James 4:11-12 - God Is the Only Judge

11 Do not criticize one another, my friends. If you criticize or judge another Christian, you criticize and judge the Law. If you judge the Law, then you are no longer one who obeys the Law, but one who judges it.
12 God is the only lawgiver and judge. He alone can save and destroy. Who do you think you are, to judge someone else? (GNB) 

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This section continues the discussion about life together as a church. It is about the way we treat others, especially the things you say about other believers.

You Shall Love One Another

V. 11 - “Do not criticize one another, my friends. If you criticize or judge another Christian, you criticize and judge the Law. If you judge the Law, then you are no longer one who obeys the Law, but one who judges it.” -

“Do not criticize one another“ - The word here, ‘criticize’, (used three times) is sometimes translated ‘slander’ or ‘speak evil against’. We think of slander as lies and accusations made against another person when they are not present. We are saying bad things about that person who is not present to defend themselves or rebut our accusations. Slander is a sin of judgement and pride; to speak evil about people when they can't defend themselves. ”It is a harsh and uncharitable spirit that is ever finding fault with other people, whether to their face or behind their back.” (See: Note 1)

I will confess that I found it difficult to understand how ‘criticizing’ another believer is a sin. How is ‘slander’ a sin, and the same as ‘speak evil’ which is a sin? I had to stop and ponder this for a while. How is slander placing myself above the law?

I think I can explain this way: The Law, whether our civil law or that which is from the Bible, is the ‘standard’ which you measure yourself or your actions against. Does your action show obedience or flagrance compared to the standard? If you do not violate the standard there is no problem. If you do violate, you have sinned. I think the answer is in the ninth commandment (Exo. 20:16) and Jesus’ command (John 13:34) - don’t tell lies and love each other.

We can add Jesus’ answer to the question about which was the great commandment: “‘Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?’ And He said to him, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.’ This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’ ” (Matt 22:36-39)
I think I understand: If what I say about another is not said in Jesus’ love, it is a sin.

“Judge another Christian” - A reason to not criticize each other: We are “brothers”, family - See Gal 6:10 - “So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith.”

“If you criticize or judge another Christian, you criticize and judge the Law. If you judge the law” - Another reason to keep from slander - you are placing yourself above God’s Law. Not the Ten Commandments (and subsequent laws), but the Law as pronounced by Jesus “You shall love one another.” (Cf.: John 13:34-35, 15:12; Rom 12:10, 12:8; Eph 4:2; 1 Thes 3:12; 1 Pet 1:22).

You are saying you do not need to follow Jesus commands. “Laws keep people in line, they do not liberate. They are boundaries for a civil life.” [See note 2] Doing what you ‘think is right’ by your own estimation indicates you do not think the laws apply to you; placing yourself above or outside the law. You have ‘judged’ that the law is of no importance.

V. 12 - “God is the only lawgiver and judge. He alone can save and destroy. Who do you think you are, to judge someone else?” -

“Who do you think you are” - God alone gave us the Law. He alone is above and beyond the Law. “For the LORD is our judge, The LORD is our lawgiver, The LORD is our king; He will save us” (Isa 33:22). Also, Cf.: (Deut. 32:39; 2 Ki 5:7a.)

“He alone can save and destroy.” - Jesus told us, “Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Mat 10:28).

We should be careful to not confuse slander of another believer with confronting sinful behavior in a believer. We are urged to confront evil actions in other believers because their actions will damage the witness of the church. See: Mt 18:15-17 - reprove your brother, alone or with help; or, Tit 2:15 - speak, exhort, reprove; and, Tit. 3:10 - reject a factions man.

If we ‘speak evil’ against someone, see: Ps 50:16-20 - ‘slander, or defame your brother’; or, Rom 1:29 - ‘filled with unrighteousness...’; and, Tit 2:3 - ‘malicious gossips’. These are all problems related to our self-controlled spirit not following or obeying the Spirit of God working in us.  

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Note 1: King, Guy H.; “A Belief That Behaves”; Christian LIterature Crusade; Marshall, Morgan, & Scott, Ltd.; 1967.
Note 2: Brian Simmons; “Wrapped in Christ”; Broadstreet Publishing Group, LLC; 2022.

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James 4:6-10 - Submit to God

6 But the grace that God gives is even stronger. As the scripture says, “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
7 So then, submit yourselves to God. Resist the Devil, and he will run away from you.
8 Come near to God, and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners! Purify your hearts, you hypocrites!
9 Be sorrowful, cry, and weep; change your laughter into crying, your joy into gloom!.
10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. (GNB) (See Note 1)

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You Are Not Alone - Jesus Is In You!

The case is not hopeless. God does not leave us alone to struggle with the influence of sin in our lives. This is a major difference between our Christian faith and all other religions or faith (including Judaism!).  

V. 6 - “But the grace that God gives is even stronger. As the scripture says, ‘God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.’ ” -

“grace that God gives is even stronger” - Our spirits are strong, but not necessarily in a good way. Our natural spirit is opposed to being in the control of the Lord. Unfortunately, we aren’t so picky when it comes to being under the control of Satan. That is because we fool ourselves, being led by Satan, that we really haven’t ceded control. We must acknowledge that we relinquish control of our lives to the Lord. We do not need surrender to Satan, because by disobeying the Lord we essentially turn our lives over to Satan.  

