Hanging out in James

 

James 3: 13-18

I’m not sure James would have been a fun guy to hangout with!   Put yourself as the one who received this letter, and tell me would you have gotten a little defensive about the question asked in verse 13; “Who is wise and understanding among you?  By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom.”  A couple points of interest, first, it was a letter and the verses and chapters were added much later, and you were in the mind of God when He inspired James to write this.  So it gets personal, James is telling me that my good conduct will show my works or the lack of them in the meekness of wisdom, and that will help us answer the first part of the question about self and others.

James also tell us that we need to fess up to what is in our hearts, “But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth.”  My first thought was bitter jealousy and selfish ambition does not belong in the same thought pattern, but is that true?  Do not both have their roots in anger; someone else got the better place on the boat, a better family, a better education, the big promotion, the nicer house, and the root of this anger has it focus on Creator God.  It comes back to God must love them more than He loves me, because they got what they desired, but I did not.  And do not be deceived, selfish ambitions are rooted deeply in self-will and not in God’s will, they also have festered in the root of anger.  James goes on to share; “This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.”   You may be saying I’m out of here, James has fallen off the bridge on this one, it may be earthly wisdom, but I’m not buying that it is unspiritual and demonic.  Then you must go back to where this battle began, Isaiah the prophet gives light into the fall of Lucifer or Satan in Isaiah 14:12-14.  What was the root cause of his fall from such a high position of importance, Isaiah tells us, “You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God. I will set my throne on high; I will sit on the mount of assembly in the far reaches of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself lie the Most High.”

It all began in a root of bitter jealousy and selfish ambition, wanting our will over the will of God.  James tells us; “For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.”  Folks, stop and look around you, look at our government, and our culture, our problem is self will, not God’s will.  But James tells us we do not have to live that way; “But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.  And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.”  (James 3:17-18)

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice