THE EPISTLE OF JAMES – CHAPTER THREE

 

THE TONGUE IS A FIRE

 

“1 Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment.”

 

James begins James Chapter 3 with a warning for those who wish to be teachers of the Holy Scriptures. It makes perfect sense that if you are going to be instructing others in Biblical Truth you should be living according to what you are teaching.

 

There are at least three critical reasons a teacher of God’s Word should be held to a higher standard.

 

Critical Reason One: A teacher of the Holy Word is expected to be responsible and to SPEAK THE TRUTH of God’s Word! They are not to share their own speculations or guesses about what the Holy Scriptures mean. There is a difference between God’s instructional truth for living a holy life and a mere human’s rationale of precepts to live by

 

Critical Reason Two: A teacher of the Inspired Word of God will affect many others by what they teach. The responsibility to handle God’s Word accurately and truthfully should never be taken lightly. A Biblical teacher must realize they will be influencing the daily moment by moment lives of individuals who desire to live by Holy Scripture according to what God is instructing in His Word.

 

Critical Reason Three: A Teacher of the Wisdom of God’s Word will be under a higher standard of judgment for how they teach, instruct and actually live out God’s Word in their own life. Teaching is one thing, but actually putting into practice the Truth of God in one’s own life according to what you teach others is the “gold standard” for practicing what you preach, living out the Truth you share with others and holding yourself to the high standard of what you expect of others!

 

A scripture passage that relates to this topic can be found in; Luke 12:35-48:

 

BE IN REDINESS

 

35 “Be dressed in readiness, and keep your lamps lit.  36 “Be like men who are waiting for their master when he returns from the wedding feast, so that they may immediately open the door to him when he comes and knocks.  37 “Blessed are those slaves whom the master will find on the alert  when he comes; truly I say to you, that he will gird himself to serve, and have them recline at the table, and will come up and wait on them.  38 “Whether he comes in the second watch, or even in the third, and finds them so, blessed are those slaves.

 

39 “But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have allowed his house to be broken into.  40 “You too, be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour that you do not expect.”

 

41 Peter said, “Lord, are You addressing this parable to us, or to everyone else as well?” 42 And the Lord said, “Who then is the faithful and sensible steward, whom his master will put in charge of his servants, to give them their rations at the proper time?  43 “Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes.  44 “Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions.  45 “But if that slave says in his heart, ‘My master will be a long time in coming,’ and begins to beat the slaves, both men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk;  46 the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces, and assign him a place with the unbelievers.  47 “And that slave who knew his master’s will and did not get ready or act in accord with his will, will receive many lashes,  48 but the one who did not know it, and committed deeds worthy of a flogging, will receive but few. From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more.”

 

When we accept Christ as our Lord and Savior, we commit ourselves to continually live as His Disciples. Those who are teachers are especially to be prudent and consistent in their spiritual walk with Christ. Those who preach the Gospel, who teach from the Bible and who are in spiritual positions of influence of the church fall under a higher responsibility for what they say and teach others. In other words, if God has blessed you with spiritual gifts that relate to preaching and teaching others you will be held to a higher standard for accountability because of your position of instructing and teaching others. While all Disciples of Christ are required to know and live the Holy Scriptures, those who are in a position of preaching and teaching others come under a higher expectation to live what they teach. The reason is, if you fail to live what you teach others about Holy Scripture, you bring into question your witness of the Truth of God’s Word and undermine the spiritual influence you have over those to whom you have taught and ministered.

 

But James also expresses in his next verse that none of us are perfect. Only Christ lived perfectly and obeyed all aspects of God’s commands and the Holy Scriptures.

 

“2 For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well.”

 

While James calls us to a high standard, he also knows none of us are perfect and totally pure. Regarding our speech, we all at one time or another will make a false step in what we say and in how we express ourselves. We may speak wrongly or harshly to others, sin in conversations such as gossiping or possibly even use swear words in the heat of anger or frustration. We are all a work in spiritual progress but we are held to a high standard and should seek to be more like Christ each and every day and in all areas of our lives. As we read further James continues to instruct us with visual examples of how powerful our “tongues” and “mouths” are and how they influence those we speak to and how we express ourselves.

 

James uses various “real-life” examples to help us visualize the impact of how we use our tongues in our speech. First he uses the illustration of how we control horses with the use of a harness and bit. Through this device in the mouth of a horse we can communicate whether to turn right or left or stop.

 

“3 Now if we put the bits into the horses’ mouths so that they will obey us, we direct their entire body as well.”

 

I doubt I have to explain the expansive use of horses in the history of mankind. They have been used as beasts of burden to haul wagons of grain and produce for food or manure for fertilizing fields. They are used for riding for leisure but they have also been used for beasts in warfare. It is drastically critical the use of the bit and reigns to control the horses direction and movement. The bit, bridle and reins function together to give control of the horse’s head to the rider. The bit applies pressure to the horse’s mouth, and reinforces the other control signals from the rider’s legs and weight distribution. A well schooled horse needs little pressure on the bit from a skilled rider.The bit is such a small piece but can control a huge animal like a horse.

 

 

SECONDLY JAMES USES THE ILLUSTRATION OF THE RUDDERS OF SHIPS.

 

“4 Look at the ships also, though they are so great and are driven by strong winds, are still directed by a very small rudder wherever the inclination of the pilot desires.”

 

All ships have rudders of some design or another and are attached at the stern. A rudder is a primary control surface used to steer a ship, boat, submarine, hovercraft, airship, or other vehicle that moves through a fluid medium (usually air or water).

 

The rudders allow the ship to turn in various directions according to the pilot who controls the rudder. The ship may be small or extremely large but the rudders are always much smaller compared to the entire bulk of the ship. Even today in modern times, rudders are used to steer ships in the direction they are to go. Ships can be constructed to be huge such as cargo ships which carry as much as 110,000 tons of goods at one time! Despite the huge size of a ship a rudder (extremely small compared to the size of the ship) is critical to directing the ship in the proper direction. Even on an airplane, the rudder is used primarily to counter adverse yaw and p-factor.

 

James uses this illustration to emphasize that just like huge cargo ships the rudder can steer them in the right or wrong direction, similarly; the human tongue which is used as we speak is a very small member but can cause as much harm and hurt as it can blessings and compliments. We all need to be wise and cautious about how we use our tongue in our communication with others and/or about others.

