James 3_13-18
Wisdom of Character
Last week we spoke of the evil that the tongue can get us into and how the tongue, and how people use it, can be a good sign of where people are in their Christian life. And the totality of the first part of James 3 is summed up in verse 9.
“Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the likeness of God.”
You cannot curse your brother and at the same time say that you love God.
1 John 2:8-11 states it this way: Now, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shines. He that says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness even until now. He that loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no occasion of stumbling in him. But he that hates his brother is in darkness, and walks in darkness, and knows not whither he goes, because that darkness has blinded his eyes.
You might say pastor, I don’t hate my brother or sister, I just don’t like them. We all have issues. You and your issues are no better or worse than your brother of sisters. In comparison to God we all stink.
But if you are using your tongue to tear down your brother or sister in Christ, if you speak negatively behind their back you are doing them wrong and your words are tearing down your own world, not theirs.
So who is the wise man James ask (Look at verse 13)?
James 3:13 Who [is] a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? Let him show out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.
• It is the person whose Conversation (Conduct in life) “his works” show the truth
• It is the person whose life is characterized by a meekness in dealing with others in the family of God and outside.
According to Bill Farmer's newspaper column, J. Upton Dickson was a fun-loving fellow who said he was writing a book entitled Cower Power.
• He also founded a group of submissive people. It was called DOORMATS.
• "Dependent Organization Of Really Meek And Timid Souls
• " Their motto was: "The meek shall inherit the earth
• " They symbol was the yellow traffic light.
General Douglas MacArthur, In prayer for his Son I think spells out some of the formula for true character and meekness of Wisdom:
He prayed:
"Build me a son, O Lord, who will be strong enough to know when he is weak, & brave enough to face himself when he is afraid. One who will be proud & unbending in honest defeat, & humble & gentle in victory.”
"Build me a son whose wishes will not take the place of deeds - a son who will know Thee, who is the foundation stone of knowledge.”
“Lead him, I pray, not in the path of ease & comfort, but under the stress & spur of difficulties & challenge.”
"Here let him learn to stand up to the storm.”
“Here let him learn compassion for those who fail.”
“Build me a son whose heart will be clear, whose goal will be high, a son who will master himself before he seeks to master other men, one who will reach into the future, yet never forget the past.
"And after all these things are his, add, I pray, enough of a sense of humor so that he may always be serious but never take himself too seriously.
“Give him humility so that he may always remember the simplicity of true greatness, & an open mind of true wisdom, & the meekness of true strength.”
"Then I, his father, will dare to whisper, `I have not lived in vain.’"
If you look for God in your brother and sister in Christ, see them for who they will be when God finishes with them then you will be wise and endued with knowledge.
But James goes on to say (verse 14)
14 But if you have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.
If you do not look at yourself for who you really are then you lie against the truth.
• Is there bitterness in your life from things that are beyond your control and you tend to take it out on others?
• Are you always arguing with someone and never solving the issues at hand?
• Does your bitterness separate your from others?
James Says: Glory Not! Lie not! against the truth.
• Glory Not! – a proud, arrogant stance for your truth (your way of dealing with life over others)
• Lie Not! – a false or deliberate deception of what the truth really is (internal deception, within yourself, of who you are, and who God is. An attempt to lie to oneself so that you do not have to change.)
James Says: Don’t! (verse 15)
15 This wisdom descends not from above, but [is] earthly, sensual, and devilish.
If the things I have been saying sounds like your life then James says it is not of God
• It is earthly – it belongs to the world system, not God’s
• Sensual (øõ÷éêόò) - it belongs to the mind, not the scriptures, it is choosing your mindset over the things of God.
• Devilish (äáéìïíéώäçò) It belongs to demons, not the things of God. In other words you are demon possessed or at minimum demon oppressed.
Early in my Christian walk, back in the late 70’s early 80’s there was a controversy going around in Christian and non Christian camps. There were two parts to the controversy:
1. Could a real Christian, someone filled with the Holy Spirit of Christ be demon possessed.
2. Were all unsaved people, people not have the Holy Spirit of Christ in them, Demon possessed.
Being a new Christian, I did not know what to believe. But after a few years of walking with the Lord and a better understanding of the Bible it became clear to me:
1. A real Christian, someone filled with the Holy Spirit of Christ could not be demon possessed, but they could be
a. oppressed by demon opposition,
b. attacked by spiritual forces until there camp was overrun, causing them to do horrific things
c. deceived by demons to believe black is white and white is black
The way to overcoming these spiritual attacks is two fold:
• get back in the Word of God and choose truth over the lie
• Pray as much daily as possible, until the Holy Spirit in you is greater in strength than all the lies you have believed.
2. Unsaved people may not be demon possessed, but they are living in the same camp as the demons and so are not a party to the things of God and do not understand the things of God. There are only two camps; Gods and the Devils There is no in between.
a. You are either in God’s camp through the acceptance of what Christ did on the cross to pay for your sins, or
b. your in the Devil’s camp and are a product of his deceptions and lies.
c. The unsaved want to believe there is a 3rd possibility, your in your own camp and with neither of the others. But that possibility is just one of the lies of the Devil. If you are independent of God you are separated from him and in the Camp of the Devil.
James then explains why we should know it does not come from above, from God:
James says:
16 For where envying and strife [is], there [is] confusion and every evil work.
If there is evil work and confusion than it is of the Devil because the word of God says God is not the author of confusion.
1Cr 14:33 For God is not [the author] of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.
Job 1:8 And the LORD said unto Satan, Have you considered my servant Job, that [there is] none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that fears God, and eschews (evades) evil?
Where there is confusion, strife, evil, there you will find the work of the devil. If you find the work of the devil, then God isn't in it. He will allow it, to test you, but God isn't in it.
James closes with this thought:
Jam 3:17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, [and] easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality (judging), and without hypocrisy.
Jam 3:18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.
The key to recognition of God’s hand in something is peace. If God is in it you will have perfect peace. If he is not there will be confusion and no peace.
“Peace of mind,” “not a piece of my mind” is where God is.
If you are a person with very little peace of mind, but a person who is always wanting to give someone else a Piece of your mind then you must ask yourself; “Am I really walking with the Lord?” According to Scripture I am not living the life Christ asked me to.
If I am truly wise; If I am truly at peace, if I am truly gentle, if I am persuaded, If I am merciful, If full of good fruit, If I am impartial in my judgments, If I am without hypocrisy, then my life and my words bear it out.
But if my wisdom is of the world then around me will be strife, evil, worldliness and no peace.
Where am I?
Who am I?
