1 00:00:00,900 --> 00:00:03,940 The following message by Alistair Begg is made 2 00:00:03,940 --> 00:00:05,500 available by Truth For Life. 3 00:00:05,740 --> 00:00:09,960 For more information, visit us online at truthforlife 4 00:00:09,960 --> 00:00:10,860 .org. 5 00:00:14,860 --> 00:00:17,700 We're going to read from the Bible in 6 00:00:17,700 --> 00:00:24,320 James and chapter 4, verse 11 of chapter 7 00:00:24,320 --> 00:00:24,740 4. 8 00:00:25,720 --> 00:00:27,600 Brothers, do not slander one another. 9 00:00:27,720 --> 00:00:30,100 Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges 10 00:00:30,100 --> 00:00:33,320 him, speaks against the law and judges it. 11 00:00:34,640 --> 00:00:37,060 When you judge the law, you're not keeping 12 00:00:37,060 --> 00:00:38,860 it, but sitting in judgment on it. 13 00:00:40,440 --> 00:00:42,740 There is only one lawgiver and judge, the 14 00:00:42,740 --> 00:00:44,860 one who is able to save and destroy. 15 00:00:45,840 --> 00:00:49,100 But you, who are you to judge your 16 00:00:49,100 --> 00:00:49,380 neighbor? 17 00:00:51,700 --> 00:00:53,760 Father, we pray for your help as we 18 00:00:53,760 --> 00:00:54,780 turn to the Scriptures. 19 00:00:58,300 --> 00:01:00,880 Show us ourselves and show us our Savior. 20 00:01:02,380 --> 00:01:03,739 For your name's sake. 21 00:01:04,660 --> 00:01:05,160 Amen. 22 00:01:05,160 --> 00:01:09,460 If you're visiting this evening, a word of 23 00:01:09,460 --> 00:01:10,160 welcome to you. 24 00:01:10,300 --> 00:01:11,920 We are trying to study our way through 25 00:01:11,920 --> 00:01:14,580 James, and we dealt with just one sentence 26 00:01:14,580 --> 00:01:15,180 this morning. 27 00:01:15,280 --> 00:01:17,220 In verse 11, that's the first sentence. 28 00:01:17,660 --> 00:01:19,500 Brothers, do not slander one another. 29 00:01:20,080 --> 00:01:22,600 And so we come back to those verses 30 00:01:22,600 --> 00:01:23,960 again this evening. 31 00:01:24,580 --> 00:01:27,860 And I want to begin by pointing out 32 00:01:27,860 --> 00:01:28,720 two things. 33 00:01:29,220 --> 00:01:32,480 First of all, to point out how seriously 34 00:01:32,480 --> 00:01:35,620 the New Testament takes the sin of slander. 35 00:01:35,620 --> 00:01:41,820 When Paul writes a very straightforward epistle to 36 00:01:41,820 --> 00:01:46,360 the Corinthians, especially concerning their misdemeanors and their 37 00:01:46,360 --> 00:01:47,760 faults and so on. 38 00:01:48,480 --> 00:01:52,720 He writes as follows in 1 Corinthians 5. 39 00:01:53,400 --> 00:01:55,160 I've written to you in my letter not 40 00:01:55,160 --> 00:01:57,420 to associate with sexually immoral people. 41 00:01:58,360 --> 00:02:01,320 And then he quickly says, not at all 42 00:02:01,320 --> 00:02:05,000 meaning the people of this world who are 43 00:02:05,000 --> 00:02:08,780 immoral or the greedy and swindlers or idolaters. 44 00:02:09,500 --> 00:02:11,380 In that case, you would have to leave 45 00:02:11,380 --> 00:02:12,020 this world. 46 00:02:13,340 --> 00:02:15,560 But now I'm writing to you that you 47 00:02:15,560 --> 00:02:18,820 must not associate with anyone who calls himself 48 00:02:18,820 --> 00:02:20,160 a brother or a sister. 49 00:02:21,160 --> 00:02:26,160 But who is sexually immoral or greedy, an 50 00:02:26,160 --> 00:02:31,960 idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a 51 00:02:31,960 --> 00:02:35,020 swindler with such a man. 52 00:02:35,380 --> 00:02:36,720 Do not even eat. 53 00:02:38,410 --> 00:02:41,210 And right in the heart of it, a 54 00:02:41,210 --> 00:02:41,430 slanderer. 55 00:02:44,180 --> 00:02:47,460 And which of us evaded the challenge of 56 00:02:47,460 --> 00:02:48,420 this morning's study. 57 00:02:50,040 --> 00:02:51,940 The Bible takes this very seriously. 58 00:02:52,840 --> 00:02:54,220 That's the first thing to notice. 59 00:02:55,620 --> 00:02:58,240 Secondly, to note, and I want to say 60 00:02:58,240 --> 00:02:59,400 this and get it out of the way 61 00:02:59,400 --> 00:03:01,940 because it's almost inevitably a question that follows. 62 00:03:01,940 --> 00:03:04,860 James, in what he now goes on to 63 00:03:04,860 --> 00:03:08,240 say, is not calling for us to set 64 00:03:08,240 --> 00:03:10,180 aside our critical faculties. 65 00:03:11,660 --> 00:03:15,800 Nor is he forbidding his readers from forming 66 00:03:15,800 --> 00:03:21,180 opinions about certain actions or ideas or people. 67 00:03:21,180 --> 00:03:23,600 This is very, very important because it's not 68 00:03:23,600 --> 00:03:27,760 uncommon to hear people use Jesus warning against 69 00:03:27,760 --> 00:03:33,140 judging as a basis for accepting behavior, which 70 00:03:33,140 --> 00:03:35,140 the Bible actually condemns. 71 00:03:36,260 --> 00:03:36,560 All right. 72 00:03:37,000 --> 00:03:39,700 So, for example, let's say we have something 73 00:03:39,700 --> 00:03:41,780 that is clearly set out in Scripture as 74 00:03:41,780 --> 00:03:44,360 being unacceptable, whatever it might be. 75 00:03:44,740 --> 00:03:47,620 And then someone says, I notice that Mr. 76 00:03:47,700 --> 00:03:49,140 X is involved in Y. 77 00:03:49,140 --> 00:03:52,500 And someone says, well, judge not that you 78 00:03:52,500 --> 00:03:53,440 be not judged. 79 00:03:54,520 --> 00:03:56,760 That's not actually what James is on about 80 00:03:56,760 --> 00:03:57,060 here. 81 00:03:58,180 --> 00:04:01,720 He's not asking us to sacrifice the clear 82 00:04:01,720 --> 00:04:04,800 mandate of Scripture to be able to exercise 83 00:04:04,800 --> 00:04:06,360 and execute church discipline. 84 00:04:06,440 --> 00:04:08,420 To be able to point out to one 85 00:04:08,420 --> 00:04:12,100 another our faults in the experience of our 86 00:04:12,100 --> 00:04:13,640 own Christian testimony. 87 00:04:14,520 --> 00:04:17,700 Rather, what he is addressing is something rather 88 00:04:17,700 --> 00:04:18,300 different. 89 00:04:19,519 --> 00:04:22,400 Now, in order to help us execute this 90 00:04:22,400 --> 00:04:25,280 study with a minimum of fuss and length, 91 00:04:25,560 --> 00:04:28,820 let us just notice things under two headings. 