The Danger of Slander
Text: James 4:11-12
Core Idea: God alone is the Lawgiver and Judge over us – He alone is the One who is able to save and destroy. Then let’s stop slandering each other in light of who God is. Instead, let’s learn to speak the language of heaven – giving glory to the One who gave us mercy and giving grace to those around us.
INTRODUCTION
Well, we are going through the Book of James – looking at different ways the gospel impacts our lives. And two Sundays ago, we learned that there’s more grace in Christ than sin in us – and that those who are humble in heart will receive this grace. Today, James will revisit the topic that has been talked about a few times already in this book – teaching on speech. But in this passage, James will specifically address the sin of slandering. Now, there’s something particularly important about this text in that it doesn’t just instruct us not to speak this way, but it also makes a direct connection between our words and our relationship with God. James takes the time to show us that slandering is much more destructive and sinful than we think because it’s not just an act of arrogance against others, but it’s also an act of rebellion against God. Slandering doesn’t just tear down people, but it also breaks down our relationship with God. Now, the troubling reality is that this kind of slanderous speech is incredibly pervasive in our world today – so much so that sometimes we don’t even recognize it when it’s used. In fact, some of us are actually fascinated by it and drawn to it. Then my prayer for you is that the Spirit of God will use this passage to help you see how serious this sin is so that you would hate it, so that you would reject it, so that you would turn from it. In fact, I pray that it will direct us to use our words in God-honoring and life-giving ways.
But before we actually get into this text, let me share just one more thing. If we’re not careful, it’s so easy to view this whole book as just a long list of things that James wants us to do as Christians – care for the poor, don’t show favoritism, don’t just listen but obey the Word, control your tongue, be a peacemaker, submit to God, resist the devil, grieve, mourn, wail, humble yourselves before the Lord, and now, don’t slander. Is Christianity just a long list of dos and don’ts? Absolutely not. Don’t get me wrong – we do need to work out our salvation (Phil. 2:12). There are things we must do – but we never work for our salvation. We work out of our salvation. In fact, that’s exactly what James has been teaching us from the very beginning. Do you remember the man who looked at his face in a mirror and forgot what he looked like when he walked away from it (Jam. 1:23-24)? James was telling us that the reason why many Christians live ineffective and unfruitful lives is because we forget who we are in Christ. In other words, the secret of effective and fruitful Christian living is to remember who God is and who we are in Christ. Listen to what Pastor Paul Tripp said, “All of the graces of the gospel flow to us because we are in Christ. We are justified because we are in Christ. We are being sanctified because we are in Christ. We are loved as adopted children because we are in Christ. We are forgiven because we are in Christ. We have every need supplied because we are in Christ. We are objects of the Father’s love because we are in Christ. We have eternal hope because we are in Christ. In Christ, we are empowered for a brand-new way of living. Because we are united to Him, we are empowered by Him to do what we could never have done before.” If this is true (and it is), the key to applying this passage doesn’t lie in our willpower but in our ability to preach the gospel to ourselves – which is why James is not just saying, “Stop slandering. If you’re having difficulty doing that, try harder.” No, that’s not what he says – he says, “Don’t slander because you are a different person in Christ. It’s possible not to slander because you have the Spirit dwelling in you – He will give you the necessary power to overcome this sin.” So, as we go through this passage, continue to remember who you are in Christ – listen in light of this reality. Remember that your lips and your hearts have been cleansed in Christ. Then with this in mind, let’s open up our Bibles to James 4:11-12. Let me read this for us.
11 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. 12 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?
Amen. This is the Word of God for you today.
Let me share three reasons why slander is evil and grievous in the eyes of God:
· SLANDER HURTS THOSE FOR WHOM CHRIST DIED
· SLANDER REJECTS THE AUTHORITY OF GOD
· SLANDER ASSUMES THE ROLE OF GOD
1) SLANDER HURTS THOSE FOR WHOM CHRIST DIED
Verse 11, “Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another.” The Greek word for “slandering” literally means to speak evil against others – to use our words to criticize, belittle, ridicule, and destroy others. And this of course can be done publicly (undermining someone’s reputation or mocking so that he/she would be humiliated before others) or privately as well (criticizing or gossiping about someone secretly to another person). Now, it’s really important to point out that this word has nothing to do with whether or not the accusation is true or false. Whether you’re making up malicious rumors or exposing them to their real flaws and sins is irrelevant. What makes our speech slanderous is the motive. Slandering is using the truth to destroy rather than to redeem. Slandering is using the truth to push people away instead of pulling them in. Slandering is using the truth to spread bad reports and make others lose respect for them. Slandering is using the truth to isolate them, reject them, and tear them down.
