4. (James 4:11-12) The solutions for strife: get right with other people
Do not speak against one another, brethren. He who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks against the law and judges the law; but if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge of it. There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is able to save and to destroy; but who are you who judge your neighbor?
Do not speak against one another: As before, the secret begins with speech. In this case, it is how we speak about our brothers and sisters in the faith. James is probably referencing back to the quarrels that started when members of the church competed for positions of authority or other privileges.
James does not say do not speak against your brother. In the Greek, the phrase literally means "to speak down against". The same Greek word is translated as "slander" in 1 Peter 2:12. In other words, do not put someone down in your speech or say bad things about a fellow Christian.
James is not prohibiting legitimate criticism such as when applying church discipline or holding a brother accountable. The Bible gives clear guidance for how to address misbehavior in the body and how to deal with it privately and publicly. We are talking about speaking negatively about a brother simply because we do not like something about him or because we are disputing with him over something.
When we speak in unflattering ways against a fellow Christian, we do three sinful things:
1. We judge our brother or sister. A hateful or negative statement about others in the faith is a form of judgment against another.
2. Our speech itself is a violation of the Royal Law. It goes "against the law", which means that our harmful speech violates the law. The Law requires that we treat others with the love we show ourselves. Literally, we break the very law we are accusing our brothers and sisters of violating. We do not accuse ourselves of violating the Law; so, we should not speak badly about others in the faith.
3. We place ourselves above the law, as a judge. We pretend the rules do not apply to us. This is the sin of hypocrisy.
Of course, James sets the record straight in verse 12.
There is only one Lawgiver and Judge: There is only one God, and we are not Him! We please Him when we keep His Law rather than making ourselves a law of our own.
B. A humble dependence on God
1. (James 4:13-16) A caution against an attitude of independence from God
Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit." Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. Instead, you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that." But as it is, you boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil.
Come now: Notice that the two warnings given both start with the phrase, "come now". James speaks about living ignorant of God's will. But notice that the beginning of this sin is again a form of speech. We tell ourselves something in the sense that we decide what we will do without consulting God's will.
The problem here is not that we make plans. Planning is not the problem. God is a God of order and planning is a necessary discipline that leads to an orderly and productive life. In Genesis, God gave Joseph a detailed plan covering 14 years in his dream about the lean and fat cows. The issue is when we go forth with our plans.
We will go to such and such a city: The man in verse 13 is saying what he wants to do. He presumptuously decides what that plan will be without considering God's will first. When we live this way, we are not living by faith in God's word and will. We have set those things aside, and we are living in our flesh. We are making assumptions about what tomorrow holds. We are not leaning on God. We are back to acting proudly rather than humbling ourselves.
You boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil: James describes this lifestyle as arrogant and boastful. It is a kind of proud living. We have stupidly forgotten how short life is, and how quickly it can end.
You are just a vapor that appears for a little while: When we begin to plan a life without God's input, we are pretending we can direct our future. But God has numbered our days already, according to Job 14:5: "Since his days are determined, and the number of his months is with you, and you have appointed his limits that he cannot pass."
If the Lord wills: James gives us a different plan. He says we should say, "If the Lord wills..." Let us be clear what James expects. First, notice that the process begins again with speech. Our sin is often tied to speech, and so is our obedience. But, sin does not end with speech. Out tongue is the rudder that then directs the entire ship into the rocks. Likewise, godly speech is the means to a godly outcome. It is not the end in itself.
So, James is not expecting us to go around saying, "if the Lord wills", but then we fail to act that way. I have met many Christians who use this phrase, but I wonder how often they actually live their lives according to the principle. Do we consult God's will before we make plans? Do we announce our own plans, and then we casually add "if the Lord wills".
James counsels us that we should not arrogantly declare our plans without consulting God first. If we are not in the habit of asking God for His counsel before we make our plans, then we are walking around blindly. We are forgetting that we have a very short time on Earth. We are forgetting that time will come to an end as God determines.
When the plans of our life are made independently of God's will, we are acting in an arrogant and boastful way. Remember, the issue for James in this chapter was the problem with living in an independent and prideful way. The church was seeking worldly gain. They were setting their priorities according to worldly values. Then, they were quarreling with others when their worldly pursuits were frustrated by God. So James says we should acknowledge God's sovereign will and set our plans according to that will. We should seek to conform our lives to Him in humble obedience.
2. (James 4:17) A challenge to live according to what we know in the Lord
Therefore, to the one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin.
To him who knows to do good and does not do it: James knows that it is far easier to think about and talk about humility and dependence on God than it is to live it. Yet, he makes the mind of God plain: as we know these things, we are accountable to do them. Here James returns to his consistent theme throughout the letter--the idea that genuine faith is proved by action. Yet, we also see that the uncertainty of life, to which James referred to in the previous passage, should not create fear that makes one passive or inactive. The uncertainty of life should make us ready to recognize what is good and then do it.
To him it is sin: Clearly, it is sin to live our lives without consulting God's will. But in verse 17, James now says it is also a sin when we consult God's will, but we fail to follow it. This is the person who knows the right thing to do. The right thing to do is the thing that God is directing us to do. It is when we learn God's will when we see it revealed in His word or in our prayer life, but then we dismiss it in favor of our own desires. This is sin.
It is a sin of omission. We fail to do what God expects of us. Even if we do nothing, we are sinning because we did not do the right thing.
The Gospels tell us a story with much the same point in Luke 18:18-30, Matthew 19:16-30 and Mark 10:17-31. A rich young ruler asks Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life. After some discussion, Jesus ends his discourse by testing the man's heart with a command to sell everything and follow Him. The ruler responds by doing nothing. He just walks away. For this man, he was told the right thing to do; yet, he did not do it. This is sin.
Jesus gives a similar message in the Book of Luke in which He obeying His word with a building constructed on a firm foundation.
"Why do you call Me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say? Everyone who comes to Me and hears My words and acts on them, I will show you whom he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid a foundation on the rock; and when the flood occurred, the torrent burst against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. But the one who has heard and had not acted accordingly, is like a man who built a house on the ground without any foundation; and the torrent burst against it and immediately it collapsed, and the ruin of that house was great." (Luke 6:46-49)
Consider the wisdom of James. We are to seek God's will. We are not to follow worldly wisdom or desires. We are to prepare ourselves for distractions and schemes conceived by the enemy by studying God's word. We are to chart a course in life based upon the will He reveals to us. We are to humble ourselves. We are to pursue a life that worships God every day. We are not to sin against our brothers and sisters.