92 00:04:28,960 --> 00:04:32,560 First of all, the sad pattern that James 93 00:04:32,560 --> 00:04:35,380 provides for us here and then the sole 94 00:04:35,380 --> 00:04:38,720 prerogative of which James reminds us. 95 00:04:39,300 --> 00:04:42,580 The sad pattern is in verse 11b and 96 00:04:42,580 --> 00:04:43,060 following. 97 00:04:43,060 --> 00:04:46,260 Anyone who speaks against his brother and judges 98 00:04:46,260 --> 00:04:48,880 him or judges him speaks against the law 99 00:04:48,880 --> 00:04:49,860 and judges it. 100 00:04:50,180 --> 00:04:52,060 When you judge the law, you're not keeping 101 00:04:52,060 --> 00:04:53,300 it, but sitting in judgment. 102 00:04:53,860 --> 00:04:55,980 And the whole pattern of events, he says, 103 00:04:56,300 --> 00:04:57,400 unfolds. 104 00:04:58,080 --> 00:05:00,600 When we speak against our brother or our 105 00:05:00,600 --> 00:05:04,920 sister, we are almost inevitably setting ourselves up 106 00:05:04,920 --> 00:05:06,040 as judges. 107 00:05:07,580 --> 00:05:12,340 Slander and judging are almost inseparable. 108 00:05:13,200 --> 00:05:15,080 You will notice in the NIV it says 109 00:05:15,080 --> 00:05:17,920 anyone who speaks against his brother or judges 110 00:05:17,920 --> 00:05:18,260 him. 111 00:05:18,840 --> 00:05:21,360 In the authorized version, it says anyone who 112 00:05:21,360 --> 00:05:24,040 speaks against his brother and judges him. 113 00:05:25,460 --> 00:05:27,940 And I think perhaps the AV points us 114 00:05:27,940 --> 00:05:28,980 in the right direction. 115 00:05:28,980 --> 00:05:32,540 In other words, this speaking against and judging 116 00:05:32,540 --> 00:05:35,940 and entering into judgment are almost synonymous with 117 00:05:35,940 --> 00:05:36,480 one another. 118 00:05:37,460 --> 00:05:39,980 So when we speak against a brother or 119 00:05:39,980 --> 00:05:42,980 a sister, what we're usually claiming is that 120 00:05:42,980 --> 00:05:44,660 they have failed to do what they should 121 00:05:44,660 --> 00:05:47,180 have done or that they've been doing something 122 00:05:47,180 --> 00:05:48,720 that they shouldn't do. 123 00:05:50,320 --> 00:05:54,140 In doing this, says Tasker, the slanderer is 124 00:05:54,140 --> 00:05:56,400 going far beyond the bounds of what is 125 00:05:56,400 --> 00:05:59,960 legitimate for ordinary human beings. 126 00:06:01,690 --> 00:06:03,990 Because if you go to a court or 127 00:06:03,990 --> 00:06:06,250 you observe the proceedings of a court, you 128 00:06:06,250 --> 00:06:09,650 recognize that judgment is passed only when all 129 00:06:09,650 --> 00:06:11,230 the facts have been heard. 130 00:06:12,790 --> 00:06:14,590 But the problem with the one who speaks 131 00:06:14,590 --> 00:06:16,890 evil against his brother or sister is that 132 00:06:16,890 --> 00:06:19,190 we're quick to pronounce judgment before the facts 133 00:06:19,190 --> 00:06:19,750 have been heard. 134 00:06:20,610 --> 00:06:23,150 And sometimes we don't even want the facts 135 00:06:23,150 --> 00:06:26,490 to be heard because it impinges upon our 136 00:06:26,490 --> 00:06:28,090 ability to slander. 137 00:06:28,510 --> 00:06:30,230 If all the facts were to get out, 138 00:06:30,350 --> 00:06:31,950 then we wouldn't be able to say what 139 00:06:31,950 --> 00:06:32,490 we say. 140 00:06:32,750 --> 00:06:34,410 And so it's actually better for us to 141 00:06:34,410 --> 00:06:36,610 get it out even without the facts of 142 00:06:36,610 --> 00:06:37,150 the case. 143 00:06:37,730 --> 00:06:40,990 And so the pattern is one of jumping 144 00:06:40,990 --> 00:06:45,510 to conclusions, jumping to judgment without any attempt 145 00:06:45,510 --> 00:06:47,170 to discover the truth. 146 00:06:49,110 --> 00:06:52,390 Perhaps the classic illustration of this, as we 147 00:06:52,390 --> 00:06:54,710 think of brothers at least, is to be 148 00:06:54,710 --> 00:06:57,710 found in the Old Testament in 1 Samuel 149 00:06:57,710 --> 00:06:58,710 chapter 17. 150 00:06:59,470 --> 00:07:00,810 And if you would like to turn there, 151 00:07:00,870 --> 00:07:02,150 if you have your Bible, you can just 152 00:07:02,150 --> 00:07:04,630 see where this is so that you can 153 00:07:04,630 --> 00:07:05,370 go back to it. 154 00:07:05,370 --> 00:07:07,270 It's often helpful just to turn to it 155 00:07:07,270 --> 00:07:09,930 because it anchors it in your mind and 156 00:07:09,930 --> 00:07:12,230 it'll be easier to find later on. 157 00:07:12,870 --> 00:07:14,610 1 Samuel 17, you will know if you 158 00:07:14,610 --> 00:07:17,650 know your Bible, is the chapter that gives 159 00:07:17,650 --> 00:07:19,790 to us the record of the great fight 160 00:07:19,790 --> 00:07:21,810 between David and Goliath. 161 00:07:22,690 --> 00:07:26,550 And you will remember that David, who was 162 00:07:26,550 --> 00:07:30,510 the youngest of all of the brothers, had 163 00:07:30,510 --> 00:07:34,110 been going back and forth to tend his 164 00:07:34,110 --> 00:07:34,990 father's sheep. 165 00:07:35,990 --> 00:07:38,190 And in verse 17, we read as follows. 166 00:07:38,190 --> 00:07:41,610 Now Jesse said to his son David, take 167 00:07:41,610 --> 00:07:45,110 this ephah of roasted grain and these ten 168 00:07:45,110 --> 00:07:47,790 loaves of bread for your brothers and hurry 169 00:07:47,790 --> 00:07:48,650 to their camp. 170 00:07:49,170 --> 00:07:52,810 Take along these ten cheeses to the commander 171 00:07:52,810 --> 00:07:53,590 of their unit. 172 00:07:54,390 --> 00:07:57,190 See how your brothers are and bring back 173 00:07:57,190 --> 00:07:58,670 some assurance from them. 174 00:07:59,410 --> 00:08:01,230 They're all with Saul and all the men 175 00:08:01,230 --> 00:08:04,470 of Israel in the valley of Elah fighting 176 00:08:04,470 --> 00:08:05,910 against the Philistines. 177 00:08:06,910 --> 00:08:09,450 Little did he know that they were in 178 00:08:09,450 --> 00:08:11,730 the presence of the Philistines, but they sure 179 00:08:11,730 --> 00:08:15,110 weren't fighting the Philistines, as David was about 180 00:08:15,110 --> 00:08:15,770 to discover. 181 00:08:16,910 --> 00:08:19,330 And now if you fast forward to verse 182 00:08:19,330 --> 00:08:24,610 28, when Eliab, David's oldest brother, heard him 183 00:08:24,610 --> 00:08:25,170 speaking. 