Judge and Jury

James 4:11-12 “Do not speak evil against one another, brethren. He that speaks evil 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 one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you that you judge your neighbor?”

The prideful desire to be exalted over our peers tells us that it is acceptable to judge one another, but it is not. If we are to speak evil of someone else, to degrade someone, to lessen them in the eyes of other people, to gossip about them, this in turn exalts us and our own ego. We may not think so, but this prideful exaltation is in the silent part. When we speak ill of someone, we are silently implying that we are not guilty of their faults or shortcomings. We are silently setting ourselves up as the judge of that person’s actions whether they be right or wrong. We are silently setting ourselves up as the jury over that person’s innocence or guilt.

There is one lawgiver and judge and that is the Lord our God. He is the One who we wrong and sin against. He is the One who we will answer to. Jesus warns us by saying “I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned” (Matthew 12:36-37). Who are we to speak ill of others in the church or outside it? Should we not be gracious with our words and ensure they are seasoned with salt (Colossians 4:6)? Perhaps there is great value in practicing quietness so that we can focus on prayer and keeping our minds on Christ.

Let us flee from pride, control our tongues, and not say evil against our fellow men and women who were made in the image of God. Let our words build up one another, encourage one another to live a righteous life, and lead others towards the marvelous light of Christ.