Sunday, October 28, 2018
Sunday, October 21, 2018
James Chapter 4 Part Two (Verses 6-10)
3. (James 4:6-10) The solutions for strife: in humility, get right with God
But He gives greater grace. Therefore it says, "GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE." Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your heart, you double-minded. Be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.
In verse five, which we read last week, James says that God demands perfect allegiance and devotion from His people. How do we meet such a demanding standard? Are we ever perfectly devoted to anyone or anything? Fortunately, James makes it clear that our opportunity to remain devoted to God is a problem God is ready to solve on our behalf.
He gives a greater grace: God's grace is greater than our failures to remain devoted to Him. When the world begins to pull us away and entice us with one thing or another, God's grace strengthens us in the face of these trials. God's grace is sufficient to bring us through these challenging times. James explains how this works in verses 6-10.
God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble: God follows a simple, yet powerful principle. He frustrates the proud but gives his greater grace to the humble. If we resist his will, He will bring our resistance to futility. But, when we recognize we are weak and powerless, God steps in to strengthen us and to direct us to better choices in His grace. We can either push against Him, or we can lean on Him.
Paul expands on this concept in Philippians chapter two:
"Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name" (Philippians 2:5-9).
We are to follow Jesus' example, lowering ourselves in our own eyes. We are to accept that God's way is better than our own.
Submit therefore to God: James says the first step is to submit to God. Submission is the starting point of becoming humble. Submission is a heart attitude that leads to obedience. Failing to submit is the same thing as seeking after the world. We are not agreeing with God's priorities, standards and desires. We are not submitting to His decrees.
When we set aside what the world gives us as priorities, we take the first step toward submission to God. We set aside our personal ambitions, and we make God's ambitions our own ambitions.
In my own life, it seems the issue is mostly one of time. I make myself God's enemy when I set His will aside and pursue my own agenda. When I want to demonstrate submission, I give me time to those things God wants me to pursue...when I follow His will.
Where do we find God's will?
First and foremost, we find it in His word. When we read His word and heed it, we take the first step to submission. Finding God's will in His word is the context for the rest of verse 7.
Think about how the enemy works to undermine the lives of Christians. He distorts and twists God's word in order to cause doubt and to cause us to disregard God's word. He brings us to a point where we are willing to set aside God's decrees and pursue the world's decrees instead. Just as in the Garden of Eden when he brought Woman to a point of doubting God's word, so too we are deceived into believing the devil's lies. The key to overcoming the devil is to focus on God's word, which is the manifestation of His will for his children.
Resist the devil and he will flee from you: A better translation of the word rendered "resist" would be "to take a stand against". We are to take a stand against the devil's schemes by taking a stand against the worldly sources of wisdom. We are to take a stand by remaining in God's word and seeking the truth there. We are to take a stand by fighting against the enemy by knowing and following God's decrees and resisting any temptation to follow the world.
Taking a stand against the enemy is a step of preparation; it is not a strategy for battle. Armies fdo not prepare and train for combat while they are engaged with the enemy. They train before the battle. They work against one another in friendly combat. They study and practice their drills and review their orders so they will be ready for the day of combat.
Christians do not prepare for battles with the enemy by waiting until they are in a moment of combat. When we study our Bible, we practice righteousness and we encourage each other for the day of combat. And when we face the enemy well prepared to resist him, James says he will flee away from us.
Paul says the same thing in Ephesians chapter six:
"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having everything, to stand firm" (Ephesians 6:10-13).
So James says quarrels in the body will end when we seek God's grace to overcome our wandering hearts. First we humble ourselves. Then we submit to God's will. Third, we take a stand against the enemy and his efforts to pull us back from following God's will and into the world's desires. Fourth, we draw near to God.
Draw near to God and He will draw near to you: The term "draw near" is a Jewish phrase which means to enter into worship. It comes from Leviticus where the nation of Israel is called to worship the Living God. We need to engage in regular, continual worship of God, drawing near to Him in corporate and personal worship. James is not talking about a place or an event necessarily. He is not saying, "Make sure you go to church on Sunday," though that would not be a wrong way to implement this command.
Worship is drawing near to God in our daily lives.We certainly want to join together periodically to allow for an outward expression of worship. But, never confuse this 60-90 minute event with worshiping God. Our weekly event is actually a training event that prepares us for the battles of our daily lives, where we truly worship God. The worship that takes place outside the building is much more significant than what happens inside.
When James says draw near to God, he is talking about establishing a daily pattern of worship similar to Romans 12:1-2:
"Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect" (Romans 12:1-2).
Draw near to God means patterning your life in a worshipful way, so that everything you do is an outward sign of worship. Paul said this style of living will be the opposite of conforming to this world. (This echoes James remarks.) Paul says it happens when we renew our minds so that we demonstrate the will of God. So, Paul gives us the same pattern James gives us--conform to God's will, which we come to know as we learn His word, and this enables us to enter into a life of worship.
Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your heart, you double-minded: People who draw near to God cleanse their hands and purify their hearts. This is another Levitical phrase which means to put aside both outward sinful acts and inward sinful thoughts. We are not to be double-minded or hypocritical. We are not to accept the pattern in ourselves of saying one thing and doing something else.
Be miserable and mourn and weep: "Miserable" in Greek means "in distress". We should not be happy or ambivalent over sin. We should mourn over it. We should be distressed over it. We should let the laughter and gaiety associated with worldly sinful living turn into repentance and sorrow.
Do not think that James is saying sinners have fun, and Christians are miserable. Rather, he is talking about a heart attitude which takes pleasure in the world, and takes joy in sin. This is enmity with God. Instead, we are to mourn over sin as God does. Do these things, James says, and we will humble ourselves before God, and God will exalt us.
You may not have noticed, but James has been teaching how to fulfill the first commandment of the Royal Low. Remember James is teaching how to live out our faith in actions rather than merely in words alone. And in chapter two, James says we are to speak and act as those who will be judged by the Royal Law. The Royal Law is this: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength; and love your neighbor as yourself.
In chapter four, James says to these churches that they live in quarrels and disputes because they were not living according to the law of their faith. They were not loving God with all their heart, soul, mind and strength. And up to this point in the chapter, James has been describing how to live according to that first command. Now he turns to the second half of the Royal Law, the commandment to love our neighbor as our self.
