The Sinister Effects of Slander | Sermon 06/19/2022

James 4:11-12

James has just called these early Jewish Christians to take their sin and repentance seriously. To bring yourself low before the Lord and He will elevate you. But he exhorts them lovingly, as brothers again, to not katalaleo, speak down or speak against another believer in the church. He makes an imperative to not act superior and higher than others then slander them. The one who slanders his brother slanders and judges God’s law. And God’s law is a representation of His very character and divine nature.

Judging the law makes one a transgressor of it: not observing the royal law to love one’s neighbor as themselves. And it doesn’t bring one low before God in humility but tries to elevate oneself above God and His law, just like the diabolos (literally “slanderer”). However, there is only one supreme Lawgiver and Judge over this creation and He alone proclaims the eternal damnation and salvation of the men and women of this world.

As Christians, we must remember the eternal damnation we deserve so as to humble us and abstain from slandering our brothers and sisters. Any evil we could proclaim about them, could be proclaimed about us. So we don’t become judges but use God’s law and His love to graciously correct our brother face to face and not defame his name to the world.