God is stronger than Satan. His grace is the only hope we have of defeating Satan’s influence on our behavior. God’s grace is greater than the Law.“The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more” (Rom 5:20) God’s grace is a gift to us. “being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus” (Rom 3:24) 

“As the scripture says“ - James quotes from Proverbs (3:34). In Psalms we hear that God holds the lowly, but keeps the proud or haughty at arms length (at a minimum). (Psa 138:6)  

We are a proud and stubborn lot. We struggle at giving up control, or belief that we are in control. We must be humble enough to acknowledge that we NEED the Lord to save us. Being proud is dangerously close to saying you can make it without the Lord’s offer. Jesus disagreed, “Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.” (Mat 23:12)  

V. 7 - “So then, submit yourselves to God. Resist the Devil, and he will run away from you.” -

There is a line from a movie (I think it is “Once Upon a Time in the West”) when the villain says, “A man has got to know his limitations.” That fits this situation. I cannot resist the Devil on my own. But the grace of God is far, far greater than the power of Satan. Turn to the Lord, seek His help and power. Then, when you resist the Devil in the power and name of the Lord Jesus Christ, victory is the Lord’s (and yours). As you grow more confident in trusting the Lord you become less and less a victim of Satan’s wiles.  

We must not allow ourselves to be led astray by falling to the lies of the Devil. There are at least two aspects of resisting Satan’s influence in your spiritual life. James give us two commands on how to repent and turn your back on the lures of the Devil.  

First, and primary, you must submit to the Lord. As much as we struggle with this concept, we actually are involved in 'submission' throughout our existence. Some examples are: Jesus submitted himself to his parents (Luk 2:51); we need to submit ourselves to authorities (Rom 13:1); Wives are to submit to their husbands who commanded to love their wives (Eph 5:22-24); Servants and bond slaves submit in all circumstances (Tit 2:9, 1 Pet 2:18).
This idea of submission is not about being forced to submit. This is not about submitting at the point of a gun, but recognizing that the Lord is for you not against you. 

The second step pairs with submission - resist. Take a stand against Satan. He has no ultimate power over us. Both of these steps are not done under our own power, but under the control and guidance of the Holy Spirit.  

V. 8 - “Come near to God, and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners! Purify your hearts, you hypocrites!” -

“Come near to God” - The beautiful thing about this is God wants us to come near to Him! Read Psa. 63:1-11 is good example of the desire we should have in our hearts when coming to God. Here are a few snippets from that Psalm: “My soul thirsts for You - my flesh yearns for You - Your lovingkindness is better than life - I sing for joy. My soul clings to You - Everyone who swears by Him will glory.” Does that sound like someone who is approaching God grudgingly? He will never turn is back on us when we approach His throne in joy and thanksgiving.  

“Wash your hands… Purify your hearts” - These are ideas drawn from Psa 24:3-4. It is another poem about ritual, and also symbolic of inner purity. Drawing near to God is impossible in the carnal condition, in lieu of spiritual nearness. A natural man does not accept the things of God. (1 Cor 2:14 ) Is a pure heart a prerequisite to drawing near to God? Yes, it is. By our own power and effort the cause is hopeless. But God has solved that dilemma by the death and resurrection of His Son, and the gift of the Holy Spirit. Again, submitting (there it is again!) to the Holy Spirit’s leading, and confessing our sin (agreeing with His assessment that we have sinned) will do this very thing - purifying our hearts. Under the leading and direction of the Holy Spirit we can be made whole and approach the throne of God without fear. We can rejoice knowing He wants to hear our pleas.  

  V. 9 - “Be sorrowful, cry, and weep; change your laughter into crying, your joy into gloom!. -

  “Be sorrowful, cry, and weep” - I do not believe this is telling us to flagellate ourselves with whips, moan and cry aloud (See the parable in Luke 28:9-14 - told to some people who trusted themselves to be righteous!). This is not at all about outward demonstrations but the spiritual grieving and moaning which happens at the realization of our disobedience. What is desired here is: “the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death.” (2 Cor 7:10) 

“change your laughter into crying, your joy into gloom!. ” - Quit trying to ‘laugh it off’. This is not the time to think, “It wasn’t all that bad.” You can make a compromise like this and convince yourself it is okay. The problem is the next incident will be easier to make the compromise, and so we spiral down. When we begin to realize the trouble we are in… This is not getting out of a traffic ticket, but facing the Living God who knows you in every possible way. We cannot ‘sweet-talk’ our way out of this. The price must be paid.

V. 10 - “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.” - Being humble is the opposite of being proud. Your pride is able to convince yourself there is really no reason to confess your sin. Pride will stand in the way of you submitting to the Lord, which will get in the way of you admitting to the Lord that He is right and you have sinned. (Cf.: Pro 16:19; 3:34) The ‘proud’ are often referred to as ‘scoffers’ or ‘scorners’.           

The pride is not the “I am so good…” attitude, but more toward “Who needs God? Who needs to listen and obey? I don’t need the Word of the Lord, because I can handle this.” Jesus taught this concept in a parable about a Pharisee and a tax collector (cf.: Luk 18:9-14). One man was so glad he was not bad like these others; one of the others, a tax collector, cried out for mercy.  

“he will lift you up.” - You won’t ‘lift you up.’ You cannot. God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life. Only God can ‘lift you up.’ Trust Him. Confess to Him. He will forgive you, and you will be lifted up.

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Note 1: GNB = Good News Bible

James 4:1-5 - Sources of Quarrels

Introduction:

OUTLINE - James Chapter 4     4:1-5     – Sources of quarrels     4:6-10   – Draw near to God (Resist the Devil)     4:11-12 – Judging     4:13-17 – Planning the future

1 Where do all the fights and quarrels among you come from? They come from your desires for pleasure, which are constantly fighting within you.
2 You want things, but you cannot have them, so you are ready to kill; you strongly desire things, but you cannot get them, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have what you want because you do not ask God for it.
3 And when you ask, you do not receive it, because your motives are bad; you ask for things to use for your own pleasures.
4 Unfaithful people! Don't you know that to be the world's friend means to be God's enemy? If you want to be the world's friend, you make yourself God's enemy.
5 Don't think that there is no truth in the scripture that says, “The spirit that God placed in us is filled with fierce desires.” (GNB)

Quarrels Within the Church Body

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This section deals with life together as a church.

