Don't Judge

I was reminded as we were worshiping — I don’t know if you guys noticed this, but I noticed this. And I don’t know if it’s because I’m in the front, so I can hear all of you, or what. I’m usually on stage helping lead the worship, but I was down right here. And just the simplicity of our worship this morning — I think that there was a real beauty in that, and that it really moved the heart of the Lord today. Just a simple worship, sometimes stripping things away, stripping down the pizzazz, the production, whatever. We don’t ever want to be about production. We always want to be about presence. And that’s why we’re here. We’re not here to hear a good speech. We’re not here to go through the motions. We want to receive from the Lord.

And when we bring our worship to Him, just in those simple moments, I just had a sense that the Lord was so pleased with our heart and with our worship. And I could hear all your beautiful voices. I’m not judging. I’m not critiquing. No, they were wonderful. But just to hear this atmosphere filled with worship to the Lord — there’s nothing more pure and there’s nothing better. Amen. It’s wonderful.

Hearers and doers

If you have your Bibles, I’m going to invite you to turn with me to James chapter 4 this morning. We are working our way through the book of James, and we’ve been continuing in this study. It is what you would call a practical book. I remember when I would read this scripture when I was younger, I actually appreciated the fact that it was direct. How many of you like it when people are just straight up? They’re not beating around the bush. They’re not kind of just implying things. I think the disciples were like that with Jesus at the beginning. They were like, “What? Jesus, can You just say it? You’re talking in parables. We don’t understand. You’re really smart. You’re the Creator of the universe. Can You just help us out a little bit? Just say it.”

And I always appreciated the directness. But then there’s also this wrestling that happens, because so often we can find ourselves hearing these truths and identifying, “Oh man, this isn’t always what it looks like in my own life.” And that’s really the emphasis of James chapter 4 — thanks, David — not just to talk the talk, but to be people who actually walk the walk. That we would actually have hearts that don’t just hear the Word or hear the truth, that we don’t just hear the things of God, but that we actually do them, and that we walk with the Lord all the days of our lives.

Pastor Suzie shared last week out of what I believe is one of the most beautiful parts of James, out of James chapter 4. In fact, I’m going to go ahead and read it. I just want to read verses 7–10 real quick. It says, “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” Somebody love that promise right there. Come on. “Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom” — in light of our sin, in light of seeing our shortcomings. Verse 10 says, “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.”

Humility cures worldliness

Humble yourselves. It’s just this beautiful portion of Scripture. James started this chapter talking about, why are there quarrels among you? Why is there this disunity, these arguments? And he was really talking to the early church about how there was this pull, this gravitational pull, toward the things of the world. And isn’t that just how the world is? In fact, I have a study Bible, and according to the heading on this section, humility cures worldliness. I don’t know about you, but I think the world needs a little bit more humility in these days.

There is such a pull in the world, and there’s a dangerous place that we can get to as believers. Sometimes it’s because we’re young and we’re ignorant; we just don’t know. Sometimes it’s because we’re so seasoned in our walk with the Lord, we think it’s okay to remove ourselves from the presence of the Lord, or to remove ourselves from fellowship within the body of Christ. And we don’t recognize — Jesus said you are to be in the world but not of the world. Do you guys remember that? We can’t escape the world while we’re here on earth. It’s going to be here. Darkness is around. And we need to know how to walk with the Lord in the midst of those dark times, in the midst of the world, but we’re not to be conformed to the world.

But yet we spend so much time in the world and sometimes so little time in His presence. And it’s no wonder that so many believers are discouraged. It’s no wonder that so many believers are confused. It’s no wonder that so many believers are kind of gravitationally being pulled away from the church and from fellowship with other believers. Why? Because we just take on so much of the world, and we don’t actually come to the Lord and say, “Lord, I need You. Fill me with Yourself.” We fill ourselves with the world, but we don’t fill ourselves with Him. And may that not be us. May we find a heart and a hunger not for the things of the world, but that we would hunger for the things of heaven, for the things that are of God. You know what I mean?

