Bible Study - James (4) - Faith on Display in Your Conversations - James 3:1-18 - September 25, 2022

 

Bible Study – James (4) – Faith on Display in Your Conversations – September 25, 2022

This is lesson four (4) in our series entitled “James: Living Out Your Faith.”

Our focus scripture is James 3:1-5a, 9-10, 13-18.

When you rely on GOD, your words reflect HIS character.

In essence, James was talking about what flows from our innermost being, “the eyes of our hearts.” The very core of our being is where truth or error reside. Is what we are saying truth or fiction?

Each Spirit-born person is a spring of living water and it is vital for us to be cognizant of what we say to others. Words can be healing or devastating. We, who know the truth of JESUS and salvation through faith in JESUS, are responsible for our words; especially those who teach.

We, who are Spirit-born, need to listen to and evaluate against GOD’S Word what flows from our hearts through our mouths in speech. Our words will reveal to us, truth or error. We can get carried away with the praise of others and we may embellish the truth to curry more favor from others.  We who teach, must reflect on what we teach and make certain what we say and how we live are consistent with the teachings of JESUS and GOD’S Word. What resides in our hearts reveals truth or error. We who teach will be measured by our own teaching.

We read in 1 Peter 3:7 ⁷ Husbands, in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with a weaker partner, showing them honor as coheirs of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered.

Let’s explore!

Let’s read James 3:1-5a:

3 Not many should become teachers, my brothers,^[a] because you know that we will receive a stricter judgment. ² For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is mature, able also to control the whole body. Both teaching GOD’S Word and general education. All are accountable but most especially those who teach GOD’S Word.

Teaching is a gift and it carries responsibilities, such as being good to one’s wife or spouse and teaching, applying, speaking and living truth as we glean from GOD’S Word. Our walk must match our talk.

What can help us to live as we teach others how to live? Keep what we say under control!

 ³ Now if we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we direct their whole bodies. ⁴ And consider ships: Though very large and driven by fierce winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. ⁵ So too, though the tongue is a small part of the body, it boasts great things. Consider how a small fire sets ablaze a large forest. ⁶ And the tongue is a fire. The tongue, a world of unrighteousness, is placed^[b] among our members. It stains the whole body, sets the course of life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. ⁷ Every kind of animal, bird, reptile, and fish is tamed and has been tamed by humankind, ⁸ but no one can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

James illustrated the power of the tongue. It is a small part of the human body but it is most powerful. James compared the tongue to small things in life that control large things, such as a bit in a horse’s mouth and a rudder that controls a big ship, especially in storms. Also, how a small fire can start a large fire and destroy a large forest.

As children, when our fellow playmates would say harsh words to us, we would respond with – “sticks and stones may break my bones but words will not hurt me.” That saying is not true. Words do hurt and can cause severe damage to others.

Some people use words to entice or talk others into buying things they cannot afford. Words can bring healing, hope, joy or hurt, sadness or despair. Words can be spoken in love or in hate.

What determines how words are spoken? Let’s keep exploring.

Let’s read James 3:9-10:

⁹ With the tongue we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in God’s likeness. ¹⁰ Blessing and cursing come out of the same mouth. My brothers and sisters, these things should not be this way. ¹¹ Does a spring pour out sweet and bitter water from the same opening? ¹² Can a fig tree produce olives, my brothers and sisters, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a saltwater spring yield fresh water.

The tongue must be under the authority of the indwelling Holy Spirit. The tongue is powerful and rules the body unless tamed. Who or what can rule our bodies?

It can be drugs, hatred, sex, lust, lying, deceit, or love, compassion, truth, and the lists go on. It is when our lives and tongue are controlled by the indwelling Holy Spirit that we are most effective. When we pause and seek our LORD’S guidance, it gives us an opportunity to go from off the cuff remakes to thoughtful remarks. The spoken words can achieve their intended results without breaking relationships. GOD desires for us to speak words of wisdom and truth.

James uses three wonderful illustrations - As a Spirit-born person, we represent GOD and JESUS to others, therefore, we need to be cognizant of who we are - ¹¹ Does a spring pour out sweet and bitter water from the same opening? ¹² Can a fig tree produce olives, my brothers and sisters, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a saltwater spring yield fresh water.

The response to these three illustrations is “no!”

As Spirit-born people, we have been born into GOD’S Family and the living water produced by the Holy Spirit flows from within each of us.

As Spirit-born people, we have access to GOD and HIS wisdom.

