Earthly Wisdom
James 3:14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts,
do not boast and be false to the truth.
do not boast and be false to the truth.
James cuts right to the quick. We have a heart problem. That’s what he says – out of the heart the mouth speaks. Your words will turn into your actions. If you talk it long enough, you’ll start living it an doing it. That works both ways. Your wisdom will not happen if this is in your heart. The NLT says, “But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your heart, don't cover up the truth with boasting and lying.” We are innately selfish creatures, in our jobs, with our friends, with our families and spouses, and we are selfish with our savior. We want it to be about us. I need this. I want this. Jesus, if you would just bless me with this… God if you’ll get me out of this… Wisdom wouldn’t have gotten into it in the first place. What are we covering the truth with? Lies. See how powerful your words are? How do we know how powerful our words are? It starts with our words and becomes our actions. Genesis 3, Satan used words and lies to cover up the truth. That’s what James is talking about. Don’t cover the truth with your own lies.
If you are jealous, or if you are selfish, that’s coming from you. That’s not coming from above. That’s coming from what you want and why you want it. Examine what you’re doing, why you’re doing it. What are your motives? Couples who have been married long enough start to act like each other, and that’s true about your marriage to Christ as well. Your selfish desires, your jealous ambitions will start to fade away the longer you are with the one who doesn’t need any of that, the one who died so you don’t’ need any of that, the one who died to cover up all of that so he can present you and say, yes they did all these things but they’re no longer guilty, their debt has been paid.
If you are jealous, or if you are selfish, that’s coming from you. That’s not coming from above. That’s coming from what you want and why you want it. Examine what you’re doing, why you’re doing it. What are your motives? Couples who have been married long enough start to act like each other, and that’s true about your marriage to Christ as well. Your selfish desires, your jealous ambitions will start to fade away the longer you are with the one who doesn’t need any of that, the one who died so you don’t’ need any of that, the one who died to cover up all of that so he can present you and say, yes they did all these things but they’re no longer guilty, their debt has been paid.
James 3:15 This is not the wisdom that comes down from above,
but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.
16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist,
there will be disorder and every vile practice.
but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.
16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist,
there will be disorder and every vile practice.
Jealousy + selfish=disorder/vile practice. Look at society today, how many examples do you want me to give you? You don’t even need to watch world news; you can open the local paper and see all of that happening in your backyard. Your heart controls your thoughts, your thoughts control your words, your words control your actions, and that is earthly and James says, demonic. Why is Satan not in heaven any more? He was the most beautiful of all angels, the worship leader in heaven! He wanted to be like God, he wanted it all for himself. He didn’t have God’s wisdom, he had his own. So we see two kinds of wisdom, which yield two different outcomes. Don’t tell me you’re a “spiritual” person, when I hear “I’m very spiritual, but I don’t care about the Bible, maybe Jesus, maybe Allah, maybe Buddha, whatever” this is the verse I hear. I hear demonic, I hear enslaved, I hear blinded. Your eyes have been blinded, your ears have been deafened to the truth. What do we see?
Galatians 5:19-21 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality,
20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions,
21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these.
I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions,
21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these.
I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
Sexual immorality: anything that has anything to do with sex that happens outside of the covenant of marriage with your spouse.
Idolatry: you start putting yourself or other things on the throne where Jesus should be – but because of my earthly, demonic wisdom I think I’ll be okay if I just sprinkle some Jesus on myself every now and then.
Strife: are all your relationships going really well right now?
Consider that list and then read the paper or watch the news and see how many of those things you can find in the world today. Look at your life and see how many of those things you’re struggling with right now. You have jealousy issues, anger issues, constantly frustrated with someone or something because it’s not going the way you want it. Look at your life and see how may of these things are happening right now and then tell me, who is wise among you? Now do you see what I meant when I said James was just handing them the rope?
The first type of wisdom, earthly and demonic wisdom, results in that list from Galatians.
Idolatry: you start putting yourself or other things on the throne where Jesus should be – but because of my earthly, demonic wisdom I think I’ll be okay if I just sprinkle some Jesus on myself every now and then.
Strife: are all your relationships going really well right now?
Consider that list and then read the paper or watch the news and see how many of those things you can find in the world today. Look at your life and see how many of those things you’re struggling with right now. You have jealousy issues, anger issues, constantly frustrated with someone or something because it’s not going the way you want it. Look at your life and see how may of these things are happening right now and then tell me, who is wise among you? Now do you see what I meant when I said James was just handing them the rope?
The first type of wisdom, earthly and demonic wisdom, results in that list from Galatians.
