Introduction

Female spiders, as many of you know, can be hard to get to know.  This is because they often eat those that would try to get to know them.  A visitor, while he thinks he is receiving a warm welcome, may actually be hollowed out before he knows it!

A female spider has no stomach, which, as you know, is necessary for digesting food.  So, she must find some other food already digested in order for it to meet her needs.  The female spider will inject her digestive juices through tiny punctures in some poor insect’s belly.  His insides will be broken down into a warm, scrumptious soup for her dinner!  The female spider gulps down her delicious dinner.

Walter Wangerin, an author, compared the gruesome eating procedures of the female spider to the vicious words spoken by people as they have their friends for dinner.  We verbally cook others for dinner in our own kind of acidic enzymes.  The enzymes of humiliation and guilt eat away at others so that we can have them for dinner.  We can sometimes do this so skillfully that “our dear ones continue to sit up and to smile, quite as though they were still alive” (Hughes quotes Wangerin. Hughes, James:Faith That Works, 193).  We do this when we speak against others.  That is the subject James wants us to think about now.

This passage picks up on themes that run throughout the epistle of James.  He has spoken much of inappropriate uses of the tongue and the pride that is thereby manifested.  In the first chapter we saw that men were quick to speak out in anger in response to the teaching of God’s Word.  James urged them to be quick to listen and slow to speak.  At the end of chapter one, we were reminded that pure religion in the sight of God is characterized by a bridled (controlled) tongue.  In chapter three, verses one through twelve, James goes into great detail talking about the dangers of the tongue.  There was apparently a lot of pride that was reflected in strife and quarrelling (see James 3:13-4:2).  It is not completely certain what this quarrelling looked like, but it was a significant issue in the church James was writing to.

James’ one command.  In these 2 verses James gives one command.  This command is the main thought of the passage (vv.11-12).  He says, “Do not speak against one another, brethren.”  He is talking to them as believers (indicated by the use of “brethren”).  Apparently believers were speaking against other believers.  How tragic!  If there is any place that should be marked by love for each other, it should be the church.  Sadly, many believers have a more difficult time getting along with fellow believers than they do with unbelievers.

James goes on to tell us the consequences of breaking this command, but before we look at them, lets make sure we understand exactly what the command is.

To speak against. The heart of this command comes from a Greek word with refers to many kinds of harmful speech.  In Numbers 21:5 it refers to the people of Israel when they questioned the authority of God and Moses.  In Psalm 101:5 it refers to slandering someone in secret.  In 1 Peter 2:12 and 3:16 it refers to incorrect accusations (spoken by an unbeliever to a believer).  James says it another way.  We are not to “judge” our brothers.

We can’t point out sin in others’ lives? As you hear James’ command you may wonder how this relates to other clear commands in Scripture to identify and help others’ with the sin in their lives.  Consider a couple examples of these commands.

Galatians 6:1-2
1Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. 2Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

Paul specifically tells the Galatians to restore others who are overtaken in a trespass.  How can they restore others without identifying sin?  They can’t.  To restore others in sin, you must identify sin in them.  You must make some kind of judgment.  You must in some sense “speak against” them.  James’ words refer to something other than gently restoring others in sin.

Matthew 7:1 is a verse often quoted to prove that no one should ever judge another.  It says, “Judge not or you too will be judged.”  However, you must understand the word, “judge” in its context.  He is referring to “judgmentalism.”  The contexts explains what kind of judging He is referring to.  A person is judgmental when he ignores the logs in his eye to “help” others with mere twigs in their eyes.

Matthew 7:15 tells us to beware of false prophets.  How can we even identify a false prophet unless we “judge” them in some way?  We must consider their fruit, and judge it to be good or bad.  Matthew 7:16 says, “by their fruit you will know them.”

More specifics of speaking against others. James’ command forbids us from speaking anything, whether true or false, which tears another down.  Some people think it is definitely wrong to say something untrue about another person which tears them down.  James goes further than that.  It doesn’t matter whether it is true or not.  If it tears another down, it is wrong.

Others might think it is wrong to tear someone else down behind his back, but its okay to say whatever you want face to face.  James says it is wrong to tear another down even to his face.

Still others would try to escape the reaches of James’ command here by thinking that only words matter.  But, we can speak against others without even using any words.  We can do it with our tone of voice, the rolling of our eyes, and other gestures.

Convicting questions.  Let me ask you some questions…

• Do you ever question authorities that God has placed over you?  How do you speak about your mom or dad? 
• Do you ever gossip about others behind their backs?
• Do you ever verbally tear others down to their face gasping at their stupidity?
• Do you ever exaggerate the faults of others or repeat others’ faults needlessly to their face or behind their back?
• Do you ever critique others without first critiquing yourself?