Now, if we’re honest, we’re all guilty of this sin. We’ve all spoken like this at home, at our workplace, and even at church. At the same time, we’ve all been the victims of this kind of speech. And as a result, we know personally that slander divides friends who were once close. It creates distance where there once was intimacy. It destroys reputations. It ruins careers. It splits churches. It sows suspicion. But according to James, what makes this even more grievous is the fact that we are speaking this way to our brothers and sisters in Christ. Recently, Julian, my second son, has been imitating everything that Eli, my first son, does. If Eli dances, Julian dances. If Eli sings, Julian sings. If Eli pretends to bump into something, Julian bumps into it too. Now, one time, Eli was playing with the cars, and Julian, of course, wanted to do the same. But instead of getting other cars, Julian decided to take the cars that Eli was playing with. And you can imagine what happened next. Eli screamed and pushed Julian away. And of course, Julian started crying and screaming too. So, I took Julian away – distracted him with something else. And I took some time to speak with Eli. He was going on and on about what Julian did – and how that wasn’t fair. And I confirmed that what Julian did wasn’t right – but this is what I said at the end, “Eli, remember that Julian is your brother.” The implication was that we shouldn’t need a reason to love our family members – we love each other, we treat each other with respect, we protect each other simply because we’re family. And that’s what James is reminding us as well. He knew that the Christians were slandering other Christians – and he was perplexed, “What could possibly be so important that it’s causing you to speak evil against each other – to tear each other apart with your words? Remember that the one you’re slandering is your brother or sister in Christ.” Pastor Paul Maxwell said, “All speech between the Father and Son and Spirit about the Christian is overflowing with acts of love. The Spirit is praying for you. The Son is your Priest, Cleanser, Advocate – the One who subdues your true enemies. The Father loves you with the same love in which He loves the Son.” Think about that. This is how God talks about you – there’s so much compassion, grace, and love flowing out whenever He talks about you. But at the same time, that’s how God talks about your brothers and sisters – even those you have slandered. Then who are we to speak evil against them? Let’s remember that we are spiritual siblings – we’re part of the same family. We’re sons and daughters of the same heavenly Father – which means that when we slander another Christian, we’re slandering the one loved by God, adopted by God, purchased by God with the blood of His own Son. No wonder it’s wicked in the eyes of God to slander a child of God. Then brothers and sisters, think of the ways you speak to and about other Christians. Do your words bring life or shame to those around you? Do your words build their reputations or tear them down? Do your words point people to their sin or to Christ? Do your words often condemn or give grace to those around you? Are you quick to join in the gossip or do you have the courage to walk away and even stop the conversation? In fact, here’s a great practical way to remove slandering from your lips – pray for those around you. I don’t remember who said this because it’s something that has been stuck with me for a long time – but someone said to me, “If you’re tempted to hate someone, pray for that person because it’s really hard to hate the person you’re praying for.” Isn’t that true? Then if you’re tempted to slander or gossip about someone, diligently and intentionally pray for that person because it will help you overcome this sin.
Now, I want to clarify just one thing before we move on. James is not saying, “Don’t ever judge each other. You have no business telling others how they should live their lives. So, keep your opinions to yourself.” No, that’s not what he’s saying. We know this to be true because James would never go against Jesus who said this in John 7:24, “Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly.” Yes, it’s true that we shouldn’t be judgmental (which aims to find faults to criticize and condemn), but we are called to exercise our discernment and judge each other for the purpose of sanctification. Or listen to what Jesus said in Matthew 18:15, “If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault.” In other words, when you see someone going astray, you’re actually loving that person if you go to that person and speak graciously to them about their sins with the aim of bringing them to repentance. Or think about what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 5:12-13, “What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? God will judge those outside. ‘Expel the wicked person from among you.’” The implication is that we must judge those who are in the church – not to humiliate or destroy them but to correct them and lead them to become more and more like Jesus Christ. So, let me make it clear – when you see that a brother or sister is visibly and intentionally pursuing sin, it is an act of worship to God and an act of loving and gracious service to them if you choose to speak the truth into their lives. In fact, if you remain silent for whatever reason (because you’re scared or you don’t want to get into messy situations), you’re actually choosing to leave them on the path of destruction – you’re basically saying, “I don’t really care.” And that displeases God. Of course, when we do speak, we should speak the truth in love and gentleness (Eph. 4:15). Then my prayer for our community is that we would have the courage to speak the truth in love but also the humility to receive the truth spoken in love so that we would become this glorious and holy entity as God envisioned us to be. Let us make every effort to build each other up, whether in speech or action, so that we would be equipped to be faithful to the call that God has given us. So, that’s the first reason why slander is evil in the eyes of God – it hurts those for whom Christ died. Here’s the second reason.
