March 19 Daily Devotional

Scripture for Day 78—James 4:11–12

¹¹ 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?

Devotional:

Backbiting and judging are like two sides of the same coin—whenever you backbite, you judge. This is a chief sin against gospel-humility. What does God tell you to do about it? First, consciously consider about whom you are speaking—your redeemed siblings in Christ. Second, consciously consider God’s standard for speech—his holy law.

Third, consciously consider who is truly supreme. "There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy." (v. 12a). Your attitude toward the law reflects your attitude toward the Lawgiver. In other words, a life wrongly related to fellow believers betrays a life wrongly related to God. "If anyone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen" (1 John 4:20). Let this fact especially sober you—God the Lawgiver is also God the Judge. "There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy" (v. 12a).

So finally, consciously consider who you really are. "But who are you to judge your neighbor?" (v. 12b). When you backbite, who do you think you are? Putting down others is, in fact, a subtle way to exalt yourself. This is thoroughly worldly. The world actually values the judgmental criticism of other people as witty and entertaining. Sometimes it’s malicious. Sometimes it’s just thoughtless. But it’s always sinful. And it’s always harmful. How many friendships have been broken, how many reputations have been ruined, how many homes have been wrecked—all thanks to careless backbiting? Who do you think you are to judge your neighbor?

Who are you really? Consider this especially in light of vv. 7–10. "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble." Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord…"

Click here for background on the author of Are You For Real?: Meditations in the Epistle of James for Secret or Family Worship.