Verses Used: James 4:11-12Genesis 3:5Psalm 1:1Mathew 7Galatians 6:12 Samuel 24:14 Takeaways: How We Talk About People James tells us to ‘not speak evil against each other.’ His concern is how we speak about other people.Gossip is talking about someone when we should be talking to them. Before we talk about people, ask yourself: Is it true? Is it mine to tell? Have I talked to them before I’ve talked about them?Slander is saying something false or distorted that damages someone’s reputation. We’re declaring who they are and why they did it.Malice is wanting our words to hurt someone. Malice isn’t primarily about what we say, but about why we are saying it.Gossip asks, “Is it mine to tell?”; Slander asks, “is what I’m saying actually true and fair?; Malice asks, "What am I hoping my words will do to this person?”James' concern is what happens when we use words to put ourselves above another person. When we are no longer describing someone, but passing judgment. God’s Seat Discernment says, “What you’re doing is wrong.” Judge-mentalism says, “Because of what you’ve done, I know what kind of person you are.”Scripture forbids a judgmental posture, not moral discernment.Jesus says to deal with your own sin first, the “log in your eye” before you can “take the speck out of your brother’s eye.” Jesus isn’t eliminating discernment, he’s confronting hypocritical, self righteous judgment.Discernment says, “What you’re doing is wrong.” Judgement says, “There’s something wrong with you, and I’m better than you.”We can call out actions, identify sin, and we can confront someone but we cannot perfectly judge motives, we don’t get to judge the heart, nor should we condemn someone.Biblical discernment wants restoration, while judgmentalism wants a verdict. God alone, who gave the law, is the Judge. He alone has the power to save or to destroy. God is in the seat.David is facing judgment, and he chooses the Judge because he knows His mercy is great.God doesn’t ask us to be the judge, but he does ask us to be the neighbor. Take Your Place as a Neighbor God’s “royal law” is to “Love your neighbor as yourself.”The problem with making yourself “above” someone, it gets harder to love the person you’re looking down on. Following Jesus means getting off the ladder.Coming alongside someone means you’re asking: how can I love you?, how can I help you?, or how can I point you toward Jesus?Loving your neighbor means having a difficult conversation. God wants the conversation to be “I love you enough to walk with you toward what is true.” and not “I need to straighten you out. You are broken.”We need our neighbors to know we are beside them as someone who needs the same grace they do. Our seat is beside them, on the same team. They need to know we are here for them, wanting them to succeed, and we are in this together. The One who had every right to condemn us chose to make a way to save us. Discussion Questions: How can you tell when you’ve crossed the line from discernment into judgment?What changes when you remember that God is the Judge and you don’t have to be?What might change if you spent less time talking about someone and more time talking to them?What does being a good neighbor look like when someone has messed up? https://missio.life/home
