As yesterday evening’s session tied together so well with the subject of this week’s posts, I thought that for today and tomorrow I’d simply address the two questions that were posed for discussion after the video. So for this morning: James 3:7–10 draws out several implications for how the fact that all people are made in God’s image should affect our behavior. According to this passage, how do our words deface the image of God in man? Can we rightly claim to love God if we impenitently curse other people, especially other Christians?
The verses referred to read in the ESV:
Jas 3:7 For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind,
Jas 3:8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
Jas 3:9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God.
Jas 3:10 From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.
So the first part of the question asks “According to this passage, how do our words deface the image of God in man?“
I think the first thing we need to be clear on is that although in the Study Guide question it draws particular focus on especially other Christians the passage in James doesn’t. It is NOT saying that it is only wrong to curse Christians in the sense v9 of “we curse those particular people who are made in the likeness of God (meaning Christians)” but rather ANYONE for the stated reason that they all bare the image of God. As Gill comments “which are made after the similitude of God as man was originally, and though sin has greatly defaced it, yet there are still some remains of it: and now, what an absurd and monstrous thing is this, that one and the same instrument should be used in blessing God, the Father of all creatures, and in cursing his children, his offering, as all men are by creation, and bear some resemblance to him.”
And therein lies the answer to the question “how do our words deface the image of God in man” – Barnes writes “As we bless God, we ought with the same organ to bless those who are like him. There is an absurdity in cursing men who are thus made, like what there would be in both blessing and cursing the Creator himself.” In other words since they bear the image of God (however fallen) in cursing them, there is an intrinsic and inherent implied cursing of the one whose image they bare.
The second question following on from that asks: Can we rightly claim to love God if we impenitently curse other people, especially other Christians?
As far as Christians are concerned the answer is clearly “No!” as 1 John makes abundantly clear when John writes:
1Jn 4:20 If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.
1Jn 4:21 And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.
But what about those who are not Christians? We are back where we looked yesterday aren’t we? They still bear the image of God, and but for God’s grace we would be where they are, so cursing anyone is totally incompatible with the claim to love God. According to Jesus Himself, the second greatest command is what?
Mar 12:31 The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
And in answer to the question “Who is my neighbour?” He told the parable of the good Samaritan – in other words anyone who you have any contact with.
Indeed on another occasion Jesus said:
Mat 5:43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’
Mat 5:44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
The answer is clear: since every human being bears to some degree the very image of God, then every human being is to be treated by with regard to that. We are to love them, to pray for them, to speak with respect of them and to them, we are to never curse them, for that is what God requires of us.