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V. 1 - “Where do all the fights and quarrels among you come from? They come from your desires for pleasure, which are constantly fighting within you.” -

The root cause of strife within the church comes from the strife that is going on within you - it is personal, internal, and it spills out into the church body. Compare this to 1 Cor 3:3 - “for you are still fleshly. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like mere men?”

“They come from your desires for pleasure“ - These cravings for pleasures within you are the problem, not the body of believers. It shows up as conflict between church members as they attempt to get their own way. The word ‘pleasure’ is the Greek word 'hedone', from which we get “hedonism”. See: “The mind of the wise is in the house of mourning, While the mind of fools is in the house of pleasure.” (Ecc 7:4 ) And see: “I said of laughter, ‘It is madness,’ and of pleasure, ‘What does it accomplish?’” (Ecc 2:2) Also: “The righteousness of the upright will deliver them, But the treacherous will be caught by their own greed.” (Pro 11:6) And then from the New Testament we have more admonitions about greed and seeking pleasure, see: Luk 12:15; Rom 1:29; Eph 5:3; Col 3:5.

“which are constantly fighting within you.” - Personal pleasure is not wrong, but the desire for continual gratification is sin. The ‘within you’ is internal, not with other church members. It is a struggle between your self (your spirit) and the Holy Spirit. Your self/spirit is not listening to the Holy Spirit and His leading, but to the hedonistic desires. This is an ongoing battle - one that will last until you stand face-to-face with the Lord in heaven. Then you will be free, free indeed. The fights and quarrels, the constant fighting, is a general discord that is not part of God’s design.

V. 2 - “You want things, but you cannot have them, so you are ready to kill; you strongly desire things, but you cannot get them, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have what you want because you do not ask God for it.

“You want things… strongly desire things,” - Strongly worded, this is not ”Oh, I wish I had…”; this is a desire that commands your every waking moment, your attention. You feel you can’t ‘live without it’. And when don't get what you want, it leads to frustration.

“Ready to kill” - You are so frustrated you are willing to do anything to satisfy those desires. In most instances this desire is 'metaphysical', an emotional escalation in which your mind cannot drop the issue. Look at Jesus’ teaching from his sermon “You have heard that it was said to our ancestors, Do not murder, and whoever murders will be subject to judgment. But I tell you, everyone who is angry with his brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Whoever insults his brother or sister, will be subject to the court. Whoever says, ‘You fool! ’ will be subject to hellfire.” (Mt 5:21,22)
It isn’t just the physical act of killing someone that demonstrates your basic sin nature. Your anger, your insults and denigrating people by calling them names shows that your spirit is not in the control of the Holy Spirit.

“so you quarrel and fight” - The result of letting your desires control your life is hostile actions against others. You trample on others - physically and emotionally. You show disregard for anyone but yourself. James repeats the idea that there is a war going on within you, a fight is being waged for control of your thoughts and actions.

“You do not ask” - You spend all of your efforts and time wishing, hoping, longing, and wanting. There is frustration. James says it is due lack of asking.

“You do not have what you want because you do not ask God for it.” - This is a strong and condemning statement.

V. 3 - “And when you ask, you do not receive it, because your motives are bad; you ask for things to use for your own pleasures. ” -

Simple. Per verse 2, all you have to do is ask God for what you want.

But wait, there’s more…

“And when you ask, you do not receive it” - That doesn’t seem right, or fair. You don’t have because you don’t ask God for it, and then when you ask He says, “No.” What’s up with that? But someone will say, "But I did ask." This is an instance that shows an inappropriate use of the expression 'in the name of Jesus' - implying (because of the phrase) that we are submissive to God; or we are using the name of Jesus as a magic talisman. Where did this ‘fake critic’ go wrong? Their aim was wrong because they were asking with wrong motives.

Motivation is the key. Prayer is not magic: i.e., You ask, therefore, you get. James is teaching us that the focus of our prayers is to be on Christ and what He has planned for us. When we are attuned to His plans, our prayers will be asked according to His will, not our selfish desires. He is not saying personal prayers are wrong, just personal prayers for self pleasure, wealth, revenge, etc.

Pray for healing of a friend or family member. Pray for peace in our nation, state, or city. Pray for family and friends to accept Jesus as Lord and Savior. These will all bring you joy. They are not for the collection and accumulation of stuff. The focus of these prayers are on Christ working in the lives of family, friends, neighbors and community. By these Jesus will be glorified. No one is glorified when you pray for a new car, new golf clubs, a diamond necklace - the motivation is wrong.

V. 4 - “Unfaithful people! Don't you know that to be the world's friend means to be God's enemy? If you want to be the world's friend, you make yourself God's enemy.” -

The central truth of this paragraph is “do not love the world...” (1 John 2:15-17) The ‘world’ is not only about the physical universe, but the spiritual, man-centered, Satan directed world. This where the enemies of God reside.

“Unfaithful people” - The concept here is “Adulterers”! The Jewish readers would quickly recognize this reference. They, too, were called unfaithful. See (Hos 9:1) “Do not rejoice, O Israel, with exultation like the nations! For you have played the harlot, forsaking your God. You have loved harlots’ earnings on every threshing floor.”
- This is human history, starting in Eden - we want to do what we want to do, whether God likes it or not. God tells Israel that their sin of rejecting Him was because they had received the necessary informationThis is to be expected from those who have not accepted Jesus or God as Lord of their lives. It is a tragedy when believers prefer to behave like unbelievers.

“World's friend” - This indicates a strong emotional attachment. This is not a hungry child asking for a scrap, but a greedy child demanding the best piece, or a spoiled child demanding his way. James is emphasizing the stark reality there are only two choices. There is no ‘homogenizing’ - a lot of God mixed in with a little Satan, stir well… No. This is a choice that must be made - black or white, light or dark, God or not-God.

Now, for those of us who have accepted Jesus Christ as Lord being the world’s friend means we have turned our back to the Lord. We choose to go in a direction we should not. See Rom 8:5-11 where we see that people have set their minds to seek the world, the flesh instead of God.

