Do we really understand the way God thinks? James challenges us to understand “the wisdom that comes down from above”. He uses this description in James 3:15, but it is defined in James 3:17–18 “But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceful, gentle, obedient, full of mercy and good fruits, nonjudgmental, without hypocrisy, 18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace among those who make peace”. But James doesn’t leave it at knowing wisdom, he is challenging us to live by wisdom. How do you judge those around you? Are you merciful as God is merciful to you? Do you have faith to act and trust God to provide what you need? Can you hear the voice of the Lord as Elijah did and trust God by speaking out the future provision that simply wasn’t there? Didn’t Jesus say to his disciples in Mark 11:24 “For this reason I say to you, whatever you pray and ask for, believe that you have received it, and it will be done for you”. What are you asking God to do in your life?
Be Doers of the Message and Not Hearers Only
Mercy Triumphs Over Judgement
James 2:1–13
God does not look at things the way we as natural human beings do. We see grandeur and wealth and fine clothing as if they were indicators of the character and value of a person as described in
James 2:3 and you look favorably on the one wearing the fine clothing and you say, “Be seated here in a good place,” and to the poor person you say, “You stand or be seated there by my footstool,”
James then goes on to say in
James 2:4 have you not made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?
but what “evil thoughts” is he talking about? Have you assumed the poor are lazy and useless and deserve their state because of their own bad decisions? That isn’t what God says about the poor in
James 2:5 Listen, my dear brothers! Did not God choose the poor of the world to be rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom that he has promised to those who love him?
and have you assumed the rich have gained position and power by their great wisdom that we ought to emulate? That isn’t what God says about the rich in
James 2:6b–7 Are not the rich exploiting you and they themselves dragging you into the courts? 7 Do they themselves not blaspheme the good name of the one to whom you belong?
These natural human judgments that are according to the way of the fallen world are contrary to “the royal law” in
James 2:8 However, if you carry out the royal law according to the scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well.
and in the end, “judgment is merciless” in
James 2:13 For judgment is merciless to the one who has not practiced mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
Those that are merciless and judge with condemnation, those that judge with separation (I am better than they are), those that raise themselves at the expense of others, will receive this same merciless judgment themselves. But those that show mercy as the Lord shows mercy in
Luke 1:78–79 because of the merciful compassion of our God by which the dawn will visit to help us from on high, 79 to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to direct our feet into the way of peace.”
Those that show this mercy to others, helping where they can, directing toward peace where they can, these will triumph.
I Will Show My Faith by My Works
James 2:14–26
Many have preached great messages from this passage. Certainly, we are not saved by our works. We are in
Ephesians 2:8–9 For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 it is not from works, so that no one can boast.
and it is by faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ. But that is not all it says in Ephesians. It goes on and says in
Ephesians 2:10 For we are his creation, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, so that we may walk in them.
It is these “good works … that we may walk in them” that James is talking about. If we only say we have faith in Jesus Christ but there is no compassion in us, how has our faith changed us? There is a truth in this natural world, that in
James 2:17 Thus also faith, if it does not have works, is dead by itself.
If we believe God, if we believe God is good, if we believe God cares and is in our midst, then isn’t it right to also believe that God will provide, that God will make a way, that God will bless us as we take action to help those around us?
Take a look at how God operated in 1 Kings 17:10–16. Elijah came to a city and asked a widow woman for bread. She responded that she only had enough for one little cake for herself and her son and then they were going to die of hunger. Elijah responded in a way we might find unimaginable, he said “make for me a small bread cake from it first”. How could he ask such a thing? And if he was going to ask, how could he ask it of the poorest of the poor? Yet, in 1 Kings 17:13 she did it. What was death for all of them because of lack became the salvation for all of them as they each acted in faith and gave what they had.
We often quote this in
Matthew 19b:26 “with God all things are possible.”
James is simply saying, have faith in God and act on it!
The Tongue is a Fire
The Wisdom That Comes Down From Above
James 3:13–18
James asks a question, “Who is wise and understanding among you?” in James 3:13a. How would you answer that? Would you say it is those with education or wealth or power or influence? James describes this, not as an attribute you might identify by looking at someone, but as a characteristic of their behavior, “Let him show by his good behavior his works, with the humility of wisdom” in James 3:13b.
The “wisdom that comes down from above” produces good behavior which produces works with humility. This wisdom is described and is easily seen in “those who make peace” in
James 3:17–18 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceful, gentle, obedient, full of mercy and good fruits, nonjudgmental, without hypocrisy, 18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace among those who make peace.
From Where are Conflicts and Quarrels?
James 4:1–12
You Do Not Know What Will Happen Tomorrow
James 4:13–17
Study Verses
- James 2:1–13 Mercy Triumphs Over Judgement
- James 2:14–26 I Will Show My Faith by My Works
- James 3:13–18 The Wisdom That Comes Down From Above
Today’s Reading
- James 1:19-27
- James 2:1-26
- James 3:1-18
- James 4:1-17