But He gives greater grace. Therefore it says, "GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE." Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your heart, you double-minded. Be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.
In verse five, which we read last week, James says that God demands perfect allegiance and devotion from His people. How do we meet such a demanding standard? Are we ever perfectly devoted to anyone or anything? Fortunately, James makes it clear that our opportunity to remain devoted to God is a problem God is ready to solve on our behalf.
He gives a greater grace: God's grace is greater than our failures to remain devoted to Him. When the world begins to pull us away and entice us with one thing or another, God's grace strengthens us in the face of these trials. God's grace is sufficient to bring us through these challenging times. James explains how this works in verses 6-10.
God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble: God follows a simple, yet powerful principle. He frustrates the proud but gives his greater grace to the humble. If we resist his will, He will bring our resistance to futility. But, when we recognize we are weak and powerless, God steps in to strengthen us and to direct us to better choices in His grace. We can either push against Him, or we can lean on Him.
Paul expands on this concept in Philippians chapter two:
"Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name" (Philippians 2:5-9).
We are to follow Jesus' example, lowering ourselves in our own eyes. We are to accept that God's way is better than our own.
Submit therefore to God: James says the first step is to submit to God. Submission is the starting point of becoming humble. Submission is a heart attitude that leads to obedience. Failing to submit is the same thing as seeking after the world. We are not agreeing with God's priorities, standards and desires. We are not submitting to His decrees.
When we set aside what the world gives us as priorities, we take the first step toward submission to God. We set aside our personal ambitions, and we make God's ambitions our own ambitions.
In my own life, it seems the issue is mostly one of time. I make myself God's enemy when I set His will aside and pursue my own agenda. When I want to demonstrate submission, I give me time to those things God wants me to pursue...when I follow His will.
Where do we find God's will?
First and foremost, we find it in His word. When we read His word and heed it, we take the first step to submission. Finding God's will in His word is the context for the rest of verse 7.
Think about how the enemy works to undermine the lives of Christians. He distorts and twists God's word in order to cause doubt and to cause us to disregard God's word. He brings us to a point where we are willing to set aside God's decrees and pursue the world's decrees instead. Just as in the Garden of Eden when he brought Woman to a point of doubting God's word, so too we are deceived into believing the devil's lies. The key to overcoming the devil is to focus on God's word, which is the manifestation of His will for his children.
Resist the devil and he will flee from you: A better translation of the word rendered "resist" would be "to take a stand against". We are to take a stand against the devil's schemes by taking a stand against the worldly sources of wisdom. We are to take a stand by remaining in God's word and seeking the truth there. We are to take a stand by fighting against the enemy by knowing and following God's decrees and resisting any temptation to follow the world.
Taking a stand against the enemy is a step of preparation; it is not a strategy for battle. Armies fdo not prepare and train for combat while they are engaged with the enemy. They train before the battle. They work against one another in friendly combat. They study and practice their drills and review their orders so they will be ready for the day of combat.
Christians do not prepare for battles with the enemy by waiting until they are in a moment of combat. When we study our Bible, we practice righteousness and we encourage each other for the day of combat. And when we face the enemy well prepared to resist him, James says he will flee away from us.
Paul says the same thing in Ephesians chapter six:
"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having everything, to stand firm" (Ephesians 6:10-13).
So James says quarrels in the body will end when we seek God's grace to overcome our wandering hearts. First we humble ourselves. Then we submit to God's will. Third, we take a stand against the enemy and his efforts to pull us back from following God's will and into the world's desires. Fourth, we draw near to God.
Draw near to God and He will draw near to you: The term "draw near" is a Jewish phrase which means to enter into worship. It comes from Leviticus where the nation of Israel is called to worship the Living God. We need to engage in regular, continual worship of God, drawing near to Him in corporate and personal worship. James is not talking about a place or an event necessarily. He is not saying, "Make sure you go to church on Sunday," though that would not be a wrong way to implement this command.
Worship is drawing near to God in our daily lives.We certainly want to join together periodically to allow for an outward expression of worship. But, never confuse this 60-90 minute event with worshiping God. Our weekly event is actually a training event that prepares us for the battles of our daily lives, where we truly worship God. The worship that takes place outside the building is much more significant than what happens inside.
When James says draw near to God, he is talking about establishing a daily pattern of worship similar to Romans 12:1-2:
"Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect" (Romans 12:1-2).
Draw near to God means patterning your life in a worshipful way, so that everything you do is an outward sign of worship. Paul said this style of living will be the opposite of conforming to this world. (This echoes James remarks.) Paul says it happens when we renew our minds so that we demonstrate the will of God. So, Paul gives us the same pattern James gives us--conform to God's will, which we come to know as we learn His word, and this enables us to enter into a life of worship.
Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your heart, you double-minded: People who draw near to God cleanse their hands and purify their hearts. This is another Levitical phrase which means to put aside both outward sinful acts and inward sinful thoughts. We are not to be double-minded or hypocritical. We are not to accept the pattern in ourselves of saying one thing and doing something else.
Be miserable and mourn and weep: "Miserable" in Greek means "in distress". We should not be happy or ambivalent over sin. We should mourn over it. We should be distressed over it. We should let the laughter and gaiety associated with worldly sinful living turn into repentance and sorrow.
Do not think that James is saying sinners have fun, and Christians are miserable. Rather, he is talking about a heart attitude which takes pleasure in the world, and takes joy in sin. This is enmity with God. Instead, we are to mourn over sin as God does. Do these things, James says, and we will humble ourselves before God, and God will exalt us.
You may not have noticed, but James has been teaching how to fulfill the first commandment of the Royal Low. Remember James is teaching how to live out our faith in actions rather than merely in words alone. And in chapter two, James says we are to speak and act as those who will be judged by the Royal Law. The Royal Law is this: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength; and love your neighbor as yourself.
In chapter four, James says to these churches that they live in quarrels and disputes because they were not living according to the law of their faith. They were not loving God with all their heart, soul, mind and strength. And up to this point in the chapter, James has been describing how to live according to that first command. Now he turns to the second half of the Royal Law, the commandment to love our neighbor as our self.
Sunday, October 14, 2018
James Chapter 4 Part One (Verses 1-5)
THE HUMBLE DEPENDENCE OF A TRUE FAITH
A. The humble character of a living faith
1. (James 4:1-3) Reasons for strife in the Christian community
What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members? 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. You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures.
