” Life is dependent on God. We are arrogant when we claim to be more than we are. All such boasting is evil because God is Lord of creation, nature, history, and time. We must honor him and include him in all we do.

We may to do a lot of things, but unless the Lord is involved then what we plan will not come to fruition. We will find ourselves fruitless. How many people have worked hard doing their best at business without the Lord, only to use all of their resources to take care of their weakening and aging bodies? So may have found themselves isolated, demonized by ex-spouses, alone and afraid of getting sick with nothing of interest or value to offer humanity. Then they must answer to God. Jesus said, “I am the vine you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him he will bear much fruit. Apart from you can do nothing.” (Jn 15:5) Lord, help me to remain in you and bear much fruit for the glory of God.

Prayer: Lord, help me to honor and respect all people. I give you my life that you may guide me as you see fit.”.

One Word: Jesus is my Lawgiver, Judge, and Lord