JUST WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?

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In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

“Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister or judges them speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?”

James 4:11-12

This ends today’s reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

We’re living in a time where there seems to be no shortage of judgments made, one person to another. We see this play out in the media often times and it seems the worst offenders are our politicians who make an almost daily spectacle of lashing out at their opponents, slandering them and their ideologies. There is no collaboration anymore, only an environment where a person is derided and judged for not believing what the other does.

Unfortunately, this poor political behavior spills over to the constituency. Those who side with one party take aim at those who are affiliated with the other and if you observe closely enough, you’ll see political followers use the same methodologies that their favorite political figure uses to attack their opponents.

One form of bad behavior, and frankly it’s too often sinful behavior, breeds and begets like behavior in others, and it’s all being done in the plain sight of God who can’t be very pleased with what He sees and hears. Perhaps all people should be paying more attention to the word of God instead the words of others to form their views and opinions. For as we see in today’s passage, the rampant oppositional actions we see taking place in our society must cause the Lord to ask one simple question to the offenders:

Just who do you think you are?

There’s absolutely no question what the Lord expects from His people here. His word tells us the way we’re to behave and it’s not optional.

We’re not to slander one another. Period.

This is because when we adopt this method of attacking someone else, we essentially are speaking judgment against them, something we have no right to do.

Why?

Because none of us are perfect ourselves. We judge other for the faults we see in them but in doing so, we are forgetting we are flawed ourselves. Jesus had this to say which reinforces the points made by His brother James in our passage for today:

“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” Matthew 7:1-5

Here we find Jesus call judgmental behavior what it really is, hypocritical behavior.

No one has the right to pass judgment on another person. This right belongs with God and God alone, the sole Lawgiver and Judge over all creation.

So if you are engaging in slanderous behaviors - either face to face with others, through social media, or behind their backs - stop now and come before the Lord, confessing and repenting of your sins. Then place the matter of judging in His hands and let it there where it belongs.

For according to the scriptures, this is the only right and righteous thing to do.  

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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Send any prayer requests to Gods4all@aol.com