For believers, does this mean we lose our salvation? I do not think so. Christ has said that He will never let us go, we cannot be taken from His hand. He declares that we are his and he gave His life for us - who can give more than that? Answer: No One! We lose the guidance of the Holy Spirit in our lives, so we will struggle. We will live frustrated lives, knowing there is a better way, God will urge us and prompt us to repent and return to Him. We can repent and confess and be renewed as a ‘friend of God’.

“God’s enemy” - We cannot be God’s friend and God’s enemy at the same time. “But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.” (1 Cor 2:14) The ‘natural man’ does not have the Holy Spirit, who is given to every person who believes and accepts Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. But the believer who listens to the world, who decides to sin in lieu following the leading of the Holy Spirit loses the guiding of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit in present but is not being followed because of sin and stubbornness. Confession, repentance and submitting our spirit to God’s spirit will restore the Holy Spirit’s effectiveness in our lives.

Enmity with God means that we will subjected to His justice. (see Deut 32:41-43) God will have justice for those who are his enemies.

V. 5 - “Don't think that there is no truth in the scripture that says, ‘The spirit that God placed in us is filled with fierce desires.’ ” -

This verse is one of those that can have more than one implication. You might think, “What does this verse have to do with verse 4?” How does being God’s friend or God’s enemy fit with a ‘spirit with fierce desires’? Let’s see if we can work this out…

Using the ‘Blue Letter Bible’ app, I could find no place where this sentence, “The spirit that God placed in us is filled with fierce desires” is used. However, Paul does refer to each of us believers receiving the Holy Spirit from the Lord when we believe and accept Jesus Christ as Lord. See: “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?” (1 Cor 6:19) It is promised: We have the Holy Spirit in us. This is God’s own spirit.

Paul also notes: “For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, ‘I WILL DWELL IN THEM AND WALK AMONG THEM; AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE.’ ” (2 Cor 6:16) God lives within us! This is incredible information - The God of the universe, who created all things, who is all-powerful and all-knowing loves us and comes to live within us. This is astounding, mind-blowing!

If we look back into the OT, we see that God describes Himself as a ‘jealous’ God. See: “You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me,” (Exo 20:5) Or: “for you shall not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God” (Exo 34:14) This means that God will not share worship of Him with any other god or being. Worship God and Him alone. (See also: Num 23:19; Deut 4:24; Nah 1:2)

An additional viewpoint is that the spirit (that’s “small s” spirit) God has placed in each human is stubborn and seeks what it wants in spite of what God desires. The human spirit, which 'yearns' to lust and envy. Our spirit is so bent on evil, and to think otherwise is to defy the scriptural teaching. It started in Eden, and has not abated in the centuries since.

So, our spirit is always fighting with God’s Spirit. The Holy Spirit wrestles with our spirit to draw us to God. We want what we want - we jealously strive to meet our desires. At the same time, the Holy Spirit, who is a jealous God, wrestles with our spirit. Note that God does not overwhelm and defeat our spirit. God desires that we make the right decision. He does not make it for us. He does not force it upon us. He works to help us see that the decision to follow the Holy Spirit is the decision that will benefit us in eternity.

We can freely decide to reject His leading. But when we do so, we must understand that the consequences may be dire. We can do what we want, even if it violates God’s commandments, and must realize that there will be a price to pay. You may wish that God will use your choice of penalties, but it doesn’t work that way. See what Job understood, “For has anyone said to God, ‘I have borne chastisement; I will not offend anymore; Teach me what I do not see; If I have done iniquity, I will not do it again’? Shall He recompense on your terms, because you have rejected it? For you must choose, and not I; Therefore declare what you know.” (Job 34:31-33) In other words: I have sinned and you have punished me. I have learned from that and will no do that again. Help me to see what I am doing offends You, O Lord.  

Job asks: should God give you the punishment you think is fair even though you have violated His laws. God continually wrestles with us to guide us into His way. It is highly probable that we will not choose God’s way on our own without guidance from God’s Spirit. Christians have a distinct advantage over unbelievers, because we have God’s Spirit living within us. He can communicate directly with our spirit. The Holy Spirit brings our spirit to conviction, (He speaks with our spirit), and we confess that we have sinned, and then we repent of that sin. 

There are no hints and allegations, but straightforward teaching and leading our spirit by His Spirit.

And this takes us into verse 6, which tells us God will drive Satan away from us when we submit to Him. Praise the Lord.

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The following are verses and notes not used in this study… As I read them, it struck me that God is no namby-pamby, with slippery and malleable standards. I couldn’t see how to fit them in the study cleanly, but felt they were powerful, such as:  “God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent; Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?” (Num 23:19)

See, also: “For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.” (Deut 4:24)  
“A jealous and avenging God is the LORD; The LORD is avenging and wrathful. The LORD takes vengeance on His adversaries, And He reserves wrath for His enemies.” (Nah 1:2) Does that sound like someone you want to mock and belittle because you think you can succeed defending your actions?
Paul emphasized that the object of his teaching, those instructions that went beyond preaching salavation through Christ alone, was to help them live pure Christian lives knowing that we all will face the Lord Jesus Christ one day. “For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy; for I betrothed you to one husband, so that to Christ I might present you as a pure virgin.” (2 Cor 11:2)

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Jam. 3:13-18 - Are There Any Who Are Wise?

13 Are there any of you who are wise and understanding? You are to prove it by your good life, by your good deeds performed with humility and wisdom.
14 But if in your heart you are jealous, bitter, and selfish, don't sin against the truth by boasting of your wisdom.
15 Such wisdom does not come down from heaven; it belongs to the world, it is unspiritual and demonic.
16 Where there is jealousy and selfishness, there is also disorder and every kind of evil.
17 But the wisdom from above is pure first of all; it is also peaceful, gentle, and friendly; it is full of compassion and produces a harvest of good deeds; it is free from prejudice and hypocrisy.
18 And goodness is the harvest that is produced from the seeds the peacemakers plant in peace. (GNB)

Worldly Wisdom Does Not Bring us to God

V. 13 - “Are there any of you who are wise and understanding? You are to prove it by your good life, by your good deeds performed with humility and wisdom.”
- Let’s ponder the differences between knowledge, wisdom, and understanding.