Self-righteous judgments?  You may at times try to “judge” others as you are commanded to in Scripture.  Are you self-righteous when you judge?  How can you tell? Do you…

• Point out faults in others without considering your own standing before God?
• Point out faults in others without trying to help them?
• Point out faults in others for your own amusement?
• Point out faults in others with no genuine concern for their welfare?
• Point out faults in others on the basis of your own opinion, or are you judgments based on Scripture?

James uses the phrase “judges his brother” in verse 11 to further clarify what he is speaking of.  This judgment is the same as that mentioned in Matthew 7 as we have seen.

Speaking against others is easy to do.  Sometimes, wrong things can role off our tongues.  It is easy to sin this way if we don’t see the effects of it, the consequences of it – the reality of it.  Is it really that big of a deal to speak against your brother?  If you don’t think it is big deal you will not be motivated to watch out for it.  James understands that, so he helps us.  He motivates us to guard against this sin.

Consequences of speaking against brothers

In James 4:11-12, we see two consequences of speaking against your brother that should motivate you to humbly love others instead.

When you speak against others…

1. You are exalting yourself above God’s law (v.11).

When you speak against another, you speak against the law and judge the law.  This is a powerful statement.  How are we speaking against and judging the law?

You are breaking the law acting as though the law did not apply to you.  This is because the law tells you to love others, not merely judge them (every command to “judge” others is actually a way to love others).  When you slander others, you are not loving your neighbor as yourself.  When you don’t love your neighbor as yourself, you are violating God’s law. When you violate God’s law you in effect saying, “The law that says I should love my neighbor as myself is no good.  I disagree with it.  There should be a law against the other guy, but not against me.  The law is wrong when it tries to control me.”

You are living as though the law were a tool to use on others. This happens when we get blinded by our own sin.  Pride is blinding.  When we speak against others (or, literally speak down on/to others) we do so in pride.  That pride blinds us.  We no longer consider our own relationship to the law. 

We have warnings in Scripture to watch ourselves.  Galatians 6:1 says, “Consider yourself lest you also be tempted.”   Matthew 7 tells us to get the plank out of our eye before we help another with the speck in his eye.

In your pride, you may be thinking, “Wow.  People really need me.  These people are wrecks.  When will they ever get it?”

Moo says, “However high and orthodox our view of God’s law might be, a failure actually to do it says to the world that we do not in fact put much store in it” (Moo, 199).

We evidence by our sinful judgments that obedience to God’s law is not really what is important to us.  While we may proudly think of ourselves as the best “law keepers” around, we are actually breaking the law.

Have you considered whether or not you have broken God’s law?  Do you speak against others?  Do you ignore God’s law (as it speaks to your thoughts and actions) in order to judge others by it? 

What do you tell your spouse about others?  What do you tell your friends about others?  What do you tell others about your children?  Do you speak against others in the church?  When you speak against others realize that you have broken God’s law and you are standing in judgment of it.

We have seen the first consequence of speaking against your brother (you are exalting yourself above God’s law).  Let’s consider the second consequence.  When you speak against your brother...

2. You are exalting yourself above God (v.12).

You ought not to judge the law.  You ought not to try to do what only God can do.  James says in verse 12 there is only one Lawgiver and Judge.  When you ignore His law in order to condemn others, you are acting as the lawgiver and judge.  You say, “I am the final standard.”

James highlights the fact that God is the One Who determines the ultimate destiny of men.  He alone is able to save and to destroy.  He alone is able to judge righteously.  We ought not to stand in judgment of His law.

Conclusion

Two consequences of speaking against your brother that should motivate you to humbly love others:

1. You are exalting yourself above God’s law.

2. You are exalting yourself above God.

This is the prideful heart.  Think about it.  Why would we want to judge others?

• We want revenge.  We feel like we have been wronged, so we try to get back at the person.  We try to play God.  We should be patient, knowing that God is the Avenger of wrongs (Romans 12).
• We want others to like us more.  We might slam on others to make ourselves stand out above the crowd.  We want others to adore, or worship, us.
• We want entertainment.  We are amused.  There is a lull in the conversation so we carelessly speak what comes to mind.  One writer said we “fuel the fires of conversation with the flesh of others” (Hughes, James, 195).  We think “everything is for me.”  “I am god.  I will say what brings me pleasure; I will say what entertains me.” 
• We want to feel better about ourselves.  We may say hurtful things more so because of the feeling we get as a result.  We like to remind ourselves of how much better we are than others.  This was the attitude of the Pharisee who thanked God that he was not like other sinners in Luke 18:11.