Wise Words and Working

Peter, John & James together served as the elders of authority in the Jerusalem church.

James challenges those who claim to possess wisdom, yet they show little to no evidence.

Jealousy and selfish ambition were evidence of false wisdom.

The Greek eritheia (selfish ambition, NRSV) – a self-seeking pursuit of a position of power.

Acting with partiality (favoritism) or hypocrisy.

Lacking humility and meekness.

Some early Christians continued to act out their prejudices.

James uses words meaning “earthly,” “sensual (unspiritual),” and “demonic”

And this wisdom leads to “disorder,” literally akatastasia meaning “anarchy,” and “wickedness of every kind.”

The church should not be another place for envy/jealousy and selfish ambition to reign.

To claim heavenly wisdom when acting in envy/jealousy or selfishly shows that we are untruthful and hypocritical.

Since the Spirit of God is called the “Spirit of Truth” - John 14:16-19

And our peace comes through Christ. – Eph. 2 & John 14:27

When we speak and act in these ways, we act against God, and we have no peace but only destruction.

Living the good life means a lot of things to a lot of people.

For some, it means buying everything that we want.

For others, it means partying or being constantly happy.

For others, it may mean having the basics of life, simply being content.

The need to attain things we don’t have can create unhealthy envy of those who do.

Maybe having a good life is not so much what we have on the outside, so much as, being at peace in our hearts.

Living a good life shows that our “works are done with gentleness born of wisdom.”

But, what kind of wisdom?

James wrote about discerning earthly “wisdom” from Godly wisdom.

True divine wisdom is first pure (of heart and mind), peaceable, gentle, yielding, merciful, and bearing good fruit.

Heavenly wisdom is the antithesis of earthly wisdom.

Acting in righteousness (following the ways of God) results in good fruit.

Good fruits are grown in those who seek peace with God within themselves and with others.

Good living is sown by peace.

The godly things one says must be accompanied by a peaceful and gentle manner.

Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit that the Father has hidden the truth from “the wise” and “the intelligent” and revealed the truth in grace to “infants.”

Infant imagery implies a total reliance upon another and purity of heart and thoughts.

We cannot know God by intelligently deducing God in the world, but God must reveal God’s self.

The Holy Spirit of God, alive and active in us, will recognize the Spirit of Christ in others.

The peace given to us by the forgiveness of God is recognized by God at work in others.

Reading and meditating on scripture, humbling ourselves in prayer, and recognizing the authority of Christ in all things, we are moved to repentance, receiving the peace that we can give to others.

Yielding to the wisdom of God leads us to find peace in our hearts.

Seeing that we act in peace, others see the good life and ask how they can attain it.

This good life of peace comes through Christ.