“Are there any of you who are wise and understanding?” - Knowledge is the collection of information and facts. Generally, knowledge is neither good or evil. Using knowledge with skill, even expert skill, is showing wisdom. How that knowledge is used brings us into the moral universe. We know from scripture that spiritual wisdom comes from God. Learn to start a fire - you can use that knowledge, a learned skill, to warm yourself or to burn down a house. That use is good.
Learn that Jesus came into the world to save sinners such as you. Use that knowledge to accept Him and come to the Lord - good. You have gained wisdom. You have gained ‘understanding’ if you use that wisdom to lead others that they may accept Jesus Christ as Lord of their lives. If you use it to harden your heart and reject Jesus - evil. Or, leading others to reject Jesus Christ - most definitely evil - and shows you have no understanding of God and what awaits you.

“You are to prove it by your good life” - Let the way you live show that you know God. Your faithful life demonstrates the wisdom you have attained. It shows that you understand your eternal life is in God’s hands and you trust Him. This is the concept is also seen in “faith without works is dead.” (Jam 2:26) If we are wise it will show in our behavior. “Walk it, don't just talk it.” If we are wise it shows in our demeanor, in the way we conduct ourselves.

V. 14 -“But if in your heart you are jealous, bitter, and selfish, don't sin against the truth by boasting of your wisdom. “ -

 “Jealous, bitter, and selfish” - Three behaviors showing you have a “me first” attitude. Jealousy leads you think, “I should have received that.” Or, “Why did she get the promotion and not me?” If bitter - “Why’s everybody picking on me?” Or, “I’ll get them back. Just wait and see.”

The word “bitter” used here links back to verse 3:11 - “undrinkable water.” Bitterness combined with envy produces harsh and resentful attitudes.

Selfishness is another aspect of ignoring the concern for others. This reminds me of a politician willing to win at any cost; zeal gone astray. Recently, a celebrity refused to go to the funeral of a former U. S. President. When asked why they didn't attend, the answer was basically that there was nothing in it for them. The focus was on me! me! me!

These attitudes show no humility. Paul said it clearly, “For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.” (Rom 12:3)

“don't sin against the truth by boasting of your wisdom.” - It seems like James identifies two sins: lying and boasting. Maybe not. The sin is lying about how wise you are. Your behavior belies that claim. Boasting is showing the pride you have in how 'wonderful' you are. Look at Eze 28:1-10 to get a good idea of God's opinion of our pride... Pride and arrogance led to Satan’s rebellion and fall. Pride led Eve and Adam to assume they could be as good as God.

V. 15 - “Such wisdom does not come down from heaven; it belongs to the world, it is unspiritual and demonic. ” -
Note that ‘wisdom’ is not automatically and only from and about God. The learned use of knowledge can be for good or for ill. Looking back at verse 14, the ability to lie about your spiritual condition, and do it convincingly does not come from God. God would never have you lie in order to bring someone to Him. The training that leads you to lying about your relationship with the Lord is from Hell itself. It does not “come down from heaven”.

“It belongs to the world, it is unspiritual and demonic.” - There are three realms represented - earthly, sensual, devilish. This wisdom is not from God because:

1. It is limited to man's earthly understanding; 
2. It is characterized by human frailties, impure heart and unsaved spirit, and; 
3. It is from Satan.

There may be several reasons for you to lie about your spiritual condition: You may want people to think highly of you and your relationship with God. You are being selfish and self-centered, seeking men’s praise rather than the Lord’s. You may have been blinded by Satan causing you to think you are better than you really are. You are deluded and not aware of the spiritual danger you are in. It shows a lack of reality and humility.

"earthly and unspiritual" - Wisdom that refutes the teachings of the Lord is necessarily bad; especially when it claims to be from God. Such ‘wisdom’ should not be called that, because rebellion is a learned behavior - it is a twisted wisdom. God will never teach or make claims that will turn you away from Him. 

V. 16 -Where there is jealousy and selfishness, there is also disorder and every kind of evil.” - In some translations the word ‘disorder’ is rendered ‘confusion’. The confusion in a group of Christians is similar to the disorder and frustration in an individual. We see a contrast between the Christian lifestyle and that which comes from pretend wisdom. We read and hear about the promised results of knowing Jesus Christ, but are not seeing those things in our lives. We can think, “I’m doing everything expected of me; nothing is working!” Does this mean the Christian faith is good for nothing? May it never be! We cannot expect to live the life promised if we are not following the scriptures. You cannot plant radish seeds and expect to get carrots!

"Virtue is not virtue if it is not freely chosen." (See Note 1)

V. 17 - “But the wisdom from above is pure first of all; it is also peaceful, gentle, and friendly; it is full of compassion and produces a harvest of good deeds; it is free from prejudice and hypocrisy.” -

“the wisdom from above is pure first of all “ - The believer modeled here is someone who is attuned to the ‘things above’ (Col. 2:2), not the things and attitudes here on earth. “Pure” is mentioned first because our Lord and God is pure and holy first of all, there is no darkness in him (1 John 1:5).

“it is also peaceful, gentle, and friendly; it is full of compassion and produces a harvest of good deeds; it is free from prejudice and hypocrisy.” - James is contrasting worldly wisdom with wisdom from above.

Godly wisdom (wisdom from above) is described in Job 28:12-13, 23, 28: - “But where may wisdom be seen? and where is the resting-place of knowledge? Man has not seen the way to it, and it is not in the land of the living… God has knowledge of the way to it, and of its resting-place… And he said to man, Truly the fear of the Lord is wisdom, and to keep from evil is the way to knowledge.”