What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you: The members of the church were quarreling. James asks the question, "Why?" Strife is not from God. It is not a proper or a natural product of faith. The source of the conflict, James says, is our flesh. More specifically, it is our fleshly desire for worldly pleasures. The source for the quarreling in this church is their sinful flesh.
I find this concept to be 100% accurate. I have been invited into different groups or churches from time to time. I am often exposed to church quarrels. It seems, I can always trace the disharmony to fleshly, sinful desires--desires which gain something that the world values.
James does not name the specific worldly pleasures these believers were seeking after. Instead, he describes a general pattern of worsening behavior.
You lust and do not have: First, James says we lust. The word "lust" means sinful cravings. It might be a yearning for attention or fame. It might be a strong desire for wealth, power or control.
In chapter three, we already learned how a teacher or Rabbi would likely receive all these things as a result of holding a teaching position. So, the problem began when people lusted for earthly, worldly rewards which attached themselves to these roles. These earthly rewards were being sought out instead of seeking the heavenly rewards that God alone appoints to someone who desires to serve Him.
And this "lust" leads to murder.
So you commit murder: In extreme cases, this is literally true. However, this is not likely the meaning James has in mind here. He is speaking of murder in the same way Jesus did when he said if you harbor hatred in your heart, you have committed a sin equivalent to murder (Matthew 5:21-22).
The lustful desire leads to a sinful thought against others who stand in the way of us obtaining what we want. This is exactly the kind of quarreling James alluded to back in chapter three.
Then James says they do not have the things they want because they do not ask.
You do not have because you do not ask: In the context of James's teaching overall, it is clear what they wanted. At least in part, they wanted to be in a teaching or leadership role. They had some ambition or desire which had developed from this lust. James says the people did not ask, meaning, they had not prayed to God. They had not asked God to grant them anything.
In the Greek, the verb tense signifies a continuous action of not asking. The people did not desire something once and thus did not ask in prayer for this request. Rather, the people continually lusted after something and continually failed to petition God in prayer. The people are continually not asking God, and they are always taking matters into their own hands.
A desire or lust begins a series of downward steps into sinful thoughts and actions. This is all done in an effort to gain something in their own power rather than asking God.
But even when some do resort to prayer, they ask and do not receive because they ask with wrong motives.
You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives: The Greek word for "wrong motives" is better translated as "in evil". Their motive is to spend what they receive on pleasures. This phrase is the same phrase used to describe the Prodigal son's behavior when he wasted his fortune on reckless living (Luke 15:11-32).
James is not simply speaking of spending in the sense of spending money. Rather, he is using the term more generally as in wasting God's provision on satisfying our flesh. Who could expect God to honor such a request if He knows we are only going to use His gift to satisfy our evil desires?
James is not teaching us how to pray in such a way to get what we want. I say this because many come to these verses in James and quote them out of context. They then use them to make some point about how we are to pray to receive what we want. While there is a mini lesson to be found here on the issue of prayer, there is a more important lesson to be learned. That is, when we ask for something with an evil desire or motive, we should expect God to say "no" to our request. That is all we can definitely conclude about prayer from these verses.
Moreover, we cannot take that truth and turn it backwards in an attempt to create a second principle. Specifically, we cannot say that when we ask God with sincere motives, we will be guaranteed that God will give us what we want. It does not work that way. Even if we ask with perfect motives, we still might not get what we ask for. False teachers try to use this verse to explain why we do not get what we want when we pray. They often say, "You must not have asked with enough faith or the right motives."
We must remember that the purpose of prayer is not to persuade a reluctant God to do our bidding. The purpose of prayer is to align our will with His. We are to be in partnership with Him. We are to ask Him to accomplish His will on this earth.
"'When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray for your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you. And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetitions as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words. So do not be like them; for your Father know what you need before you ask Him. Pray, then, in this way: "Our Father who is in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive is our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil"'" (Matthew 6:5-13).
Instead of moving into a treatise on prayer, James is more interested in addressing a larger problem in the church--seeking after worldly desires.
2. (James 4:4-5) A rebuke of compromise and covetousness among Christians
You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you think that Scripture speaks to no purpose: "He jealousy desires the Spirit which He has made to dwell in us"?
Do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God: We are either friends with God, or we are friends with the world. We cannot seek after that which the world values while at the same time leading a life that pleases the LORD. They are mutually incompatible. In fact, they are so incompatible, if we try to have a good relationship with the world, we are cheating on our relationship with God. We become adulterers. This is the principle as it describes Israel's disobedience to God's commandments. Israel was an adulteress to God. James says individual believers repeat this mistake as they "cheat" on God by pursuing worldly lusts.
Whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God: How sad it is that James's counsel to the first century church is so relevant today. How many churches are in turmoil because people are repeating these same errors? They are seeking to display their godly wisdom through speech rather than through actions. They are relying on an earthly source for their thinking and displaying a life of sin built upon the world's wisdom. They are giving into their fleshly lusts and seeking after worldly pleasures, even to the point of asking God for blessings simply to feed their fleshly desires. They are quarreling with one another and hating each other. And through all this, they are lying against the truth.
In Summary
Sometimes our life problems are complicated and difficult to understand. But sometimes our problems are not as complicated as we assume them to be.
Story Time
One evening, I went with my parents to a fancy restaurant. My dad was about halfway through his meal when he took a hard look at the potato on his plate. He called the waitress over and said, "This potato is bad!"
To my utter amazement, the waitress at this high-end five star eatery picked up the potato, smacked it, put it back on my dad's plate and then told my dad, "If that potato causes any more trouble, just let me know."
James gives us an equally shocking answer to why quarrels exist in the church. He says it is very simple. The source of quarrels is lustful flesh that desires to have what the world wants. When we do not get what we want, we fight with each other rather than asking God. We are disappointed when do not receive what we desire because we ask with worldly motives.
James goes on to say we cannot seek to be friends with the world. We are not to be like them and to want what they want. God will not share this world with us. He will not let us have satisfaction in our carnal pursuits. Our Father knows what is best for us and will not give in if we ask with sinful desires for the same thing over and over and over again.
When our requests are ignored and our fellowship with body of Christ is unsatisfying, we need to examine our lives to see if this pattern is responsible.
A. The humble character of a living faith
1. (James 4:1-3) Reasons for strife in the Christian community
What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members? 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. You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures.
