A friend of the world, or a friend of God?

Who is Your Friend?

James 4:1-6

Introduction: Our vision statement at Boothbay Baptist Church says that:  “We envision a community of Christ followers rooted in the Word, treasuring God as supremely valuable and proclaiming the riches of His grace to the world.” We are not only a community, but a specific kind of community, that is, a family. A family designed by our Creator to encourage one another and to help one another, to bear one another’s burdens. As we lay that foundation our proclamation to the world gains credibility and we can more effectively carry out our mission “to know Christ and to make Him known.” In fact Jesus said, “By this men will know you are my disciples: if you have love for one another.”  That is God’s design, that is what we are made for. Even so, James reminds us that we still see contentions, divisions, and sometimes even all out fighting, within Christian families, even within the church! These things ought not to be! 

Chapter 3 of James ends in telling us that believers should be peacemakers, yet chapter 4 begins by asking what then causes fights among us? If we should be peacemakers, what are we fighting about?  James has been talking about authentic faith and godly wisdom as something that begins in our heart and shows itself in our life: our attitude in times of trial, our response to temptations, our care for the needy, our use of the tongue, the things he has been talking about in this letter make it clear that genuine Christian faith involves the head and the heart, and it will carry through to our feet and our hands.

“Joy” is a prominent theme in James, it is an aspect of the abundant life God wants us to have. It doesn’t mean there will be no conflict and struggle in life (James 1:3; see John 16:33!). But if we find ourselves in a battle, struggling with people around us, in the family, or in the church, James is saying that it may be time to look deeper to see if we are living in the light of our profession of faith in Jesus. Yes, there is conflict between light and darkness, so if we are walking with God we will have tribulation in the world. But we had better be sure that we are not guilty of closing our eyes to the Light and stumbling along in the darkness, living in a way that looks more like the world than the true church.  That is the question that James lays before us in this passage: Who is your friend, your best friend, the one to whom you turn daily in the search for happiness? Is it the world, or is it the God who made the universe, the One who so loved you that He gave His Son? To be God’s friend we must acknowledge who He is, and humbly submit to Him, then we’ll be transformed, increasingly enabled to reject strife and live in the peace and with the peace He wants for us.

The Big Idea: If we choose to be faithful to God and to humbly submit ourselves to Him, we’ll be enabled to rise above the chaos around us.

I. Look within: Our battles start in the heart (vv.1-3)! James is writing to a particular audience so it is likely that he knew of specific needs they were struggling with. It is also certain that he wrote under the inspiration of God to the church more broadly. The sad truth is, there are always conflicts going on at different levels all around us. Now Jesus did say that “wars and rumors of wars” would be a characteristic of this age. But it seems likely to me that James here is talking about in-fighting in the churches and Christian families to whom he is writing.  James does not debate whether or not there is conflict. He simply asks, “Why?  Where does it start?”

James answers his own question in verse 1: The wars outside start with the war in our heart: “What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this: that your passions are at war within you (v.1)?” Whether it is division in the church, struggles in relationships, or conflict in marriage, it will raise its head from time to time, and it starts in the heart, in the “passions” or “lusts” within us. The word here, hedone, h`donh, , is the word from which we get the term “hedonism.” In English it usually connotes the unbridled pursuit of pleasure. The word is used in only five New Testament verses, two right here in this context (4:1,3).  We also see:

Luke 8:14 Where Jesus is explaining the parable of the Sower: “And as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature.”

Titus 3:3 Paul explains the characteristics of a life “B.C.” (before Christ!): “For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another.”

Perhaps the most intense passage of all, Peter speaks of those who have been led by false prophets into indulging the flesh in 2 Peter 2:12-14,  ^“But these, like irrational animals, creatures of instinct, born to be caught and destroyed, blaspheming about matters of which they are ignorant, will also be destroyed in their destruction,  ¹³ suffering wrong as the wage for their wrongdoing. They count it pleasure to revel in the daytime. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their deceptions, while they feast with you.  ¹⁴ They have eyes full of adultery, insatiable for sin. They entice unsteady souls. They have hearts trained in greed. Accursed children!”

Wow, that is tough language from Peter! Think about what James is proposing in our passage: the wars on the outside start with the war in our hearts. The root cause of many of the battles we face in life is the passion for pleasure within our own hearts.  It’s a question of priorities, but more than that it points to the deeper questions of our purpose in living, what we are striving for. James suggests that some of those to whom he is writing have drifted far from the attitude for example of the psalmist: “As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God…” (Psalm 42:1-2a). The kind of intimacy the psalmist longs for is what we as humans were designed for.  Yet rather than giving God the place He should have, we are blinded by the world and the devil and seek to satisfy the longing in our hearts for things that won’t last. James shows how we can become so earthly minded that we are of no heavenly good.