This is apropos for today... We have science and can solve any problem, find gold and diamonds; but suck at knowing God and his wisdom. Also we see that ” The fear of the Lord is the start of knowledge: but the foolish have no use for wisdom and teaching.” (Pro. 1:7) When you begin to understand the power and love of God, you begin to grow in your Christian life. Or: “O how deep is the wealth of the wisdom and knowledge of God! no one is able to make discovery of his decisions, and his ways may not be searched out.” (Rom 11:33 ) God’s wisdom is like He is - so far above our comprehension we can’t even imagine. God's information/wisdom/insight are infinite - way, way beyond ours. If that doesn’t generate a frisson of fear within you…      

V. 18 - “ And goodness is the harvest that is produced from the seeds the peacemakers plant in peace.” - Salvation and peace with God have a source - Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. He is the ‘seed’ which at maturity produces those who are saved. “And He said, ‘The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man’ ” (Mat 13:37). That seed leads to eternal life with our Lord and God: “for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God.” (1 Pet 1:23) And: “No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.” (1 John 3:9)
“We are set free in Christ, free indeed. We are left in our physical bodies so as to train, or mold, our selves to what God desires for us.” (A. Klavan)

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End of Chapter 

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Note 1: quoted from Andrew Klavan.

James 3:9-12 - Consistency is Required

9 We use it to give thanks to our Lord and Father and also to curse other people, who are created in the likeness of God.;
10 Words of thanksgiving and cursing pour out from the same mouth. My friends, this should not happen!
11 No spring of water pours out sweet water and bitter water from the same opening.
12 A fig tree, my friends, cannot bear olives; a grapevine cannot bear figs, nor can a salty spring produce sweet water.. (GNB)

We Are Seldom Consistent…

V. 9-10 - “We use it to give thanks to our Lord and Father and also to curse other people, who are created in the likeness of God. Words of thanksgiving and cursing pour out from the same mouth. My friends, this should not happen!”

- See the hypocritical inconsistently described here - thanksgiving and cursing, praising the Lord and cursing others - all from the same mouth, same mind, same person.

“My friends, this should not happen!” - This is an appeal, not a command (look at v.10 and v.1). The admonition in verse 10 - "Please, don't act like this" is similar to verse 1 saying, "Please, don't try this (become a teacher) if you can't control yourself." As a teacher, your behavior will be scrutinized to see if it matches your teachings.
James is cautioning believers to not get over-confident. Look back to ch. 1:2-4, where we are warned that all of us will "...fall into trials.” We may not be there on purpose, of our own volition - but there we are. Be aware.

V. 11-12 - “No spring of water pours out sweet water and bitter water from the same opening. A fig tree, my friends, cannot bear olives; a grapevine cannot bear figs, nor can a salty spring produce sweet water.” -

A genuine believer’s life will not contradict his profession of faith. The verse “For no good tree gives bad fruit, and no bad tree gives good fruit”, (Luk 6:43) assumes you know bad fruit from bad trees is normal, and will not attempt to feed yourselves from bad trees. You don’t bite into a crab apple thinking you will get the same experience as when you bite into a Honey Crisp. When you go backpacking you may find bushes and trees with fruit on them. It is important to learn which ones are poison, so you don’t pick and eat the bad fruit.

Likewise, “By their fruits you will get knowledge of them. Do men get grapes from thorns or figs from thistles?” (Mat 7:16) No one goes to an apple orchard expecting to get peaches from the trees. Only apple tree produce apples; we get Hazelnuts from Filbert trees (there’s and old joke in that comment). If you don’t know what type of tree you are looking at, you wait until it bears fruit. Similarly, we watch our teachers to see what they produce. Do they produce the ‘fruit’ they are teaching about? This emphasizes you must be aware of the teachers that are leading you astray because their hearts and motives are evil. Their authenticity is demonstrated in their lives, as will yours.

There is a principle of accountability. We should act more responsibly when we know others are watching. We may deceive ourselves, but our life and actions will ‘out’ us.  There is a ‘truism’ that two men in a foxhole will be more likely to obey the command to charge than will a single individual. Why? With two huddled there, both know the other is watching, and do not want to be labeled a coward. I don’t think James is referring to unbelievers.The unbelievers’ actions will not harm the message of salvation through Jesus Christ. In fact if they (unbelievers) do well, people are pleased because it is unexpected.

Good behavior is expected for believers. I hope that I am not over-emphasizing that fact that others are always watching us, even though it may be true. They are not the most important 'watcher' - God knows our actions and our intent. We cannot fool Him. But remember, you may be the only 'contact' another person has with Jesus Christ; i.e., there may be no one else in their acquaintance who believes in Jesus, who says Jesus has changed them. If you say that accepting Jesus has changed your life for the better, let it show.

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James 3:7-8 - Taming the Tongue

 7 We humans are able to tame and have tamed all other creatures—wild animals and birds, reptiles and fish.. 
8 But no one has ever been able to tame the tongue. It is evil and uncontrollable, full of deadly poison.

Like Taming an Animal - Time and Persistence

V. 7-8 - “We humans are able to tame and have tamed all other creatures—wild animals and birds, reptiles and fish. But no one has ever been able to tame the tongue. It is evil and uncontrollable, full of deadly poison. ” - 

Look at the inconsistencies in these verses - we can train animals, but fail to control ourselves. 

“tame the tongue” - Only God can. God used the tongue (speech, languages) to demonstrate His power (See: Acts 2:1-11). This is a miracle - it demonstrated that something completely unusual and probably impossible happened. Men were speaking; others heard and understood - especially since the spoken language was different and supposedly unintelligible to the hearers. They knew the men speaking were Jewish speaking in Hebrew, yet they heard and understood in their own native language. Note the spread of nationalities listening to the Jewish fishermen - none of them spoke the Hebrew language. 

God used speech to show a miracle, His Holy Spirit!