 

“5 So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things….”

 

James makes his point of how poorly we use our tongues when we speak at times be it in our boasting, cursing, harsh criticism or filthy language. We should not leave out gossip as well which many people feel is just an innocent habit that shouldn’t be considered a sin. Our tongue on average weighs about 2.4 ounces but when compared to the horrible damage it can do when used to speak gossip, criticism, cruelty, boasting and cursing it is amazing how damaging the hurt that our tongue can produce. The harsh words, filthy talk and critical speech that can be damaging to others as well as ourselves. Speaking harshly and using curse words pollutes not only ourselves but also demeans and belittles those whose ears must endure the foul and filthy words that are shoved out of people’s mouths at times. We also boast great things, but in reality such boastings are either half truths embellished for our own selfish egos or total lies to build us up or tear other people down.

 

James continues with his criticism of the sinful use of our tongues in our communication to others. He compares how we speak wrongly, share gossip and fail to keep in confidence what people have shared with us that is meant to be kept private.

 

“…See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire! 6 And the tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell.”

 

Notice the four descriptions of the results of a wanton tongue out of control:

 

It’s a world of iniquity!

It defiles the entire body!

It sets on fire the course of our life!

It’s set on fire by hell!

 

James states that words which are spoken in the form of malicious gossip, blunt criticism, demeaning and destructive words about others and the spreading of unsubstantiated information can be compared to an out of control forest fire. We know that in the summer months when leaves, pine needles and dead trees have dried out completely the slightest small spark can ignite a fire that can destroy thousands of acres of property including great expansive forests, homes, bridges, crops, not to mention livestock, pets and yes even people.

 

James states that speaking inappropriately is also a “world of iniquity” which basically would be defined as immoral and grossly unfair behavior! Definitely such malicious talk is not something a Disciple of Christ should allow to come out of their mouth.

 

James also mentions that while the tongue is something we all possess and is a small organ it can defile our entire body. How can this happen. Well consider the observation that if you gossip and speak wrongly of others you will gain a reputation of being cruel, not being able to hold your tongue, unable to keep a confidence and very likely a person with a sharp tongue that damages the reputation of others. You might also ask the question, if you have a motor mouth that spreads negative words about others…who would ever want to share a conversation with you?

 

James even goes so far as to say that a loose, cruel, nasty mouth/tongue will set on fire your personal life as well as the lives of others and basically a person that speaks in such a way is set on fire by hell!

 

One form of sinful, foolish and damaging talk is “Gossip!”

 

What Is Gossip?

 

The Scriptures does not provide a definition of gossip in one location. Instead, the Holy Scriptures describe gossip in action and shares examples and descriptions of what it is. Usually gossip is tied intimately to the character of the people participating in this deadly sin that is so damaging to our fellow men and women. The Bible often uses the word gossip to describe a “kind of person” more than just a pattern of communication.

 

The sin of gossip is sharing bad information without the knowledge of the person you are gossiping about. This is often done with an unholy motive and to defame or damage the reputation of the person the gossiper is speaking about. bearing bad news behind someone’s back out of a bad heart. This functional definition of “gossiping” is concerned with the action itself, the content of the corrupt communication, the situation in which it occurs, and perhaps most importantly, the motivations of the people involved.

 

Gossip is “POISONOUS!” – Gossip is “FOOLISH!’ – Gossip is “DAMAGING” – GOSSIP IS “SINFUL!!!”

 

When someone in our circle of friends gossips the Bible instructs us to warn them twice and then avoid them. The Book of Titus instructs us to correct them in a loving manner without condemning them, but if gossip continues, it is time to remove yourself from your exposure to them and be cautious of their influence on you.  

 

Titus 310-11 “Reject a factious man after a first and second warning, 11 knowing that such a man is perverted and is sinning, being self-condemned.”

 

James continues in verse 7 with a very interesting illustration as he speaks of how we fail to tame our tongue and do not often use wisdom in how we share information about others and ourselves as well as the manner in which we speak such information.

 

“7 For every species of beasts and birds, of reptiles and creatures of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by the human race. 8 But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison.”

 

James proposes the observation that being superior to the animal kingdom we can take all sorts of creatures and we can train and master not just cats, dogs, birds and monkeys. We can also tame cows, horses, pigs, chickens to mention a few. But we are also aware that we are able to bring into submission lions, tigers, bears, elephants and dolphins. It is amazing the creatures we can bring under our control for entertainment and or to benefit our lives. Why do we so often fail miserably in how we control our tongue when it concerns communication with or about other human beings? We cannot seem to tame our own small organ…the tongue that we have in our mouths. James states it is a “RESTLESS EVIL” and is “FULL OF DEADLY POISON.“

 

Being submissive to the guidance of the Holy Spirit, substantiated with wisdom from God’s Word and the helpful encouragement and accountability of other Christians we can grow to more tactful and wise in how we use our tongue in communication.

 

James continues with his passionate confrontation against how we use our tongue that God has given us in verse 9.

 

“9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God;

10 from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way.”

 

James brings to our attention that when we pray or speak of God, Jesus Christ or the Holy Spirit we bless them in reverence, with respect and are cautious in how we speak of them and to them. But he confronts us with the fact that many of us…often…curse our fellow men and women…who have been made in the likeness of God!

 

Romans 3:10-18 can be used as a cross reference to dig deeper into how the unruly tongue of people can cause such abuse, sin and personal damage.

 

“3:10 THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE;

11 THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS, THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD;

12 ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME USELESS;

THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD, THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE.” 

13 “THEIR THROAT IS AN OPEN GRAVE, WITH THEIR TONGUES THEY KEEP DECEIVING,”

“THE POISON OF ASPS IS UNDER THEIR LIPS”;

14 “WHOSE MOUTH IS FULL OF CURSING AND BITTERNESS”; 15 “THEIR FEET ARE SWIFT TO SHED BLOOD,

16 DESTRUCTION AND MISERY ARE IN THEIR PATHS,

17 AND THE PATH OF PEACE THEY HAVE NOT KNOWN.”

18 “THERE IS NO FEAR OF GOD BEFORE THEIR EYES.”

