James 4:11-12

All Christians are the adopted children of God. Adopted children can be insecure. James has noticed that in their insecurity his fellow Christians are talking bad about each other. They are seeking to build themselves up by tearing others down. He is writing to Jewish Christians and some of them believe they are more naturally a part of the family of God than their brothers and sisters are. After all, they were part of God’s chosen people and they had been living with the law all their lives. For years, they had judged their relationship with God based on how well they kept the law. Now their relationship with God is dependent upon God’s grace and mercy. Some of them are uncomfortable with this. They still compare fellow Christians not to the standards of mercy, but to the standards of the law. They are judging how well others are measuring up to the law, and they are quick to point out when they think another are falling short.

James points out the hypocrisy of depending upon grace for salvation while holding others to the standards of the law. He tells them they are putting themselves in the place that belongs to God the Father. Only God is the Lawgiver and the Judge. When we tell others that they are not living good enough to be our brothers and sisters, we are contradicting our father who adopted both them and us.

When new Christians enter the family of God, it is not our place to judge if they are measuring up to what a Christian should be. As the newest members of the family, they will have some anxiety about fitting in. We are to welcome them as family, and we are to love them. We should be examples of how the children of God live. In an adoptive family, we do not get to pick our brothers and sisters. God chooses them just as he chose us. We must love our family, only then can we love the world.