This is not the only place that God used speech to show a miracle. See Gen 1:1-31, the creation. God spoke to Abraham and Sarah, promising them a child. God spoke to Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, and Moses. The books Exodus through Deuteronomy is the history of God speaking to the Israelites. 

“It is evil and uncontrollable” - Some versions translate this as “restless evil” - It seems that evil never sleeps, never misses a chance to infect our lives. Not we ourselves, but those around us also. (See - “Rescue me, O LORD, from evil men; Preserve me from violent men who devise evil things in their hearts; They continually stir up wars. They sharpen their tongues as a serpent; Poison of a viper is under their lips.” (Ps 140:1-3)

Don’t think that I am being negative about speaking and the tongue. There are many instances where ‘speaking’ is good, or very good. God used speech to bring the universe into existence. See Gen 1:1-31. God spoke to Abraham and Sarah, promising them a child. God spoke to Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, and Moses. The books Exodus through Deuteronomy is the history of God speaking to the Israelites. God commanded Moses to speak to the Egyptians. Moses spoke to a rock to bring forth water. The prophets spoke warnings to the people of Israel so they might confess their sin, repent of their sin and be saved. John the Baptist testified to Jesus as the Messiah. Jesus spoke and several people were healed or raised to life. We are commanded to speak the words of life, that is: “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved “ (Acts 16:31). Paul tells us in Rom 10:9-10, “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe that God raised Him from death, you will be saved. For it is by our faith that we are put right with God; it is by our confession that we are saved.” Tell me that isn’t good - you can’t! We are told throughout the New Testament, where we are to speak the truth of the gospel so others might be saved. (Acts 4:31; Rom 15:18; 1 Cor 2:6, 7, 13, 13:1; 2 Cor 4:13; Eph 4:25; Phi 1:14; Col 4:3; Titus 2:1, 15, 3:8)

James 3:1-6 – Self-Control - Danger of the tongue

OUTLINE - James Ch. 3 3:1-6   – Self-Control - Danger of the tongue 3:7-8 - Taming the tongue 3:9-12 - Consistency is Required 3:13-18 – Wisdom (Jealousy destroys peace)

Introduction: Applying the Truth from verse 2:26: Faith without works is dead (or, “if it can't be seen, it probably doesn't exist”). James provides another example of living your faith - the tongue. Why does James make such a big issue of this problem? Our conversations, more often than our actions, cause strife in the church.

He makes several main points: 

•  Be careful - v.1
•  The tongue is small, but control is huge - v.3
•  Control requires a 'pilot' - v.5b

James 3:1-6 – Self-Control - Danger of the tongue

1 My friends, not many of you should become teachers. As you know, we teachers will be judged with greater strictness than others.
2 All of us often make mistakes. But if a person never makes a mistake in what he says, he is perfect and is also able to control his whole being
3 We put a bit into the mouth of a horse to make it obey us, and we are able to make it go where we want.
4 Or think of a ship: big as it is and driven by such strong winds, it can be steered by a very small rudder, and it goes wherever the pilot wants it to go.
5 So it is with the tongue: small as it is, it can boast about great things. Just think how large a forest can be set on fire by a tiny flame!
6 And the tongue is like a fire. It is a world of wrong, occupying its place in our bodies and spreading evil through our whole being. It sets on fire the entire course of our existence with the fire that comes to it from hell itself. 

Applying the Truth

V. 1 - “My friends, not many of you should become teachers. As you know, we teachers will be judged with greater strictness than others.” -

If you are going to be a teacher of the Word, helping people grow in their faith in Christ, be aware that people will be watching to see if you live what you teach. You must be able to “live it” if you are teaching and training fellow Christians.

“As you know, we teachers will be judged with greater strictness than others.” - This is not a warning but a ‘caution’. This applies to more than teaching and preaching. If I tell my golfing buddies about my faith in Jesus Christ, you can bet they are watching to see if I am a hypocrite!

A teacher is someone who has a mastery of their ‘subject’ and a knack for conveying the truths to others. I don’t know who said, “It isn’t taught if it hasn’t been caught.” If the students can’t grasp and apply the concepts you are teaching to their lives, then you’ve been talking, talking, and talking - not teaching.

V. 2 - “All of us often make mistakes. But if a person never makes a mistake in what he says, he is perfect and is also able to control his whole being ” -

A key phrase in both sentences is ‘make a mistake’; translated in other versions as ‘slip’, or ‘stumble’ (e.g.: NASB). This is not about planning and then committing a ‘mistake’ (which is a definition of intentional sin). It is about slipping and losing control, or, unintentional sin. The concept of ‘slipping’ and committing an unintentional sin is not a New Testament phenomenon. Look in the Pentateuch where God gave the Israelites laws about intentional versus unintentional sin. (See: Num 15:22-31)

“he is perfect” - Who is the perfect man? The mature, the one who can control. We sometimes tend to think of ‘perfect’ as without blemish, untainted, spiritually holy. The word used here is more like ‘complete’ or ‘mature’. This thought is fleshed out in the next phrase:

“also able to control his whole being” - James has narrowed the focus from just general living to a specific part of your life - your speech. How is the tongue related to the whole body? - the mouth (tongue) can only say what the mind is thinking. (Does this lead us to no such thing as "I didn't mean it"?) Matt. 12:34ff., Matt. 15:3-11. Controlling what you say is demonstrating obedience to the Lord. I read today in a daily devotional book the following: “If you get an emotional experience out of a worship service but aren’t willing to obey, you are using Him without giving yourself to Him. Christians are saved by faith, not by obeying the law, but the law shows us how to please, love, and resemble the one who saved us by grace.” (See Note 1, below)

Note: this concept ‘what you say can hurt others’ is overcooked in the “woke” movement. (See: Note 2)

One of the conclusions we can draw is: Everyone fails to do what is right.