James is building a Spiritual foundation upon which we can build. He wants those who are Spiritual to reflect on what he is writing and apply it. He writes about wisdom. True wisdom comes from GOD but there is an earthly wisdom that comes from other sources and often is thought to be from GOD. So, how does one know the difference? Let’s read on -

Let’s read James 3:13-18:

The Wisdom from Above

¹³ Who among you is wise and understanding? By his good conduct he should show that his works are done in the gentleness that comes from wisdom. ¹⁴ But if you have bitter envy and selfish ambition in your heart, don’t boast and deny the truth. ¹⁵ Such wisdom does not come down from above but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. ¹⁶ For where there is envy and selfish ambition, there is disorder and every evil practice. ¹⁷ But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peace-loving, gentle, compliant, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without pretense. ¹⁸ And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who cultivate peace.

Let’s go back to verse 13 - ¹³ Who among you is wise and understanding? By his good conduct he should show that his works are done in the gentleness that comes from wisdom.

What is the source of gentleness? Written in Galatians 5: ²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, and self-control. Notice “fruit” is singular.

As Spirit-born people the Holy Spirit resides within our bodies and produces Spiritual fruit. This is part of our Spiritual DNA which is present within all Spirit-born people but it has to be developed.

We need to keep in mind that “iron sharpens iron” and GOD’S Word sharpens all who are Spirit-born and helps us to grow and develop into the image of CHRIST. When we encounter Spiritual challenges in life, they cause us to seek wisdom from GOD. In turn, as we seek, we will find, as we knock the door to wisdom and understanding opens to us. Sometimes, we have to knock long and hard. Why?

As you may recall, Daniel had prayed to GOD and the messenger GOD sent was delayed for 21 days because GOD’S messenger had to fight one of Satan’s minions in Persia.

Much goes on in the spirit world. The Good News is that JESUS conquered Satan and the spirit world by HIS passion. Also, we may not be prepared or ready to receive what we have asked for.

All Spirit-born people are enemies of Satan but they are warriors for JESUS. We must suit up for spiritual battle every day as Paul instructs in Ephesian 6. JESUS has won the victory and we are more than conquerors. First Corinthians 15:57.

Let’s read verses 14-16, “¹⁴ But if you have bitter envy and selfish ambition in your heart, don’t boast and deny the truth. ¹⁵ Such wisdom does not come down from above but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. ¹⁶ For where there is envy and selfish ambition, there is disorder and every evil practice. 

James was telling all Spirit-born people how to determine whether or not their perceived wisdom had come from GOD. Such boasting reveals that your perceived wisdom did not come from GOD but from Satan and you should keep your mouth shut, until your heart is right with GOD. Satan loves to disguise himself as truth. But we, who know the truth, must test all things to make sure they are true. How do we test? We read and study GOD’S Word and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal truth to us. James gives us a test ----

Let’s go back the original question James proposes in verse 13, “¹³ Who among you is wise and understanding? By his good conduct he should show that his works are done in the gentleness that comes from wisdom.”

Let’s read verses 17 and 18 - ¹⁷ But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peace-loving, gentle, compliant, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without pretense. ¹⁸ And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who cultivate peace.

How do we know, as Spirit-born people, that wisdom and understanding come from GOD? There is worldly wisdom that can make us or others think that a person’s wisdom is from GOD. It can be a deception. Simply be careful and keep your Spiritual eyes open; the eyes-of your heart. Test against what the scripture reveals and what the Holy Spirit confirms or rejects.

I love verse 18, “And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who cultivate peace.”

What is the “fruit of righteousness?” It is, “right standing with God and a lifestyle and attitude that seeks conformity to God’s will and purpose”. It is reproducible in all Spirit-born people. Our faith in JESUS puts us in right standing with GOD and is confirmed and sealed by the indwelling Holy Spirit.

What does it mean to “cultivate?” It means to take what we have in JESUS and share it with others as GOD gives us opportunity.

What is cultivated needs to be cared for and harvested or else it will spoil.

We read in 1 Corinthians 1:28-31:

²⁸ God has chosen what is insignificant and despised in the world—what is viewed as nothing—to bring to nothing what is viewed as something, ²⁹ so that no one^[g] may boast in his presence. ³⁰ It is from him that you are in Christ Jesus, who became wisdom from God for us—our righteousness, sanctification, and redemption— ³¹ in order that, as it is written: Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.^[h]

We read in 2 Corinthians 5:21:

²¹ He (GOD) made the one who did not know sin (JESUS) to be sin^[e] for us, so that in him we (all who accept JESUS as their Savior) might become the righteousness of God.

Spirit-born people are made righteous by faith in JESUS and the eternal, cleansing shed blood of JESUS. It is the shed blood of JESUS that seals all Spirit-born people until they are fully redeemed from their earth suits at physical death. At physical death their new Spiritual bodies, fashioned by GOD for Heaven, are released into Heaven. A person’s fashioned body will serve him or her in Heaven until he or she receives his or her permanent, eternal Glorified body like JESUS at HIS second coming. Sow the “fruit of righteousness in peace.” Today is the day of salvation. Blessings!!!