And the more that you’re in the world, the easier it is to do. “You know what? My life is almost easier now that I don’t go to church.” Well, gee, I wonder why. And then all of a sudden, as believers, we say things that we never thought we would say. I don’t want us to be judgy. I don’t want us to critique. But we’ve probably all seen this: someone who once had such a heart for the Lord and was so founded on the truth, and yet they found themselves disconnected from fellowship. And the things that they would say years down the road — it’s like a different person. How does our heart get to that place? It’s because we get so consumed with the things of the world. There’s something about the worldly.

But according to James, the cure to worldliness is humility. Everybody say “humility.” That’s easier said than done — to humble yourself in the sight of the Lord, to submit yourself to God, to resist the devil — because humility kills individualism. And that’s something that’s really celebrated in our culture. It’s a value. It’s America. God bless America. Our independence, our freedom, my rights, my choice, me. But there is this sense of individualism that has crept into the church, where we no longer even want to submit to God Himself, and we say, “God, I’m going to do it my way, and You can just figure it out.” But how many of you know that that’s sin? In fact, that’s the opposite of humility. That’s pride, arrogance, which is the root of all sin.

I was listening to a friend of mine, and he was calling out some of the things that have become idols in our culture. And I do agree with the first one he listed. He said our feelings have become an idol in the church. “What I feel. Do what you feel. Do whatever feels best.” And what are we doing? We are not submitting to God. We’re not submitting to what He says. We’re saying, “Lord, I’m going to do it my way. Figure it out.” See, that’s not lordship. The cure to worldliness is humility before God.

Submitted to something

It says, “Submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” It’s hard to submit. It’s hard to just come to a place where you say, “Lord, I have plans. I have ideas. I have things that I want to do.” And how many of you know we need to do those things, right? Scripture also talks about numbering your days, making plans, being intentional. But when we do those things outside of submission to God — versus where we say, “Lord, this is what I’m thinking. This is what I’m seeing. But Lord, I submit these plans to You. Would You help me walk in a way that is worthy of You?” Do you see the difference? It’s good to have plans, but are you submitted to the Lord? That’s the big one.

Because if you’re not submitted to the Lord, you’re submitted to something. Everybody is submitted to something. The question is, who? Are you submitted to God, or are you submitted to the world? You’re not really free. You’re not really just doing whatever. You’re either submitted to God or you’re submitted to the world. And too often as believers, we lose our focus and we lose our first love, and we start to entertain the ideas and the truth of this world — that maybe the world has this figured out better than God. But the reality is, if we want to live holy to the Lord, if we want to live lives that are honoring to Him, where we are growing in our fellowship with Him and our fellowship with one another, as James is talking about, we must, number one, submit to God. We must humble ourselves. Somebody say amen.

“Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” And I love this: “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” That reminds me of verse 6: “But He gives more grace.” Didn’t I talk about that a couple weeks ago? He gives more grace. Put it on a T-shirt. As much as our hearts go astray — James was just calling people in the church adulterers and adulteresses, because they had gone astray in their heart. He uses that imagery of harlotry: we’re married to Him. We’ve given our life to Him. We’re saying, “I believe in God. I believe Jesus is my Savior.” Yet we choose the world, and we go to bed with the world and with the ways of the world. We adopt its truths, its values. And James is saying, “Adulterers and adulteresses.”

But then he goes on and says this: “Oh, but God gives so much more grace,” that we would be people who receive the grace of God. If we are not receiving the grace of God, it’s not because He’s not pouring out grace. It’s because we’re not receiving it. What gets in the way of receiving grace? Pride, arrogance, individualism. “My way is better than God’s way,” or, “I’m going to do it my way, and God can figure it out.” God gives grace to the humble, but He gives more grace.