V. 3-4 - “We put a bit into the mouth of a horse to make it obey us, and we are able to make it go where we want. Or think of a ship: big as it is and driven by such strong winds, it can be steered by a very small rudder, and it goes wherever the pilot wants it to go. ”

Control is ‘Doable’

What great illustration about control. Horses are much bigger than we humans, but we can train them to respond to our control. The bit fits in their mouths - just a small piece of metal - and the animal does what we want. Likewise, a ship can be steered with a rudder that is vastly smaller than the vessel. The horse must be trained to obey - the term is ‘broken’ - and will go where the rider desires. A wild horse will not respond in the same way, even a ‘tame’ horse must be taught how to respond to a bit in its mouth.

V. 5 - “So it is with the tongue: small as it is, it can boast about great things. Just think how large a forest can be set on fire by a tiny flame!” - 

Control Requires a Pilot

The bit is small and the big horse can be guided by it. The rudder is very small and can turn the ship. Note the key words repeated in verses 3-5: “BIG”, “LARGE”, “STRONG”, “GREAT”, versus “SMALL”, “VERY SMALL”, or “TINY”. A tiny rudder can steer a ship into a safe harbor, or onto the rocks and destroy the vessel. The influence of the bit or the rudder is much greater than the size would suggest.

“the tongue: small as it is” - Thinking of the relative size of the rudder to the ship, James is leading us to see that the tongue, your speech, can have the similar relative impact on those around you.

“It can boast about great things” - Just because the tongue is small does not mean it does not have a large impact. From where does boasting come? It starts in our minds and fueled by either evil conceit or pride and is put into words we speak. Both evil conceit and righteous pride can lead to trouble. If the thought behind the boasting is “How could they do this to me, don’t they respect me?”, then we have let evil have its way in our hearts and minds. Pride can come in a couple of forms: “Look what God has done for us!”, or “Look what I have done!” Giving praise to the Lord is not bad, unless we are ‘praising God’ to diminish others.

“A forest can be set on fire by a tiny flame!” - The picture is that of destruction spread rapidly from a seemingly tiny thing. Think of all the “Smokey Bear” advertisements you have seen on TV. “Only you can prevent a forest fire.” “This forest fire was started from a single match.” A big, physical man can hurt a lot of people with his brute force. A small comment from a tiny person can lead to emotional and spiritual damage that is as devastating as forest fire. The tongue itself is not the problem, the control is the problem!

V. 6 - “And the tongue is like a fire. It is a world of wrong, occupying its place in our bodies and spreading evil through our whole being. It sets on fire the entire course of our existence with the fire that comes to it from hell itself.” - The tongue itself is not the problem, it is the words spoken by your tongue. Words can build up another person. Words can destroy another person. Be careful what you say.

“It is a world of wrong, occupying its place in our bodies” - The tongue, the things we say, are a window into the world in our brain. Evil speech comes from our minds, our hearts (emotions), our self-control.

We can split families because of hurtful things said. (My Mom had a brother who refused to speak or spend time with the rest of the family. I don’t know the whole story, but there was some serious anger there!) We let anger overwhelm our control and spew hateful and invective. Politics is rife with speeches and advertisements that are not only wrong, but hurtful causing pain and anger in others. At times it seems that all politics is lies. Arguments between races can flare into violence because of what is said. An activity such as a football game can turn into a riot because of things said. Wars are started by what is said, threatened, or lies spread unjustly. Hurt feelings are nursed, people are whipped into a frenzy. Thousands upon thousands die over these arguments.

Our natural self must be controlled by letting the power of the Holy Spirit work in us completely.

“spreading evil through our whole being.” - There is an old proverb: “Don’t let your mouth get you into something your body can’t back up.” (That’s how I remember it; probably from a Flip Wilson routine, or maybe the movie ‘Top Gun’.) In other words don’t let the things you say to others get you into trouble, especially with someone bigger, stronger and more vicious. The tongue itself is not the problem, it is the vehicle that transports our thoughts into physical being - where others can hear and react. It reveals our ‘being’ - whether it is natural or controlled by the Lord. ‘Natural man’ does not have a positive image in the Bible. Natural man is opposed to the Lord. See Jam 1:3, and “But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.” (1 Cor 2:14).

The tongue does not make us evil, nor does it cause us to be evil. It does reveal our present spiritual condition. Are you controlled and empowered by the Holy Spirit or not? What comes out of your mouth, your speech, is controlled by your brain and spirit.

“It sets on fire the entire course of our existence” - It is not just your speech that is revealed as problematic, but that your whole being is under the influence of evil. Jesus Christ died, and the Holy Spirit was given to all people who would confess Him as Lord and Savior. The Holy Spirit is in us to help us grow into the person Jesus wants us to be.

The entire course of our life is the circle of people around you - family, friends, neighbors, your sphere of influence. How you live your life - either in the power of the Holy Spirit, or under your own power always with the possibility of being influenced by evil forces - will affect those around you. (remember sermon on Deut 6:4-6)

What is the corrective action? Repent and be healed! Confess your sin, and ask the Holy Spirit to fill and control you.

“The fire that comes to it from hell itself.” - This is a reference to ‘Gehenna’, which was the valley of Hinnom. This place was where evil religious practices of pagan nations were performed. Human sacrifices, often children, were done here, and their bodies were burned. In some cases it seems that children were sacrificed on fiery altars. Their bodies were thrown into the valley where fires consumed them. Some of those pagan practices had ceased, and now the valley was a garbage dump - no one wanted to live in the valley where children were sacrificed. It was a defiled place, polluted and contaminated - the endless fires there became a picture of Hell.

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Note 1: T. Keller; “The Songs of Jesus”; Viking; 2015.
Note 2: “Wokeism” tends to say that certain words can harm people, and in some cases they are correct. But it seems so arbitrary. Some curse words appear to never be avoided. Other words are ‘evil’ only if certain people say them. Perhaps even the word ‘evil’ is bad only if certain people say it. Some words make no sense: “American”, “immigrant”, “man”, “woman”. This is too deep a subject to go further here.

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