Wrong thinking will lead to wrong choices: “You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask (v.2).  I don’t think James is talking about literal murder here (remember Jesus said that if we hate our brother we have already committed murder in our heart). He is speaking about the conflict that begins as coveting and desiring in our hearts. If envy and jealousy are our motivation we are never satisfied, we always want more, it’s us against them. That’s the flesh, not the Spirit.

God wants to bless us but our heart needs to be right: You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions” (v.3). The Bible makes a lot of statements about prayer, we saw some in our study of John. James has many parallels with the sermon on the mount (see the chart in the “James” pamphlet from Rose Publishing). One of those is right here, talking about the promise of answered prayer. Jesus said, "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened” (Matthew 7:7,8). 

 We sometimes take those things out of context and assume it is an unlimited gift card from God’s storehouse, a blank check to get anything we want from God. John R. Rice wrote a classic book on prayer which he entitled “Asking and Receiving.” There are certain potential impediments to that kind of effectual prayer that are presented in Scripture and virtually all of them go back to our heart. If we are truly praying in Jesus’ name we will be praying according to His will. We might ask expressing our momentary desires, without even considering or seeking the will of God. James says that our asking, if it is wrongly motivated, will not be answered by God in the way we might expect.  To be God’s friend we must believe God and humbly submit ourselves to Him, and when we do, we’ll be transformed, increasingly enabled to reject strife.

II. Look around: Have our choices revealed a love for God or an affair with the world (vv.4,5)? We need to look within to find the source of much of the conflict we face in life. James uses strong language to challenge his readers to examine their lives for evidence as to where their hearts lie.

First of all, are we living as salt and light in the darkness, or have we been conformed to the world?  James says, “You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God” (v.4).  Now wait a minute, wasn’t Jesus accused of being a friend of sinners? Yes – and we are called to be light in the darkness and the salt of the earth. We are also called to be in the world, but not of the world. The opening declaration reveals what James is getting at…

“You adulterous people!” James is not accusing his readers of literally being unfaithful in the marriage relationships. He has another relationship in view. His main point is that they are acting in a way that amounts to spiritual adultery. This language would have been very familiar to the Jews. God repeatedly admonished the nation for their unfaithfulness to him (Jer 3; Ezek 16). They were his chosen, his special possession, and they chose to lust after the pagan world around them. Jesus repeatedly called the nation of his day an “evil and adulterous generation” (Matt 12:39; 16:4). James is making the same accusation. They were chosen by God, His special possession, and yet rather than pursuing Him they were running after the temporal pleasures of this world, as if that was where they would find meaning and purpose in life.

It is because believers are susceptible to temporary worldliness that Paul warns, “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” (Rom 12:2; cf. 1 Pet 1:14–16), and, “Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth” (Col 3:2). Christians are “to live the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for the lusts of men, but for the will of God. For the time already past is sufficient for you to have carried out the desire of the Gentiles, having pursued a course of sensuality, lusts, drunkenness, carousing, drinking parties and abominable idolatries” (1 Pet 4:2–3). You get the idea. Those things, the “desire of the Gentiles,” elsewhere “the lusts of the flesh,” are not where we will find meaning and purpose in life. God has a better way.

Rhetorically he asks, “Don’t you know that friendship with the world is enmity with God?”  I don’t believe he is accusing them of being unsaved sinners, and so the enemies of God (though there were probably some in exactly that position in the congregation). I think he is talking to the believers who are living like the world.  He is saying “You make a choice: will you live like a child of God and citizen of heaven, or like the unredeemed sinners who are in rebellion against him?”

Next he asks,  “Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, ‘The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously’" (v.5, NKJV).  There are several questions about the translation of this verse. First of all, what Scripture is being referred to? It is not a direct quotation, but the Old Testament does affirm repeatedly that our God is a jealous God (e.g. Exod 20:5). I think that’s the point, and it fits the context. Commentators and translators are really divided over how best to handle this verse but it seems to me that the “Spirit” is referring to the Holy Spirit (hence the capital “S” in the NKJV), and He is the subject of the verb, “yearns jealously.” We are, after all, the bride of Christ! He has loved us, and laid down his life for us, and yet we are so easily tempted by the world, the flesh, and the devil.  That fits in this context that is talking about the spiritual adultery that we so easily fall into. God loves us. He chose us and made us his own. I’ve dealt with people who have experienced the heart break of being betrayed by a spouse. The worst thing imaginable, to have the one you love, the one to whom you pledged your life turn to another to share the intimacy they had pledged to you alone. Heartbreak. Devastation.  How much worse even than that the infidelity of humans whom God has chosen, to whom God has extended grace, for whom He has given His Son?  Does our life reflect our committed love to God, or an affair with the world? To be God’s friend we must humbly submit to Him, we’ll be transformed, increasingly enabled to reject strife.