184 00:08:25,650 --> 00:08:27,610 And what David had been saying was, why 185 00:08:27,610 --> 00:08:29,510 are you letting this big giant shout like 186 00:08:29,510 --> 00:08:30,230 this every day? 187 00:08:30,490 --> 00:08:32,090 Why doesn't it somebody go out there and 188 00:08:32,090 --> 00:08:32,870 chop his head off? 189 00:08:32,909 --> 00:08:33,890 That's a paraphrase. 190 00:08:33,890 --> 00:08:35,669 Why do you let him defy the armies 191 00:08:35,669 --> 00:08:36,870 of Israel in this way? 192 00:08:37,510 --> 00:08:39,710 Which, of course, was a legitimate response. 193 00:08:40,370 --> 00:08:42,770 Indeed, it was a response of clarity and 194 00:08:42,770 --> 00:08:43,370 of bravery. 195 00:08:44,870 --> 00:08:47,030 And when Eliab, David's oldest brother, heard him 196 00:08:47,030 --> 00:08:49,070 speaking with the men, he burned with anger 197 00:08:49,070 --> 00:08:51,570 at him and asked, why have you come 198 00:08:51,570 --> 00:08:52,150 down here? 199 00:08:53,230 --> 00:08:55,470 And with whom did you leave those few 200 00:08:55,470 --> 00:08:56,550 sheep in the desert? 201 00:08:57,510 --> 00:09:00,750 I know how conceited you are and how 202 00:09:00,750 --> 00:09:02,170 wicked your heart is. 203 00:09:02,170 --> 00:09:06,090 You came down only to watch the battle, 204 00:09:07,830 --> 00:09:10,930 to which David should have said, what battle? 205 00:09:13,010 --> 00:09:14,950 We ain't got no battle. 206 00:09:16,630 --> 00:09:19,290 But you see, his brother jumps to judgment, 207 00:09:19,950 --> 00:09:20,710 slanders him. 208 00:09:21,310 --> 00:09:23,770 I know, he says, how conceited you are. 209 00:09:24,130 --> 00:09:25,710 I know you have a wicked heart. 210 00:09:26,110 --> 00:09:27,870 I know you only came down here to 211 00:09:27,870 --> 00:09:28,270 watch. 212 00:09:29,010 --> 00:09:31,630 Wrong, wrong, wrong. 213 00:09:33,050 --> 00:09:35,070 It's that kind of thing that James is 214 00:09:35,070 --> 00:09:38,450 addressing in this story pattern of jumping to 215 00:09:38,450 --> 00:09:38,890 judgment. 216 00:09:39,630 --> 00:09:42,570 Why did Eliab address his brother in this 217 00:09:42,570 --> 00:09:42,830 way? 218 00:09:42,930 --> 00:09:46,630 Because he was absent the humility which recognizes 219 00:09:46,630 --> 00:09:50,770 that this prerogative belongs solely to God. 220 00:09:52,250 --> 00:09:54,110 Look at the text and see what James 221 00:09:54,110 --> 00:09:54,950 says is happening. 222 00:09:54,950 --> 00:09:58,450 The individual who speaks against his brother and 223 00:09:58,450 --> 00:10:01,210 judges him, speaks against the law and judges 224 00:10:01,210 --> 00:10:01,570 it. 225 00:10:01,930 --> 00:10:05,850 When we enter into superficial, misguided, uninformed, cruel 226 00:10:05,850 --> 00:10:09,730 judgments, we're actually speaking against the law and 227 00:10:09,730 --> 00:10:11,270 expressing a judgment on the law. 228 00:10:11,450 --> 00:10:14,450 We're really saying, this doesn't apply to me. 229 00:10:15,570 --> 00:10:18,170 Now, when he says you speak against the 230 00:10:18,170 --> 00:10:20,010 law, I wonder what he's referencing. 231 00:10:20,010 --> 00:10:22,710 It could be that he's referencing the verse 232 00:10:22,710 --> 00:10:25,190 from Leviticus 19 that we quoted this morning, 233 00:10:25,490 --> 00:10:27,210 where the word of God to his people 234 00:10:27,210 --> 00:10:29,350 is, you must not go up and down 235 00:10:29,350 --> 00:10:31,730 as a tailbearer among my people. 236 00:10:32,150 --> 00:10:35,130 Or perhaps more likely, in light of the 237 00:10:35,130 --> 00:10:38,950 8th verse of chapter 2, he's referencing the 238 00:10:38,950 --> 00:10:42,570 royal law found in Scripture, which is love 239 00:10:42,570 --> 00:10:44,670 your neighbor as yourself. 240 00:10:45,770 --> 00:10:48,830 And he says, if you speak against your 241 00:10:48,830 --> 00:10:51,030 brother and judge him, you actually speak against 242 00:10:51,030 --> 00:10:53,770 the law and you're executing judgment on it. 243 00:10:55,550 --> 00:10:58,050 Instead of seeing how it applies to me 244 00:10:58,050 --> 00:11:01,810 and keeping it, I end up sitting in 245 00:11:01,810 --> 00:11:04,150 judgment on it and I begin to become 246 00:11:04,150 --> 00:11:05,390 a law to myself. 247 00:11:05,390 --> 00:11:10,380 Now, let's remind ourselves of verse 6 and 248 00:11:10,380 --> 00:11:11,560 again of verse 10. 249 00:11:12,080 --> 00:11:14,940 The Scripture says God opposes the proud, but 250 00:11:14,940 --> 00:11:16,240 gives grace to the humble. 251 00:11:16,660 --> 00:11:20,720 Verse 10, humble yourselves before the Lord and 252 00:11:20,720 --> 00:11:22,180 he will lift you up. 253 00:11:23,460 --> 00:11:27,720 You see, when we are honest enough with 254 00:11:27,720 --> 00:11:31,500 ourselves to acknowledge what we know of our 255 00:11:31,500 --> 00:11:38,000 own hearts and how wretched they are and 256 00:11:38,000 --> 00:11:42,360 how justifiably we ought to find ourselves in 257 00:11:42,360 --> 00:11:46,840 the dock, we will then be less prone 258 00:11:46,840 --> 00:11:50,640 to assume a position on the bench. 259 00:11:51,860 --> 00:11:54,720 But if we are deceitful about our own 260 00:11:54,720 --> 00:11:58,340 hearts, if we lie to ourselves about our 261 00:11:58,340 --> 00:12:01,900 position before God, if we refuse to humble 262 00:12:01,900 --> 00:12:05,880 ourselves before him, then in exalting ourselves and 263 00:12:05,880 --> 00:12:09,660 defaming others, we find ourselves right in the 264 00:12:09,660 --> 00:12:10,620 heart of this pattern. 265 00:12:11,600 --> 00:12:13,740 Derek Prime, in a helpful sentence or two, 266 00:12:13,820 --> 00:12:14,600 puts it as follows. 267 00:12:15,020 --> 00:12:18,100 The knowledge of our own failings makes us 268 00:12:18,100 --> 00:12:21,960 more and more hesitant about expressing any form 269 00:12:21,960 --> 00:12:23,900 of criticism of others. 270 00:12:24,720 --> 00:12:30,360 The man who knows himself learns an increasing 271 00:12:30,360 --> 00:12:34,100 silence before other people's faults. 272 00:12:35,080 --> 00:12:36,460 That's a great sentence. 273 00:12:37,200 --> 00:12:41,320 The man or the woman who knows themselves 274 00:12:41,320 --> 00:12:48,080 learns an increasing silence before others' faults. 