A Faith that Works is Wise

Continue our series on James. Open up to James 3:1-4:12. It’s a large section of scripture with a lot of wisdom. Soon, I will read the whole section. I want to encourage you to read through it again and again. I find James speaking to me in so many ways.

An additional resource you can use is RightNow Media. Francis Chan has a series on James that you can use to deepen your understanding of this letter.

This is a letter from James, the brother of Jesus. He was a leader in the church in Jerusalem in its early days. There was a persecution that broke out in Jerusalem that cause many of the Christians there to flee and James, as he stays in Jerusalem, is concerned for these members of his church. So, he writes this letter.

James seems to be especially concerned that their faith is strong and that their faith is active. He doesn’t want them to have a static faith that shows nothing in their lives. He doesn’t want them to just confirm that they believe in certain things but experience no transformation of their life. To James, this faith that doesn’t produce works is nothing but a corpse – it’s dead. It’s not really faith at all.

Faith works.

Faith that Works Endures – it helps us survive difficult times knowing that one day the trials will all be over. And, more than that, we can know that trials can even make us stronger and more effective followers of Christ and in knowing that we can even welcome trials with joy.

A Faith that Works Listens – it is able to hear other people. Faith is especially willing to hear advice from others so we can eliminate those weaknesses in our lives. Faith helps us hear the word of God and allow it to shape us. It’s like a mirror that exposes our flaws and gives us an opportunity to make adjustments.

A Faith that Works Does Not Show Favoritism – it doesn’t trat people differently based on how much money they have. Real faith does not look at people as commodities to help their own situation in life. A faith that works loves all people

A Faith that Works Works – Real faith sees needs among brothers and sisters and doesn’t just wish them well, it does something. It feeds, it clothes. It’s like Abrham who was willing to offer his son – he trusted God that much. It’s like Rahab who hid the spies – she knew God’s power so much.

Today we will see that a Faith that Works is Wise

Wise in knowing what to say and what not to say

Wise in being humble and not seeking our own envious desires. Being humble to see God as the source of wisdom, not any man.

Wise in that it loves peace.

Listen as I read this section of James. Listen hard. Hear James challenge. Hear his concern. Allow this word from God to challenge and change you.

James 3:1–4:12 (NIV) — 1 Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. 2 We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check. 3 When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. 4 Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go.

5 Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6 The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. 7All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, 8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

9 With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. 10Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. 11 Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? 12 My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.

13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. 14 But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. 15 Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.

17 But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. 18 Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.

4:1 What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? 2You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. 3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. 4 You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.

5 Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us? 6 But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” 7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

9 Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. 11 Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister or judges them speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. 12 There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?

Prayer

Do you recognize how powerful words are?

James 3:6 (NIV) — The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

Don’t you love his three examples – bit in the horse’s mouth, the rudder of a ship, a spark that causes a forest fire? Your words have such power.

Matthew 15:10–11 (NIV) — 10 Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen and understand. 11 What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them.”

Matthew 15:16–18 (NIV) — 16 “Are you still so dull?” Jesus asked them. 17 “Don’t you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? 18 But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them.

Matthew 12:36–37 (NIV) — 36 But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. 37 For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”

Do you recognize how damaging fights and quarrels can be?

James 4:1–2 (NIV) — 1 What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? 2 You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight.

Proverbs 12:18 (NIV) — 18 The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.

Proverbs 13:3 (NIV) — 3 Those who guard their lips preserve their lives, but those who speak rashly will come to ruin.

Proverbs 18:7 (NIV) — 7 The mouths of fools are their undoing, and their lips are a snare to their very lives.

When we act out of envy and selfish ambition we bring storms in to our lives.

Jude 16–19 (NIV) — 16 These people are grumblers and faultfinders; they follow their own evil desires; they boast about themselves and flatter others for their own advantage. 17 But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. 18 They said to you, “In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.” 19 These are the people who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit.

1 Corinthians 14:33 (NIV) — 33 For God is not a God of disorder but of peace—as in all the congregations of the Lord’s people.

Do you recognize how deceived the world is?

James 4:4 (NIV) — 4 You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.

I hear the world telling me to assert myself. To demand my rights. To use my words to put people in their place. To manipulate people with lies and half-truths to get what I want.

James 1:27 (NIV) — 27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

Romans 8:7 (NIV) — 7 The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so.

It sounds like James is asking so much from us and I wonder at times if I can do it. I have to believe I can do it.

I can’t be double-minded. I have to be convicted, really believe, that my faith can work through my words.

James 4:7–8 (NIV) — 7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

James 1:6–8 (NIV) — 6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.

1 Kings 18:21 (NIV) — 21 Elijah went before the people and said, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him.” But the people said nothing.

Psalm 119:113 (NIV) — 113 I hate double-minded people, but I love your law.

But it is not just me – I have the Spirit!

James 4:5 (NIV) — 5 Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us?

There is debate over whether James uses the word “spirit” to refer to the animating force in our lives or to the Holy Spirit.

James 4:5 (NASB 2020) — 5 Or do you think that the Scripture says to no purpose, “He jealously desires the Spirit whom He has made to dwell in us”?

I believe we can do more than we can imagine. If indeed we have the Spirit of God there’s no telling how spiritually powerful we can be. Our job is to believe we have the Spirit and access all the power of the Spirit. I don’t think I or we do that. I don’t think we really know how much the Spirit can do in our lives.

I have a love/hate relationship with technology – as most people do. One thing I love about technology is discovery hacks and shortcuts on my computer or on devices.

I have this great Bible program. I love to go to webinars and learn new ways to use the program. I didn’t know it could do that.

I love learning new things about my phone:

I can tap three times to turn my flashlight on

I can scan a document and make it a pdf

I can take a screen shot

Watch a voicemail live and answer during the voicemail if I choose

There are so many more things your phone can do. Ever give your phone to a kid and they start doing all kinds of stuff with it? Just give it to a 3-year-old and they will show you. There is so much untapped potential and some of you are just using it as a phone! I didn’t know it could do that.

You have the Spirit of God within you. God is just begging us to discover all that he can do in us. That Spirit can do remarkable things. So, we come to a passage like this and we wonder how we can control our tongues. The Spirit can do that. I don’t have to say hurtful things. I don’t have to respond with sarcasm. I don’t have to repeat that off-color joke. I don’t have to spread that gossip.

We have the ability through the Spirit to be fountains of grace with our words. Imagine that – a life-giving stream of refreshing water can be flowing from our mouths like a fire hydrant. I know that’s an odd image, but get past that and imagine who our words can be used to heal and encourage rather than hurt and dishearten. Our words can bring cheer and joy rather than gloom and misery. Out of our mouth can come all kinds of blessings.

That’s how a real faith works. It’s believing that God can change me.

God has so much for you.