Thoughts From James - Day 7

                                          James 3:13-4:3

13 Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth. 15 This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic. 16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing. 17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. 18 And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members? 2 You lust and do not have; so you commit murder. You are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures.


        What is wisdom? Wisdom is being able to take knowledge or facts and assimilate that  information to make correct decisions. So in other words, like faith in chapter 2 that has to be seen in action, wisdom too implies action or deeds (vs 13). If you take information and do nothing with it, it stays in the realm of knowledge. If you take spiritual knowledge and do nothing with it, it might be considered as being religious but it certainly isn't faith. 

       Remember, James is all about a self test to see if you are a true believer or if you are being deceived or as vs. 14 would say, "living a lie against the Truth." Even the conclusion of James says

   " My brethren, if any among you strays from the truth and one turns him back, 20 let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins."  James 5:19,20

 James is trying to bring back those who have strayed from the truth and start living an erroneous lifestyle even though that person considers themselves to be "among you", or part of "the saved." He says that some self tests are
   1. How do you respond to trials in your life?
   2. How do you respond to temptation?
   3. How do you view God's word?
   4. Are you obeying God's word?
   5. How do you treat the poor?
   6. How have the things that come off your tongue, changed?

      This passage, I believe gives us a 7th test and that is - are you living a life led by Godly wisdom or worldly wisdom? What is Worldly wisdom? First of all we see that it comes from the 3 enemies of the believer as seen in verse 15 - the World, the flesh, and the devil. "The World" is Earthly or in other words, the here and now is all we have. The old beer commercial, "You only go around once in life, so reach for all the gusto you can" pretty much sums this up. As I have my 63rd birthday this week, I know someone will console me by saying, "Well, it beats the alternative." No it doesn't! That's earthly thinking. 

        And then there is living sensually or for the flesh or as 4:1 says, "your pleasures". If we are living to satisfy our cravings sexually, for food, for pleasure or comfort, that is not consistent with Godly wisdom. "Christians" addicted to pornography? What's that all about? Obese Christians? Christians owning multiple homes for vacationing or living for the next trip? I don't know about that.

     And then there is demonic or the Devil. What was his sin? Pride. Self. He said to Eve, "You can be like God" which was exactly his downfall. This kind of Worldly wisdom as opposed to Godly wisdom focuses on self and if you are living for yourself rather than God, you probably aren't a true believer. And what does that lead to in behavior ... selfish ambition, jealousy, disorder, hypocrisy, conflicts, quarrels, murder,  arrogance, and envy. The World today is so anti-God but don't they watch the news? Don't they see the carnage that James speaks of caused by a life of self? I'm always amazed at the darkness of futuristic shows.( outside of the Jetsons ) Why is that? I think it's because deep down writers know where a life lived for self without God is headed.

    So lastly, not focusing any more on the negatives, what should a true believer's life look like, or how does Godly wisdom manifest itself? First of all in gentleness or meekness. Meekness is totally contrary to what is manifested in worldly wisdom. Meekness says, "You first." "How can I help you get ahead?" The World sees that as weakness but we who have been adopted into God's family, know we have everything we have ever wanted. Why fight and quarrel over things down here when down here isn't what we are living for. Meekness is a willing submission. A forced submission is weakness and that isn't us, nor was it Moses (the meekest man on Earth), nor was it Jesus who could have called 10,000 angels yet submitted to a horrendous death on the cross for us.

       Secondly, Godly wisdom shows itself as good behavior. No matter how much unbelievers dislike us, they shouldn't be able to say anything about our behavior being bad. Why is that? Because Godly wisdom comes from above - "The Spirit of wisdom" Isa.11:2. The Holy Spirit is the tree living inside us (Prov.3:18) which produces from us peace, gentleness, reasonableness, mercy, good fruit, righteousness, and integrity or authenticity.

      Thirdly, it should produce a non-self-centered prayer life but rather one that seeks after God and intercedes for others. It asks for things but only for things that can bless others and bring honor to God.

      Lastly - it sows seeds (vs 18). It reproduces itself. Hopefully we make everywhere we go a better place and encourage others to do the same by our example. Also our words, like the parable of the sower and the seeds should spread the Word of God or the wisdom of God (Luke 11:49) to a world that desperately needs it.