275 00:12:49,560 --> 00:12:50,940 We ought not to misunderstand this. 276 00:12:51,220 --> 00:12:54,780 This is not cowardice or softness, but rather 277 00:12:54,780 --> 00:12:57,980 it is Christ-likeness and it is tenderness. 278 00:12:58,720 --> 00:13:01,420 Christ-likeness and tenderness. 279 00:13:02,300 --> 00:13:06,600 That's the pattern and now the prerogative in 280 00:13:06,600 --> 00:13:07,280 verse 12. 281 00:13:08,020 --> 00:13:10,760 There is only one lawgiver and judge, the 282 00:13:10,760 --> 00:13:12,880 one who is able to save and to 283 00:13:12,880 --> 00:13:13,400 destroy. 284 00:13:13,680 --> 00:13:16,200 It is more than likely that James, with 285 00:13:16,200 --> 00:13:18,960 his knowledge of the Old Testament, has in 286 00:13:18,960 --> 00:13:24,180 mind a verse from Deuteronomy chapter 32 and 287 00:13:24,180 --> 00:13:27,400 verse 39, which I will quote for you. 288 00:13:27,560 --> 00:13:29,360 You needn't turn to it, although you might 289 00:13:29,360 --> 00:13:31,280 like to turn just to verify that it's 290 00:13:31,280 --> 00:13:31,560 there. 291 00:13:32,180 --> 00:13:36,200 And God is speaking and he says, See 292 00:13:36,200 --> 00:13:39,720 now that I myself am he. 293 00:13:40,500 --> 00:13:42,720 There is no God besides me. 294 00:13:43,680 --> 00:13:46,200 I put to death and I bring to 295 00:13:46,200 --> 00:13:46,640 life. 296 00:13:47,100 --> 00:13:51,100 I have wounded and I will heal and 297 00:13:51,100 --> 00:13:53,760 no one can deliver out of my hand. 298 00:13:56,230 --> 00:14:00,290 Now if you turn back to James and 299 00:14:00,290 --> 00:14:02,410 he says, There is only one lawgiver and 300 00:14:02,410 --> 00:14:04,230 judge, the one who is able to save 301 00:14:04,230 --> 00:14:05,030 and to destroy. 302 00:14:05,410 --> 00:14:06,330 You say that is good. 303 00:14:06,470 --> 00:14:08,110 James obviously knows his Bible. 304 00:14:09,790 --> 00:14:11,510 And what he's reminding the readers of and 305 00:14:11,510 --> 00:14:13,450 reminding us of this evening is that there 306 00:14:13,450 --> 00:14:15,330 is only one who issues laws that are 307 00:14:15,330 --> 00:14:16,390 permanently valid. 308 00:14:17,490 --> 00:14:19,850 One of the interesting things about civil jurisdiction 309 00:14:19,850 --> 00:14:22,950 and jurisprudence in general is that new laws 310 00:14:22,950 --> 00:14:25,230 are to be enacted all the time in 311 00:14:25,230 --> 00:14:27,410 order to keep up with or catch up 312 00:14:27,410 --> 00:14:30,670 with the changing, developing circumstances of life. 313 00:14:31,670 --> 00:14:34,210 And there is a great distinction in the 314 00:14:34,210 --> 00:14:36,910 laws that exist from state to state. 315 00:14:37,690 --> 00:14:40,630 Scott's law in the United Kingdom is different 316 00:14:40,630 --> 00:14:42,150 from law in England. 317 00:14:43,570 --> 00:14:46,850 And there is a divergence and a discrepancy 318 00:14:46,850 --> 00:14:48,430 between many of these things. 319 00:14:49,310 --> 00:14:51,890 And what James is saying here is that 320 00:14:51,890 --> 00:14:54,750 there is only one whose laws are permanently 321 00:14:54,750 --> 00:14:55,310 valid. 322 00:14:55,670 --> 00:14:58,170 And there is only one whose judgments are 323 00:14:58,170 --> 00:15:00,130 of eternal significance. 324 00:15:01,050 --> 00:15:04,290 Now, in saying this, he's also not suggesting 325 00:15:04,290 --> 00:15:06,910 that there is no place for human legislation. 326 00:15:07,110 --> 00:15:09,310 That would be a misinterpretation of the Bible, 327 00:15:09,310 --> 00:15:09,770 wouldn't it? 328 00:15:09,990 --> 00:15:11,490 Someone says it says in the Bible in 329 00:15:11,490 --> 00:15:13,770 James 4.12, There is only one lawgiver 330 00:15:13,770 --> 00:15:15,270 and one judge, the one who is able 331 00:15:15,270 --> 00:15:16,310 to save and to destroy. 332 00:15:16,310 --> 00:15:18,810 And so, your honor, I do not accept 333 00:15:18,810 --> 00:15:19,670 your existence. 334 00:15:20,270 --> 00:15:22,130 That would not be a smart move on 335 00:15:22,130 --> 00:15:23,070 a number of fronts. 336 00:15:23,430 --> 00:15:25,350 Because it would reveal that the individual has 337 00:15:25,350 --> 00:15:26,950 not been reading the rest of the Bible, 338 00:15:27,290 --> 00:15:29,010 where it makes very clear that God has 339 00:15:29,010 --> 00:15:32,670 appointed civil jurisdiction for the punishment of those 340 00:15:32,670 --> 00:15:34,650 who do wrong and for the praise of 341 00:15:34,650 --> 00:15:35,610 those who do right. 342 00:15:36,210 --> 00:15:38,130 No, what James is saying is this. 343 00:15:38,390 --> 00:15:39,930 Not that there is no place for human 344 00:15:39,930 --> 00:15:44,670 legislation, but rather that the foundation of all 345 00:15:44,670 --> 00:15:48,550 such legislation is in the revealed law of 346 00:15:48,550 --> 00:15:49,050 God. 347 00:15:50,210 --> 00:15:55,250 What legal scholars refer to and many contemporary 348 00:15:55,250 --> 00:16:01,150 scholars disdain now as being natural law, which 349 00:16:01,150 --> 00:16:03,830 is actually supernatural law. 350 00:16:04,450 --> 00:16:07,630 It is the oughtness of moral conscience. 351 00:16:07,630 --> 00:16:13,630 It is the oughtness of human society, which 352 00:16:13,630 --> 00:16:15,550 scholars wonder at. 353 00:16:16,110 --> 00:16:17,830 Why does anybody say we ought to do 354 00:16:17,830 --> 00:16:19,030 this or we ought to do that? 355 00:16:19,350 --> 00:16:20,810 Where does oughtness come from? 356 00:16:23,320 --> 00:16:27,120 And at the high levels of philosophical debate, 357 00:16:28,000 --> 00:16:30,980 this notion is absolutely poo-pooed. 358 00:16:34,430 --> 00:16:37,650 But, says James, there actually is only one 359 00:16:37,650 --> 00:16:40,190 lawgiver and judge. 360 00:16:40,950 --> 00:16:42,650 Human courts may get it right. 361 00:16:42,650 --> 00:16:45,030 Human courts may get it wrong. 362 00:16:45,450 --> 00:16:48,830 But ultimately, the judge of all the earth 363 00:16:48,830 --> 00:16:50,090 will do right. 364 00:16:50,730 --> 00:16:53,430 Because God is the only one who is 365 00:16:53,430 --> 00:16:59,630 able to detect absolutely accurately, to convict with 366 00:16:59,630 --> 00:17:04,690 absolute authority, and to punish with absolute fairness. 