It says, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” Can you see the heart of the Father there? He wants to be found by you. When you seek Him, God says, “I will be found by you.” But we have to have humble hearts that come to Him and say, “Lord, I’m laying it all down. Yeah, I have my dreams. I have my ambitions. I have my passions. I have my thoughts. But Lord, I’m laying it all down, and I’m choosing to do it Your way.”

He says, “Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” Lament your sin. Mourn about your sin. “Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom.” Take this seriously. We say, “Well, I can confess my sins and He’s faithful to forgive.” Yes, but we should live lives that are honoring to Him, because it reflects our actual heart and our hunger for Him, to walk with Him, to be with Him. Sin in our lives isn’t something that we should ever be content with: “Well, I’m just going to keep sinning, but I’ll just keep confessing.” No, that’s not a transformed life. That’s not God’s best for you. He gives grace not just to forgive us. He gives us grace to lift us up out of the darkness — to lift us out of the muck and the filth and out of the world, and into the life that He has for us. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.

Who are you to judge?

And then James, after giving this beautiful phrase, goes back to really the emphasis of this chapter, which was about unity and being together. And he starts talking about not judging one another. I want to go to verse 11. It says this — and we’ll have this on screen —

“Do not speak evil of one another, brethren. He who speaks evil of a brother and judges his brother, speaks evil of 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, who is able to save and to destroy. Who are you to judge another?”

James goes into this diatribe, talking about how we’re not getting along. And why is that? It’s because of our fleshly ambitions, our sinful nature. There’s something in us that is rising up that is causing these conflicts. And James gives us the antidote. He says, “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord,” and he goes back: so stop judging one another.

I’ve said that James often reflects the Sermon on the Mount — Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5 through 7, the greatest sermon ever preached. Of course, it goes to Jesus. And what does Jesus say? He talks about the speck in your neighbor’s eye, but the plank in your own eye. The fact that we can point out the speck in someone else’s eye is proof of a plank in our own eye. It says in verse 11, “Do not speak evil of one another.” When we properly humble ourselves before God, it will cause us to be right with other people. When we properly humble ourselves before God, we recognize how great God is and what He’s done for us. And we understand how we’re no better than another. We’re no better than other people. Why? All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. And so I really don’t have a place. Why? Because I’ve fallen short. Because I have struggles. Because I have sins. Because my thoughts go astray. Because my heart goes astray. I’m not worthy to be one who is able to judge.

In many ways, it is easier than ever to speak evil of another, because we just have more access. You know what I mean? The easy example is that it’s very easy for us to use the veil of social media and post whatever we want and whatever we think in judgment toward another. But how many of you know it’s equally easy to just be on social media and all of a sudden find yourself getting riled up because of things other people are saying, and now you’re like, “I want to say something too”? And there’s just this access of information. There are these things that go viral about people being caught in their sin, and then what? We point the finger and we’re like, “You’re dumb. You’re a sinner,” and all these things. It’s so easy to judge another.

Don’t speak against His bride

I’m going to go a step further, because not only should we not judge people, we really should not judge other believers. We shouldn’t be judging people in the church. We shouldn’t be judging spiritual leaders. We hear the things that come out, and it’s hard for our hearts not to go to places to point fingers. It’s like, “I don’t do that. I mean, I’m not the best person, but at least I didn’t do that.” And I think there are few greater tragedies than believers pointing the finger at another believer and passing judgment, because we don’t actually realize who they are. We forget who they are in Christ Jesus.

Scripture often talks about how we’re the bride of Christ. Think about that. The church is the bride of Jesus Christ. When Jesus returns, He is due a reward for what He has done. He’s been given the name above every name. He’s the King of kings. He returns, and He deserves a prize. And what is that prize? The church of Jesus Christ. And when we point fingers at the church — other denominations, other traditions, other leaders — and we begin to call names, or say, “That’s not right,” and we post about the slander, we post about the things they did wrong, I think that grieves the heart of the Lord Jesus. He’s like, “Why would you say that about My bride?”