III.   Look up: God is gracious to those who humbly trust Him (v.6).

First, the great hope is introduced by the word, “but”: “But he gives more grace…”  God is gracious: Grace, the unmerited favor of God, is something we desperately need. That is the foundation of the Gospel. That is the only basis upon which we, as fallen creatures, can hope to be reconciled to God. He saves us by grace, through faith.  And He graciously works in us, reaching out to us, picking us up when we fall, drawing us back when we wander, molding us into what he wants us to be. Max Lucado told a story that beautifully illustrates the idea of “Grace”:

Longing to leave her poor Brazilian neighborhood, Christina wanted to see the world. Discontent with a home having only a pallet on the floor, a washbasin, and a wood-burning stove, she dreamed of a better life in the city. One morning she slipped away, breaking her mother's heart. Knowing what life on the streets would be like for her young, attractive daughter, Maria hurriedly packed to go find her. On her way to the bus stop she entered a drugstore to get one last thing. Pictures. She sat in the photograph booth, closed the curtain, and spent all she could on pictures of herself. With her purse full of small black-and-white photos, she boarded the next bus to Rio de Janiero. Maria knew Christina had no way of earning money. She also knew that her daughter was too stubborn to give up. When pride meets hunger, a human will do things that were before unthinkable. Knowing this, Maria began her search. Bars, hotels, nightclubs, any place with the reputation for street walkers or prostitutes. She went to them all. And at each place she left her picture--taped on a bathroom mirror, tacked to a hotel bulletin board, fastened to a corner phone booth. And on the back of each photo she wrote a note. It wasn't too long before both the money and the pictures ran out, and Maria had to go home. The weary mother wept as the bus began its long journey back to her small village. 

It was a few weeks later that young Christina descended the hotel stairs. Her young face was tired. Her brown eyes no longer danced with youth but spoke of pain and fear. Her laughter was broken. Her dream had become a nightmare. A thousand times over she had longed to trade these countless beds for her secure pallet. Yet the little village was, in too many ways, too far away. As she reached the bottom of the stairs, her eyes noticed a familiar face. She looked again, and there on the lobby mirror was a small picture of her mother. Christina's eyes burned and her throat tightened as she walked across the room and removed the small photo. Written on the back was this compelling invitation. "Whatever you have done, whatever you have become, it doesn't matter. Please come home." She did.  [Max Lucado, No Wonder They Call Him the Savior, Multnomah Press, 1986, pp. 158-9].

It’s a long quotation, but it’s a beautiful illustration. And it is God’s invitation to every one of us. Christina abandoned her mother, ran from her, but her mother’s love was steadfast, enduring.  Don’t ever let the enemy convince you that it’s too late for you, you’ve gone too far, you’ve been away too long. Like the Father in the story of the Prodigal Son, God is waiting, looking toward the horizon, waiting for you to come home. He knows your past, He knows your struggles, and still He loves you so much that He gave His Son. His invitation still goes out to you: “Whatever you have done, whatever you have become, it doesn’t matter, please, come home.” James says, “He gives more grace.”

It is also true that God delights in humble submission to His lordship: “Therefore it says, ‘God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.’” Humility is not thinking badly of ourselves, it is merely admitting the truth. We are sinners, desperately in need of His grace. Paul asked the Corinthians “…What do you have that you did not receive? And if you received it why do you boast as if you had not?” (I Corinthians 4:7b).  We can’t save ourselves. Our only hope is in Him. If we affirm that truth He is there, extending grace, inviting us: “Whatever you have done, whatever you have become, it doesn’t matter. Please, come home.”

What is God saying to me in this passage? Are there battles that you are facing right now? Look within, because the battles around us often start with the battle in our own hearts. Look around, do the choices you have been making reflect love for God, or an affair with the world? It’s not too late to get back on course, to “Look up,” to turn back to Him. If you haven’t yet trusted Him, now is the accepted time, now is the day of salvation. If you have put your trust in Christ but honestly have not allowed Him to have His rightful place, on the throne of your heart, God is inviting you: whatever you have done, whatever you have become, it doesn’t matter. Please, come home. To be God’s friend we must humbly submit to Him, we’ll be transformed, increasingly enabled to reject strife and to live in the peace He wants us to experience.

