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Is slander really that big a deal? According to James, it’s a huge deal! 

In this passage, James 4:11-12, James sets the record straight, slander or speaking evil of someone is a grave sin. In essence it is akin to stepping into God’s place as the only judge and telling Him to shove over, you’ve got this. We must take this more seriously in the church than I’m afraid we currently do. 

INTRODUCTION

I’m sure you’re all familiar with little poem, “Sticks and stones will break my bones but words will never hurt me,” right? I don’t know about you, but every injury caused by sticks and stones to my body has long healed. What hasn’t healed is wounds to my spirit caused by careless and unloving words. Maybe that’s too much information for you. Maybe you don’t want know to that I carry wounds in my spirit. But I know something about you, you do, too. I’m sure whoever made up that little saying, and the countless mommas and daddies that perpetuated it with their kids meant well. But man did they get it wrong?! 

“Sticks and stones may break your bones, but those wounds will heal with time. Words on the other hand have power to destroy, your spirit and mine.” 

Oh, we must be more careful with our words, church. 

Let’s read the passage then I’ll pray and we’ll begin to dissect it and apply it. Durrës James 4:11-12 says http://theglutengal.com/2011/08/ 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. 12 There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor? 

DO NOT SPEAK EVIL

James says in verse 11 Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. That phrase speak evil literally means to slander. Honest question for you, would slander rank very high on your list of serious sins? I imagine most people would generally agree that slander is wrong, and we shouldn’t do it. James makes the case that’s its more than just wrong, it’s among the worst things we can do. As we’ll see shortly, slander and the judgmental heart that produces it, exalts oneself above the law, and even worse, above God Himself. 

To slander is to lie about someone with malicious intent. It’s trying to impugn their character, hurt their reputation. It is critical, derogatory speech. But the concept of the word does not only apply to lying, it more broadly means running someone down with our words. James is exhorting the reader to not speak in any way that intentionally hurts someone or hurts their character.  

Boy are we good at slander! Or bad! We’re good at doing this very bad thing! We do it when we criticize someone behind their back, or even to their face. Gossip is justified as long as we caveat that we’re “deeply concerned” about the person we’re gossiping about. We grumble about decisions made by legitimate authority because it’s not how “we’d” do it. 

We do it by fault-finding. Seeking and searching for something to criticize, you know to make them aware of their faults; “it’s for their own good.” The reality is most people are painfully aware of their faults already and do not need us to point them out. But oh how we love to help in the most painful ways! We are crafty with our evil speech. 

WHY DO WE SPEAK EVIL?

Why do we do this? There are lots of sinful reasons we do this: revenge, vindication, and self-righteousness, that’s a big one! A need to puff ourselves up, make ourselves feel better about our own lives. And boredom. We want to connect with people, but we don’t have anything to talk about, or we don’t want to share too much about ourselves, so we fill the time talking about other people. There’s plenty we could share with someone about our own failures and areas of growth, but that might make us look bad. Better, we think, to make someone else look bad. 

Slander and judgmentalism are closely related. That’s why James goes from evil speech to judging. When James says the one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, he’s not referring to a discerning evaluation of a person’s behavior or teachings and the appropriate next step of rebuking the sin and following the biblical church discipline model laid out by Jesus in Matthew 18. Rather, James is referring to condemnation with a judgmental spirit. 

When we think about judging, our minds might go to Matthew 7:1, “Judge not, that you be not judged.” So many people, Christians and non-Christians, have that verse memorized. But it’s almost always taken out of context, so I think it’s important to distinguish between what’s appropriate judgment and what James and Jesus forbid. 

Afterall in 1 Corinthians 5, Paul told the church to cast the sinner out who was sleeping with his father’s wife. “Purge the sinner from among you!” “Turn him over to Satan,” he said, “so that on the day of the Lord he may be saved.” What we read today in James cannot be a prohibition against rebuking sin, or holding people accountable, or even exposing it publicly in an appropriate way. In fact, as we’ll soon see, it’s our duty to exercise judgment. Let me give you a few examples and exhortations from the New Testament.  

CHURCH BEWARE 

Christians, and elders in particular, should be alert to teachers who teach a gospel contrary to the true Gospel. Just a few verses after “judge not lest ye be judged,” Jesus warned, in Matthew 7:15-16, “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits…” Notice Jesus does not tell us to judge the false prophet’s heart for we are utterly incapable of doing that. But Jesus warns us to pay attention to the external indicators of a false teacher, who He called “ravenous wolves!” Inspect the fruit: the teachings and the lifestyle. Do they accord with God’s Holy Word? If not, beware. Those “sheep” got some sharp teeth!   

Similarly, in Acts 20:29-30, Paul warned elders to pay careful attention to their congregation, saying, “I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them.” Elders are charged with the sacred task of guarding the flock of God against the false teaching of fierce wolves. But it’s not only the elders who should be on guard. 

