More Compassion (9 of 12)
Series: Less is More
James 4:11-12
Video: Judged - worshiphousemedia.com
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? James 4:11-12
Over the last several weeks we've been allowing James to speak into our lives to help us verify if our faith is authentic or artificial. In ch. 1-3, James focused on those inside the church whose faith is authentic to PROVE faith; but starting in ch. 4, he turned his attention to those w/ artificial faith to REPROVE their faithlessness. As we discussed last week, these well-meaning, lost church attenders can be identified by (4) actions: they incite conflict, they're judgmental, they're defiant to God's will, and they're greedy.
A few years ago, a pastor friend of mine was diagnosed w/ nodules on his vocal cords - not a good problem for a pastor. His only cure was to not speak for 2 mo. - which meant he couldn't preach. One day we were talking and he said, ''You'd be amazed at how godly you look when you can't speak, yet you still have the issue of the heart.''
As I've thought about his words I couldn't agree more. Our mouths often get us into trouble, but our words are simply the tip of the iceberg to a much more crippling issue - a critical, judgmental spirit. Once again, the heart of the issue is an issue of the heart. And James says such a spirit reveals that a person might not have a genuine faith b/c instead of trusting God - they try to become God.
I An Audacious ACTION
Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother... speaks against the law and judges it.
This may come as a surprise - but did you know slander is not spiritual gift? James uses habitual action verb ...
Series: Less is More
James 4:11-12
Video: Judged - worshiphousemedia.com
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? James 4:11-12
Over the last several weeks we've been allowing James to speak into our lives to help us verify if our faith is authentic or artificial. In ch. 1-3, James focused on those inside the church whose faith is authentic to PROVE faith; but starting in ch. 4, he turned his attention to those w/ artificial faith to REPROVE their faithlessness. As we discussed last week, these well-meaning, lost church attenders can be identified by (4) actions: they incite conflict, they're judgmental, they're defiant to God's will, and they're greedy.
A few years ago, a pastor friend of mine was diagnosed w/ nodules on his vocal cords - not a good problem for a pastor. His only cure was to not speak for 2 mo. - which meant he couldn't preach. One day we were talking and he said, ''You'd be amazed at how godly you look when you can't speak, yet you still have the issue of the heart.''
As I've thought about his words I couldn't agree more. Our mouths often get us into trouble, but our words are simply the tip of the iceberg to a much more crippling issue - a critical, judgmental spirit. Once again, the heart of the issue is an issue of the heart. And James says such a spirit reveals that a person might not have a genuine faith b/c instead of trusting God - they try to become God.
I An Audacious ACTION
Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother... speaks against the law and judges it.
This may come as a surprise - but did you know slander is not spiritual gift? James uses habitual action verb ...
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