If you’re married — could you imagine someone posting about your spouse, the person that you love, the person that you’re committed to? It would be hard to get along with that person for a little bit. You know what I mean? If somebody was on social media talking about my wife, I’m going to have a hard time entertaining a conversation. Do you get it? And James is saying, listen, don’t judge one another. When you are properly submitted to the Lord and you realize how awesome He is, when you realize what He’s done for you, when you realize how bad off you were before you gave your life to Him — when you actually have that perspective, it brings you low, because you realize how desperate you are and how fragile your life really is.

How fragile we really are

There are times where you can get humbled and you realize just how weak you are. Just last week I was at my daughter’s lacrosse tournament, and she did wonderful, by the way. You would all be very proud of her. She’s amazing. And they won the championship. Yep. And it was a long walk. I don’t think kids sometimes realize the pain and the sacrifice that parents go through to make room for their children. I had this cooler — about this big, a tote one, the kind you put on your shoulder or carry by a handle. And I was like, “I know she’s going to get hungry between games.” It’s like a mile-and-a-half walk. It’s a long walk. “I’m just going to be the dad, right? I’m working out. I’m going to be the dad and I’m going to carry this cooler.” And so I carried this cooler. It was heavy. I went a mile and a half. We had the cooler all day. Carried it back. And then the next day we get home and I’m doing some very simple lifts, and all of a sudden my back just tightens up. And I’m reminded, oh, I can’t just do anything and everything. I’m not invincible.

And I think sometimes we think that everything’s good. We think that we’re just invincible, that it’s not going to hurt me, that it’s not going to harm me. But we need to actually recognize how desperate we are for the Lord. Now, the Lord’s my healer. I’ve surrendered this to the Lord. I’ve asked, “Lord, would You bring healing to my body?” Anybody feel like when you try to do the right things, they end up hurting you? You guys know what I mean? “I’m trying to be healthy, and then I got hurt. Okay, Lord, help me. I’m trying to be healthy. Heal me, Lord Jesus.” And I’m receiving that, in Jesus’ name. But I’m sometimes reminded how much I need Him. That’s what I’m saying: how fragile we really are.

And honestly, as a pastor, I actually have a greater glimpse into this than most people, because I’ve been to the funerals. I’ve been to the places, and I’ve seen just how short life is. In fact, James talks about that; we’re going to get to it in just a moment. Life is but a vapor. And how do we actually live our lives? Are we living our lives for this life only, or are we living with eternity in mind? Are we actually living a life that is about just getting everything I can right now? All the rewards of this world will fade away. Did you guys know that you can’t take anything with you? Who are we living for? What are we living for? Are we living with eternity in mind? We need to be desperate for Him.

One Lawgiver and Judge

James says, “Do not speak evil of one another, brethren. He who speaks evil of a brother and judges his brother, speaks evil of the law and judges the law.” So in other words, when we judge our brother, we put ourselves in the same place as the law. We are in effect judging the law, meaning that we’re setting ourselves above God’s law rather than submitting to God’s law. By judging someone else in a condemning way, what we’re effectively saying is, “Well, this part of the law doesn’t apply to me,” or, “This is what I think God should do about this person’s sin.”

But Scripture goes on, and he says, “There is one Lawgiver.” This is talking about Jesus. “There is one Lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy. Who are you to judge another?” How many of you know there is only one who has the rightful place of judgment? Jesus, the perfect fulfillment of the law. Jesus is the perfect one, and God has given Him the authority to be the judge.

Now, this righteous Lawgiver, notice, is able to save and able to destroy. I think something that a lot of believers overlook or don’t pay attention to — they think as long as you give your life to the Lord and you’ve received salvation, you’re good. You’ve got your golden ticket. You’re in. Not actually recognizing that every single person who has ever lived will be judged by the Lord Jesus. We think that’s only unbelievers. And yes, there’s going to be the great white throne judgment. There is a judgment for the unbelievers, but there is also a judgment for those who believe in Him.