 

James is calling into question the inconsistent way we use our mouths and language. You’ve heard of the saying that some people are “two-faced.” When we speak in a “two-faced” manner we are speaking insincerely or deceitfully. In essence this is where we pretend to be kind to someone but for evil or misleading reasons and this is usually accomplished verbally when we speak about them. The same could be said of how sometimes we speak with what is referred to in westerns as with a  “forked tongue” way. When we speak with a “forked tongue” we are speaking “deceitfully or in a dishonest” manner to gain an advantage in the relationship for evil motives. All of these examples or descriptions characterize sinful use of the mouth to communicate with or about men and women who are made in the likeness of God.

 

James now gives us another visual example that is also very interesting.

 

“11 Does a fountain send out from the same opening both fresh and bitter water?  12 Can a fig tree, my brethren, produce olives, or a vine produce figs? Nor can salt water produce fresh.”

 

One thing you have to admit, James uses numerous good illustrations to communicate his point to challenge how we use our mouth and tongue to speak and share our thoughts.

 

Here in verse 11 he confronts us with three more examples that would be inconsistent with what we know in reality. He asks us the following…

 

Does a water fountain “give both fresh and bitter water?” This is an excellent point! Can you imagine your response if you were hot and sweaty, tired and thirsty from a long run or due to some hard work around your home. You go get some water out of a faucet and as you pour what you think is cool, clear, luscious water into your mouth. BUT what you experience tastes like it came from the Dead Sea salt water! You would very likely gag and spit it out as quick as you could before choking horribly! His point is out of the same faucet does not come clean, pure, refreshing water and also warm, salty brine water!

 

James also uses the example of a Fig tree producing Olives and what very likely would be a Grape Vine producing Figs. This would be unexpected and definitely ridiculous! These things just don’t happen. Fig Trees produce Figs and Grape Vines produce grapes. It seems to be a silly analogy, but that is what James is illustrating. It is not just SILLY…IT IS REDICULOUS that a true Disciple of Christ would have a vicious, degrading, filthy, gossip of a mouth.

 

But as we recover from these creative, but awful illustrations, we MUST REMEMBER the intent of James. He is dramatically and creatively stating that we NEED to let our speech reflect what the Father, Son and Spirit would have us speak to others in love, with maturity and wisdom.

 

For a comprehensive list of scriptures that address how we are to speak to others see the Appendix at the back of this commentary on James. Look for the document entitled: “SCRIPTURES OF THE BIBLE CONCERNING HOW WE SPEAK TO OTHERS”

 

In Pastor Charles Swindohl commentary on the book of James he sums up these scriptures with three comments about the human tongue and how it can be used.

 

          1. The Tongue Defiles!

          2. The Tongue Defies!

          3. The Tongue Displays who you really are!

 

As we move on into the book of James we could divide into FIVE specific sections.

 

Section 1: REAL FAITH produces genuine Humility. (James 3:13-5:6)

 

Section 2: OUR GOODNESS comes from the WISDOM that comes from God not man. (James 3:13-18)

 

Section 3: God calls to us to turn towards Him, not ourselves in order for us to have peaceful relationships. (James 4:1-10)

 

Section 4: He warns Disciples of Christ against boasting about the lives we live instead of submitting to the sovereignty of God. (James4:11-17).

 

Section 5: He also dramatically and emphatically convicts us against selfish pride that so easily tricks and deludes the rich of this World. (James 5:1-6)

 

James covers these crucial topics with inspired advice of: “God inspired” humility, allowing God’s grace to work in our lives to produce “godly” wisdom as well as Godly good works. If such advice is not accepted and put into practice we will inevitably reap a fruitless life and never reap the great rewards of living like Christ. 

 

I share below a graphic from Pastor Charles Swindoll’s commentary on the book of James.

 Wisdom from Above

 

James now addresses how Disciples of Christ can demonstrate both godly wisdom and the skill of understanding both God and man.

 

“13 Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his GOOD BEHAVIOR his deeds in the GENTELNESS OF WISDOM.”

 

In verse 13 of chapter 3 we see James instructing us in how to be both “wise and understanding.” He informs us that godly wisdom will be manifested in the gentleness of the love we demonstrate towards others. One aspect of wisdom is being gentle in speech and tactful in how we speak to others even in tense situations. Jesus sets the standard by how we are to not only treat people outwardly, but also in how we think and feel about others in our heart, mind and soul. Jesus knew how to be gentle with people who needed love and compassion. But Jesus also knew how to speak truth appropriately and bluntly at times for those who would not appreciate nor respond to loving confrontation. Often the Pharisees and Sadducees would confront Jesus because of their stern and legalistic perspectives of the scriptures. In those situations, Jesus knew the best way to confront them with their harsh and blunt words was to speak the truth in love, but in a stern manner in order to convict them of their manner of speech which poured out of their self-righteous hearts.

 

Such “GENTLENESS OF WISDOM” is an aspect of the “Fruit of the Spirit” spoken of in Galatians 5:23 and is closely related to “SELF CONTROL!”

 

Sometimes we bite into the bait that people present before us to tempt us to argue, get angry, lose our control and taint our witness. In such situations we must rely upon our dependence on the Holy Spirit to respond with love and patience before we respond in like manner to them. Consider the following passage in Proverbs 15 which presents to us how to respond to tense situations where we are tempted to engage in a war of words or spread discord in sinful conversations.

 