2) SLANDER REJECTS THE AUTHORITY OF GOD
Verse 11, “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.” James shares that when we slander others, we are in fact slandering the law – the Bible. Now, I’ve never heard a true Christian speak ill of the Bible. I’ve never heard a God-fearing, Christ-centred, Spirit-filled, born-again Christian saying, “The Bible is irrelevant – it’s ridiculous. The real standard of right and wrong isn’t the Word of God – the real standard is me. I have the final authority in deciding what is acceptable or not.” No Christian has ever spoken like that. And yet James says, “When you take the liberty to use your tongue to put down a brother or sister in Christ, you’re not just assaulting and judging them – you’re doing the same thing to the Bible as well. You’re slandering the Bible. You’re judging the Bible. You’re questioning the authority of the Bible. You’re claiming that your views, your feelings, and your choices are more important than the Word of God. You put yourself above the Bible.” Now, you might be wondering, “How is that possible? How is slandering others the same as slandering the Bible?”
Let me explain. Most commentators think that James had Leviticus 19 in mind here. The connection is not hard to see since he had already quoted Leviticus 19:18, which says, “Love your neighbor as yourself” in James 2:18. Now, the context of Leviticus 19 is that God was giving the Israelites the law as they were preparing to go into the Promised Land. He was teaching them what it means to be a people of God – showing them what it means to live a life that is pleasing to Him. Then in light of this, listen to what Leviticus 19:16 says, “Do not go about spreading slander among your people. Do not do anything that endangers your neighbor’s life. I am the LORD.” God makes it clear that slander should not be evident in the life of His people because it would tear this new nation apart – it would weaken and even destroy the community of God. But this wasn’t God’s way of restraining or restricting them of their freedom – no, He gave them this command because He loved them. He had set this boundary around them in order to protect them and guide them so that they would flourish and grow.
Then when we speak evil against others, we are showing a deliberate disregard for God’s loving authority over our lives. We’re scoffing at the Word. We’re standing as a judge over the Word. We’re picking and choosing for ourselves which part of the Word is worth obeying. We’re basically saying, “We know what’s better for ourselves.” Brothers and sisters, this may seem like a subtle point, but this has an enormous impact because it basically exposes who’s in charge over our lives –it’s clearly not God but us. This is why James doesn’t just say, “Stop slandering. Don’t do it” but he actually takes the time to show us the heinous nature of this sin – that when we slander others, we’re slandering the Word of God. And the implication is that when we slander the Word of God, we’re slandering God Himself. To reject God’s Word is to judge it worthless. Did you ever think of slandering that way? Then let me ask you, “Do you realize that whenever you slander (or commit any sin for that matter), you’re actively rejecting the authority of God in your life? Do you realize that whenever you gossip or criticize with evil intent, you’re actually choosing to assert that your words are more important than God’s Word for your life? Do you realize that whenever you speak evil against others privately or publicly, it’s a declaration of your independence against God’s reign over your life?” No wonder James has been emphasizing the importance of not just hearing the Word but doing the Word. It’s not enough just to read it. We must immerse ourselves in the Word so that our words and actions would always reflect the gospel truth – so that we would bleed the Bible. Slandering is worse than you think because it’s basically rejecting the authority of God’s Word over your life – you’re standing as a judge over the Word. But that’s not all – here’s one more reason why this is incredibly evil in the eyes of God.