The way you live your life now matters — the way that we walk before the Lord, the way that we submit to God, the way that we draw near to Him. These are all things that set us up to walk with Him and to live a life that honors Him. And there will be many that the Lord comes face to face with that He will say, “Depart from Me; I never knew you.” But then there will be those that He says, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” I don’t know about you, but when I come to that moment, I want Him to look at me and say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” What is good? What is faithful? How many of you know Jesus is the good and faithful one? And so we’re completely dependent on Him. He is the one who saves us. He’s the one who can destroy.

Second Corinthians 5:10 says this: “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.” Jesus said this in John 12:48: “He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him — the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day.” That’s actually powerful. How many of you know His Word is unchanging and it is eternal? There is this lie and deception that has crept in, that the things that God has said really aren’t true for today. But He’s unchanging, and He’s eternal. And He says you will be judged by the word that He’s already spoken.

How many of you know we need to pay attention to the words of Jesus? There’s all sorts of stuff going around, man. There’s this thing going around: “I only read the red letters,” talking about Scripture and the words of Jesus. But Jesus said all Scripture speaks of Me. He is the fulfillment of the law, meaning He fulfilled every single part, the Old and the New. All Scripture has been breathed by God. It is the Word of God. Scripture says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Jesus is the Word. And so how do we go through life treating this sometimes so casually? He says the word that He has spoken will judge on the last day.

Revelation 19:11 says this: “Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse.” This is for all the dudes. When I read this verse, I’m like, yeah. This is talking about the revelation of Jesus Christ, and John was receiving this revelation, seeing what was happening at the end times. He says, “I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war.” All the guys go, “Come on.” All the dudes are like, “Yeah, let’s go.” That’s it.

And so James is saying, who are we then to judge one another? It’s not our place. Now, it doesn’t mean that we don’t have wisdom. It doesn’t mean that there’s not discernment. But when we are discerning things, when we see a brother or sister fall or make mistakes, will you give grace? Will you show love? Will you pray for them? It’s hard to pray for your enemies. Did you guys know that? Those that have betrayed you, those that have wronged you, those who have spoken ill against you. But rather than judging, will you show grace, and will you pray? Will you still love them? Will you still make room? According to Jesus, when we call out the speck in another’s eye, it’s proof of the plank in our own eye. And James is saying, listen, if you will properly humble yourselves before God, it won’t even be in you to judge another. Why? Because when we humble ourselves before the Lord, all you can see is Him, and everything that He is begins to be poured out into you. Somebody say amen.

If the Lord wills

So James continues in verse 13. He says, “Come now.” He continues to encourage a humble dependence on God. Verse 13: “Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit’; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.’ But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.”

And so James continues with this theme of humility and how to live with a humble dependence on God. And we do it not by exalting that self-independence — we were just talking about not exalting that self-independence against God. But when we do make our plans and we do have ideas, sometimes we don’t realize that God not only has the power to shift our plans; He has the authority to do it. We can make all the plans that we want and all the agendas, but how many of you know God has the power to not only ruin that, He has the authority to do it? He has every right to do whatever He wants. He is God. But when we fail to realize that and we just do it our way, we aren’t actually walking in humility before God.

Scripture says that in Him we live, and move, and have our being. I think sometimes we need to sit back and actually reflect on how dependent we actually are — that really every breath is Him. When we were created, what did God do? He breathed into Adam, and he had life. He is our breath. He’s the one that sustains us. He’s the one that strengthens us. He’s the one that heals us. He’s the one that lifts us up.

And so it’s okay to plan your career. It’s okay to plan your education, your family. But when you make your plans, offer them to the Lord. Invite Him into the process, and do it with reliance on Him. James says this in verse 15: “Instead you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.’” I think that’s funny, because I’m like, I think the Lord’s will is for me to continue to live. But James is giving this drastic example: if the Lord even wills for me to be here a year from now, then we can do this or that. And even then, I’m going to submit that to the Lord. I’m going to actually invite Him into that process and give Him a say. But when we think that we’re independent from God and we can just do whatever we want and God can figure it out, James is saying it is boastful arrogance. It is the essence of sin. So let us not think of ourselves as independent from God, but think of ourselves as being dependent on Him in every way.