Proverbs 15:1 “A gentle answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger. 2 The tongue of the wise makes knowledge acceptable, But the mouth of fools spouts folly. 3 The eyes of the Lord are in every place, Watching the evil and the good. 4 A soothing tongue is a tree of life, But perversion in it crushes the spirit. 5 A fool rejects his father’s discipline, But he who regards reproof is sensible. 6 Great wealth is in the house of the righteous, But trouble is in the income of the wicked. 7 The lips of the wise spread knowledge, But the hearts of fools are not so. 8 The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord, But the prayer of the upright is His delight. 9 The way of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord, But He loves one who pursues righteousness. 10 Grievous punishment is for him who forsakes the way; He who hates reproof will die. 11 Sheol and Abaddon lie open before the Lord, How much more the hearts of men! 12 A scoffer does not love one who reproves him, He will not go to the wise. 13 A joyful heart makes a cheerful face, But when the heart is sad, the spirit is broken. 14 The mind of the intelligent seeks knowledge, But the mouth of fools feeds on folly. 15 All the days of the afflicted are bad, But a cheerful heart has a continual feast. 16 Better is a little with the fear of the Lord Than great treasure and turmoil with it. 17 Better is a dish of vegetables where love is Than a fattened ox served with hatred. 18 A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, But the slow to anger calms a dispute. 19 The way of the lazy is as a hedge of thorns, But the path of the upright is a highway. 20 A wise son makes a father glad, But a foolish man despises his mother. 21 Folly is joy to him who lacks sense, But a man of understanding walks straight. 22 Without consultation, plans are frustrated, But with many counselors they succeed. 23 A man has joy in an apt answer, And how delightful is a timely word! 24 The path of life leads upward for the wise That he may keep away from Sheol below. 25 The Lord will tear down the house of the proud, But He will establish the boundary of the widow. 26 Evil plans are an abomination to the Lord, But pleasant words are pure. 27 He who profits illicitly troubles his own house, But he who hates bribes will live. 28 The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer, But the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things. 29 The Lord is far from the wicked, But He hears the prayer of the righteous. 30 Bright eyes gladden the heart; Good news puts fat on the bones. 31 He whose ear listens to the life-giving reproof Will dwell among the wise. 32 He who neglects discipline despises himself, But he who listens to reproof acquires understanding. 33 The fear of the Lord is the instruction for wisdom, And before honor comes humility.”

 

Another scripture passage that challenges us to be “kind” and not “quarrelsome, which relates to Disciples of Christ being a peacemaker, patient with others and gentle when we are convicted to correct those who are adversarial.

 

2 Timothy 2:24-26, “The Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.”

 

James now moves from instructing us to be wise, understanding and being gentle with wisdom to his condemnation of such behaviors as jealousy, selfish ambition and arrogance which will prove us liars if we claim to be Disciples of Christ. His reasoning is that such motives and behaviors should not be found in Disciples of Christ who have been saved from their sins and have the Holy Spirit living within them.

 

“14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth.”

 

Jealousy is coveting what others possess, such as wealth and material possessions, but it can also mean we are jealous of their status in life, their position in the community, or even their spiritual maturity. If we are jealous of others for whatever reason it can cause us to be arrogant in who we are as we attempt to out-do others or boast of some aspect of our lives. We do this when we desire to compete with others because we are jealous and intimidated by how God has blessed them or how disciplined in how they live their lives.

 

Ambition is not necessarily evil or sinful if one’s attitude is unselfish and centered on helping others or discovering how to serve others who are in need. There are many medical scientists who strive to ease the pain of illness or to discover drugs that can treat deadly viruses or bacteria. Such men and women have ambitions to serve others through research, education and treatments for illnesses.

 

There are also men and women who have an ambition to be masters of God’s Word so they can minister to men and women in need of understanding Holy Scripture and how to apply it to their lives.

 

Some Disciples of Christ, both men and women, focus on prayer and Christian counseling based on the precepts of the Bible to help others grow to maturity in their spiritual lives and express their spiritual gifts to others in the family of God.

 

We lie against the Truth of God when we have selfish motives in how we minister to others for our own glory and ambition. When we use our spiritual gifts, knowledge of Holy scripture, natural talents and personality to draw attention to ourselves rather than relying upon God to work through us and our talents and skills to bring HIM GLORY!

 

James continues with his confrontation with those who have spiritual issues that do not reflect godly, Spirit-driven and Spirit empowered thoughts or behavior.

 

“15 This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic.”

 

James wisely and dramatically calls such “false” wisdom what it is. It does not come from God. It is not holy and pure. It is worldly or what James calls such thoughts and behavior “earthly.” It is “natural” rather than “supernatural or spiritual.” It is not “godly” it is outright “DEMONIC.” It also originates from our sinful flesh, not from the Spirit who lives within Disciples of Christ.

 

It is true that as Disciples of Christ, while we have been saved from our sins and have received the Holy Spirit within our lives, we are a “work-in-progress.” We will continue to battle the sinful flesh as long as we are alive on this earth. Not till we go to Heaven and receive our new “spiritual” bodies will we be free from the sin nature.

 

I wish to repeat the aspects of worldly wisdom to make sure both you and I, fully understand and strive to remember the worldly wisdom that is so easy to accept and express towards others. Remember the following worldly characteristics that can be so easily become a habit if we are not careful.

 

WORLDLY WISDOM is:

 

     1. Arrogant (James 3:14), The Greek word used here means to exult oneself over others. This is the person who with much pride,

         justifies their own sinful actions.

 

     2. Lying Against the truth (James 3:14),

 

     3. Earthly (James3:15),

 

     4. Natural (Hebrews 3:15) and 5. Demonic (Hebrews3:15) 

 

Charles Hodge, a master theologian stated it well: “The Bible doctrine concerning man…is eminently adapted to make him what he was designed to be: to exalt without inflating; to humble without degrading.”

 

James continues with his “spiritual dissection” of those who claim to know Christ, yet fail to show evidence in their lives that they have actually committed themselves to follow Christ in their lives.

 

“16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing.”

 

James states in verse 16 of chapter 3 that if we display jealousy and selfish ambition in our lives the result will be a life of disorder and chaos. Not only that, but there will be symptoms in our lives that will demonstrate evil is polluting our spiritual, mental, emotional and physical life.

 

A question may be asked, if such thoughts and behaviors in a person exist, are they really a Disciple of Christ. Only God can answer this question. After we accept Christ as our Savior and Lord, we are part of God’s spiritual family, but we are all in a process of being transformed from our old sinful self into a spiritual child of

 

God. Our spiritual growth occurs when we grow more mature in our faith, knowledge and commitment to the Father, Son and Spirit. This spiritual growth  moves toward maturity as long as we stay in fellowship with God and exhibit increased dedication to the faith and our expression of godly love towards others. The path to spiritual maturity is lifelong and while we will never be rid of our flesh until we enter Heaven, we are called to seek to walk in the Spirit, live according the precepts of Holy Scripture, confess our shortcomings as we are made aware of them and live our lives to the glory and praise of God the Father, Son and Spirit.