What would God have me to do in response to this passage? Who is your friend? Is your life focused on pursuing things that won’t matter 100 years from now?  Has God been pushed into a tiny corner of your life, acknowledged and appreciated from time to time, but low on your priority list when it comes to what you really are pursuing? Come home, experience the relationship with God for which you were created, the abundant life He wants for you. Listen, if God is who He claims to be, if He demonstrated His love by giving His Son, if He has purchased eternity for us and created humans to have intimate fellowship with Him, why would we look elsewhere? The Lord gave the invitation to Israel through the prophet Isaiah, and it extends to us as well: “Why do you spend money for what is not bread, And your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, And let your soul delight itself in abundance” (Isaiah 55:2).  That is God’s offer to each of us. Life. Abundant Life. Life with meaning. Think about that.   Consider what God may be saying to you through this passage.     Amen.

The Body and the Mission

Its a strange feeling for a preacher to be at home while the church is meeting! Even so, here I am, still coughing and sneezing, but I think I have turned the corner. At least I won't be sharing my germs with the church family! What a blessing to be able to call an experienced preacher like Al Roberts at the last minute and have him step into the pulpit to preach the Word. I am confident that the message will be exactly what God intended for his people at Boothbay Baptist Church this morning. Yesterday I also missed the conference on discipleship that was presented by Keith Tulley of Vision New England. All of this is a reminder that the church is a body, and the mission that has been entrusted to us is the work of all of us. Ephesians 4:11-14 is a key passage for me and for us all...

"And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers,  12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ,  13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ,  14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes."

Pastors and teachers equip the saints. That means all of the believers in the church. Then together we carry out the "work of service." That is the mission, to make disciples. As we discover and use our gifts we build each other up, we provoke one another to love and good works. We all also are strategically placed by the sovereign Lord in a specific place, a sphere of influence which allows us to touch the lives of various unbelievers. As Tim Pierce told us when he was here, each of us is God's undercover missionary, placed around people who need to hear the Good News of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  May each of us take to heart the calling and privilege of being called by God to have a part in His mission!  Next Sunday, God willing, we'll return to our study in the Epistle of James.
your co-worker in Christ,
Pastor Steve

The Wisdom of God

“The Wisdom of Peacemaking”

James 3:13-18

Introduction: The Book of Proverbs tells us: “Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom…” (Prov 4:7a). We have more knowledge at our finger tips at this moment than at any time in our history. Mary Ann volunteers in the library at Coastal Christian School and was talking recently about how “out of date” print encyclopedias can become – but with the internet, computers and smart phones, tablets and “phablets” at our command, we can quickly research mostly any topic and get at least some very up to date information on demand. But even with the explosion of readily available “knowledge,” wisdom is as hard to come by as ever.  James starts this passage asking “who is wise and understanding among you?” He is asking his readers, “Do you think you have wisdom? Show me!”  Earlier he made it clear that wisdom is desirable, it is something to be sought and prayed about: We read in James 1:5, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” But what does James mean by “wisdom”? Not all that we call “wisdom” is God’s wisdom.  

          The Old Testament writings have a lot to say about true wisdom. “Wisdom” from the world’s perspective is often equated with how much you know.  From God’s perspective it means knowing Him and discerning how His truth should impact your life. It forms a moral and spiritual foundation for the life God wants for us. Job 28:28 says “…And he said to man, 'Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.'" Psalm 111:10 says “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever!” Practically “wisdom” is connected with knowing and fearing God, and praising Him, while we turn away from evil. Proverbs 1:7 likewise states that “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.” I Corinthians 2:6-16 teaches about the spiritual discernment that is only found in the wisdom from above:

“Yet among the mature we do impart wisdom, although it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to pass away.  ⁷ But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory.  ⁸ None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.  ⁹ But, as it is written, "What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him"-  ¹⁰ these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God.  ¹¹ For who knows a person's thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.  ¹² Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God.  ¹³ And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.  ¹⁴ The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.  ¹⁵ The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one.  ¹⁶ "For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?" But we have the mind of Christ.”

Have you heard the phrase “it’s not what you know, it’s who you know”? In a certain sense that is true when it comes to biblical wisdom.  “Wisdom” is not simply knowing facts about God. It means knowing Him, pursuing intimacy with Him, and in the process submitting to the Spirit as He guides us in the application of God’s truth in our lives. To know Him is to love Him, and to love Him is to obey Him. Jesus said “If you love me, keep my commandments.” This is the kind of “wisdom” that James wants his readers to embrace.

The Big Idea: “True wisdom is found in knowing God and submitting to His Spirit and will result in a changed heart that pursues His peace.”