The apostle John addressing the whole church said, “If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting.” 2 John 1:10 If someone brings a false teaching, you are not to show hospitality or even give him a warm welcome. Today we don’t have to welcome the person because his or her books are on bookshelves in the local bookstore and online. Their podcasts and sermons are available. We need to exercise great discernment about who we preverbally let into our home. 

Paul warned that it’s not just teachers we need to be concerned with. He said in Romans 16:17 “I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them.” To avoid them, you have to know who they are. 

To know who they are, you have to apply some discernment, you have to make a judgment. But that doesn’t feel loving, does it? It is loving when you consider the gangrenous effects of sin on the body of Christ and when this sort of response is done to bring the sinning person to repentance and salvation. 

We’re not just looking at church members, though. Elders are not above the law. Elders are not untouchable. Paul wrote to Timothy, “Do not admit a charge against an elder except on the evidence of two or three witnesses. As for those who persist in sin, rebuke them in the presence of all, so that the rest may stand in fear.” 1 Timothy 5:19 He knew leaders are targets of malicious attacks, so let’s make sure we corroborate the story. Don’t accept false allegations. But when there’s legitimate error and sin, Paul calls us to act decisively and courageously. He wasn’t afraid to do that himself, calling out several church leaders… 

“For Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica.” 2 Timothy 4:10

“You are aware that all who are in Asia turned away from me, among whom are Phygelus and Hermogenes.” 2 Timothy 1:15

“By rejecting this, some have made shipwreck of their faith, among whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme.” 1 Timothy 1:19

“But avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness, and their talk will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus…” 2 Timothy 2:15 Did you hear what Paul compared irreverent babble to? Gangrene! Gangrene often led to amputation of limbs! Paul didn’t mince words. Avoid people like Hymenaeus and Philetus, who say evil things…avoid them like you avoid gangrene. 

NOT JUDGMENT, BUT JUDMENTALISM

What do we make of all these examples? When we hear Jesus say in Matthew 7:1, “Judge not lest you be judged” we must understand that Jesus was not condemning judgment, but hypocritical judgmentalism. If you keep reading in Matthew 7, Jesus said, “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?” Matthew 7:2-3 

Jesus was not forbidding judgment. But He was forbidding judging the sin of others while refusing to deal with our own sin. I think the words of Jesus in John 7:44 sum it up well, “Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.” John 7:44 Judge, but judge with right judgment. 

As we continue in James, we cannot read this as a prohibition against speaking the truth in love, exposing and rebuking sin, calling out false teachers, and the like. Even James, in writing this very passage, was calling out sin. 

He continues, The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. To which law does James refer? In James 1:25 he refers to the “law of liberty” and in 2:8, the “royal law.” In Matthew 22, Jesus said the whole law is summed up in two commandments: love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind and love your neighbor as yourself. The latter, love of neighbor, is what James calls the “royal law.” 

When we have a judgmental heart toward others, we are certainly failing to love them, wouldn’t you say? There are times James says that we ought to deal with people’s sins. In 5:19-20 he says that anyone who brings back a brother wandering in sin will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins. 

Are there times when the only loving thing to do is confront someone in their sin? Absolutely. When someone is wandering away in their sin, they’re headed for destruction! 

When a man is drowning his woes in whiskey, he needs a brother to step beside him and lovingly, but courageously rebuke him. 

When a woman is flirting with men to whom she’s not married, she needs a sister to help her see her sin. When someone is losing the battle of lust, he or she needs someone to call that out and point to the far greater pleasure of holiness and purity. 

When someone is following a false teacher, adopting a false ideology, or wisdom, he or she needs us to gently reveal to them the Truth and guide them back to it. 

When we adopt a “live and let live” mentality, what we’re really doing is “living and letting die.” Would anyone accuse you of failing to love someone for warning, then shouting, and then grabbing a person by the shoulders as they stagger dangerously toward a cliff? Sometimes it’s the most loving thing to do to intervene, whether they appreciate the intervention or not. But it does require that you actually love the person. To expose sin without a heart of love is the essence of judgmentalism. 

JUDGES OF THE LAW

I can see how judgmentalism fails to fulfill the royal law. But James says it does more, it speaks evil against the law and judges the law. I think the next statement helps clarify. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. 

John MacArthur says, “The one who disregards God’s law in effect claims to be superior to the law of God, not to be bound by it or to be subject to it’s authority. The sinner judges the law as unworthy of his attention, affection, obedience, submission – all of which is blasphemy against God.” 

This critical, judgmental spirit toward people not only fails to fulfill the royal law of loving your neighbor, it not only stands in judgment against the law, but James is about to imply it ultimately stands in judgment of God Himself. Can you imagine?! 

If you find yourself resonating with the judgmental, critical spirit brother or sister, repent. This is more serious than you probably realize and it’s about to get worse. 

James said in verse 12 There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor? 

From whom does the law come? James says there is only one lawgiver. The lawgiver is the one who put the law in place. He is also the only one who has the right to judge, to apply the law. He put the law in place and He applies the law in judgment and He is the only one who can save those who place their faith in Christ and destroy those who do not.  

Kent Hughes connects the dots for us, “Since only God can save and destroy, only God has the right to judge. For us to judge is to usurp a right that only God has. Thus, judgmentalism is not only arrogant but blasphemous!”  

This shouldn’t be surprising. But it should get our attention and break our hearts. Every sin ever committed has been an attempt to usurp God’s authority. From the Garden of Eden to your last wicked word, thought, or deed, sin is saying to God, you don’t have the authority to tell me what to do. Sin seeks to dethrone God. 

IS THIS REALLY THAT BIG OF A DEAL?

Are slander and judgmentalism really that big of a deal? Look, if we judged ourselves honestly and looked closely at how often we violate this, we’d have to say no, we don’t think it is really that big of a deal. 

But if we read the words of Puritan Ralph Venning in The Sinfulness of Sin, we might sing a different tune. He wrote, “The sinfulness of sin appears not from, but consists in this, that it is contrary to God. Indeed, it is contrariety and enmity itself. It makes men haters of God (Romans 1:30), resisters of God (Acts 7:51), fighters against God (Acts 5:39), even blasphemers of God…It goes about to ungod God, and is by some of the ancients called Deicidium, God-murder or God-killing.” 

I want to state this plainly: James associates evil speech with judgment of a brother and judgement of a brother with judgment of the law and judgement of the law with stepping into a role that belongs only to God Himself. This should be a sober wake-up call for us because so much of what we justify as upholding the truth or of safeguarding the church is in all actuality deicide – murdering God, dethroning God, stepping into a place we have no right to step.   

We have no right to judge our brothers and sisters. We have no right to presume to be people’s Holy Spirit. We have no right to condemn a brother or sister for whom Christ died. What we do have the right and the calling to, however, is to proclaim the Gospel that our holy and righteous God, the only lawgiver and judge, is going to judge sinners for their sin. And lest they repent, they likewise will perish. He will be justified in His condemnation, but we are not. 

Just as He is the only one who can destroy, He is also the only one who can save. And save He does. Jesus said He came to call sinners to repentance! Paul says Jesus came to save sinners, of whom he was foremost. We have been entrusted with the message that our God saves; we are to proclaim liberty to the captives and God’s love to His enemies. You cannot do that without calling sin, sin but you must not do that without a heart of love for sinners.      

WHO ARE YOU TO JUDGE?

James powerfully brings his argument to a conclusion – God is judge, who are you? Has someone sinned? Proclaim forgiveness in Christ! Has someone sinned against you? Trust that God is going to be your vindication when someone does you wrong. Don’t take it into your own hands. Don’t judge them, don’t condemn them. Be slow to anger and quick to forgive. Who are you to judge your neighbor? 

If love compels you to address their sin and rebuke it, love them that way. Just be sure to first take the log out of your own eye so that you’re able to see the speck in theirs. But so much of what gets our feathers ruffled really ought to be covered by love and left alone. It’s just the fruit of sinful, selfish people trying their best but failing more often than they’d like, to live together in unity.  

James reminds us that we will be judged under the law of liberty, concluding that mercy triumphs over judgment. (James 2:12) Without God’s mercy we’d all be condemned, guilty of deicide, God-murder. But because of Christ’s work on the cross, He is willing and able to save and not destroy. 

Does your heart convict you? Repent. 

Oh, what a wonderful God we serve that that is the answer! We don’t have to go back and right every wrong, as if that were even remotely possible. Instead, agree with God that slander really is as bad as the bible says it is. Ask Him to help you walk in mercy and grace toward others. Rather than running people down with our words, Lord helps us to build them up. 

JOHN OWENS’ CAUTIONS

I want to close by very briefly giving you six cautions taken from John Owen’s book, Rules for Walking in Fellowship which I have taken from a book by Brian Hedges called Watchfulness. As you are hopefully reflecting on how to know whether your speech is biblical judgment or unbiblical judgmentalism and slander, here are a few things to consider: 

1. Charity always (1 Corinthians 13:7)
2. Self-judgment – Is there a beam in my eye? (Matthew 7:5)
3. Glory of God/good of others motivates entirely
4. Scripture alone, not personal opinions (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
5. Prayerfully submitted to Christ, seeking wisdom for how, when, where
6. Is this a “love covers a multitude of sins” situation? (1 Peter 4:8)

As we prepare our hearts now to receive communion, we always invite you to examine your hearts as Paul advised that we do. Perhaps our in our examinations we should agree with Proverbs 13:3 “Whoever guards his mouth preserves his life; he who opens wide his lips comes to ruin.” 

By His grace and for His glory!