367 00:17:05,650 --> 00:17:06,950 God alone. 368 00:17:07,750 --> 00:17:11,950 And that, incidentally, and in passing, is why 369 00:17:11,950 --> 00:17:15,770 the foundations of civil liberty in this nation, 370 00:17:16,829 --> 00:17:21,630 and the fundamental place of the Ten Commandments, 371 00:17:23,010 --> 00:17:27,990 is so vehemently opposed by those who reject 372 00:17:27,990 --> 00:17:29,590 God and His authority. 373 00:17:30,330 --> 00:17:35,090 Because such individuals understand the direct link between 374 00:17:35,090 --> 00:17:39,050 this one lawgiver and judge who executes his 375 00:17:39,050 --> 00:17:42,690 judgments with validity and with authority. 376 00:17:43,250 --> 00:17:46,890 God alone, he says, is able to judge. 377 00:17:47,070 --> 00:17:48,650 He's the one who is able to save 378 00:17:48,650 --> 00:17:49,970 and to destroy. 379 00:17:51,250 --> 00:17:54,070 And it is in light of that, that, 380 00:17:54,190 --> 00:17:56,710 for example, we read the words of Jesus 381 00:17:56,710 --> 00:17:59,850 when, in Luke chapter 12, He says to 382 00:17:59,850 --> 00:18:02,850 His followers, You ought not to be concerned 383 00:18:02,850 --> 00:18:05,050 about the people that can kill the body. 384 00:18:05,590 --> 00:18:06,990 I tell you, my friends, don't be afraid 385 00:18:06,990 --> 00:18:08,490 of those who kill the body, and after 386 00:18:08,490 --> 00:18:09,530 that can do no more. 387 00:18:09,890 --> 00:18:11,390 But I will show you whom you should 388 00:18:11,390 --> 00:18:11,790 fear. 389 00:18:12,190 --> 00:18:13,930 Fear Him who, after the killing of the 390 00:18:13,930 --> 00:18:15,930 body, has the power to throw you into 391 00:18:15,930 --> 00:18:16,310 hell. 392 00:18:17,490 --> 00:18:19,310 That's the real judgment, He says, you ought 393 00:18:19,310 --> 00:18:19,710 to fear. 394 00:18:20,330 --> 00:18:22,950 And that, incidentally, and in passing, is where 395 00:18:22,950 --> 00:18:24,690 everything will be brought to rights. 396 00:18:24,690 --> 00:18:28,230 Is it possible that civil jurisdiction gets it 397 00:18:28,230 --> 00:18:28,530 wrong? 398 00:18:28,770 --> 00:18:29,210 Absolutely. 399 00:18:29,790 --> 00:18:30,750 Is there human error? 400 00:18:30,970 --> 00:18:31,790 Without question. 401 00:18:32,390 --> 00:18:33,830 Does that mean that we should not do 402 00:18:33,830 --> 00:18:36,130 what God says we should do in relationship 403 00:18:36,130 --> 00:18:37,650 to the execution of justice? 404 00:18:38,030 --> 00:18:39,010 Absolutely not. 405 00:18:39,330 --> 00:18:41,350 Does that mean that things will be faltered 406 00:18:41,350 --> 00:18:42,890 all the way through to the end? 407 00:18:43,150 --> 00:18:43,990 Not at all. 408 00:18:45,050 --> 00:18:47,470 All will be put to right on the 409 00:18:47,470 --> 00:18:49,750 day when, before the bar of God's judgment, 410 00:18:50,330 --> 00:18:51,210 things are settled. 411 00:18:51,210 --> 00:18:54,110 And those who think that they got off 412 00:18:54,110 --> 00:18:55,550 will find that they didn't. 413 00:18:56,150 --> 00:18:58,570 And those who fear and feel that they 414 00:18:58,570 --> 00:19:02,110 were punished unjustly will be vindicated at the 415 00:19:02,110 --> 00:19:03,350 bar of God's assignance. 416 00:19:04,350 --> 00:19:06,570 That's why it is so important that we 417 00:19:06,570 --> 00:19:10,850 take seriously these exhortations, lest we seek to 418 00:19:10,850 --> 00:19:13,850 remove God from His throne and put ourselves 419 00:19:13,850 --> 00:19:18,090 there, and grow impatient of God to exercise 420 00:19:18,090 --> 00:19:21,230 His judgments, thereby seeking to advance the case 421 00:19:21,230 --> 00:19:23,210 by executing them ourselves. 422 00:19:24,790 --> 00:19:28,660 It is absolutely wrong to bomb abortion clinics. 423 00:19:29,390 --> 00:19:33,150 It is absolutely wrong to shoot people who 424 00:19:33,150 --> 00:19:34,350 conduct abortions. 425 00:19:34,610 --> 00:19:37,420 It is absolutely wrong to do abortions. 426 00:19:38,270 --> 00:19:41,650 But God will deal with the issue in 427 00:19:41,650 --> 00:19:42,350 His time. 428 00:19:43,010 --> 00:19:45,790 He, the judge of all the earth, will 429 00:19:45,790 --> 00:19:47,190 do right. 430 00:19:48,010 --> 00:19:49,490 We are not in that position. 431 00:19:51,050 --> 00:19:52,490 We are not in that position. 432 00:19:54,560 --> 00:19:58,520 And incidentally, this is the same reason why, 433 00:19:59,120 --> 00:20:02,880 in a different vein, when Paul addresses the 434 00:20:02,880 --> 00:20:05,180 Corinthians, and he says, you know, we should 435 00:20:05,180 --> 00:20:07,900 be regarded as servants of God, and those 436 00:20:07,900 --> 00:20:09,640 who are the servants of God should prove 437 00:20:09,640 --> 00:20:12,020 faithful, and then he says, I care very 438 00:20:12,020 --> 00:20:14,160 little if I'm judged by you or by 439 00:20:14,160 --> 00:20:15,140 any human court. 440 00:20:15,720 --> 00:20:16,960 He's not being dismissive. 441 00:20:17,080 --> 00:20:18,080 He's not being arrogant. 442 00:20:18,560 --> 00:20:20,740 He's just saying, you're not the issue. 443 00:20:21,640 --> 00:20:23,680 You know, you can scare me a wee 444 00:20:23,680 --> 00:20:25,120 bit, but you don't scare me a lot. 445 00:20:25,680 --> 00:20:27,120 I don't care if I'm judged by you 446 00:20:27,120 --> 00:20:28,100 or by any human court. 447 00:20:28,160 --> 00:20:30,300 He says, I do not even judge myself. 448 00:20:31,140 --> 00:20:32,520 My conscience is clear. 449 00:20:33,100 --> 00:20:34,540 But that doesn't make me innocent. 450 00:20:35,440 --> 00:20:40,100 It is Yahweh who judges me. 451 00:20:41,480 --> 00:20:43,740 Therefore, judge nothing before the appointed time. 452 00:20:44,100 --> 00:20:45,220 Wait till the Lord comes. 453 00:20:45,500 --> 00:20:47,180 He will bring to light what is hidden 454 00:20:47,180 --> 00:20:49,680 in darkness, and will expose the motives of 455 00:20:49,680 --> 00:20:52,600 men's hearts, and at that time, each will 456 00:20:52,600 --> 00:20:54,680 receive his praise from God. 457 00:20:55,640 --> 00:20:58,860 Now, that kind of expression is, I think, 458 00:20:58,980 --> 00:21:02,760 grounded in what James is making clear here 459 00:21:02,760 --> 00:21:04,400 in the twelfth verse. 