I. Godly Wisdom is evidenced by a changed life and a humble attitude (3:13). “Who is wise and understanding among you?” In the Greco-roman world in which James is writing many of the Jews of the dispersion to who James is writing no doubt had a muddled view of what constitutes true wisdom. It was an important subject in the Hebrew Scriptures to be sure, but the Greeks especially had an interest in pursuing “wisdom” as they understood it.

            “By his good conduct let him show his works…” Just as faith is evidenced by a changed life, the person who is pursuing God and His wisdom will live out the implications of faith by making wise, God honoring, choices in life. “Conduct” is a neutral term, and it can either be negative or positive.  Here he says godly wisdom will be shown by “good conduct.” “Faithful living” and “wise living” are virtually synonymous ideas for James. This is how we recognize the wise: “By his good conduct…” James is probably reflecting the Jewish perspective of “good,” based on the Hebrew word tob.  As every good thing comes from above (James 1:17), the blessing of the God of the covenant, so also good conduct, a lifestyle that reflects a covenantal relationship with God, is evident in the life of someone who is seeking God’s wisdom.

           “…in the meekness of wisdom…” The language here implies that “wisdom” is the source from which a proper, godly, “meekness” or gentleness will come. It is the “meekness that comes from wisdom.” Meekness is one of the fruit of the Spirit mentioned by Paul in Galatians 5. Meekness is not weakness, it is seeing ourselves rightly, and grasping the depth of our dependence on God. Moses was described as the meekest man on earth, yet he was clearly not weak, he was used by God to lead a nation out of bondage through the wilderness and to the threshold of the promised land. Godly wisdom will result in a sincere humility because we will understand our dependence on God for everything.  True wisdom is found in knowing God and submitting to His Spirit and will result in a changed heart that pursues His peace.

II. Worldly Wisdom is unspiritual and is marked by a carnal attitude and lifestyle (3:14-16).

           “But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth” (14).  Just as James has been giving gauges that we can check to measure the authenticity of our faith, here he gives some indications that would reveal most clearly that an individual is not embracing the wisdom that comes from above. “Bitter jealousy” and “selfish ambition” are the marks of a “fool” in biblical language, not a person walking in God’s wisdom.

        First, the phrase “…bitter jealousy…” These two words appear together only here in the entire Bible. A couple of verses earlier referred to “bitter” vs. sweet water. Psalm 64:2-4 also refers to our speech when it says, “Hide me from the secret plots of the wicked, from the throng of evildoers,  ³ who whet their tongues like swords, who aim bitter words like arrows,  ⁴ shooting from ambush at the blameless, shooting at him suddenly and without fear.” It seems to connote an attitude of jealousy or envy that is so intense it foments anger or hatred toward others.

       The attitude that is specifically characterized by bitterness is “…jealousy…” or “envy.” This reflects an attitude that Paul includes in the works of the flesh that contrast the fruit of the Spirit: We read in Galatians 5:19-21 

 “Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality,  ²⁰ idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions,  ²¹ envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these."  

So “…bitter envy…” does not come from a heart walking in wisdom.  It is paralleled here with “selfish ambition” and “boasting”. It seems to picture the attitude “it’s all about me.” My comfort, my  accomplishments, what I know. Me, me, me.

          James says it plainly: “This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic” (15). In John’s language the world, the flesh and the devil are the source of the human wisdom that does not submit itself to God. He describes this with three adjectives…

·        “…earthly…” It is of this world system, not from God. Human wisdom is exactly what Paul was describing in I Corinthians 2. It exalts human reason over divine revelation. Proverbs twice warns “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death” (Proverbs 14:12; 16:25). Earthly wisdom, worldly wisdom, is not wise at all.

·        “…unspiritual…” The antonym of “spiritual” is carnal. This refers to the fallen human nature. Because the natural man is infected by sin, he is “unable to understand the things of the Spirit of God, they are foolishness to him…” (I Cor 2:14). The way of wisdom is to seek and to obey the God-breathed, Spirit inspired, words of Scripture.

·        “…demonic…” It is the kind of thinking that the enemy would delude us with – “…it is set on fire by hell…” Earthly, human wisdom, wisdom of the world, is inspired and encouraged by the Enemy whose goal is our destruction. The enemy does not mind our pursuit of knowledge, as long as he can convince us to leave God out of the equation.  That is the perspective of secular science. How can we explain the universe without reference to God and the supernatural? It can observe a lot of true things but falls short because it denies God who created and sustains all things! It tries to put human reason in the place of the God who is.

        “For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice” (16).

·        “Jealousy” and “self-ambition” are both “self-centered” concepts. Rather than showing interest in sowing seeds that will lead to peace and righteousness, i.e. that salvation and spiritual growth of people around me, I am more focused on making them look bad so I’ll look good. That kind of attitude doesn’t come from God.