 

In verse 17 of chapter three, James elaborates on what character traits describe Christ-like wisdom. These godly expressions of spiritual maturity are to be sought after as we grow in spiritual knowledge, become more and more like our Savior Jesus Christ and walk in close communion with the Holy Spirit as we allow Him to teach and led us in our faith.

 

First comes WISDOM which is pure and this implies it is not tainted by worldliness, selfishness or any other trait associated with our fleshly nature.

 

I may summarize the above comments into some brief statements.

 

“17 But the wisdom from above is first pure,…”

 

Purity is associated with godly wisdom because such wisdom is without sinful motives. There are no fleshly impurities in godly wisdom. Such wisdom is given by God to those who submissive to God and seek to bring Him glory as well as wish to be used by the Holy Spirit to minister to other Disciples of Christ.

 

There are numerous scriptures which speak of such godly wisdom in the Proverbs. Here are a several of them;

 

     Psalms 51:6, “Surely you desire truth in the inner parts; you teach me wisdom in the inmost place.” 

 

     Psalms 111:10, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. ”

 

     Proverbs 2:6, “For the Lord gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.” 

 

     Proverbs 13:10, “…but wisdom is found in those who take advice.” 

 

     Proverbs 15:33, “The fear of the Lord teaches a man wisdom, and humility comes before honor.” 

 

     Proverbs 19:11, “A man’s wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense.” 

 

Proverbs 24:14, ” Know also that wisdom is sweet to your soul; if you find it, there is a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off.” 

 

Proverbs 28:26, “He who trusts in himself is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom is kept safe.” 

 

The Disciple should also possess the spiritual trait of being “peaceable”.

 

There are additional scripture passages related to wisdom in the Appendix of this commentary if you wish to read through them, meditate upon them and also memorize them.

 

Those Disciples of Christ who stay close to the Lord, pray regularly and seek to live out the Holy Scriptures are close to the Holy Spirit in their walk with Christ. This allows the Spirit to indwell them as they seek to let the Spirit lead their thoughts, speech, actions and discernment. This process of walking in the Spirit assists with being able to walk in a peaceable manner throughout one’s life. James now brings us to another aspect of “wisdom from above” which is being peaceable!

 

“…then peaceable,…”

 

Romans 12:17-18 instructs us as follows. “Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at PEACE with everyone. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at PEACE with everyone.”

 

Hebrews 12:14 instructs us to; “Make every effort to live in PEACE with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.” This scripture seems to associate holiness with being at peace with others and convicts us in our tumultuous and hostile world that wisdom which promotes peace is much needed in every society on the planet earth.

 

Jesus’ sermon on the Mount which is entitled “The Beatitudes” He states in Matthew 5:9, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” This is an instruction for us to seek to be peacemakers in our relationships with others and even those we meet casually as we go about our lives. We should understand that the witness of our lives is always being seen and evaluated by others. We must seek to walk in the Spirit, according to the Holy Word and the example Jesus set for us and to be at peace with life in general and with others we come in contact with.

 

In John 16:29-33 We see Jesus teaching His Disciples the frequency with which a child of God should be at peace and we should respond to this teaching with seriousness and fortitude.

 

In verse 29 His disciples say, “Lo, now You are speaking plainly and are not using a figure of speech. 30 “Now we know that You know all things, and have no need for anyone to question You; by this we believe that You came from God.” 31 Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe?  32 “Behold, an hour is coming, and has already come, for you to be scattered, each to his own home, and to leave Me alone; and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me.  33 “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”

 

It is somewhat easy to be at peace when things are going well for us in life or when we are getting along with friends. The tests of life come when we are confronted with difficult situations related to our well-being physically, spiritually, mentally and emotionally. Peace in such situations can seem to be quickly flying away as panic seeks to enter our thoughts and emotions. While it is difficult to remain at peace in such times, we must seek to pray and rely upon the Holy Spirit to give us peace. If we have read, studied, memorized and lived out Holy Scripture these holy practices can greatly facilitate us living out peace in our lives no matter what may befall us.

 

Romans 5:1-5 is a great passage of scripture to meditate on and apply to our life in regards to peace.

 

“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; 4 and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; 5 and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”

 

Continuing on in Romans in Chapter 8 we find more instruction in verses 5-8;

 

“5 For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6 For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, 7 because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so,  8 and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.”

 

In Romans 12:18 we are instructed as follows; “If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.” This is not easy in our flesh, but if we rely upon the Spirit within us as a Disciple of Christ we can through prayer and dedication to Christ’s example remain peaceful.

 

In Romans 14:17-20 we are presented with another spiritual challenge to model our behavior after our Savior Jesus Christ, “17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18 For he who in this way serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. 19 So then we pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another.” May we seek to model our lives after our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ and seek to foster peace in all our relationships with friends, family members, fellow workers, employees and neighbors.

 

Hebrews instructs us in verses 12:14-15 to “14 Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord. 15 See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled;…”

 

Romans 8:5-8 challenges us to be careful what we allow to settle into our minds if we wish to honor the Father, Son and Spirit with being a man or woman of peace; 5 For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6 For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, 7 because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so,  8 and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.”

 

Galatians 5:22-26 is an excellent passage to memorize but more importantly to live out in one’s life because it illustrates the Fruit of the Spirit which manifests itself if we are truly walking like Christ, being led by the Spirit.

 

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. 26 Let us not become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another.”

 

In Apostle Paul’s opening verses of Chapter 4 in his letter to the Ephesians he speaks of the necessity of being a peacemaker through a bond of peace. Ephesians 4:1-6, “4 Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, 3 being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.”

 

It is also absolutely necessary when we consider the spiritual armor that God bestows upon us that we put on the shoes of peace in addition to all the other pieces of “spiritual armor.”

 

Ephesians 6:10-18, “10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. 12 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.  13 Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. 14 Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, 15 and having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE; 16 in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.  17 And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints,…”

 

Another encouraging passage of scripture which instructs us in the area of peace is Philippians 4:4-9;

 

“4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! 5 Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. 6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. 9 The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.” 

 

In Colossians we find in Chapter 3, a description of our Savior Jesus Christ, which describes who He is, what  He accomplished for us in His death, but also in how He makes peace with God the Father for us in His death and resurrection.