What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you: The members of the church were quarreling. James asks the question, "Why?" Strife is not from God. It is not a proper or a natural product of faith. The source of the conflict, James says, is our flesh. More specifically, it is our fleshly desire for worldly pleasures. The source for the quarreling in this church is their sinful flesh.
I find this concept to be 100% accurate. I have been invited into different groups or churches from time to time. I am often exposed to church quarrels. It seems, I can always trace the disharmony to fleshly, sinful desires--desires which gain something that the world values.
James does not name the specific worldly pleasures these believers were seeking after. Instead, he describes a general pattern of worsening behavior.
You lust and do not have: First, James says we lust. The word "lust" means sinful cravings. It might be a yearning for attention or fame. It might be a strong desire for wealth, power or control.
In chapter three, we already learned how a teacher or Rabbi would likely receive all these things as a result of holding a teaching position. So, the problem began when people lusted for earthly, worldly rewards which attached themselves to these roles. These earthly rewards were being sought out instead of seeking the heavenly rewards that God alone appoints to someone who desires to serve Him.
And this "lust" leads to murder.
So you commit murder: In extreme cases, this is literally true. However, this is not likely the meaning James has in mind here. He is speaking of murder in the same way Jesus did when he said if you harbor hatred in your heart, you have committed a sin equivalent to murder (Matthew 5:21-22).
The lustful desire leads to a sinful thought against others who stand in the way of us obtaining what we want. This is exactly the kind of quarreling James alluded to back in chapter three.
Then James says they do not have the things they want because they do not ask.
You do not have because you do not ask: In the context of James's teaching overall, it is clear what they wanted. At least in part, they wanted to be in a teaching or leadership role. They had some ambition or desire which had developed from this lust. James says the people did not ask, meaning, they had not prayed to God. They had not asked God to grant them anything.
In the Greek, the verb tense signifies a continuous action of not asking. The people did not desire something once and thus did not ask in prayer for this request. Rather, the people continually lusted after something and continually failed to petition God in prayer. The people are continually not asking God, and they are always taking matters into their own hands.
A desire or lust begins a series of downward steps into sinful thoughts and actions. This is all done in an effort to gain something in their own power rather than asking God.
But even when some do resort to prayer, they ask and do not receive because they ask with wrong motives.
You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives: The Greek word for "wrong motives" is better translated as "in evil". Their motive is to spend what they receive on pleasures. This phrase is the same phrase used to describe the Prodigal son's behavior when he wasted his fortune on reckless living (Luke 15:11-32).
James is not simply speaking of spending in the sense of spending money. Rather, he is using the term more generally as in wasting God's provision on satisfying our flesh. Who could expect God to honor such a request if He knows we are only going to use His gift to satisfy our evil desires?
James is not teaching us how to pray in such a way to get what we want. I say this because many come to these verses in James and quote them out of context. They then use them to make some point about how we are to pray to receive what we want. While there is a mini lesson to be found here on the issue of prayer, there is a more important lesson to be learned. That is, when we ask for something with an evil desire or motive, we should expect God to say "no" to our request. That is all we can definitely conclude about prayer from these verses.
Moreover, we cannot take that truth and turn it backwards in an attempt to create a second principle. Specifically, we cannot say that when we ask God with sincere motives, we will be guaranteed that God will give us what we want. It does not work that way. Even if we ask with perfect motives, we still might not get what we ask for. False teachers try to use this verse to explain why we do not get what we want when we pray. They often say, "You must not have asked with enough faith or the right motives."
We must remember that the purpose of prayer is not to persuade a reluctant God to do our bidding. The purpose of prayer is to align our will with His. We are to be in partnership with Him. We are to ask Him to accomplish His will on this earth.
"'When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray for your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you. And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetitions as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words. So do not be like them; for your Father know what you need before you ask Him. Pray, then, in this way: "Our Father who is in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive is our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil"'" (Matthew 6:5-13).
Instead of moving into a treatise on prayer, James is more interested in addressing a larger problem in the church--seeking after worldly desires.
2. (James 4:4-5) A rebuke of compromise and covetousness among Christians
You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you think that Scripture speaks to no purpose: "He jealousy desires the Spirit which He has made to dwell in us"?
Do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God: We are either friends with God, or we are friends with the world. We cannot seek after that which the world values while at the same time leading a life that pleases the LORD. They are mutually incompatible. In fact, they are so incompatible, if we try to have a good relationship with the world, we are cheating on our relationship with God. We become adulterers. This is the principle as it describes Israel's disobedience to God's commandments. Israel was an adulteress to God. James says individual believers repeat this mistake as they "cheat" on God by pursuing worldly lusts.
Whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God: How sad it is that James's counsel to the first century church is so relevant today. How many churches are in turmoil because people are repeating these same errors? They are seeking to display their godly wisdom through speech rather than through actions. They are relying on an earthly source for their thinking and displaying a life of sin built upon the world's wisdom. They are giving into their fleshly lusts and seeking after worldly pleasures, even to the point of asking God for blessings simply to feed their fleshly desires. They are quarreling with one another and hating each other. And through all this, they are lying against the truth.
In Summary
Sometimes our life problems are complicated and difficult to understand. But sometimes our problems are not as complicated as we assume them to be.
Story Time
One evening, I went with my parents to a fancy restaurant. My dad was about halfway through his meal when he took a hard look at the potato on his plate. He called the waitress over and said, "This potato is bad!"
To my utter amazement, the waitress at this high-end five star eatery picked up the potato, smacked it, put it back on my dad's plate and then told my dad, "If that potato causes any more trouble, just let me know."
James gives us an equally shocking answer to why quarrels exist in the church. He says it is very simple. The source of quarrels is lustful flesh that desires to have what the world wants. When we do not get what we want, we fight with each other rather than asking God. We are disappointed when do not receive what we desire because we ask with worldly motives.
James goes on to say we cannot seek to be friends with the world. We are not to be like them and to want what they want. God will not share this world with us. He will not let us have satisfaction in our carnal pursuits. Our Father knows what is best for us and will not give in if we ask with sinful desires for the same thing over and over and over again.
When our requests are ignored and our fellowship with body of Christ is unsatisfying, we need to examine our lives to see if this pattern is responsible.
Sunday, October 7, 2018
James Chapter 3 Part Two (Verses 13-18)
B. The demonstration of a living faith in the presence of wisdom
1. (James 3:13) Wisdom shows us how to do good works
Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom.