·        “…there will be disorder and every vile practice…”  Chaos, or anarchy, rather than order. Evil, rather than the “good things” that God desires to give to his children.

True wisdom is found in knowing God and submitting to His Spirit and will result in a changed heart that pursues His peace.

III. Godly Wisdom is accompanied by a pursuit of holiness and a desire for peace (3:17,18). Warren Wiersbe said that when it comes to wisdom, origin determines outcome. Worldly wisdom will produce worldly results, spiritual wisdom will produce spiritual results.

 “But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial…” (17). Does this sound a bit like the “fruit of the Spirit”? It should. In the same passage where the apostle Paul tells the Ephesian believers to be “filled with the Spirit” he also says,

“Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, ¹⁶ making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.  ¹⁷ Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is...” (Eph 5:15-17). 

And in the very next verse he says to “be filled with the Spirit.” Wisdom from above is spiritual wisdom, it seeks God, and seeks to live in this world empowered by Him for the mission He has entrusted to us.

Notice that this divine wisdom is “…first, pure…”  God is “holy”. His people should live wisely, that is pursue the life He wants for us as we seek Him and His will for us. That means choosing God over the world, the flesh and the devil. These other characteristics reflect spiritual maturity, the Spirit-filled life God wants for us: 

 “…then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere [lit., “…without hypocrisy…”] (17). 

We very easily resort to wearing masks around each other. We want to appear strong even when we are struggling. That is arrogance, pride. We are made for community. We are designed to “bear one another’s burdens.”  That is wise living.  This kind of wisdom, wisdom from above, can be honest, transparent, sincere.

“And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace” (18). One of the things James is reflecting on as he writes seems to be the “beatitudes” that Jesus taught. Here we are reminded “Blessed are the peacemakers…” Remember that James is writing to Jewish believers of the dispersion. It’s hard to imagine them hearing the word “peace” without thinking of the Hebrew term “shalom” that lies behind it. It is not just the absence of conflict but it is the blessing of the good life God intends for His people, the people of the covenant. Paul describes the way of sinners in rebellion against God in Romans 3:10-18…

"None is righteous, no, not one;  ¹¹ no one understands; no one seeks for God.  ¹² All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one."  ¹³ "Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive." "The venom of asps is under their lips."  ¹⁴ "Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness."  ¹⁵ "Their feet are swift to shed blood;  ¹⁶ in their paths are ruin and misery,  ¹⁷ and the way of peace they have not known."  ¹⁸ "There is no fear of God before their eyes."

       Notice that these sinners in rebellion against God have not known the way of peace (v.7) and have no reverence for God (v.18). Where does wisdom begin? With the fear of the Lord (Prov 1:7, etc.).  Paul goes on in Romans to say we have peace through faith (5:1) and we  are to pursue what makes for peace and mutual edification (14:19). And by our lives and by our testimony we sow seeds of peace in hearts of those in our sphere of influence, the mission field to which we have been sent.

What is God saying to me in this passage? “True wisdom is found in knowing God and submitting to His Spirit and will result in a changed heart that pursues His peace.”

What would God have me to do in response to this passage? How do we make wise decisions? It all starts not with what you know, but who you know. “The fear of the Lord…” is the foundation for true wisdom. If God is who he claims to be, his Word has absolute authority in my life – or it better! If it is my heart’s desire to know and love God, it should be my desire to obey Him. Jesus said “If you love me, keep my commandments.”   As we seek God’s wisdom the fruit will be evident in our lives, our priorities are different than those of our neighbors. Yet God will use us to sow seeds of peace if we are willing and available. Think about that.    AMEN.

Taming the Tongue

Taming the Tongue

James 3:1-12

Introduction: People talk a lot. They really do. I read one statistic that the average person speaks ten thousand words in a day (and some are far above average!).  Another source I looked at said men speak about 7,000 words a day and women speak about 20,000.  One wise guy said the problem is that by the time he gets home from work he’s about used up his 7,000 and his wife is just getting started on her 20,000!  Jesus said that our speech exposes something deeper, it reveals our heart.  We read in Matthew 12:34, “You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” He goes on to say in Matthew 15:19, “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander.” It all starts in the heart. In fact, He said in Matthew 12:36-37  “I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak,  ³⁷ for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned." Our speech is a reliable barometer of our spiritual condition, so much so that what comes from our tongue is sufficient to condemn us! Remember the children’s song, “Be careful little eyes what you see…” Is there a line (there should be a line) “Be careful little tongue what you say…”

