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| JAMES LESSON #58 I want to go back to James 3:13 and look at the two �wisdom�s� � and who�s really �wise�- Wisdom isn�t just something that�s seen in your behavior, it�s also something that�s heard through the gentleness of your mouth. Wisdom, is taking knowledge and being able to �apply� it to your life. James has spent a great deal of time talking about our speech. I want to take a look at the �wisdom� that �comes from your mouth.� Look at verse 14 �selfish ambition is: Me first � My way � My time-My priorities-My agenda- Not, God first-God�s way-God�s time-God�s priorities-God�s agenda. It�s �Get out of my way � I want to be number one � this is �my� idea- I�m in charge � you don�t know what you�re doing-I want you loving me and nobody else- I�m first: If you want a clear picture of this, stand in the middle of a room full of young children and listen to them play. Have you ever heard the line, �Who said �you�re� the boss?� -is that from God? Is that the �Royal Law of Love?� Is that the �character� of Jesus Christ? No. No. and more No. That �wisdom� is not from above. If I start strutting down selfish ambition road I can know one thing for sure- somewhere, I�ve strayed from truth. There�s something that�s contaminated my heart. If I�m struggling with bitter jealousy, or selfish ambition � it�s not not not from God. James 3:14 Don�t turn around and say, �What I�m saying is from God.� Wrong. You�re lying against truth. You can�t say it�s from God. He�s saying � this �wisdom� is not from above- it�s earthly � this is how the world lives. We�re surrounded by a society that �conditions� us to go after the first position � there�s nothing wrong with reaching for your greatest potential � as long as your reach is �God directed.� The problem happens when the reach is �all about you.� From you-to you-through you-for you-about you�That�s �natural wisdom� � man�s �wisdom� apart from God. Ok think a minute � if it�s �natural wisdom� � if it�s apart from God � then it has to be demonic. Why? Because if it�s not of God, it�s of this world and who�s the �prince of this world?� Satan. In Isaiah 14:12-14 you can see why he calls it demonic wisdom. What did Satan say? I will ascend above the throne of the Most High. I will be like the Most High. He �was� exalted, Isaiah and Ezekiel tell us � He was exalted and lifted up � and then corrupted because of his beauty-because of his excellence. He decided he would be �above God.� You say � �Well I would never go there..� really? If you were to examine your life, how many of the choices and decisions you make do you and have you taken to God � for �His� direction � �His wisdom� � �His discernment?� When you listen to your mouth, how much �criticism, grumbling, and complaining� happens on a regular basis � indicating that your thoughts on what is and isn�t happening don�t agree with God�s direction and purpose? How often do we really �position ourselves above God� � doing our own thing, choosing our own direction, and/or whining over the way everything lands when God orders it up? That�s �selfish ambition.� When you start to put down others, what are you putting them down for? -to exalt yourself �something�s wrong in the heart in this picture. Go after it. Go after the �heart problem.� Look behind the jealousy-look behind the anger � what�s there? What �issue� have you not taken to the cross and left? What are you carrying that you shouldn�t be carrying? James repeatedly says, �Purify your heart- cleanse your hands� � you�re being pulled between the �wisdom from above and the �wisdom� from beneath. You�re being pulled by Satan away from God. You�re being pulled by the Spirit of God and by your own fleshly desires. James is saying � �Be on guard- that �wisdom� is not of God. Look at James 3:16- Chapter four opens with ��Why are you guys fighting all the time? It�s warring inside you. Why? Because where selfish ambition and jealousy exist there is disorder and every evil thing. Check out the scene at home. Check out the scene at school � or at work. Check out your relationships. Is there disorder? Is �evil� unfolding in lives around you? Are you surrounded by �peace� or �chaos?� Enter the same picture � and listen carefully to your mouth. Look at your heart by looking behind the words your mouth speak. You say-�But the other person is ripping into me!� What�s James told you to do? Rip them apart in return? Don�t think so. You�re in the heat of a trial � obviously a painful one. What are you to do? Count it all joy � and the �root� of joy is what? �Gratitude.� How in the world am I supposed to be thankful when somebody is ripping into me? You aren�t thankful for the �ripping� � you�re thankful that God can handle the �ripping� � and you hand the situation over to Him to direct and �keep your mouth shut.