 

Colossians 1:13-20, “13 For He RESCUSED US from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, 14 IN WHOM WE HAVE REDEMPTION, the FORGIVENESS OF SINS. 15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities — all things have been created through Him and for Him. 17 He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. 18 He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything. 19 For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, 20 and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, HAVING MADE PEACE THROUGH THE BLOOD OF HIS CROSS; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.”

 

But we must also remember not only the peace He made possible for us, but also the calling we have to live a life of peace reflecting the example He gave us. This is a spiritual responsibility we have to live a life of peace as we seek, by the power of the Spirit, to live a life modeled after our Savior, Jesus Christ. This challenge is presented to us in Colossians 3:12-17

 

Colossians 3:12-17, “12 So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. 14 Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. 15 Let the PEACE OF CHRIST RULE IN YOUR HEARTS, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.” 

 

“…gentle,…”

 

Spiritual wisdom is also “gentle” which is a much needed character trait in our aggressive, hostile, selfish world. Being gentle in a godly manner does not mean you are timid and weak. Gentleness can be illustrated by those who are able to control themselves and their flesh so that godly gentleness can calm a tense situation and remain in control of emotions during a crisis, an argument or hardship. People often lose their cool and let their emotions take over when they cannot deal with a difficult situation, a horrible hardship or are angry at others who have offended them. The New Testament has several scriptures which illustrate the necessary trait of “gentleness” in the life of a Disciple of Christ.

 

Matthew 11:28-30, “28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

 

Ephesians 4:1-6, “4 As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit— just as you were called to one hope when you were called— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.”

 

1 Thessalonians 2:6-9, “As apostles of Christ we could have been a burden to you, 7 but we were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children. 8 We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us. 9 Surely you remember, brothers, our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you.”

 

We read in 1 Timothy that an Overseer or leader in a church should have the spiritual trait of “gentleness.”

 

1 Timothy 3:1-7, “3 Here is a trustworthy saying: If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer, he desires a noble task. 2 Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3 not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. 4 He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect. 5 (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?) 6 He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. 7 He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil’s trap.

 

In 1 Peter Christian wives are to be gentle in spirit.

 

1 Peter 3:1-6, “3 Wives, in the same way be submissive to your husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, 2 when they see the purity and reverence of your lives. 3 Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. 4 Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. 5 For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to make themselves beautiful. They were submissive to their own husbands, 6 like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her master.”

 

Next, James instructs us as Disciples of Christ to be reasonable in our thoughts, actions and motives.

 

“…reasonable,…”

 

Five Aspects of Christianity’s Reasonableness

 

FIRST, our behavior as Followers of Christ should always be reasonable and this is because the Christian faith and worldview offers a truthful and plausible explanation for affirming the objective source of spiritual knowledge, reason and rationality. This is because the basis of our faith is founded on a personal and rational God. God is wise and all-knowing. God created the expansive universe which reflects a coherent order of all things in existence. God also created humans in His image and gave them the capacity to be rational and able to discover reasonable organization.

 

SECONDLY, Christian truth does not violate the principles of reason. Our Christian faith can transcend finite human comprehension, but it is not irrational or absurd. Christian faith is not irrational or unreasonable. While our Christian faith can be mysterious at times, it is not incoherent or absurd. Our faith is dependent on the nature of God the Father, Son and Spirit which is based on the ultimate truth, wisdom and knowledge that exists in the Trinity.

 

THIRDLY, the Bible encourages the pursuit and acquirement of knowledge, wisdom and understanding (Job 28:28, Psalm 111:10, Proverbs 1:7). Scripture also encourages intellectual pursuits in the area of Bible study which can encourage discernment, testing, reflection and intellectual development in spiritual matters (Acts 17:11, 1 Corinthians 14:29, Romans 12:2, Colossians 2:8, 1 Thessalonians 5:21).

 

FOURTHLY, The Christian faith is based on the Bible which encourages and supports evidence, facts and reason. Biblical faith can be defined as a confident trust in a reliable and reasonable source which we know as God the Father, Son and Spirit…the Holy Trinity. It is also truth that our faith or belief is a necessary part of knowledge because we must believe in something in order to know anything at all. When we use our capacity to reason we are able to evaluate, confirm, establish and buttress our faith in God and Holy Scripture.

 

FIFTHLY,  and lastly, the Christian faith has made tremendous contributions to the fields of rationalism, logic and science through the centuries.

 

Proof of this can be found in the numerous advancements in the study of logic through the centuries which were provided by Christian-based scholars. Such Christian-oriented scholars are Peter Abelard, William of Ockham, Gottfried Leibniz, George Boole, Jon Venn and Kurt Godel. You may wish to look up these individuals on the internet and discover some fascinating ways these individuals made an impact on the study of logic and science.

 

If you study the history of science you will discover that Christianity had a huge influence on how science developed and was influenced greatly by the Christian faith. Not only were most of the founding fathers of the study of Science devout Christians which include; Copernicus, Kepler, Galileo, Newton, Boyle and Pascal…to mention a few, but the biblical worldview provided a basis for modern science to both emerge, develop and flourish to impact the world. The Christian faith affirmed that an infinite, eternal and personal God created the world “ex nihilo.” The basic belief of creation was that it reflected the rational nature of God the Creator and therefore established the orderly and uniform nature of the entire creation and the universe as a whole. It is also truth that God created humankind in His image (Genesis 1:26-28), which enabled humans to be uniquely capable of reasoning and of being able to discover the Creations order and intelligibility. This enabled the Christian worldview of logic and faith to support the underlying  principles that made scientific investigation and inquiry possible and also desirable.

 

“…full of mercy…”

 

Christian Wisdom also Promotes Mercy and is FULL of mercy!

 

Wisdom from God comes from a close relationship with Him that fosters a Christ-like attitude and love to be merciful to those we come in contact with in our normal day activities. As I see the change taking place in our culture over the years I sense that people are desiring mercy to be expressed to them. There is a lot of pride, cruelty, selfishness and abuse of many forms in our society today and now more than ever Disciples of Christ should seek to express mercy to those with whom we come in contact on a daily basis.

 

In Romans 12:4-8 we see a list of spiritual gifts that God bestows upon us when we accept Christ as our personal Savior.

 

“4 For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, 5 so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. 6 Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; 7 if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; 8 or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.”

