James begins chapter three with what appears to be a statement that comes from out of nowhere:
Let not many of you become teachers…knowing that as such, we will incur a stricter judgment.
So right from the get-go it gets uncomfortable for me…James is directing his attention on those who teach…and here I stand in front of you preparing to teach. Every Sunday I’m inviting God’s judgment on myself because of what I say.
I think a lot of preachers today should take a second look at that verse and reevaluate what they’re saying because sound Biblical doctrine is among the things that matter most for the well-being of a Christian and the church.
This verse is an advisory to any believer that before they begin teaching God’s Word there should be a deep sense of the seriousness involved and of the pending judgment of God when it’s done in a less than responsible manner.
One area that is particularly troubling for me is when preachers use the pulpit to voice their own views on moral and social issues… especially on social justice issues that many times do nothing more than divide a congregation.
Probably why a nationwide survey of sermons given by mainline Protestant pastors found that only in 5% of the time were sermons preached on social issues.
As a pastor and as Southern Baptists we have drawn a hard line in the sand on certain issues that we will not compromise on…but.. because Christians can be on all sides of an issue a lot of bad things come about when the church tries to legislate morality in individual lives.
Maybe why James decided to insert it immediately following his comparison in lifestyles between Abraham the father of the Jews and a prostitute…the intent was to reveal the common trait between the two…both of them had faith and that faith was revealed in how they acted.
Abraham believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness…Abraham had conversations with God…the Lord spoke to him [Gen. 12] …BUT it’s never recorded that God spoke to Rahab…she never heard the voice of God.
So how did Rahab come to the conclusion that this God of the Israelites was the one true God?…She knows nothing about God…she lives in a corrupt… depraved pagan culture that was about to be destroyed…killing every living thing.
Rahab was given an opportunity to make a conscious decision for God based on the facts she knew about God…for Rahab it was through hearing about who God was from her customers and through general revelation…because that which is known about God is evident…and is clearly seen. [Rom. 1:19] That is how she understood there was a God.
Every person who has ever lived is given the same opportunity…initially no one knows anything about God until they’re taught or have some kind of revelation about who God is…this is how God reveals Himself to every person who has ever lived.
God opened her heart…she responded with faith…faith that resulted in action.
This nullifies the common response of…“What about those who have never heard the gospel?”
Here’s the answer…NO ONE will be judged for not doing or obeying something they didn’t know about…God is fair…here’s how God works… every person who has ever lived will be judged not according to what they do not know…but according to what they do know…according to the knowledge of the truth they have access to.
For those who have never heard God’s Word…or have never read the Bible, they have limited knowledge about who God is…But here’s where the issue lies…
Every human being on the planet does have access to the knowledge of God… because that which is known about God is evident… and is clearly seen.
That text carries a huge implication for understanding the justice of God in dealing with people around the world.
Here’s what Jesus Himself says about this:
48 But the one who does not know and does things deserving (of) punishment will be beaten with few blows. [Luke 12]
For unbelievers it nullifies the idea ‘well I didn’t know’…because actually they did know…so that isn’t an excuse… I was never told or didn’t know will not be a valid excuse…people will be held accountable for what they knew was right but did not choose to do so.
People who have never heard anything about the Bible…Jesus…Moses…the Ten Commandments or any other Godly standard are still subject to judgment because they have the truth written in their hearts.
BUT…even then…notice the wording…the one…who does things deserving (of) punishment will be beaten with few blows.
They may have never been told what the Bible says regarding sin…BUT…they did know right from wrong…they just elected to purposefully do wrong…they will receive a light punishment….because God is fair.
There is nothing vengeful…vindictive…revengeful about God…there is no such thing as ‘now it’s my turn to get even.’…they knew what was right but did not do it so they will be held accountable for that.
BUT…at the same time this is also addressed to Christians who mistakenly think they can ignore what the Bible teaches about living a Christian lifestyle …because Jesus has a stern warning for them as well.
47 The servant who knows the master’s will and does not…do what the master wants will be beaten with many blows. (Luke 12)
Again…he’s just finished writing about the contrast in lifestyles between Abraham and Rahab then offers up a statement regarding the importance of being a responsible teacher…so where’s he going with this?
He is reiterating his concern regarding the need to be swift to hear and slow to speak…this seems to be a major issue with James as he returns to that topic throughout his writing.
It seems for James the tongue is the single deterrent that hampers a closer fellowship with God…that’s why…if you’re a teacher [2 Tim. 2:15] is especially for you:
be diligent to present yourself approved to God…accurately handling the word of God.
But this verse really goes deeper than that…although this verse is targeted at those who hold teaching positions in the church…it can be expanded to include anyone who shares the Bible…we must be careful in what we say because it may have lifelong consequences.
That’s why I hope that everyone knows their Bible well enough to explain the plan of salvation to someone…using the Bible as the source.
Not controlling what you say is an indication that your religion is worthless [1:26] …therefore
We should speak with the awareness that we will be judged for what we say [2:12]
We are commanded to not slander one another [4:11-12]
We are commanded to stop murmuring against one another [5:9]
We should not boast about our intentions because it is evil [4:16]
We should never make an oath using God name [5:12]
BUT…He begins this section with what might be the most damaging of all the issues he’s listed…one that can have eternal consequences.
I’ve already mentioned it…it can be expanded to anyone who shares the Bible… to be careful in what we say because it may have lifelong consequences.
That’s why I hope that everyone knows their Bible well enough to explain the plan of salvation to someone…using the Bible as the source.
So many times we don’t even realize we’re spreading misconceptions about Christianity…our attempt is to help people understand how God works in the world not realizing the damage we’re doing by sharing things that aren’t Biblically correct.
This statement is not just directed at Sunday school teachers…Pastors…leaders in the church…it’s directed at anyone who is sharing the Gospel…that you know what is Biblical and what is not…possible why James begins this entire section with the importance in knowing what you’re saying before you say it.
Some Misconceptions about Christianity
- There are multiple ways to get to Heaven.
- The Bible has been changed throughout the years.
- The Bible is so riddled with errors you can’t believe any of it.
- God gives people diseases to test them.
- Once you become a Christian God will solve all your problems.
- Bad things don’t happen to Godly Christians.
- As a Christian you should not associate with unbelievers.
- When bad things happen in your life God turns them into good.
I think we fail to realize how much damage has been done to people…their lives…their belief in God because people who have good intentions but are misinformed about the Bible make reckless statements to people that only deepens their distress.
James is once again emphasizing the importance of being a doer of the word… this ties back to previous verses regarding how professed Christians can determine if the faith is genuine or false.
The tongue is one indicator for that:
26 If anyone thinks himself to be religious, yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this person’s religion is worthless. (James 1)
Bluntly said…no one should think of themselves as being ‘religious’ if they cannot control their tongue.
If we cannot control the words that come out of our mouths…then we are lying to ourselves about being a Christian.