James moves his focus to those in the church who try to show their "wisdom" and spiritual maturity simply with impressive words. These are the people who like to make big speeches and talk about wisdom. Yet, when it comes to their action, they are lacking any evidence of spiritual maturity and wisdom.
Demonstrating wisdom through impressive oratory was the common style for both Greek and Jew "wise" men. They equated wisdom with the ability to to expound on weighty matters for hours on end. They engaged in rhetorical arguments and debated with great skill. They twisted the meaning of words and turned them to their advantage. The "wisdom" shown I would equate to a lawyer or politician. They can talk a great talk, but their actions are usually lacking.
Joke Time
There was an old miser who had no friends except his doctor, his pastor and his lawyer. Just before the miser died, he asked these men to gather around him at his bedside. "I have always heard that you cannot take anything with you into the afterlife. But I want to disprove this theory," he said. "I have $90,000 under my mattress, and when I die, just before they throw the dirt on my grave, I want each of you to toss in an envelope with $30,000 into my grave."
The three attended the funeral, and each threw in his envelope in the grave. On the way back from the cemetery, the pastor said, "I must confess. I needed $10,000 for my new church. So, I only threw in $20,000."
The doctor then said, "I must confess too. I needed $20,000 for a new hospital I was opening up. So, I only threw in $10,000." The lawyer looked at them both and shook his head. He then said, "Gentlemen, I am surprised, shocked and ashamed of you. I do not see how you could dare go against this man's final wish. I will have you know that I threw in my personal check for the full amount!"
Who among you is wise and understanding: James asks the church a simple question. One which should be easy to answer.
Reflecting back to how James opened the chapter, he said we should not press ourselves into a teaching role. When we do, we risk a harsh judgment if our tongue convicts us in the course of leading and teaching wrongly. A teacher's role is ultimately one of conveying godly wisdom through words, and then backing up those words through godly living. We must be able to live up to both standards. What we say must be godly and how we live our lives must also be godly in nature.
The Greek words for wise and understanding are important to understanding the meaning of James's words. The word for wise means to have moral insight or to discern issues of moral conduct. It is to know right from wrong and to make judgments about what God considers proper. Understanding means having an expertise in something such as having an intellectual knowledge.
Rewording the opening of verse 13, James is asking, "You think you can be a teacher or leader and speak for what God says concerning right and wrong? You think you are an expert in righteousness and godliness?"
To this question, James provides the challenge.
Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom: There are two parts to James's command. First, you do not practice wisdom and understanding through words alone. You cannot just talk the talk. You must show your behavior through your action. It is the same theme again. Wisdom (like faith) is not a concept; it is a way of life. It requires action.
The Christians during James's life were still trapped in the Pharisaical pattern of giving others the lectures on holiness; however, they failed to practice it themselves.
"Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples, saying, 'The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair of Moses; therefore, all that they tell you, do and observe, but do not do according to their deeds; for they say things and do not do them.'" (Matthew 23:1-3)
So, James says talking about matters of righteousness and godliness is not the same as being godly or righteous. If we think we are wise in these matters, but we cannot bring ourselves to actually living righteously and producing good deeds and behaviors, then we are fooling ourselves. We become just like the Pharisees.
Secondly, James commandment requires that we perform these deeds in gentleness and wisdom. The term in Greek means humility with a sense of submitting to God, Who is the source of all godly wisdom. Here again, true godly wisdom lived out is never prideful or arrogant. It is not self-serving, rude or critical. It is gentle, loving and humble. It reflects the fact that our godliness was not a product of ourselves. we did not figure anything out or create anything ourselves. We arrived at our station in life by God's grace.
We are saved by God's grace and sanctified by His grace. In obedience, we must submit to His Spirit and demonstrate wisdom through submission to His will.
This opening verse sets the positive example for wisdom. James uses the rest of the chapter to explore the opposite problem.
2. (James 3:14-16) The character of earthly wisdom
But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth. This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but it earthly, natural, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing.
But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart: In the early church, the leadership had been seeking for teaching and leadership positions out of selfish ambition. Of course, this kind of thing is also present in churches today. When people seek for leadership and/or teaching positions out of selfish ambition, they inevitably become competitors in a race for recognition. This leads to bitter jealousies. It leads to alliances and various kinds of evil. James alludes to this kind of rancor and disunity in the second part of verse 14.
Do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth: Arrogance is the inevitable result of selfish ambition and jealousies. We can easily imagine various men and perhaps even women seeking positions for themselves in the church leadership.
(Biblical leadership always includes the expectation that the leaders are also teachers of God's Word.
"For the overseer must be above reproach as God's steward, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not addicted to wine, not pugnacious, not fond of sordid gain, but hospitable, loving what is good, sensible, just, devout, self-controlled, holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in sounds doctrine and to refute those who contradict" (Titus 1:7-9).)
These ambitious people began to compete with one another for who was the wisest in their knowledge of Scripture. They engaged in rhetorical debates probably concerning Torah or prophecies concerning Jesus. As one might gain an advantage over another, bitter jealousies developed. Men harbored anger and hatred against one another. Factions and divisions developed, one against another, each supporting their own leadership candidate or teacher.
For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing: The source of this ungodly degeneration within the church began with ungodly speech, driven by selfish ambition and arrogance. It leads eventually to the disintegration of the church body.
James points out that this kind of wisdom is not from above. He uses the word wisdom in an ironic sense. It is the kind of thinking that has a demonic source. James is not suggesting that we are supposed to blame Satan directly for all these behaviors. It is not "The devil made me do it!" Rather, this kind of discord and evil traces back to the sin of Satan in the Throne Room and flows through the sin of Adam in the Garden of Eden to us today. We are acting in the way which finds its origins in the sin of Satan's pride.
When we say we want to serve God through a teaching role, and then we seek that role out of selfish ambition and arrogance, we are not acting in a godly way. We are actually acting in a satanic way, in that we are acting in sin. We lie against the truth.
How do we lie against the truth? We may be speaking the truth with our mouths (the truth of the Gospel), but by our sinful arrogance and selfishness, we tear down the Gospel by our actions. We are talking correctly, but our actions reveal we are not acting according to the Gospel.
This has great determent to unbelievers. They hear our words, and then they see our sinful actions. They make the obvious conclusion. Christians are merely hearers of the words but not doers of the word. The unbeliever may fail to believe our message because our actions declare it to be a lie.
