Slander and Judgment

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Slander and Judgment

• Real Life James Series 20
• James 411-12

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THE CAUSES AND REMEDIES OF QUARRELS AND FIGHTS
RECAP

• Root Causes of quarrels and fights (vs.1-6)
• Sinful desires within us (the flesh)
• Friendship with the world (the world)
• Pride (the devil)
• Godly Remedies that cure the root causes
  (vs.7-10)
• Humble yourself and submit to God. How?
• By resisting the devil and drawing near to God.
• By repenting from your sinful ways and purifying
  your hearts.
• By being serious about holiness and weeping over
  your sins.

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SLANDER AND JUDGMENT CLARIFICATION OF WHAT THEY
ARE

• What does it mean NOT to speak evil against
  others?
• The word, to speak evil of katalaleo
  literally means to speak down maliciously or to
  speak negatively against others which means
  broader than slander (NIV).
• It does NOT mean avoiding difficult
  conversations rather we are to (1) speak truth
  in love, (2) confront lovingly each others
  sin/offense, (3) rebuke/correct in admonition,
  (4) warn others about false teaching/teachers.

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• Rather, speaking the truth in love . . .
• Better is open rebuke than hidden love.
• Ephesians 415 Proverbs 277
• 15 "If your brother sins against you, 
• go and tell him his fault, between you and him
  alone.
• If he listens to you, you have gained your
  brother.
• Matthew 1815
• Correct, rebuke and encourage
• with great patience and careful instruction.
• 2 Tim 42
•  
•  17I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out
• for those who cause divisions and create
  obstacles
• contrary to the doctrine that you have been
  taught 
• avoid them.18For such persons do not serve our
  Lord Christ,
• but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and
• flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive.

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SLANDER AND JUDGMENT CLARIFICATION OF WHAT THEY
ARE

• What does it mean NOT to speak evil against
  others?
• The word, to speak evil of katalaleo
  literally means to speak down maliciously or to
  speak negatively against others which means much
  broader than slander (NIV).
• It does NOT mean avoiding difficult
  conversations rather we are to (1) speak truth
  in love, (2) lovingly confront each others
  sin/offense, (3) rebuke/correct in admonition,
  (4) warn others about false teaching/teachers.
• It means that we are NOT to bad-mouth others
  maliciously which includes (1) willful false
  accusations, (2) exaggerations of faults that are
  real, (3) needless repetition of real faults, and
  (4) slander false testimony that defames
  another's reputation a list from the
  commentary by Richard Wolff.

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SLANDER AND JUDGMENT CLARIFICATION OF WHAT THEY
ARE

• What does it mean NOT to judge others?
• It does NOT mean, Do not DISCERN
• We are to (1) evaluate/distinuish right from
  wrong, (2) test the spirits, and (3) exercise
  discernment.

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• 15 "Beware of false prophets,
• who come to you in sheeps clothing
• but inwardly are ravenous wolves.
•  16You will recognize them by their fruits. 
• Matthew 715-16
•  17and their talk will spread like gangrene.
• Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus,
• 18who have swerved from the truth, saying
• that the resurrection has already happened.
• They are upsetting the faith of some.
• 2 Timothy 216-18
• 10As for a person who stirs up division, 
• after warning him once and then twice, 
• have nothing more to do with him, 
• 11knowing that such a person is warped
• and sinful he is self-condemned.
• Titus 310-11

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SLANDER AND JUDGMENT CLARIFICATION OF WHAT THEY
ARE

• What does it mean NOT to judge others?
• It does NOT mean, Do not DISCERN
• We are to (1) evaluate right from wrong, (2) test
  the spirits, and (3) exercise discernment.
• It means, Do not CONDEMN
• We are NOT to (1) criticize unlovingly, (2)
  condemn others, (3) play God in passing final
  judgment.

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WHY SHOULD WE TURN AWAY FROM SLANDER JUDGMENT?

• 1) We must turn away from it because all
  believers belong to the same Father/Family.
• Do not speak evil against one another,
  brothers. The one
• who speaks against a brother or judges his
  brother. (vs.11a)
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• The usage of the word, brothers denotes the
  fact that is thicker than bloodi.e., we are in
  ONE Family of God.
• To speak against or judge a brother/sister means
  to break the ONENESS of Gods family.
• Slandering/judging others is the primary reason
  for church dissensions and splits to kill each
  other with words.
• Therefore, we are to be ONE FAMILY by loving one
  another in unity and harmony.

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• 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the
  Spirit
• through the bond of peace. 4There is one body and
  
• one Spiritjust as you were called to one hope
• when you were called 5 one Lord, one faith,
• one baptism 6 one God and Father of all,
• who is over all and through all and in all.
• Ephesians 43-5
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• Few things are as dishonoring to the cause of
  Christ
• as Christians quarreling among themselves. Yet we
  expel
• people from our fellowship for adultery, while we
  tolerate
• discord between ourselves and other believers. We
  have
• failed to understand and obey the biblical
  imperative to
• make every effort to do what leads to peace
  Rom 1419.
• Jerry Bridges
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WHY SHOULD WE TURN AWAY FROM SLANDER JUDGMENT?

• 2) We must turn away from it because otherwise,
  we criticize and judge the law.
• 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. (v.11b)  
• By the law, James means the royal law LOVE
  which sums up the entire Mosaic law.

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•  If you really fulfill the royal law according to
  the Scripture,
• You shall love your neighbor as yourself," you
  are doing well.
• James 28
• You shall not go around as a slanderer
• among your people, and you shall not stand up
• against the life of your neighbor I am the LORD.
• Leviticus 1916
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• Owe no one anything, except to love each other,
• for the one who loves another has fulfilled the
  law. 
• Romans 138
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WHY SHOULD WE TURN AWAY FROM SLANDER JUDGMENT?

• 2) We must turn away from it because, otherwise,
  we criticize and judge the law.
• 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. (v.11b)  
• By the law, James means the royal law LOVE
  which sums up the entire Mosaic law.
• If we slander or judge others, we put ourselves
  above the law rather than obeying the law as
  Gods will.
• In so doing we make ourselves a self-righteous
  critic and judge over the law.
• Therefore, we are to humble ourselves in obeying
  the royal law as Gods will for our speech life.

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WHY SHOULD WE TURN AWAY FROM SLANDER JUDGMENT?

• 3) We must turn away from it because it results
  from our prideplaying Gods role the sole
  lawgiver and judge.
• There is only one lawgiver and judge,
• he who is able to save and to destroy.
• But who are you to judge your neighbor? (v.12)
• The root cause of slandering judging others is
  PRIDE which fuels our evil passion within us to
  insist our way.
• By pride, we are led by the devils lure to think
  that we are wise in our own eyesso, we become a
  judge of others.
• However, the role of JUDGE solely belongs to God
  who has the power apply the judgment on all human
  beings.
• Therefore, we are to humbly submit to God as our
  JUDGE, surrendering our unbroken self to the
  Spirit.

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• For the LORD is our judge
• the LORD is our lawgiver
• the LORD is our king he will save us.
• Isaiah 3322
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PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS FOR OUR EVERYDAY LIFE

• STOP bad-mouthing others maliciously.
• Turn away from backbiting, slander, and malicious
  gossip.
• Cling to speaking truth in love and to loving
  confrontation.
• STOP judging others by jumping into conclusion.
• Turn away from a prideful judgmental attitude.
• Cling to humble submission.
• START humbling yourself to pursue unity, harmony,
  and love with others.
• Love one another.
• Keep the unity of the church.

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