3) SLANDER ASSUMES THE ROLE OF GOD
Verse 12, “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?” Here, James clearly reminds us of what we are not. When we slander others, we’ve decided that we have the right to expose their flaws, failures, and sins to others. In one sense, we’re acting like a judge. Now, why do we do this? Why do we find ourselves tempted to slander and stand in judgment over others? Two reasons. First, because judgment is easier than mercy. It’s easier to be critical than to serve. It’s always easier to stand apart from somebody and point a finger than to patiently walk alongside them, to love them, to forgive them, to get your hands dirty as you help them become more like Christ. But here’s a more telling reason – second, because the sin of pride is deeply engraved in us. It’s so easy to forget who we are – that we are merely creatures, that we are finite in wisdom, power, and resources. It’s so easy to deceive ourselves into thinking that we are much wiser than we actually are and more righteous than we actually are – which is why it’s really easy to sit in a service and hear a convicting sermon and be thankful that somebody you know is there to hear it instead of remembering that God has sovereignly placed you there for you to hear those words. Brothers and sisters, the problem of slander is not ultimately the problem of the tongue. It’s the problem of the heart – a heart that is prideful. A slanderous person is a prideful person because slandering is really a way of elevating oneself at the cost of others.
Now, James makes it clear – there cannot be multiple lawgivers or multiple judges. This is something that God has reserved for Himself – which means that when we slander others, when we become the judge over the law and others, we’re not only hurting them, we’re not only insulting the law, but we’re also committing cosmic treason. We’re assuming the role of God. Of course, no one would say out loud that we’re doing that – but we’re certainly acting like it. We’ve set ourselves up as the judge, the jury, and even the executioner. All sin is against God. Any sin that we commit is an attempt for us to be God. But this sin is especially grievous and offensive to God because He alone is the all-knowing Judge. But by slandering, we’re trying to push God off His throne, sit on His judgment seat, and say, “Now, let me evaluate.” Think about how ridiculous that sounds – but that’s what we’re choosing to do when we slander, gossip, belittle, and criticize others. No wonder James concludes this section with these words, “But who are you to judge your neighbor? Who do you think you are?” Brothers and sisters, we should no longer casually overlook our sin of slander. We need to change. But we can’t do this on our own. We cannot free ourselves from pride – which is why we need divine intervention. We need God to convict us, to control our tongues, and to change our hearts – and the good news for us is that that’s what the gospel is all about.
James tells us that the One true Judge, the One who rules in righteousness and justice is also a God of mercy – He is the God who is able to save and destroy. This God knows everything about us. He knows our flaws, shortcomings, and sins. He knows that we are prideful, judgmental, and rebellious. He knows who we are, what we did, and even what we think. And yet He didn’t speak evil against us. Instead, He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to receive the righteous wrath that we deserved so that we would be forgiven of our sins. Every slanderous word, every cruel thought, every arrogant judgment, every sin committed against God was covered by the blood of His Son. Jesus Christ is the Judge who was judged for us – He took our place, and He was punished for us. And as a result, He exchanged our bad report for His good report. He cleansed our lips and hearts so that we would have the power to say no to sinful thoughts and desires but say yes to every righteous thing God has called us to do. We are fully supplied to live a life that is pleasing to the Lord. Pastor Paul Tripp writes, “God Almighty lives within us, empowers us in the face of temptation, enables us to desire what is right, and provides for us the strength to do it. We are not just forgiven, not just adopted, not just eternally loved, but we are also given, in the presence of God within us, new potential for a brand-new way of living.” Then brothers and sisters, let’s begin to live this way – not by our own strength but by the strength that comes from Him. If you’ve failed this past week, come to Christ again and remember that His mercies are new every morning – His compassions they never come to an end (Lam. 3:22-23). Receive His grace, receive His power so that you won’t speak evil against each other but breathe life into each other. Ephesians 4:29 says, “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” Friends, I invite you to see your words as gifts from God to do the work of God. So, let’s bless and build others up with our words instead of condemning and destroying others. Let’s protect each other’s reputations. Let’s be generous with our words – doing good to others. Let this be evident in our lives, in our families, and in our church.
CONCLUSION
Lighthouse family, God alone is the Lawgiver and Judge over us – He alone is the One who is able to save and destroy. Then let’s stop slandering each other in light of who God is. Let’s stop speaking evil against each other in light of who we are in Christ. Instead, let’s learn to speak the language of heaven – giving glory to the One who gave us mercy and giving grace to those around us knowing that we are eternally loved by this amazing God.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1) What does it mean to slander others? Why is it so easy to commit this sin?
2) How is speaking evil against others the same as speaking evil against God and His Word? How will this impact the way you speak today?
3) Think about this statement: see your words as gifts from God to do the work of God. How can this help us overcome the sin of slander in our lives?