GOD IS ABLE - 29. The Lawgiver

~ There is one Lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy. Who are you to judge another? -James 4:12

The first-century Christians who received this letter from James had a lot of trouble with envy and infighting. Evidently they often spoke badly of each other, accusing others of wrongdoing just because they saw things differently (verse 11).

So James asks them, "Do you think you are the authority? We already have a law and a Lawgiver, you know!" As the Lawgiver, God is able to save and destroy—to rescue the falsely accused and to condemn the guilty. This is an important principle to remember from several perspectives.

From one side, some of us tend to have a very narrow view of what's right. We come to well-reasoned conclusions, but we forget that other conclusions might be equally valid. If you are in this category, remember that God is capable of teaching His people right and wrong all by Himself.

From another side, others of us tend to believe that historically fixed principles of Bible teaching (the concepts of "orthodoxy") are relics of the past. We know the value of grace, but we forget that truth matters as well. If you are in this category, remember that God is indeed a Lawgiver, not merely a "Good Suggestion-er."

For all of us, we must remember that the question "Who are you to judge?" does not negate statements of right and wrong. As mentioned previously (see #18 in this series), that would be silly because then James couldn't even correct them for being judgmental. Should you judge liars and pedophiles and scammers? Of course! Should you point out the pitfalls of self-confidence or pride or sensuality? Yes, because that's part of caring about one another.

Moreover, we should notice that this judging question is always about other people. It warns us not to judge another; it doesn't permit us to say, "Who are you to judge me?” We should avoid being defensive. We must accept criticism and discussion because that's how we evaluate, clarify, and become mature in our own viewpoints.

But in general, we do often try to take God's role away from Him. This passage reminds us that when God has not corrected one of His followers with a specific Bible verse, we should consider the situation carefully before taking the task of correction upon ourselves.