3. (James 3:17-18) The character of heavenly wisdom
But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. And the seed whose fruit is righteous is sown in peace by those who make peace.
But the wisdom from above: James states that true godly wisdom, which comes from above, yields a different set of behaviors.
Pure: First, godly wisdom is uncontaminated by fleshly, sinful desires and ambitions. If we feel a calling to teach God's people and lead in that capacity, we can know it is a godly calling by testing our ambitions. Are we excited to teach a class of three and a class of three hundred? Are we fulfilled by understanding God's truth accurately and sharing it with one person? Do we need a large crowd to feel important? Do we feel jealousy when another teacher finds something in Scripture we did not find ourselves? Are we ever tempted to claim another's teaching as our own? Can we change our mind about what we believe when God brings us a better interpretation through another teacher? Do we have a teachable heart as we strive to teach others?
Godly wisdom from above will always come with a purity of spirit that removes our personal ambition and makes God's glory and His Word the focus.
Peaceable, gentle, reasonable: Our speech as we teach should not be pushy; it should not be arrogant, defensive, angry or confrontational. Rather, it should be full of mercy and good fruits. A teacher who speaks with the wisdom from above speaks from a perspective of God's mercy and grace. The fruit of his teaching will be the ultimate measure of where his wisdom originates from.
To discover where a teacher's wisdom comes from, one must examine the following:
Look first at the life of the teacher. Has the teacher lead a godly life in his own walk? Is the teacher the kind of man he calls others to be based on Scripture? Is his home life a godly, peaceful home? Are his children respectful and obedient?
The Bible gives us these tests because they tell us whether a man's teaching is rooted in the wisdom given from above or a false wisdom that originates from a selfish, fleshly source.
I have met many people who aspire to teach the Bible and want their time in the spotlight. In many cases, they have a strong knowledge of Scripture. But, they are not operating in the Spirit. They display a kind of prideful, ambitiousness that speaks louder than their words. It is reflected in the personal life and personality.
Unwavering: James says a teacher operating with wisdom from above will remain unwavering in the presentation of the truth. Unwavering refers to teaching without prejudice or partiality. The teacher does not waver in his presentation of the truth simply because his audience is different and may not like what Scripture says.
Unwavering is different than being unteachable. I can be unwavering and yet remain teachable so long as my changing views are informed from Scripture and are not an external viewpoint, trend or fad. So long as my motive remains speaking the truth and not pleasing my audience, I remain unwavering.
It takes a strong, mature Christian to admit that they have been wrong in understanding an area of Scripture he previously felt was settled as fact. It also requires a strong, mature teacher to present the honest truth in the face of a hostile audience. This is especially hard for a teacher that looks to an audience for his financial support such as a pastor. A teacher cannot be approved by the world of the carnal members of his audience; otherwise, he will begin to waver.
The seed whose fruit is sown in peace: James then says to look at the fruit of the teacher's ministry as a whole. When they teach, are lives changed? Are men and women brought to faith? Are families and marriages restored? Are hearts strengthened to serve the LORD? Or does the teaching bring discord, factions, disputes or hostility?
James continues his idea in the first part of Chapter 4, where James raises concern over how our faith is tested by our temptation to seek the world's acceptance.
1. (James 3:13) Wisdom shows us how to do good works
Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom.
James moves his focus to those in the church who try to show their "wisdom" and spiritual maturity simply with impressive words. These are the people who like to make big speeches and talk about wisdom. Yet, when it comes to their action, they are lacking any evidence of spiritual maturity and wisdom.
Demonstrating wisdom through impressive oratory was the common style for both Greek and Jew "wise" men. They equated wisdom with the ability to to expound on weighty matters for hours on end. They engaged in rhetorical arguments and debated with great skill. They twisted the meaning of words and turned them to their advantage. The "wisdom" shown I would equate to a lawyer or politician. They can talk a great talk, but their actions are usually lacking.
Joke Time
There was an old miser who had no friends except his doctor, his pastor and his lawyer. Just before the miser died, he asked these men to gather around him at his bedside. "I have always heard that you cannot take anything with you into the afterlife. But I want to disprove this theory," he said. "I have $90,000 under my mattress, and when I die, just before they throw the dirt on my grave, I want each of you to toss in an envelope with $30,000 into my grave."
The three attended the funeral, and each threw in his envelope in the grave. On the way back from the cemetery, the pastor said, "I must confess. I needed $10,000 for my new church. So, I only threw in $20,000."
The doctor then said, "I must confess too. I needed $20,000 for a new hospital I was opening up. So, I only threw in $10,000." The lawyer looked at them both and shook his head. He then said, "Gentlemen, I am surprised, shocked and ashamed of you. I do not see how you could dare go against this man's final wish. I will have you know that I threw in my personal check for the full amount!"
Who among you is wise and understanding: James asks the church a simple question. One which should be easy to answer.
Reflecting back to how James opened the chapter, he said we should not press ourselves into a teaching role. When we do, we risk a harsh judgment if our tongue convicts us in the course of leading and teaching wrongly. A teacher's role is ultimately one of conveying godly wisdom through words, and then backing up those words through godly living. We must be able to live up to both standards. What we say must be godly and how we live our lives must also be godly in nature.
The Greek words for wise and understanding are important to understanding the meaning of James's words. The word for wise means to have moral insight or to discern issues of moral conduct. It is to know right from wrong and to make judgments about what God considers proper. Understanding means having an expertise in something such as having an intellectual knowledge.
Rewording the opening of verse 13, James is asking, "You think you can be a teacher or leader and speak for what God says concerning right and wrong? You think you are an expert in righteousness and godliness?"
To this question, James provides the challenge.
Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom: There are two parts to James's command. First, you do not practice wisdom and understanding through words alone. You cannot just talk the talk. You must show your behavior through your action. It is the same theme again. Wisdom (like faith) is not a concept; it is a way of life. It requires action.
The Christians during James's life were still trapped in the Pharisaical pattern of giving others the lectures on holiness; however, they failed to practice it themselves.
"Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples, saying, 'The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair of Moses; therefore, all that they tell you, do and observe, but do not do according to their deeds; for they say things and do not do them.'" (Matthew 23:1-3)
So, James says talking about matters of righteousness and godliness is not the same as being godly or righteous. If we think we are wise in these matters, but we cannot bring ourselves to actually living righteously and producing good deeds and behaviors, then we are fooling ourselves. We become just like the Pharisees.
