James: More GraceSample

A restored relationship with God will transform our lives and our relationships.

Humble hearts must flow out into humble speech. James has already taught that if you don’t ‘keep a tight rein’ on your tongue, you are deceiving yourself and your religion is worthless (1:26). In this last part of his letter (4:11 – 5:20), James repeatedly calls on his readers to get their tongues under control.

Slander must stop (v. 11), so must boasting (4:16), grumbling (5:9) and swearing (5:12). Instead, James wants to hear wails of repentance (5:1), prayers (5:13–16), songs of praise (5:13), submissive calls to church elders (5:14) and confessions of sin to fellow believers (5:16). In all these ways, what these Christians’ claim to believe must flow out into what their tongues actually say.

• James begins with the issue of slander. These believers must stop speaking against each other, for what are they doing when they speak like this (v. 11)?

How we talk about each other really matters. We can be very quick to run down our Christian brothers and sisters in our conversations. James’ message here is that when we sit in judgment over our fellow believers like this we are actually sitting in judgment over God’s word. The Lord Jesus taught his followers, ‘Love your neighbour as yourself’ (2:8), and so backbiting, negative gossip and the ripping apart of reputations must stop. Speaking in such ways is certainly not loving others in the way Jesus commanded.

If we speak like this, we are acting as if we have the right to disregard our Lord’s law of love whenever we like. We need to watch out, for our attitude to his law reveals our attitude to Jesus himself.

• How does James humble his readers (v. 12)?

When we slander our Christian brother or sister, we behave as if we have the right to sit over them as their judge and jury. Who do we think we are? There is only one person who has the right to make such laws and judge how well we keep them, and it is not us!

Only God will be the judge in the only judgment that really counts. On the last day he will either destroy us as we deserve or save us through his mercy and grace.

God has been gracious to James’ readers who believe in the Lord Jesus. Now he wants them to treat each other with the same mercy and grace. We are to love our neighbour in what we say, not rubbish them!

Pray

Pray that your words about others would be loving and gracious.