Context:  This passage is in the context of a letter written by James the brother of the Lord.  James is writing to Jewish believers who had been scattered outside of their homeland in a time of persecution. He is interested in showing them the difference between a mere profession of faith, and the life changing evidence of authentic faith in Jesus. A genuine believer is not perfect, but he is on a path: learning, maturing, and being transformed by Christ. So he has a joy that the world can’t take away, because he knows that even in the hard times God is working for our good and for His glory. He realizes that he is responsible for his own choices when confronted with temptations to sin, and he turns to God for help to persevere. He receives the Word of God with eagerness and with a determination to hear and obey the truth.  He doesn’t discriminate against people of a different social status, income or ethnicity – recognizing we are all created in God’s image and equally in need of His grace. He understands that we are saved by grace through faith, unto good works… in other words, authentic saving faith will show itself in a transformed life. Chapter three brings us to a theme that is repeated throughout the epistle, mentioned in all five chapters: our speech will ultimately reveal our heart. I think there is both an indicative and an imperative in what James has to say about this subject.  Our speech will be changed if we believe in Jesus. And we must choose to submit our speech to His lordship every time we open our mouth.  

The Big Idea: “Our speech will be changed as God changes our heart, and as we grow in Him we must choose to submit our tongue to His control. Will your speech (and will mine) bring glory to God today?”

I. Our speech must be controlled because of its power (3:1-5a). “Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.  ² For we all stumble in many ways…”

        Not many should be teachers since the potential for harm (and judgment) is multiplied.  James is certainly not saying that those with the gift of teaching shouldn’t teach – but it seems that there may have been some “status” linked to being “up front,” and that led to many aspiring to be pastors and teachers.  James said think twice about it. Make sure that you are called before you choose to stand up and teach the Word of God. It is critical for all of us to guard our tongue, as James said earlier, “to be quick to listen, slow to speak,” but the potential for harm is multiplied when you stand up before a group and claim to present the Word of God. Teachers, says James, will be judged more strictly.  The principle however applies to us all, James mentions the tongue (or our speech) in every chapter. Here are a few of the verses:

James 1:19  “Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger…”

James 1:26   “If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless.”

James 2:12  “So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty.”

Chapter 3 the extensive section we are looking at today focuses on the tongue.

James 4:11  “Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law.”

James 4:16  “As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.”

James 5:9  “Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door.”

Suffice to say, James wants his readers to examine their own speech, but notice that many of these are imperatives, commands. He is showing that our speech will be changed if we have genuine faith in Christ so in that sense it is one more evidence of authentic faith. But he is also telling us that we must consciously choose to submit our speech to Him. [By the way, James is not the only biblical writer that gives such attention to the matter of our speech, it’s a prominent theme in the Book of Proverbs (see for example Prov 1:11-19; 5:2-5; 6:1-5, 12-15, 19, 24-35; 7:5; 9:13-18; 10:6-19,23; etc.!)].

        In 3:2b-5a the analogies of a ship and a horse are used to teach that the tongue must be mastered because it impacts our entire life, for better or for worse. I don’t know much about ships, but it seems pretty straight forward that a rudder is important, it is turned and sets the direction of the entire ship. I know a little more about horses. I had a horse when I was growing up, my sister had a couple of horses. We learned to ride at a young age. The bit in the horse’s mouth allows that rider to control the animal, and to direct it where you want to go. James seems to be saying not only that a small thing, like the tongue, can have a tremendous effect, but in both analogies it guides the larger body, it sets the direction. If we can control our tongue, if we can submit even that unruly member to the control of Christ, it will be increasingly true that the rest of our body will follow.  Our speech will be changed as God changes our heart, and as we grow in Him we must choose to submit our tongue to His control. Will your speech (and will mine) bring glory to God today?

II. Our speech must be controlled because it can cause great harm (3:5b-8). “How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire!  ⁶ And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell.  ⁷ For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind,  ⁸ but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.”

It seems every year there are out of control wild fires in the southwest of the US.  When things are dry as they often are in that region of the country it doesn’t take much of a spark to start a blaze. Dry brush and trees coupled with high winds and they spread quickly, engulfing houses and tragically taking lives. In July of this year 19 elite “hot shot” firefighters from Prescott, Arizona were killed in one blaze that suddenly turned against them.  In July and August dozens of homes were destroyed in California by wildfires that burned out of control. Destruction, havoc, heartbreak, and it only takes one match, or a discarded cigarette, in some cases a lightening strike, but only a small flame can grow into a fire that consumes enormous areas and everything in its path.  If you think that is hyperbole reflect on the impact that words from others have had on you during your life.  

             Notice the four-fold description of the tongue in verse 6…

     1. “And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness…” The language here is very strong, “a world of iniquity.” “Cosmos” would normally represent the world as a system in rebellion against the rule of God. The potential for evil in the human tongue is such that it can represent that concept.