Secondly, James commandment requires that we perform these deeds in gentleness and wisdom. The term in Greek means humility with a sense of submitting to God, Who is the source of all godly wisdom. Here again, true godly wisdom lived out is never prideful or arrogant. It is not self-serving, rude or critical. It is gentle, loving and humble. It reflects the fact that our godliness was not a product of ourselves. we did not figure anything out or create anything ourselves. We arrived at our station in life by God's grace.
We are saved by God's grace and sanctified by His grace. In obedience, we must submit to His Spirit and demonstrate wisdom through submission to His will.
This opening verse sets the positive example for wisdom. James uses the rest of the chapter to explore the opposite problem.
2. (James 3:14-16) The character of earthly wisdom
But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth. This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but it earthly, natural, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing.
But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart: In the early church, the leadership had been seeking for teaching and leadership positions out of selfish ambition. Of course, this kind of thing is also present in churches today. When people seek for leadership and/or teaching positions out of selfish ambition, they inevitably become competitors in a race for recognition. This leads to bitter jealousies. It leads to alliances and various kinds of evil. James alludes to this kind of rancor and disunity in the second part of verse 14.
Do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth: Arrogance is the inevitable result of selfish ambition and jealousies. We can easily imagine various men and perhaps even women seeking positions for themselves in the church leadership.
(Biblical leadership always includes the expectation that the leaders are also teachers of God's Word.
"For the overseer must be above reproach as God's steward, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not addicted to wine, not pugnacious, not fond of sordid gain, but hospitable, loving what is good, sensible, just, devout, self-controlled, holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in sounds doctrine and to refute those who contradict" (Titus 1:7-9).)
These ambitious people began to compete with one another for who was the wisest in their knowledge of Scripture. They engaged in rhetorical debates probably concerning Torah or prophecies concerning Jesus. As one might gain an advantage over another, bitter jealousies developed. Men harbored anger and hatred against one another. Factions and divisions developed, one against another, each supporting their own leadership candidate or teacher.
For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing: The source of this ungodly degeneration within the church began with ungodly speech, driven by selfish ambition and arrogance. It leads eventually to the disintegration of the church body.
James points out that this kind of wisdom is not from above. He uses the word wisdom in an ironic sense. It is the kind of thinking that has a demonic source. James is not suggesting that we are supposed to blame Satan directly for all these behaviors. It is not "The devil made me do it!" Rather, this kind of discord and evil traces back to the sin of Satan in the Throne Room and flows through the sin of Adam in the Garden of Eden to us today. We are acting in the way which finds its origins in the sin of Satan's pride.
When we say we want to serve God through a teaching role, and then we seek that role out of selfish ambition and arrogance, we are not acting in a godly way. We are actually acting in a satanic way, in that we are acting in sin. We lie against the truth.
How do we lie against the truth? We may be speaking the truth with our mouths (the truth of the Gospel), but by our sinful arrogance and selfishness, we tear down the Gospel by our actions. We are talking correctly, but our actions reveal we are not acting according to the Gospel.
This has great determent to unbelievers. They hear our words, and then they see our sinful actions. They make the obvious conclusion. Christians are merely hearers of the words but not doers of the word. The unbeliever may fail to believe our message because our actions declare it to be a lie.
3. (James 3:17-18) The character of heavenly wisdom
But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. And the seed whose fruit is righteous is sown in peace by those who make peace.
But the wisdom from above: James states that true godly wisdom, which comes from above, yields a different set of behaviors.
Pure: First, godly wisdom is uncontaminated by fleshly, sinful desires and ambitions. If we feel a calling to teach God's people and lead in that capacity, we can know it is a godly calling by testing our ambitions. Are we excited to teach a class of three and a class of three hundred? Are we fulfilled by understanding God's truth accurately and sharing it with one person? Do we need a large crowd to feel important? Do we feel jealousy when another teacher finds something in Scripture we did not find ourselves? Are we ever tempted to claim another's teaching as our own? Can we change our mind about what we believe when God brings us a better interpretation through another teacher? Do we have a teachable heart as we strive to teach others?
Godly wisdom from above will always come with a purity of spirit that removes our personal ambition and makes God's glory and His Word the focus.
Peaceable, gentle, reasonable: Our speech as we teach should not be pushy; it should not be arrogant, defensive, angry or confrontational. Rather, it should be full of mercy and good fruits. A teacher who speaks with the wisdom from above speaks from a perspective of God's mercy and grace. The fruit of his teaching will be the ultimate measure of where his wisdom originates from.
To discover where a teacher's wisdom comes from, one must examine the following:
Look first at the life of the teacher. Has the teacher lead a godly life in his own walk? Is the teacher the kind of man he calls others to be based on Scripture? Is his home life a godly, peaceful home? Are his children respectful and obedient?
The Bible gives us these tests because they tell us whether a man's teaching is rooted in the wisdom given from above or a false wisdom that originates from a selfish, fleshly source.
I have met many people who aspire to teach the Bible and want their time in the spotlight. In many cases, they have a strong knowledge of Scripture. But, they are not operating in the Spirit. They display a kind of prideful, ambitiousness that speaks louder than their words. It is reflected in the personal life and personality.
Unwavering: James says a teacher operating with wisdom from above will remain unwavering in the presentation of the truth. Unwavering refers to teaching without prejudice or partiality. The teacher does not waver in his presentation of the truth simply because his audience is different and may not like what Scripture says.
Unwavering is different than being unteachable. I can be unwavering and yet remain teachable so long as my changing views are informed from Scripture and are not an external viewpoint, trend or fad. So long as my motive remains speaking the truth and not pleasing my audience, I remain unwavering.
It takes a strong, mature Christian to admit that they have been wrong in understanding an area of Scripture he previously felt was settled as fact. It also requires a strong, mature teacher to present the honest truth in the face of a hostile audience. This is especially hard for a teacher that looks to an audience for his financial support such as a pastor. A teacher cannot be approved by the world of the carnal members of his audience; otherwise, he will begin to waver.
The seed whose fruit is sown in peace: James then says to look at the fruit of the teacher's ministry as a whole. When they teach, are lives changed? Are men and women brought to faith? Are families and marriages restored? Are hearts strengthened to serve the LORD? Or does the teaching bring discord, factions, disputes or hostility?
James continues his idea in the first part of Chapter 4, where James raises concern over how our faith is tested by our temptation to seek the world's acceptance.
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