460 00:21:05,180 --> 00:21:09,200 The absurdity of taking upon ourselves a prerogative 461 00:21:09,200 --> 00:21:12,200 which is God's alone should not be missed. 462 00:21:12,960 --> 00:21:14,280 Hence the closing sentence. 463 00:21:15,120 --> 00:21:15,560 But you? 464 00:21:16,440 --> 00:21:19,600 Who are you to judge your neighbor? 465 00:21:20,720 --> 00:21:21,640 Who are you? 466 00:21:21,640 --> 00:21:26,880 Now, my family will just crawl under the 467 00:21:26,880 --> 00:21:29,200 seat when I go to where I'm going 468 00:21:29,200 --> 00:21:29,600 now. 469 00:21:30,360 --> 00:21:31,440 But that's all right. 470 00:21:31,460 --> 00:21:32,620 They'll get back up later. 471 00:21:33,880 --> 00:21:37,620 I couldn't go to this question, but you? 472 00:21:38,200 --> 00:21:39,360 Who are you? 473 00:21:39,920 --> 00:21:42,440 Without going to one of my favorite court 474 00:21:42,440 --> 00:21:45,260 scenes in one of my favorite old movies. 475 00:21:45,820 --> 00:21:47,480 This dates me dreadfully. 476 00:21:48,240 --> 00:21:50,060 The movie is What's Up, Doc? 477 00:21:50,660 --> 00:21:58,120 Featuring Ryan O'Neill and Barbara Streisand and 478 00:21:58,120 --> 00:22:03,220 Madeleine Kahn, who sadly died of cancer a 479 00:22:03,220 --> 00:22:03,840 few years ago. 480 00:22:05,040 --> 00:22:07,000 And if you remember the movie at all, 481 00:22:07,020 --> 00:22:09,060 after the great fiasco and the chase down 482 00:22:09,060 --> 00:22:11,780 the windy street of San Francisco and smashing 483 00:22:11,780 --> 00:22:14,820 through plate glass windows and disrupting everything and 484 00:22:14,820 --> 00:22:17,340 creating massive havoc in the city. 485 00:22:17,720 --> 00:22:20,380 They are all eventually assembled before the judge 486 00:22:20,380 --> 00:22:23,060 who comes out a wizened little man with 487 00:22:23,060 --> 00:22:23,920 a black cloak. 488 00:22:24,360 --> 00:22:26,720 And he sits and he looks out of 489 00:22:26,720 --> 00:22:29,860 this vast company and he sees them all 490 00:22:29,860 --> 00:22:30,220 there. 491 00:22:30,360 --> 00:22:33,140 And he immediately goes underneath his desk and 492 00:22:33,140 --> 00:22:36,720 gets out some Tylenol or whatever it is. 493 00:22:36,940 --> 00:22:38,880 Takes a big thing of them and drinks 494 00:22:38,880 --> 00:22:39,660 down the water. 495 00:22:39,660 --> 00:22:43,780 And then he gets these these steel balls 496 00:22:43,780 --> 00:22:46,420 that are the stress things that he begins 497 00:22:46,420 --> 00:22:48,160 to move around in his hands. 498 00:22:48,300 --> 00:22:50,300 And when he eventually got himself ready, he 499 00:22:50,300 --> 00:22:52,180 says, you know, OK, you know what's going 500 00:22:52,180 --> 00:22:52,660 on here. 501 00:22:53,100 --> 00:22:54,780 And one person says one thing and one 502 00:22:54,780 --> 00:22:55,280 says another. 503 00:22:55,420 --> 00:22:57,840 And then eventually a fellow says, I demand 504 00:22:57,840 --> 00:22:59,980 to be heard right out of the blue. 505 00:23:00,500 --> 00:23:03,120 This is Madeleine Kahn's would be shooter. 506 00:23:05,260 --> 00:23:07,940 And the judge says, who are you? 507 00:23:08,540 --> 00:23:11,000 And remember, he says, I'm Hugh. 508 00:23:12,000 --> 00:23:13,940 And the judge says, you're me. 509 00:23:15,240 --> 00:23:17,960 He says, no, I'm Hugh. 510 00:23:19,240 --> 00:23:21,540 The judge says, stop saying that. 511 00:23:22,280 --> 00:23:23,720 And then he turns to his bailiff and 512 00:23:23,720 --> 00:23:25,580 he says, tell him to stop saying that. 513 00:23:25,840 --> 00:23:27,760 And the bailiff says, stop saying that. 514 00:23:29,080 --> 00:23:31,720 And so the man says, I demand to 515 00:23:31,720 --> 00:23:32,160 be heard. 516 00:23:32,560 --> 00:23:33,500 I'm a doctor. 517 00:23:34,340 --> 00:23:35,640 And the judge says, of what? 518 00:23:36,600 --> 00:23:37,420 Of music. 519 00:23:38,460 --> 00:23:39,800 Can you fix a stereo? 520 00:23:40,480 --> 00:23:40,980 No. 521 00:23:41,660 --> 00:23:42,860 Then shut up. 522 00:23:44,690 --> 00:23:46,430 It's a great little piece of writing. 523 00:23:47,290 --> 00:23:48,750 I demand to be heard. 524 00:23:50,150 --> 00:23:50,850 Who are you? 525 00:23:50,990 --> 00:23:51,670 I'm Hugh. 526 00:23:52,250 --> 00:23:53,130 Oh, you are? 527 00:23:54,250 --> 00:23:55,770 That's what James is saying here. 528 00:23:55,990 --> 00:23:56,710 Who are you? 529 00:23:57,170 --> 00:23:57,830 I'm Hugh. 530 00:23:58,250 --> 00:23:58,850 Oh, you are? 531 00:23:59,070 --> 00:23:59,730 Very good. 532 00:23:59,810 --> 00:24:00,390 Good for you. 533 00:24:01,010 --> 00:24:02,030 Sit down. 534 00:24:02,030 --> 00:24:04,230 I'll call on you if I need you. 535 00:24:04,750 --> 00:24:07,990 So far, the judgment of the universe is 536 00:24:07,990 --> 00:24:09,130 in safe hands. 537 00:24:09,550 --> 00:24:10,890 You can relax, Charlie. 538 00:24:11,170 --> 00:24:14,930 You can relax, Mrs. We don't need you. 539 00:24:16,050 --> 00:24:18,770 Indeed, it is an absurdity. 540 00:24:19,450 --> 00:24:20,930 It is an utter futility. 541 00:24:21,430 --> 00:24:23,450 It is a rash presumption. 542 00:24:24,050 --> 00:24:26,010 It is infinitely pathetic. 543 00:24:27,030 --> 00:24:29,190 That we should not only demand to be 544 00:24:29,190 --> 00:24:32,150 heard, but that we should seek to assume 545 00:24:32,150 --> 00:24:37,790 the judge's place and rush to judgments unfounded 546 00:24:37,790 --> 00:24:42,810 and unwarranted and all on our own, as 547 00:24:42,810 --> 00:24:47,660 if somehow or another we are able to 548 00:24:47,660 --> 00:24:51,380 judge even the motives of one another's hearts. 549 00:24:53,600 --> 00:24:56,780 Well, I think that's what these verses are 550 00:24:56,780 --> 00:24:57,220 addressing. 