Choosing Victory

Did any of you grow up playing video games? I did. There was a game me and my friend would play all the time called “Street Fighter”. At the beginning of the game, the narrator would proclaim “Choose your fighter!” and you and the other person would choose a character to fight with. That choice determined how you would play the rest of the game.

In life, we have to choose everything. Our spouse, friends, foods we eat, songs we listen to, etc.

The most important choice we make is deciding who and what we believe in.

If you are here today, I assume that in some way, you have made the decision to choose Jesus Christ to follow.. If you haven’t fully, you are at least considering it.

We don’t simply choose Jesus alone though. We also have the liberty to decide how we are going to follow Him.

We’ve been studying through James and learning about the concept of not just being hearers of God’s word, but learning to be doers.

We have learned that faith must be visible and not hidden from others.

Belief in Jesus show determine how we treat other people.

Last week, we even learned that faith in Jesus should also impact how we speak to others.

We all want to be wise people. The kind of people that can make sense of the world around us and act accordingly in a way that is sensible and purposeful.

Without knowing Christ fully, being able to choose wisdom correctly is very difficult.

How do we know how to choose victorious wisdom?

1. Wisdom is gracious and gentle.

James describes a teacher of the people as someone living a life of graciousness and having the ability to control the power that can spring up in the heart.

There were leaders of the day who led with fanatical bitterness who were obviously controlled by personal ambition.

A person ruled by ambition can make claims of arrogance that show a false sense of reality towards truth.

Teachers were susceptible to the temptation of...

Arrogance - Instead of encouraging people to know and understand Jesus, people can become foolish, wicked, puffed up in spirit and try to force people to believe.

Bitterness - Leaders with passion who cannot accept when people don’t want to follow them. This passion can lead to bitterness towards other people.

It doesn’t matter what a parent does to make healthy food edible for a child. The child is going to decide whether or not they eat.

As believers, we are given incredible insight towards God plan and purpose for the world. There is an answer to the worlds problems. God has commanded the church to live according to His will.

Christians cannot force the world to adopt our ways of life. We won’t influence the world by making them know the ways of God.

We have a greater tool to fight with. We have a demonstration of wisdom. The world can know God by the way that we obey His commands.

Those who are wise should demonstrate their wisdom in how they live, by deeds done with humility.

Today, we are being tempted to fight God’s battles in a way that doesn’t involve God. Let’s put down our torches and pitchforks.

“By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” - John 13:35

We don’t have to lead the world from the front. What if God was calling us to lead from the back by loving people and taking care or one another?

2. Earthly Wisdom Feels Right But Ends In Defeat.

James wrote about the type of earthly wisdom that existed in his day. A bitter and arrogant wisdom that is very different from real wisdom. He described the effects of this type of wisdom.

Earthly - The type of wisdom that measures success in earthly terms.

It is the characteristic of the natural man. - Man is divided into three parts: Body, soul, and spirit. The body is our physical flesh and blood; the soul is the physical life that we share with animals, and the spirit is something only humans have. The ability to be rational and kin to God.

James is saying that earthly wisdom makes man no different than the animals.

Devilish - This type of wisdom does not have God as the source but the devil instead. The devil delights in this behavior and not God.

These are the affects of arrogant and bitter wisdom.

Michael Jordan played in 1,072 NBA basketball games. He is 57 years old (20,805 days) He has spent roughly 5% of his life playing professional basketball. 100% of his life went into 5%.

What is the point? The majority of the world will tell you that being a ruthless, cut-throat, take no prisoners type of leader is the way to go.

Our world is destroying itself with selfishness, disorder, and evil.

Doing everything with the “how do this benefit me?” attitude is a normal way.

Expecting everyone to think and act like you is sensible if you can find enough people who agree with you.

That’s all well and good if you want you family and friends to accept your principles but you are in trouble if you want to honor God.

Don’t assume your way of life is “the way” There is only one way and you are walking a dangerous path if you rival God. Remember Proverbs 14:12.

We can’t take the wisdom of God and mold earthly wisdom together. They don’t belong with one another.

Make sure that your life is molded with God’s standard and not the ways of the world.

3. True Wisdom is Fruitful.

James wrote that true wisdom comes from “above”. In the book, Wisdom of Solomon, wisdom is described as ‘the breath of the power of God, and pure emanation of the glory of the Almighty’. The same book prays; ‘Give me the wisdom that sits by your throne’ and ‘Send her forth from the holy heavens, and from the throne of glory.

James uses 8 words to describe this wisdom:

pure

peaceable

gentle

compliant

full of mercy

fruit

unwavering

without pretense

Whereas human wisdom tears others down, godly wisdom builds others up. It’s authentic and leads to peace rather than strife.

In order to bear the fruit of righteousness, one must sown and cultivate peace.

Does anybody want to be President of our country right now? My guess is no. Instead of breaking down every move our leader makes in order to criticize him, why don’t we pray for him instead?

Last time I checked, it’s pretty easy point out flaws.

I want to campaign something today. I want to campaign a society that is willing to love our neighbor as ourselves no matter how much it challenges us.

That we grow as people who care more about what God thinks about the world today instead of what everyone else thinks. What about you?

The wisdom that we gain from Heaven has a beautiful ending. An ending that is promised from Heaven.

What type of wisdom will you choose?