Post by Shepherd on Nov 11, 2008 11:28:40 GMT -6
THE LAW GIVER AND JUDGING OUR NEIGHBOR.
JAMES 4:12...THERE IS ONE LAWGIVER, WHO IS ABLE TO SAVE AND TO DESTROY; WHO ARE THOU THAT JUDGEST ANOTHER?
I. THE LAW GIVER.
Absolute supremacy becomes none but him that hath absolute power.
God hath an absolute and supreme power over man, God loves man and Jesus is our Savior now, but one day will be the judge, we don’t have to fear if we are a Christian. We should fear God with awe, it is a different kind of fear. It is not like being afraid of God, because we know, He loves us and loved us enough to give His only Son, so that we could have eternal life, it is up to us.
( I Cor. 10;22 DO NOT PROVOKE THE LORD TO JEALOUSY? ARE WE STRONGER THAN HE?)
Observe them with more encouragement; live according to Christ’s laws, and He is able to protect you (PSA 68:20 HE THAT IS OUR GOD ;IS THE GOD OF SALVATION; AND UNTO GOD THE LORD BELONG THE ISSUES FROM DEATH). He can save His people, and He hath many ways to bring His enemies to ruin. Your friend is the most dreadful enemy; he HATH THE KEYS OF DEATH AND HELL. REV. 1:18.
Be the more humbled in case of breach of His laws. Wool overcomes the strokes of iron by yielding to them. There is no way left but submission and humbled addresses. He may be over come by faith, but not by power. ISA. 27:5...LET HIM TAKE HOLD OF MY STRENGTH, THAT HE MAY MAKE PEACE WITH ME. AND HE SHALL MAKE PEACE WITH ME.
II. OF JUDGING OUR NEIGHBOR.
WHO ART THOU THAT JUDGEST ANOTHER.
First, let us inquire with what limitations we are to understand this prohibition in my text, or what that judging is which is here forbidden. The judging here forbidden can be only meant of that liberty which private Christians take to judge and censure the conduct of one another. How far may we be allowed to judge and speak concerning the faults of other people? Where a man’s faults, indeed, are public and notorious, there every man may be allowed to pass a judgment on them, nay, and to express his detestation of the thing, if it be really detestable, as long as he bears no malice or hatred to the person. We are not allowed to call evil good, or good evil, but must give everything its proper name; and public infamy or shame is but the just reward of bold and open wickedness. But then it is not every idle rumor, every ignorant or malicious whisper, that will bear a man out in presently censuring and condemning of his neighbor; much less in spreading ill reports concerning him, or saying what may tend to lesson or defame him. A man’s general character should always be considered, in the first place, before we lightly entertain an ill opinion of him; and, moreover, the fact well proved, before we take upon us to pronounce, or even to think him guilty.
The judging here forbidden by the apostle is all false, and rash and needless, and uncharitable, judging or censuring the characters and conduct of other people. You must beware that your censures be not false or groundless. But beware of being rash and precipitate in judging; for there are so many things that are apt to deceive and mislead us, that, if we proceed hastily in this matter, it is ten to one but we make a wrong and a mistaken judgment. As you are to avoid all rash judgments, so must you likewise all needless ones–all that censuring and judging our brother which there is no occasion for. You must beware of all uncharitable judgments and censures of others; you must be ready to put the best constructions that you can upon the words and actions of other people–avoiding that too common; but ill-natured practice of turning things to the worst sense, and suspecting ill of everything that has but the least doubtful aspect.
The reasons here used by the apostle to dissuade us from this sin of rash judging and censuring. We should be cautions how we judge our brethren, because we
must--all of us-- give account of ourselves to God, that great law giver, who is alone able to save and to destroy. The other argument is this---that we are, for the most part, very unfit and improper judges of the characters and conduct of one another; who art thou that judges another?
JAMES 4:12...THERE IS ONE LAWGIVER, WHO IS ABLE TO SAVE AND TO DESTROY; WHO ARE THOU THAT JUDGEST ANOTHER?
I. THE LAW GIVER.
Absolute supremacy becomes none but him that hath absolute power.
God hath an absolute and supreme power over man, God loves man and Jesus is our Savior now, but one day will be the judge, we don’t have to fear if we are a Christian. We should fear God with awe, it is a different kind of fear. It is not like being afraid of God, because we know, He loves us and loved us enough to give His only Son, so that we could have eternal life, it is up to us.
( I Cor. 10;22 DO NOT PROVOKE THE LORD TO JEALOUSY? ARE WE STRONGER THAN HE?)
Observe them with more encouragement; live according to Christ’s laws, and He is able to protect you (PSA 68:20 HE THAT IS OUR GOD ;IS THE GOD OF SALVATION; AND UNTO GOD THE LORD BELONG THE ISSUES FROM DEATH). He can save His people, and He hath many ways to bring His enemies to ruin. Your friend is the most dreadful enemy; he HATH THE KEYS OF DEATH AND HELL. REV. 1:18.
Be the more humbled in case of breach of His laws. Wool overcomes the strokes of iron by yielding to them. There is no way left but submission and humbled addresses. He may be over come by faith, but not by power. ISA. 27:5...LET HIM TAKE HOLD OF MY STRENGTH, THAT HE MAY MAKE PEACE WITH ME. AND HE SHALL MAKE PEACE WITH ME.
II. OF JUDGING OUR NEIGHBOR.
WHO ART THOU THAT JUDGEST ANOTHER.
First, let us inquire with what limitations we are to understand this prohibition in my text, or what that judging is which is here forbidden. The judging here forbidden can be only meant of that liberty which private Christians take to judge and censure the conduct of one another. How far may we be allowed to judge and speak concerning the faults of other people? Where a man’s faults, indeed, are public and notorious, there every man may be allowed to pass a judgment on them, nay, and to express his detestation of the thing, if it be really detestable, as long as he bears no malice or hatred to the person. We are not allowed to call evil good, or good evil, but must give everything its proper name; and public infamy or shame is but the just reward of bold and open wickedness. But then it is not every idle rumor, every ignorant or malicious whisper, that will bear a man out in presently censuring and condemning of his neighbor; much less in spreading ill reports concerning him, or saying what may tend to lesson or defame him. A man’s general character should always be considered, in the first place, before we lightly entertain an ill opinion of him; and, moreover, the fact well proved, before we take upon us to pronounce, or even to think him guilty.
The judging here forbidden by the apostle is all false, and rash and needless, and uncharitable, judging or censuring the characters and conduct of other people. You must beware that your censures be not false or groundless. But beware of being rash and precipitate in judging; for there are so many things that are apt to deceive and mislead us, that, if we proceed hastily in this matter, it is ten to one but we make a wrong and a mistaken judgment. As you are to avoid all rash judgments, so must you likewise all needless ones–all that censuring and judging our brother which there is no occasion for. You must beware of all uncharitable judgments and censures of others; you must be ready to put the best constructions that you can upon the words and actions of other people–avoiding that too common; but ill-natured practice of turning things to the worst sense, and suspecting ill of everything that has but the least doubtful aspect.
The reasons here used by the apostle to dissuade us from this sin of rash judging and censuring. We should be cautions how we judge our brethren, because we
must--all of us-- give account of ourselves to God, that great law giver, who is alone able to save and to destroy. The other argument is this---that we are, for the most part, very unfit and improper judges of the characters and conduct of one another; who art thou that judges another?