 

Now we need to remember that these spiritual gifts bestowed on Disciples of Christ mentioned in this passage are specifically given by God through the Holy Spirit according to the will of God. Not everyone will have all of these gifts in the same capacity and not all will express them in the same manner or extent as another Believer. But a Disciple of Christ should never say for example; “I don’t feel myself called to be merciful to others, its just not my tendency to reach out and respond to people with mercy.” Since each of us as Disciples of Christ were shown mercy by God through Christ we should express mercy to those we come in contact with when the Holy Spirit within us convicts and moves us to show mercy to others. The same is true of all of the other aspects of the spiritual gifts.

 

“…and good fruits,…”

 

You might wonder if you haven’t read or studied this passage what is implied by the term “good fruits” and how is it related to a Christian’s wisdom? Galatians answers this question with the following scripture passage;

 

Galatians 5:22-26, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.”

 

These spiritual fruits come from the Holy Spirit manifesting Himself in our lives as we grow in Christ and allow the Holy Spirit to use us to express these spiritual fruits to others in our daily lives. I’ll take each in their order of mention in the passage. Each aspect of this fruit of the Spirit could be an extensive study in and of themselves, but I will cover each briefly as it relates to Christian wisdom to give you who are reading this commentary a basic understanding of each of these spiritual fruits and how they relate to spiritual wisdom.

 

LOVE: Love manifested in the life of a Disciple of Christ is motivated by the influence of the Holy Spirit as He seeks to both demonstrate God’s love towards us as well assist us in loving others and reaching out to serve those we come in contact with who have physical, mention, emotional and spiritual needs. Godly wisdom, as it develops within our spiritual growth, will seek to love others with compassion and love. Godly wisdom will be based on God’s Holy Word which is full of resources that relate to all aspects of our lives.

 

JOY: Many times wisdom is lacking in the lives of people because of a lack of joy in their lives. The world is a cruel place and it is full of cruel people. Joy is suppressed in a person’s life not only because they are at odds with God, but also if they are abused or traumatized by experiences in life. Godly wisdom is facilitated by the Holy Spirit’s influence in the life of the Disciple Christ, by reading God’s Word as well as applying it to our lives. Joy results in our lives as we apply Holy Scripture to our life experiences and develop spiritual wisdom. While our life experiences may not always be desirable or enjoyable, the joy of the Spirit can supernaturally give us strength to be still and be at peace. Remember Nehemiah 8:10 “…for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

 

PEACE: True spiritual peace is a relaxed trust in God: our spiritual Father, Christ: who died for us and is our advocate in Heaven and the Holy Spirit: who lives within us and desires to give us peace from God. Peace in our lives facilitates wisdom to be chosen rather than rushing with a rash and emotionally generated decision that could bring us into the danger of a poor choice rashly made because of a lack of peace in a situation.

 

PATIENCE: Wisdom from God, based on Holy Scripture and prayer will facilitate us being patient as we wait for God to either intervene in a difficult situation or to reveal to us an answer to our question or dilemma. Godly patience is trusting God for our well-being and believing that He has our best interest at heart. This aspect of wisdom will save us from rushing into a rash decision where we do ourselves harm or cause harm to others.

 

KINDNESS: Believe it or not, as we show godly-motivated kindness to others the Spirit will empower us to be Christ-like as we seek to minister in kindness to those who are suffering…be it emotional, mental, physical or spiritual. Our ability to judge issues in life, make decisions and live godly are dependent on our wisdom which develops as we reach out and love others through acts of kindness. The harsh experiences of people we meet not only are opportunities to love and minister to them, it also, at times, gives us examples of people who have not been wise in their judgments and we see the results of poor choices. In some ways this facilitates growth in our own wisdom, because we see the consequences of failing to be wise and prudent in life.

 

GOODNESS: Possibly it goes without saying that “Goodness” is a wise quality to possess in your life. Goodness is a godly quality of seeking to be kind to others, to be honest, to be moral in actions and behavior. Wisdom, if it could speak to us would say, “Whatever you do in life, seek to be good towards others and good in your actions and thoughts.” Such goodness will provide for a contented life, a fruitful life and a pleasant, peaceful life. What more can be said about goodness other than it is a very wise trait to possess!

 

FAITHFULNESS: Faithfulness in this scripture passage addresses our relationship with God, but it can also reflect our faithfulness to other people in our lives. It is very wise to be faithful to God as well as to others. In our worldly society faithfulness is almost non-existent. The divorce rate, the crime that is running rampant and the failure of many parents to neglect their children, not to mention the lack of faithfulness to be a good employee at work is evidence that the quality of being faithful to our commitments is a rare commodity. Why is it wise to be faithful? You prove you can be depended upon, you are committed to your promises, you are honest and truthful in the words you speak.

 

GENTLENESS: Wisdom is found in being gentle. Wisdom advises us to be gentle to someone who is hurt or emotionally wounded. Wisdom gives us knowledge and discernment to judge a situation before we speak or act. Without gentleness, even though we mean well, we can often wound or damage someone with words or actions or even lack of action. Wisdom is the strength of ministering to those who are wounded from the experiences of life. Wisdom will sometimes convict us just to hold someone and pray for them rather than speak words that may fall on a numb and wounded heart. Wisdom will often convict us to share a few gentle words rather than profuse words that simply inundate someone who is overwhelmed with confusion at the experiences of life. This is one reason God has given His Holy Spirit as a Disciple of Christ, for if we are led by the Spirit, the wisdom of God will temper how much we say and what kind of advice we will share with those who are wounded, despondent and destitute.

 

SELF-CONTROL: It almost goes without saying that self-control is greatly assisted by wisdom. Holding back on advice to others at times or waiting for the appropriate time to share such advice is a part of godly self-control. The Holy Spirit again can be of great assistance in when and when not to open our mouths. Thinking before speaking or if to speak at all requires self-control so that our speech will be monitored by the Holy Spirit and guided by Holy Scripture. Self-Control is a major aspect of living for Christ on a daily basis. The quote, “What would Jesus do?” is a mental, spiritual, emotional stop sign to help us make decisions that are self-controlled, god-honoring and of course WISE! In those instances were our actions or thoughts can damage our spiritual relationship with the Father, Son and Spirit, self-control can save and preserve the quality of our experience of being a Child of God. It goes without saying that self-control is an EXTERMELY WISE fruit of the Spirit!

