How to Become An Image Bearer Of Jesus Christ

Grudge not one against another, brethren,

lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge

standeth before the door. Take, my

brethren, but prophets, who have spoken

in the name of the Lord, for an example

of the suffering affliction, and of patience.

Behold, we count them happy which endure.

Ye have heard of the patience of Job,

and have seen the end of the Lord;

that the Lord is very pitiful, and of

tender mercy.

James 5:9: 11

     The translators used the word "grudge" and they may not fully understand that word in our English today.  The Greek word has much more to say about this word so that we can fully understand what it means to "grudge."  It means to crown, to have a inward and unexpressed feeling of sorrow, grief.  The Oriental style of this word means to wail and a consecrated or semi--- liturgical fashion.  It means to lament and James is simply telling us not to do these things against one another.  Gossip is destructive and yet it is so common and I do believe most of us have had gossip at one time another.  Gossip is idle talk and is generally full of nothing more than rumor especially about the private lives of others.  This should not ever be allowed in ourselves and to occur in our congregations.  God, our Savior Jesus Christ hears every word we say in every thought we think and as James says He is standing at the door. That door is you!

     We have examples of how we are to live our lives, to act and to say, and how to be persons who build up others and not tear them down.  We have the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord do what they say must be heeded by as for God inspired him to speak those words.  Once again we have words in our English translation that in today's context would have a different meaning and that word is "pitiful."  So we must look at the Greek to get a full understanding and bring to our day and age English.  The Greek word that we translate "pitiful," means to be compassionate for the ills of others, to be one of tender mercy and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ as the Greek word states is full of tender mercy and is compassionate.  Image bearers of Jesus Christ we must demonstrate our Savior in our lives and in our words and to also be compassionate and full of tender mercy. 

     James adds this: "But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: not let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation." Does this mean we are never to utter an oath?  No! It does mean that we are to not use other things to be the basis for our oath. We read in Proverbs: "A soft answer turneth away wrath: Grievous words stir up anger. The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright: but the mouth of fools poureth out foolishness.  The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good."The writer of Ecclesiastes gives us further understanding of our words and our oath and our vows: "When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for He hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed.  Better is it that thou shouldest not vow than that shouldest vow and not pay.  Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou be for the angel, that it was an error: wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thine hands?" (Ecclesiastes 5: 4 -- 6). A stain upon the Christian Church is divorce.  Within the church divorce equals that of the world and the same lame excuses are given and many of us have been guilty of those lame excuses.  We make a vow only to break it because we said to ourselves and to others it was the wrong thing to do so I am ending this marriage.  We can be thankful that we can come before our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and ask for Him to forgive us and repent of our sins and he is compassionate and full of mercy and forgiveness. 

     Out of our faith comes works and those works include that we do not gossip, and that we keep our vows, and that we are to be merciful and compassionate. This alone sets Authentic Christians from the world. 

A good name is rather to be chosen

     then great riches, and loving

favor rather than silver and gold.

                    Proverbs 22: 1

Examine your faith with Scripture

Richard L. Crumb