551 00:24:57,740 --> 00:25:01,460 And I want to conclude by turning to 552 00:25:01,460 --> 00:25:06,440 two of my heroes, one from the 21st 553 00:25:06,440 --> 00:25:11,340 century for some points of application and one 554 00:25:11,340 --> 00:25:17,840 from the 19th century for some directives going 555 00:25:17,840 --> 00:25:18,680 on from here. 556 00:25:19,440 --> 00:25:24,060 From the 21st century, I'm referencing Jerry Bridges 557 00:25:24,470 --> 00:25:25,980 and the work that he's done over the 558 00:25:25,980 --> 00:25:29,260 years as a member of the Navigators and 559 00:25:29,260 --> 00:25:31,600 I keenly look forward with others to him 560 00:25:31,600 --> 00:25:34,560 coming here for our pastor's conference God willing 561 00:25:34,560 --> 00:25:37,040 in May of 2008. 562 00:25:37,920 --> 00:25:40,540 And in this little book called Respectable Sins, 563 00:25:40,620 --> 00:25:43,220 which I referenced this morning, he has an 564 00:25:43,220 --> 00:25:46,000 entire chapter on judgmentalism. 565 00:25:47,120 --> 00:25:48,820 And in order that we might at least 566 00:25:48,820 --> 00:25:52,140 have some kind of points of application, let 567 00:25:52,140 --> 00:25:54,220 me just give you a couple of his 568 00:25:54,220 --> 00:25:59,400 illustrations of what he has in his own 569 00:25:59,400 --> 00:26:01,620 mind when he thinks about the danger of 570 00:26:01,620 --> 00:26:02,420 judging one another. 571 00:26:02,540 --> 00:26:03,820 You may be surprised by them. 572 00:26:04,420 --> 00:26:05,340 And what I'm going to do is I'm 573 00:26:05,340 --> 00:26:06,480 going to start to read them and then 574 00:26:06,480 --> 00:26:07,460 I'll just trail it off. 575 00:26:07,540 --> 00:26:09,000 It'll just go dot, dot, dot, dot, dot, 576 00:26:09,060 --> 00:26:10,700 which is an incentive for you to go 577 00:26:10,700 --> 00:26:13,320 and buy the book and to read it. 578 00:26:14,520 --> 00:26:16,320 I grew up in the mid-20th century 579 00:26:16,320 --> 00:26:18,240 when people dressed up to go to church. 580 00:26:18,660 --> 00:26:20,900 Men wore jackets and ties, usually suits and 581 00:26:20,900 --> 00:26:22,220 ties, and women wore dresses. 582 00:26:23,070 --> 00:26:25,300 Sometime in the 1970s, men began to show 583 00:26:25,300 --> 00:26:28,480 up at church wearing casual pants and open 584 00:26:28,480 --> 00:26:30,200 -collar shirts. 585 00:26:34,030 --> 00:26:36,370 Many women began to wear pants. 586 00:26:37,150 --> 00:26:39,950 For several years, I judged them. 587 00:26:40,930 --> 00:26:42,750 Didn't they have any reverence for God? 588 00:26:43,810 --> 00:26:45,590 Would they dress so casually if they were 589 00:26:45,590 --> 00:26:47,250 going to an audience with the president? 590 00:26:48,270 --> 00:26:50,210 That sounded pretty convincing to me. 591 00:26:51,170 --> 00:26:52,970 Only, I was wrong. 592 00:26:54,510 --> 00:26:56,250 You see, there's nothing in the Bible that 593 00:26:56,250 --> 00:26:57,490 tells us what we ought to wear in 594 00:26:57,490 --> 00:26:57,910 church. 595 00:26:58,910 --> 00:27:00,330 And as for dressing up to meet the 596 00:27:00,330 --> 00:27:04,150 president, that's a cultural thing centered in Washington, 597 00:27:04,350 --> 00:27:07,150 D.C. If you were invited to meet 598 00:27:07,150 --> 00:27:09,430 the president while he's vacationing at his ranch, 599 00:27:10,750 --> 00:27:12,870 you would probably show up in blue jeans. 600 00:27:14,590 --> 00:27:16,830 Reverence for God, I finally concluded, is not 601 00:27:16,830 --> 00:27:18,530 a matter of dress. 602 00:27:21,060 --> 00:27:23,240 I also grew up in the era of 603 00:27:23,240 --> 00:27:25,140 the grand old hymns, sons of the accompaniment 604 00:27:25,140 --> 00:27:26,140 of piano and organ. 605 00:27:26,920 --> 00:27:27,780 It was majestic. 606 00:27:27,900 --> 00:27:29,460 To me, it was reverent worship of God. 607 00:27:29,540 --> 00:27:31,300 Today, in many churches, the grand old hymns 608 00:27:31,300 --> 00:27:33,800 have been replaced by contemporary music and the 609 00:27:33,800 --> 00:27:35,740 piano and organ with guitars and drums. 610 00:27:36,520 --> 00:27:37,820 Again, I was judgmental. 611 00:27:38,600 --> 00:27:40,760 How could people worship God with those instruments? 612 00:27:43,150 --> 00:27:45,370 But the New Testament churches had neither pianos 613 00:27:45,370 --> 00:27:46,050 nor organs. 614 00:27:47,030 --> 00:27:48,950 Yet they managed to worship God in psalms 615 00:27:48,950 --> 00:27:50,670 and hymns and spiritual songs. 616 00:27:50,670 --> 00:27:52,690 I still have a preference for church music, 617 00:27:52,690 --> 00:27:54,130 sung as we did when I was younger. 618 00:27:54,250 --> 00:27:56,430 But it's just that, a preference, not a 619 00:27:56,430 --> 00:27:57,510 Bible-based conviction. 620 00:28:01,080 --> 00:28:04,940 So let's avoid being judgmental. 621 00:28:08,530 --> 00:28:09,870 I'll take it up, give you two more, 622 00:28:09,930 --> 00:28:10,250 shall I? 623 00:28:10,750 --> 00:28:11,390 Enjoying this? 624 00:28:12,430 --> 00:28:13,150 Want to buy the book? 625 00:28:18,880 --> 00:28:21,240 I wrote somewhere that I had finally come 626 00:28:21,240 --> 00:28:23,900 to the conclusion that in most instances, the 627 00:28:23,900 --> 00:28:26,720 Bible teaches temperance, not abstinence. 628 00:28:28,040 --> 00:28:30,580 I had to work through that issue also 629 00:28:30,580 --> 00:28:33,720 because, again, I found myself being judgmental when 630 00:28:33,720 --> 00:28:35,460 I would see Christians having a glass of 631 00:28:35,460 --> 00:28:36,500 wine at a restaurant. 632 00:28:38,120 --> 00:28:40,040 However, after I wrote what I did about 633 00:28:40,040 --> 00:28:42,260 temperance, I received a polite but firm letter 634 00:28:42,260 --> 00:28:44,140 from a dear lady who really took me 635 00:28:44,140 --> 00:28:44,760 to task. 636 00:28:45,100 --> 00:28:47,020 She was convinced I was selling out a 637 00:28:47,020 --> 00:28:48,860 foundation stone of Christian morals. 638 00:28:49,560 --> 00:28:52,880 I understand her concern, but she did not 639 00:28:52,880 --> 00:28:54,460 give me any evidence from Scripture. 640 00:28:55,260 --> 00:28:57,100 It was her personal conviction. 641 00:29:00,780 --> 00:29:04,160 Many of us know that doctrine is important, 642 00:29:04,280 --> 00:29:07,100 and because we believe that's true, we can 643 00:29:07,100 --> 00:29:09,920 easily fall into the sin of judgmentalism. 644 00:29:10,700 --> 00:29:13,280 For example, the doctrine of Christ's substitutionary atonement 645 00:29:13,280 --> 00:29:15,640 for our sins and the complementary doctrine of 646 00:29:15,640 --> 00:29:18,240 justification by faith in Christ alone are to 647 00:29:18,240 --> 00:29:19,420 me crucial doctrines. 648 00:29:19,740 --> 00:29:21,520 These are the kind of doctrines where I, 649 00:29:21,600 --> 00:29:23,060 so to speak, draw a line in the 650 00:29:23,060 --> 00:29:26,680 sand and say, no compromise, none whatsoever, period. 651 00:29:28,360 --> 00:29:32,020 However, some writers and teachers who consider themselves 652 00:29:32,020 --> 00:29:35,060 evangelicals are denying Christ's substitutionary atonement. 653 00:29:35,400 --> 00:29:37,280 To them, Christ did not die in our 654 00:29:37,280 --> 00:29:38,560 place to pay for our sins. 655 00:29:38,880 --> 00:29:40,560 Instead, he went to the cross solely as 656 00:29:40,560 --> 00:29:42,320 an example for us to follow when we 657 00:29:42,320 --> 00:29:42,640 suffer. 658 00:29:43,720 --> 00:29:45,600 Others downplay the death of Christ on the 659 00:29:45,600 --> 00:29:47,640 cross, saying we should focus not on the 660 00:29:47,640 --> 00:29:49,640 cross of Christ, but rather on his life, 661 00:29:49,700 --> 00:29:51,240 which we should follow as an example. 662 00:29:51,240 --> 00:29:55,220 Whenever the subject of my teaching or speaking 663 00:29:55,220 --> 00:29:58,680 warrants it, I take issue with these folks, 664 00:29:58,980 --> 00:30:01,740 and I think I am right in doing 665 00:30:01,740 --> 00:30:02,180 so. 666 00:30:03,040 --> 00:30:06,920 But I confess, I have at times slipped 667 00:30:06,920 --> 00:30:09,400 into the sin of judgmentalism. 668 00:30:09,940 --> 00:30:13,380 I disagree so strongly with what they are 669 00:30:13,380 --> 00:30:17,980 teaching that I have sometimes demonized them. 670 00:30:19,140 --> 00:30:22,680 I don't think I'm alone in this sin. 671 00:30:26,640 --> 00:30:28,440 And then back into the 19th century to 672 00:30:28,440 --> 00:30:30,660 Charles Simeon, who was a vicar in Cambridge, 673 00:30:31,240 --> 00:30:34,220 had a tremendous influence in the 19th century 674 00:30:34,220 --> 00:30:37,140 amongst the intelligentsia of Oxbridge. 675 00:30:38,940 --> 00:30:41,260 And in writing to a colleague in the 676 00:30:41,260 --> 00:30:43,900 ministry, he gave him these directives. 677 00:30:44,580 --> 00:30:47,120 He said, the longer I live, the more 678 00:30:47,120 --> 00:30:50,900 I feel the importance of adhering to the 679 00:30:50,900 --> 00:30:53,080 rules which I have laid down for myself, 680 00:30:53,660 --> 00:30:54,460 which are as follows. 681 00:30:55,380 --> 00:30:58,460 Number one, to hear as little as possible 682 00:30:58,460 --> 00:31:00,940 what is to the prejudice of others. 683 00:31:01,900 --> 00:31:06,060 Two, to believe nothing of the kind until 684 00:31:06,060 --> 00:31:07,760 I am absolutely forced to it. 685 00:31:08,640 --> 00:31:12,000 Three, never to drink into the spirit of 686 00:31:12,000 --> 00:31:14,860 one who circulates an ill report. 687 00:31:15,860 --> 00:31:19,140 Four, always to moderate as far as I 688 00:31:19,140 --> 00:31:23,480 can the unkindness which is expressed towards others. 689 00:31:24,240 --> 00:31:28,280 Five, always to believe that if the other 690 00:31:28,280 --> 00:31:32,840 side were heard, a very different account would 691 00:31:32,840 --> 00:31:34,820 be given of the matter. 692 00:31:36,220 --> 00:31:38,060 And he used to say to his friends, 693 00:31:39,100 --> 00:31:41,860 let us sit upon the seat of love 694 00:31:42,840 --> 00:31:46,120 instead upon the seat of judgment. 695 00:31:47,080 --> 00:31:47,900 Let us pray. 696 00:31:56,120 --> 00:31:58,140 Lord God, you search us and you know 697 00:31:58,140 --> 00:31:58,800 our hearts. 698 00:32:02,760 --> 00:32:03,880 Cleanse us from our sins. 699 00:32:04,040 --> 00:32:05,480 Put a right spirit within us. 700 00:32:06,780 --> 00:32:08,820 Forgive us when we sin with such ease, 701 00:32:09,020 --> 00:32:12,020 especially in these apparently respectable areas. 702 00:32:14,020 --> 00:32:18,700 When we justify our unkindnesses simply because we 703 00:32:18,700 --> 00:32:20,540 feel we're telling the truth. 704 00:32:20,540 --> 00:32:23,200 But everything that is true doesn't need to 705 00:32:23,200 --> 00:32:23,800 be stated. 706 00:32:24,000 --> 00:32:26,120 And forgive us for using that as a 707 00:32:26,120 --> 00:32:28,140 crutch for our own desire to do down 708 00:32:28,140 --> 00:32:30,540 others and so exalt ourselves. 709 00:32:32,640 --> 00:32:34,420 And it is with confidence that we come 710 00:32:34,420 --> 00:32:37,620 to you, our God and King, because in 711 00:32:37,620 --> 00:32:40,760 the Lord Jesus Christ we have discovered afresh 712 00:32:40,760 --> 00:32:42,480 your amazing love for us. 713 00:32:43,240 --> 00:32:45,200 And in Christ's name we pray. 714 00:32:46,000 --> 00:32:46,520 Amen. 715 00:32:50,740 --> 00:32:52,840 You've been listening to Alistair Begg. 716 00:32:52,840 --> 00:32:55,340 You're welcome to pass this message along to 717 00:32:55,340 --> 00:32:55,680 others. 718 00:32:56,000 --> 00:32:57,940 But please do not charge for this message 719 00:32:57,940 --> 00:33:00,500 or alter it without written permission from Alistair 720 00:33:00,500 --> 00:33:01,920 Begg or Truth For Life. 721 00:33:02,280 --> 00:33:05,160 This message has been provided to you free 722 00:33:05,160 --> 00:33:07,740 of charge by the generous supporters of Truth 723 00:33:07,740 --> 00:33:08,300 For Life. 724 00:33:08,640 --> 00:33:11,240 For additional information about how you can support 725 00:33:11,240 --> 00:33:14,420 Truth For Life, please visit us online at 726 00:33:14,420 --> 00:33:15,880 truthforlife.org. 727 00:33:16,280 --> 00:33:19,220 There you will also find additional free message 728 00:33:19,220 --> 00:33:22,280 downloads from Alistair Begg and other resources to 729 00:33:22,280 --> 00:33:24,040 help you grow in your Christian faith. 730 00:33:24,400 --> 00:33:28,080 Again, the website is truthforlife.org. 731 00:33:28,860 --> 00:33:31,980 Truth For Life, where the learning is for 732 00:33:31,980 --> 00:33:32,280 living.