 

“…unwavering,…”

 

Christian wisdom is established by God and the Holy Scriptures so it is unwavering in its veracity and truthfulness. Godly wisdom could be compared to the foundation of a building. The foundation of a high-rise building is critically important to support the huge structure and provide for it being safe and durable over a long period of time. The same can be said of Christian wisdom. As we live out our life we will face many temptations, decisions and experiences that will require us to be wise and solid in our commitment to Christ. When we have what might be called “godly” days, weeks or months we are on a good road and glide along rejoicing in the Lord, living close to His influence and ministering to others. But there are “bad” days where our faith, commitment and spiritual maturity are challenged. When we walk into such “bad” days, it will be necessary to consult not only the Lord in prayer, but also the godly wisdom that we have developed through trusting God, studying scripture, learning from the good and bad choices we have made in the past and trusting that God will lead us into proper godly responses in our situations. We must not waver in our commitment to the Lord which is based not only on our faith, but also on the wisdom we have built upon our past spiritual historical experiences.

 

“…without hypocrisy.”

 

Christian wisdom, because it is established by God through His own great wisdom and the truthfulness of the Holy Scriptures has no hypocrisy. Christianity is full of truth, it is genuine, it is direct, it is forthright, it is full of candor, it is open to be explored and brings great benefits when it is investigated. When we avoid being a Christian Hypocrite we are making the statement; I WILL LIVE MY LIFE AS CHRIST LIVED HIS! RELYING UPON THE HOLY SPIRIT…LIVING BY GOD’S WORD…AND SEEKING TO BRING GLORY TO MY LORD AND SAVIOR…JESUS CHRIST!

 

“18 And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.”

 

HOW APPROPRIATE that James ends this chapter with a rather creative choice of words!

 

            “And the seed whose fruit is righteousness…”  “…is sown in peace…” “…by those who make peace.”

 

Below are some graphics I designed that illustrate a comparison of the “Fruits of the Unwise” and the “Fruits of the Wise.” In reading Pastor Charles Swindohl’s commentary on the book of James I decided to use his graphics as an outline and made some graphic modifications to illustrate more graphically the concepts contained in the last part of Chapter 3.

 

THE FRUITS OF THE UNWISE! 

 

 ARROGANT –  DISHONEST –  PERVERSION –  EVERY EVIL-  NATURAL –  DEMONIC 

 

 

THE FRUITS OF THE WISE 

 PURE –  PEACEABLE – GENTLE – REASONABLE – MERCIFUL – BOUNTIFUL – UNWAVERING – SINCERE

 

NEXT are some additional definitions or examples of the meanings of the

“FRUITS OF THE UNWISE” and the “FRUITS OF THE WISE.”

 

FIRST, THE FRUITS OF THE UNWISE

 

ARROGANT: This essentially means boasting of yourself and is caused by sinful pride.

 

DISHONEST: You wish to obtain what you do not have through sordid and sinful means.

 

PERVERSION: Your thoughts and desires are for horribly twisted and sinful thoughts or actions.

 

EVERY EVIL: Your heart, mind and soul seek fulfillment in all aspects of deep explicit evil.

 

NATURAL: Those who live according to the sinful nature have their hearts and minds on what that sinful nature desires and there is no limit to what it will do to fulfill such desires.

 

DEMONIC: It is obvious that those who are unwise will think demonic evil thoughts, seek to live out such thoughts and will go to whatever sinful and unrighteous actions to live out their desires.

 

SECONDLY, THE FRUITS OF THE WISE

 

PURE: Wisdom from above is PURE! Godly purity originates from internal commitment to God with a great desire to worship God

     in one’s life by thinking, acting, loving and living like Christ.

 

PEACEABLE: It is true that God-given wisdom produces peaceful relationships. This fruit of the wise seeks to remove ill will, demonstrate peace in all aspects of one’s life in order to demonstrate God’s love.

 

GENTLE: This aspect of the Fruit of the Wise means that a person seeks to be humble in all aspects of their life. They may demonstrate this trait by being moderate and amiable in their relationships. They do not seek their own way, but seek to be moderate and yield to the needs of others.

 

REASONABLE: This Fruit demonstrates a personal trait of wisdom in someone. Such a person is teachable. They are not stubborn or argumentative, but instead they seek to work things out in a mature manner and to intimately communicate with others.

 

MERCIFUL: Those who are merciful exhibit the gift of being kind and lovingly wise to those who technically deserve punishment or a strong confrontation because of their actions. A person with the fruit of mercy shows kindness and benevolence to those who deserve judgment or punishment.

 

BOUNTIFUL: James associates the expression of mercy towards others with this trait that expresses mercy, gentleness and peace with magnificent and immense quantities towards those who do not deserve it. Such an example would be seen in expressing “agape- godly love” towards those who many of us would find it hard to love, help, assist or encourage.

 

UNWAVERING: This godly trait is a person is strong in their commitment to the Father, Son and Spirit lives out their faith consistently and regularly. This person never compromises their belief in the Truth of God’s Word, never, ever. This does not mean this person is like a Pharisee, stubborn and judgmental. But it does mean they love and live out their life without measure while…with godly wisdom seek to love others like Christ would. They balance their actions towards others and obedience to God as Christ-like as they can.

 

SINCERE: This fruit of the wise means they are absolutely honest and transparent in how the speak, live out their faith and live their lives. This person is not shifty, unstable or unpredictable. Such Disciples of Christ mean what they say and say what they mean. They are loving because the love of God resides within them. They share the truth and confront those who need confronting with love, wisdom and care.

 

As you have read the differences between the descriptions of the “Unwise” and the “Wise” where do you find yourself in your daily life. None of us are perfect – “We’re all a work in progress.” So what areas are you weak in and need improvement?

 

I would encourage you to pray about this question and ask God for illumination and understanding of where you are in your spiritual growth.

 

Ask God to help you improve in your relationship with Him as well as grow in your spiritual life so that it reflects more of your Savior, Jesus Christ. As Disciples of Christ we have many resources to assist us in growing in our faith, manifesting the characteristics of a godly life, transforming our inner spiritual life into one that emulates the character of Christ.

 

Remember that our life is a witness to others of what a Follower of Jesus,

a Disciple of Christ and a Child of God is really like!