     2. “The tongue is set [or possibly, “sets itself”] among our members, staining the whole body…” Jesus said that what comes out of man defiles, that especially includes our speech (Mark 7:20ff.). Could there be a double entendre here that implies the tongue can not only “stain” our own reputation, but that of “the body,” i.e., the church?

     3. “…setting on fire the entire course of life…” This is an unusual phrase that only occurs here in the New Testament, “the circle of life.” It seems to be a hyperbole that expands on “the whole body” in the previous phrase. Sin is pervasive, it touches everything, it spreads everywhere.

     4. “…and set on fire by hell…”  “Hell” is the word “Gehenna” and refers to the Valley of Gihinnom outside of Jerusalem. There pagan sacrifices of children to Molech were previously practiced (see 2 Kings 23:10; 2 Chron 28:3; 33:6; Jer 7:31,32; 19:5,6; 32:35) and so the place was so despised by the Jews it became the town garbage dump. The constantly burning fire there was referred to by Jesus as an illustration of the eternal fire of Hell.  There are two possibilities as to what James is saying here and both are true: First, some commentators think that this is saying that the one destined for hell, Satan, is the one who instigates human tongues to start the damaging fires that we cause. Then lying, hypocrisy, gossip, backbiting, all have their origin “in hell” (because they come from the one who is destined for hell). That may be the point, but others read this as referring to the eventual judgment of the unredeemed tongue of the unregenerate. So James may be alluding to either the origin of the evil that flows from the human tongue or the eventual destination of the unredeemed tongue.

             Either way, that paints a dark picture, and v.8 makes it clear that although humans have subdued all kinds of creatures in the world, “…no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.” What hope is there then? Well, no human can tame the tongue, but the Spirit of God working within us can. One of the “fruit of the Spirit” is “self-control” (see Gal 5:23), that would certainly include our unruly tongue. According to the Apostle Paul, as we present our bodies to God, He transforms us from the inside out (Rom 12:1,2). Paul puts it this way in his letter to the Colossians:

⁵ Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.  ⁶ On account of these the wrath of God is coming.  ⁷ In these you too once walked, when you were living in them.  ⁸ But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth.  ⁹ Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices  ¹⁰ and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator (Col 3:5-10).

Notice v.8, the tongue is what must be “put off” as well. We are being changed and we are called to choose to live in conformity with our new nature. That’s the rudder, the bit in the horse’s mouth that directs our entire being.  Our speech will be changed as God changes our heart, and as we grow in Him we must choose to submit our tongue to His control. Will your speech (and will mine) bring glory to God today?

III. Our speech should be and must be consistent with our new nature (3:9-12). “With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God.  ¹⁰ From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. 

              The duplicity of our use of the tongue is underscored here by James. We sing praises to God, then we put down or tear down people that are made in his image.  A spring doesn’t yield fresh water one day and salt water the next. A plant produces fruit consistent with its nature. And out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. Our speech will reveal our heart.

            But notice that James says, “These things ought not to be…” The fact that he is giving commands, imperatives, indicates that speech that is inconsistent with our new nature in Christ may happen, in fact it does happen, but it should not characteristically happen. IF we are in Christ we are being transformed, our speech should increasingly reflect that transformation. He asks, ^“Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water?  ¹² Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.”  Our speech should consistently reflect our new life in Christ.

What is God saying to me in this passage? There is a tension between “what is” and “what ought to be” in James: Our speech will be changed as God changes our heart, and as we grow in Him we must choose to submit our tongue to His control. Will your speech (and will mine) bring glory to God today?  In this sense James is not only giving us tests to measure the authenticity of our faith, but he is saying that we should live consistently reflecting our faith. I think I can say that every one of us have sinned with our tongue. Sometimes it is malicious: we aim to be hurtful. Sometimes its sarcasm that we think is funny, maybe we don’t mean to hurt, but it can still cut deeply. It could be gossip, whispering to a friend what should be kept in confidence or dealt with face to face. Sometimes we speak in anger and we might regret it, but there is no calling those words back. “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can hurt me deeply.”

What would God have me to do in response to this passage? Will you determine to use your speech to encourage and build up others? Remember the power of your words, to wound and devastate, or to encourage and edify. This passage drives me back to James 1:19, “…be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger…”  Could it be that you have wounded someone with your tongue, and need to seek forgiveness and reconciliation? Is there someone in your sphere of influence that needs to hear words of blessing or encouragement today? As we prepare our hearts for the Lord’s Table, may we examine ourselves in the Light of James’ challenge to us.  Think about that, AMEN.