Scripture: James 3:13-18, 2 Corinthians 12:19-21, Acts 6:8-11
For the last month and a half, we have been studying
a number of lessons from the Apostle James.
This will be our 6th lesson, and it focuses on the radical
difference between the human version of what wisdom is, compared to that of God’s.
The main problem for us is that our typical understanding of what wisdom
is all about is simply a limited version of what we have learned from our
teachers, adjusted for the desires of our own preferences. But the presence of truth – God’s truth – is
generally ignored due to the overwhelming weight of human emotion and aspirations.
Our wisdom, then, is developed primarily to support
our own desires, ambitions, priorities, and agendas. This certainly creates a huge gap between God’s
wisdom , which is based in His eternal, perfect, and omniscient (all-knowing), truth,
and the imperfect wisdom that we tend to create and adjust throughout our own
lifetime.
While we would certainly have a problem trying to
understand and apply the totality of divine wisdom all on our own, we have very
good teachings of how to bring it alive within our own
understanding! Scripture, when taken as
a whole, will give us all that we will ever need to know, and will ever be able
to carry out.
Read James 3:13-18
James begins this passage
with the thought that our lives and ways can be the only evidence that will truly
prove if we are humble servants of our LORD Jesus, or not. But if there is an absence
of such proof that God’s ways are the ways of our life, then it will be obvious
to anyone who knows us that we are living out this life in worldly traits through
anger. envy and personal ambition. This is
nothing short of humanity in action, and has no place in the life of a follower
of Jesus Christ.
The
apostle tells us in no uncertain terms that this attitude is not only NOT from
heaven, but is, in every way, “earthly, unspiritual, and of the devil”. In essence, there can never be any fruit of
the Spirit that we will ever be able to count on if we aren’t serving in a
Godly manner! And as James tells us, the
heavenly difference will be that our life will be filled with mild, controlled,
and peaceful behavior, not confused and sinful actions. Consider that list of characteristics that he
lists in verses 17&18! It appears
that without the wisdom of God at work within us, there is no hope for
righteousness in our lives. In Isaiah55:8-11, we
read “For my thoughts are not your
thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, As the heavens are higher than the
earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”,
and it would be shear arrogance if we ever imagine that our way could possibly
be as good as the LORD’s.
Read 2 Corinthians 12:19-21
Corinth
was an international city of commerce, trade and religion, and the church was
constantly being beset by outside influences.
But then, nothing has changed in that regard for the past 2,000
years! Satan and his minions in the
world will never stop trying to berate and confuse the faithful of Jesus Christ
by proclaiming that worldly values and concepts are just as valid, and maybe
even more so, than any other.
There
will always be some of the faithful who will strive to remain strong against
the storms of earth, but there will also be others who will fall to the
temptations and lies of the prevalent culture of that day. At the time Paul wrote this letter, it is
believed that there was a strong undercurrent of opposition to his
leadership. In 2Corinthians 13:10, he tells the church that the LORD had given him the authority to build them up, not
to tear them down, and implies that this is exactly what he intends to do for
them.
As
his letter continues, he expresses the concern that he will find far more
dissension and disobedience to God’s truth than he ever expects to see. He writes that he will be “humbled” and
“grieved” over the evil that he will find spreading throughout the faithful of
Corinth. That will always be the
challenge that is placed on the leaders of the Church – to stand strong against
secularism and its culture, regardless of how benign those ways may seem at
first. If faith in our walk doesn’t
reflect the concepts that God has handed down to us, then we are completely on
the wrong track.
And
when the world is allowed to get a toe-hold in the church, it will be nearly
impossible to correct the false teaching that has already taken place. Christians know that anger and fighting are
not the way that God would have us correct the situation – that when Jesus told
us to love one another as He first loved us (John 13:34), He fully expects us to do
that. He wanted us to know that we are
to stand in divine truth and Godly compassion, and not to be forceful and
boastful and deceitful in the ways of the world, for the way of Jesus is the
only way we can possibly show honor and praise and glory to our One and
Almighty God.
For
we, too, will be held accountable for the ways that we take a stand
against the world. Will we stay true to
the ways that we know are right, or will we fall to the temptation to fight
against the world by its own rules and opportunities?
We
must always be vigilant to stay in Christ’s way and out of Satan’s.
Read Acts 6:8-11
This
passage speaks of the time when Stephen was arrested, falsely charged with
heresy, convicted, and put to death by stoning.
And how did this first deacon of the Church respond to the hateful
opposition toward the rapid growth in the numbers of faithful believers? He stayed focused on God’s truthful word, and
the wisdom that the Holy Spirit brought to his voice - two Godly means that the
world will never be able to contradict.
So how did the Jews find a way to have him put to death?
They
brought him before the Sanhedrin, and lied about what he had been saying and
doing. (Acts 6:12-15) But Stephen never struck back, he never became angry, he stayed true to
God, and for the entire 7th chapter of Acts, he reminded members of the Jewish court that
the truth of their history was replete with failure to follow God’s leading. And his final words were “you … have
received the law that was put into effect through angels but have not obeyed
it.” And he was stoned.
Standing
faithfully against the persecution and the lies of the world will always be the
right and Christian way. But we also
must be prepared for the world’s reaction to the word they can not argue
against. And since they can do nothing
to the LORD
Himself, they will, most assuredly, take their anger out on the closest
representatives of the God who they refuse to follow.
But
then, who is it that we have been placed on this earth to give trust and faith
and service to? And who is our one LORD and God and Redeemer and
Savior and source of eternal life? It must
be the one infinite and glorious hope who we choose to follow and obey.
And
as Joshua told the people – “- choose for yourselves this day whom you will
serve -” (Joshua 24:14-15) And so must
we also choose who and how we will serve, each and every day of this life.