� HARD TO DO-BUT VERY EFFECTIVE when it happens. Remember, God has allowed that hard circumstance to strengthen you and glorify Himself through you. But � they are HUMILIATING ME! They humiliated Jesus. James says � �Glory in your humiliation� � how? By recognizing the fact that it�s not your battle � the humiliation is God�s to deal with � and in humility, releasing it into His care. But I NEED TO BLAST THEM -THEY MAKE ME SO ANGRY! Hmmmm � sounds like �selfish ambition and bitter jealousy� to me � Me in charge � �God, on this round, step aside � I�m really going to give them what they deserve.� Oh really? If you go there and choose �your way out� in the battle and make an enormous mess of things, don�t turn around and �blame God� for the mess you create. The root cause in that choice is your �response� to your own �lust� � your own �desire.� According to James, when �lust� screams � when �desire� screams, (and usually when you�re really hurting it screams loudest) � you�re to go to God and ask for help. The tough part? Usually when we do that, God doesn�t handle it the way we �want� Him to handle it � or as �quickly� as we want Him to handle it, which escalates our �desire� to step into His position and take charge. Big � BIG temptation there � with devastating consequences if acted on. James 3:17 �pure� means �free from �self interest� � free from �ambition� � wholly serving God without ulterior thoughts or motives: - wow, that�s a tall order. The wisdom from �above� is distinctly different from �earthly� wisdom in that�s it�s first �pure� � big big contrast in �pure� and �selfish ambition and bitter jealousy.� Did you catch that? Mark it. First, it�s �pure� � then, it�s �peaceable.� He uses peace in verse 17 and then twice in verse 18. What�s the point? He wants you to really get a hold on the idea that this �wisdom from above,� �unites� � it does not �divide.� Jesus� prayer for us was that we would be one � even as They are One. He, the Father, and the Holy Spirit. This kind of �wisdom� produces �right relationships.� Now hear me well on this next point: You can personally be living out behavior that�s full of �wisdom from above,� and live with someone who strictly releases �wisdom from beneath.� You can personally live in �wisdom from above,� and find great conflict in your own home. Personally walking in �wisdom from above� does not exempt you from conflict and chaos in relationships. GET THAT. It�s just that when you�re in those conflicts, you�re �reaction� will not be motivated and fueled by �selfish ambition and/or bitter jealousy.� It will not be full of envying and strife. You will be right � they will be wrong �but: GET THIS: you will not counteract their wrong: You�ll take it to the Lord. HARD HARD THING TO DO! In James 3:17 he says, �it�s peaceable � gentle-� knowing when to apply the �strict letter of the law.� Sometimes it�s better to �back off� than hold to the letter of the law. That, is �gentleness.� It�s a far cry from an arrogance that doesn�t tolerate wrong in others- There are many �well meaning� Christians like that. They claim to have a �wisdom from above,� and their �doctrine� is right down the line � but in terms of �delivery and presentation� �nothing about them is peaceable or gentle: if anything, they are harsh, demanding and insensitive � never willing to shut their mouths and look behind what they�re seeing and hearing in order to find the heart. James says � it�s �peaceable, gentle, - it�s �reasonable� � which means �it�s approachable.� When was the last time you ripped into someone with your mouth � off the charts � out of line � and found their response to be �reasonable and approachable?� Few and far and in between � however, when that DOES happen, what happens on the inside of you? You soften � retreat- try to reason � and come around the corner a little less enraged � it�s a �wisdom� that produces �peace.� This is really important to get because so many times we may have our stance positioned � unmovable- set in knowledge � and when we deliver it � whether it�s religious or business � we�re hard, tough and far from gentle. The response? Usually a cold shoulder � deaf ears, and blind eyes. This �tongue issue� is such a �confronting� issue- and it�s extremely convicting. Before I let you go for the day I want to remind you that your journey is a �process� � one of growth and healing. You�re not going to �master� everything you�re learning outside of the �joint effort opportunity� � and when engaged in that opportunity, God will move you in growth at His pace and in His time. Your response to His leading is to be one of obedience and surrender. �Rest� there- it�s a good place to be. More tomorrow, Loving you, Robin �Copyright Jim and Robin Hibschman 2001 |
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