Studies from the Book of James

Backsliding through Backbiting Text 4:11-13

James highlights the root cause of strife and unrest in the world at large, in communities, and in the Church of Jesus Christ. The root cause being, the heart of man, and the deceitfulness of its lust for power, position, possessions and for the Pre-eminence over fellowmen.

The Believer must always remember that the Old nature is ever at continuous war with the new nature, for the flesh is ever at war against the spirit.

James now goes on to take a closer look at the kind of people whom he has just condemned and makes it very clear that they are backsliders and backbiters.

The backslider is a Spiritual adulterer. When Israel of old turned to Idolatry she was called the adulterous wife of Jehovah.

In the Old Testament Jehovah is known, as the husband of His people and Israel is His wife. In the New Testament the relationship between the Lord and His Redeemed Church is also defined in marital language.

Believers, who are part of the Church, the Bride of Christ, are to be faithful, keeping themselves pure as they wait for the Lord’s return and the consummation of the marriage.

But alas, James is exposing the Carnality and the unfaithfulness of those who profess to be Christians. He charges them with spiritual adultery, and Idolatry with the world.

Friends, believers who turn from following Jesus to seek satisfaction and pleasure at the cisterns of the world, are like unfaithful women who leave their husbands to have sensual pleasure with other men.

The Holy Spirit, whom God, through the power of regeneration, has placed within the believer, yearns jealously over what belongs to God.

The Spirit of God guards the believer’s relationship with God. He wants to bring them to the place where there is no divided allegiance, the place of total surrender to God’s will and His word, and committed devotion to Christ. God said to his ancient people!

Alan Redpath---The jealousy of God is the greatest flame that burns in the heart of deity.

How humbling it is to realize that God our Father has such a passionate concern for His own. God’s pure and perfect love yearns over us.

And the sovereign God longs to be loved by His own redeemed people. When we fail to love Him and love the things of the world, the Spirit is grieved.

God’s jealousy is one of His attributes; therefore, it is infinite and eternal. He is jealous over those whom He has loved with an everlasting love.

Dear Christian, God was jealous for you even before you drew your first breath. He was jealous when you took those first steps of conscious sin. He was jealous every time that you rejected His offer of mercy and chose to stay with the world’s crowd.

He is jealous over you since you accepted His grace, and is ever concerned about your spiritual well being. He is jealous for you in every sin that you commit or temptation that you yield to.

God’s jealously is not activated by remote control but from within us, from the depths of our inner being, for that is where the Holy Spirit dwells. And if we are sensitive!

The Truth of the Word of God and the Teaching of the word must never be labeled as meaningless. The warnings and the exhortation of scripture are not mere empty words.

Old Testament Israel had to learn the hard way that God is not mocked or His word ignored.

The scattering and the suffering of the Jewish people stand as a solemn warning to every generation, that the scriptures do not speak in vain and they are not to be taken lightly.

When a believer relegates Jesus to second place, counts God’s word as being irrelevant, and sets their affections on the world by following their own lust, that person is heading for serious trouble.

Grace, Grace, God’s Grace, Grace that is greater than all our sin.

God gives saving grace, sustaining grace, and continuous Grace according to our need. In grace He welcomes back His backslidden children, but notice, who receives His grace –the humble.

Those, who humbly in repentance seek Him for forgiveness, He will restore.

How easy it is for any believer to become a backslider.

So he placed the cage in a nearby tree, so that the bird could enjoy the sunshine and the fresh air.

Many sparrows frequented the tree and were attracted to the cage. At first the canary was frightened, but soon enjoyed his companions. But gradually he lost the sweetness of the song. By the end of the summer his "singing" was little more than the twitter of the sparrows. Spending his summer in the wrong environment caused the canary to lose his finest song.

Backsliding is the easiest thing to do--you do nothing. Samson got in with the wrong crowd and was asleep when he lost his strength.

The devil will be satisfied with you if you are satisfied with him. Backsliding usually begins when knee-bending stops.

Backsliders soon become Backbiters and are usually guilty of criticism, condemnation, and complaining.

James would have agreed with this statement, for, no less than six times in this epistle he deals with the danger of the tongue.

James 4:11 Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge.

James is speaking to the "brethren" that is the family of God. He makes it very clear that it is a grievous wrong, when a Christian speaks evil against another Christian

To speak against another is not just an issue of slander it is a sin. To slander someone is to misrepresent their character, or to tell open lies about someone. It has the intent of malice due to some bitterness or resentful spirit.

This kind of speech has no place "among" Christians. To intentionally lie and misrepresent someone else for the purpose of damaging their reputation or position demonstrates a spiteful heart, filled with bitterness and evil. But the term that James uses goes beyond just speaking slanderously about someone.

It literally means, "to speak against people with the intention of pulling them down".

The person speaking puts himself in the position of being above others, better than others, so that he can tear other people down.

He assumes the position of near perfection, so that he thinks that he has achieved so much and gained such status that he has a right to pour scorn on others without feeling the least tinge of sorrow.

This person thinks that he has an accurate estimate of another’s motives, aims, and thoughts, so he can level his criticisms. Speaking evil of others can take on many forms; the worst evil is speaking an out-and-out untruth. God warned Israel of old.

Friends, lying slander and tale bearing originated with the devil and those who engage in such folly are just tools in his hand. Satan is the father of lies and the accuser of God’s people.

Satan just loves to get God’s people into the business of accusing and slandering, of tale bearing and resorting to lies.

The carnal heart propagates lies. It finds faults with others. It judges others. It engages in tale bearing and often guilty of distorting the truth.

The daily prayer of the believer should be that of the psalmist.

Paul was concerned about the Church at Corinth and he wrote to them

Today, many churches have lost their testimony in the community, because these things were rife in the fellowship. They are the downward spirals of decline. A decline in the Church that commenced with backbiting, whisperings, and strife

The tongue has the power to direct, to defile, and to destroy. The tongue has also the Power to delight. It can speak of blessing it can speak of cursing.

(Brethren speaks of a family relationship)

The person, who is the object of the other’s tongue is one who has also been redeemed by the blood of Christ, united to Christ by the Holy Spirit, sealed together in the body by the Spirit, able to enter into the presence of the same Father, and destined to spend eternity together in heaven.

James makes it clear that if one speaks evil of their brother in Christ, or take upon him to judge his brother; he is actually speaking against the Law and is judging the law. The law that James is referring to is the Royal law of liberty.

Friends, who among us would dare to pour scorn on or put down what God has revealed and commanded? Yet to speak against a brother is of such seriousness that it is a gross neglect of the law, and even an attack upon it. Jesus summed up the Father’s requirements

There is this charge of judging the law. What he means by this is, that the person who speaks against a brother is claiming to know more than God.

All judgement for the believer will take place at the judgement seat of Christ where we must all appear

Our responsibility is not to declare laws or commands, but to obediently follow Jesus Christ.

Let me point this out in practical fashion. You and I have plenty of obedience to take care of without infringing upon God’s responsibility to judge.

If we are spending time speaking against one another, then we are surely neglecting our obedience. So just concentrate on obeying Christ and stay away from the judge’s bench over the law of God.

There is one lawgiver and He can save or destroy.

Having spoken of the sovereign God’s authority as judge, James says, "Who are you to judge another"?

Jesus is saying, that there is none without fault, therefore judge yourselves and you will find that will keep you busy. Someone has rightly said, "That the critic who starts with himself will have no time to take outside contracts"

God is on his throne. He has established the moral criteria for all humanity and he will judge the world in righteousness. So, why then should we think that we could improve upon what He is doing or help Him out by speaking against a brother?