And verse 17 says this: “Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.” Well, let’s just sit back now. What do we know from James chapter 4? What do we know is good? We know that it is good to submit to God. We know that it is good to resist the devil. We know that it is good to lament and to mourn over our sin. We know that it’s good to speak good and not evil of one another. We know that it is good to be generous and gracious, not judging. And we know that it is good to live in dependence on God. And when we know these things but we fail to do them, according to Scripture, it is sin.

And this is really the theme of the book of James: to not just be hearers of the Word, but to be doers of the Word. It’s not enough just to know the truth. We must walk in the truth, live in the truth. And how many of you know, when you really know something, it actually changes what you do? When you have fully given yourself to something, when you fully give yourself to someone, it alters the way that you live. And so James is saying, don’t just be hearers, but be doers of the Word. In other words, you can talk the talk, but can you walk the walk? And by the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the power of the Holy Spirit, I am here to tell you, you absolutely can.

It all comes back to this: who are you submitted to? If you are submitted to the Lord, if you are submitted to the Spirit of God, you will live a life that is growing in Him, that is growing in the authority of Jesus, that is growing in the understanding of who He is and what He has for you — where the Lord is being glorified in you and through you. It is not by your own strength. Somebody say amen. It’s not by what you deserve. It is by the grace of God and the Spirit of God. Amen.

Let’s go ahead and stand, and I’m going to pray over us this morning. Let’s just bow our heads and close our eyes. Let’s just lift our hands to the Lord.

Lord Jesus, we thank You for Your Word. Lord, we thank You that Your Word is truth, that Your Word is life. And Holy Spirit, we thank You that You speak to us. And Lord, the things that You call out are not in judgment, but You are the one who is longing to pour out grace to each one of us. Lord, I pray right now, as we hear Your Word, that we would not lift ourselves up, that we would not be boastful or prideful, but that we would choose Your way today, in Jesus’ name. Lord, that we would be led by Your Spirit, that we would respond to the calling of Your Spirit to draw near to You, because, Lord, You are the one that we are dependent on. You are the one that we need. You are our very life, our very breath. You’re the one who lifts us up. You’re the one who leads us, who strengthens us, who sustains us, Lord Jesus.

And so, Lord, we call on You, and we repent of our sin. We repent of our pride. We repent of the arrogance, the independence, the attitude that says, “I’m just going to live my life, and You’ll be there when I need You.” Lord, that is not honoring to You. You’re the one who laid it all down, even to obedience to dying on a cross. And Lord, You even said, “Do you not know that you are not your own, for you were bought at a price?” Lord, who are we to say, “It’s my way or the highway”? Lord, we lift all things, and we lay it all at Your feet. Full surrender, Lord. Do a work of full surrender in us, Lord Jesus.

Lord, we want more of You, less of the world. We want more of You and less of ourselves. We want more of You, because, Lord, You are the only one who satisfies. Lord, this world — everything the world has to offer — is empty, and it fades away. But Jesus, You are forever. You are eternity. You are our eternal life. And so, Lord, may we live lives that receive Your grace. And Lord, that we would live lives empowered and filled by Your Spirit, to walk obediently and honoring You in everything that we do and everything that we say. Lord, it is by Your grace, and it is by the power and the transforming of Your Spirit. Lord, fill us now with Your Holy Spirit. Pour out over every person here. Lord, we need more of You. And so, Lord, we lay it all at Your feet today. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Can we thank the Lord this morning? Thank You for Your Word. All right: humble yourselves, and He will pour out grace. Listen, there is no better life to lead as followers of Jesus than a life of humility and submission to Him. I promise you, it is the way. It’s the way.

Transcribed from the message recording and lightly edited for reading.