James–Part 17

But the wisdom from above is first of all pure–then peace loving, gentle, willing to yield to others, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering and sincere. And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness.
James 3:17-18

James has a lot to say about the nature of wisdom, and in chapter 3 he explains how wisdom helps us establish and build healthy relationships. His counsel is timeless because we will meet all kinds of people in the world. Some will inspire us and some will irritate us, and early in life we learn that most of our problems are people problems. James tells us how to use these challenges to build productive bonds with the folks around us.

Verse 18 gives us the key: “those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness.” You and I plant seeds every day. Sometimes we plant seeds of skepticism, anger, and selfishness. Sometimes we plant seeds of peace, love, and generosity. And we reap what we sow. In verse 17, James offers several characteristics of heavenly wisdom we can use to evaluate our own relational health.

First and foremost, James says, the wisdom that comes from above is hagne (“pure”). The term stems from the same root as the word, “holy.” To be hagne is to be “set apart” in both a negative and positive sense: set apart from earthbound values and set apart to live according to God’s principles. When James says purity is “first,” he is saying it is the preeminent attribute and serves as an umbrella for the others. Wisdom can only be built upon a commitment to do things God’s way.

James–Part 16

We live in a day and age where wisdom is sold everywhere. We have books to teach us The Secret, How to Win Friends and Influence People, the Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, and how to Think and Grow Rich. We have celebrity gurus like Deepak Chopra, Suze Orman, Wayne Dyer, Anthony Robbins, Eckhart Tolle, Dr. Phil, and Joel Osteen. We have thousands of television programs, radio shows, and blogs.

It seems like everyone has a plan we can follow to get ahead in the world. But with so many competing and contradictory plans being offered, we need to ask the question James asks in chapter 3: Who is wise and understanding among you?

That’s a great question, but the answer will depend on the kind of wisdom we are looking for. James says there is more than one kind:

Who is wise and understanding among you? Show it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, don’t sin against the truth by boasting of your wisdom. Such “wisdom” does not come down from above, but is earthbound, unspiritual, and demonic. For where there is envy and selfish ambition, there will also be disorder and wickedness of every kind.

James 3:13-16

James–Part 15

James 3:1–12 offers invaluable counsel on a subject all of us get in trouble with from time to time: our words. It is said the average person speaks enough words in one year to fill sixty-six 800 page books. That’s a lot of talking, and with that many words, it’s easy to get ourselves in trouble. James introduces the subject with a warning:

Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers and sisters, for we who teach will be judged more strictly. We all stumble in many ways, and anyone who does not stumble in speaking is perfect, able also to bridle the whole body.
James 3:1–2

Teachers are used as an example because they work primarily with words, and it’s especially easy for their words to lead others astray. James says teachers (and this would include parents, friends, and other advice givers) must practice what they preach. Otherwise, they are hypocrites. “Do as I say, not as I do” won’t cut it. We must live out the faith we claim to possess, and nothing has a bigger impact on that than the way we speak to others.

James–Part 14

James, pastor of the church in Jerusalem a decade after Jesus’s ascension, wrote a letter to Christians in the Diaspora. He was concerned about the persecution they were enduring and the false teaching they were embracing. In chapter 2, he says they have misunderstood what faith in Jesus is. Faith does not sit on the sidelines and offer spiritual soundbites. Faith acts.

What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but doesn’t show it by their actions? Can that kind of faith save them? If a brother or sister has no food or clothing, and you say, “Go in peace; stay warm and eat well,” but do nothing about the person’s physical needs–what good does that do? In the same way, faith, if not accompanied by action, is dead. Now someone may argue, “You have faith and I have works.” How can you show me your faith if you don’t have good works? I will show you my faith by my good works.
James 2:14-18

James is speaking about the kind of “faith” I became very familiar with in thirty-plus years of pastoring. It defines faith as “agreeing with,” or “acknowledging the truth of.” For example, the Bible says Jesus died for our sins, and salvation is found in no other name. Many of us have been taught that when we agree with what the Bible says and acknowledge Jesus as Lord, we are exercising faith, but James says this is a counterfeit definition. Faith is more than accepting the existence of God and acknowledging Jesus is Lord. Even demons do that.

You say you have faith because you believe there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe that–and shudder.

James 2:19