James 3 – 4:10
(Scripture version - New Living translation)
Words, wisdom, and a deep relationship with God. These are the teachings James focuses on here in Part-3 of our study in his book. James intentionally puts them in this order, as well: Your Words are crucially important, the only real way to get is right is with wisdom that comes from God, and for both to happen there must be a relationship with God. Without that relationship, without a life lived in the Holy Spirit, we cannot hope to have God’s wisdom and help with our words which, when used improperly and carelessly, can destroy us and others.
“Your Words Matter, Deeply.”
James 3:1-12
Key verses – 2 “Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way.”
5-6 “In the same way, the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches.
But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. And among all the parts of the body, the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself.”
8-10 “…but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison. Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God. And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right!”
Meditation – This lengthy discussion about the tongue here in chapter 3 is both convicting and illuminating. Among the things this chapter reveals about the tongue: it is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts; it is a fire and a world of evil that defiles the whole person; it is set on fire by hell; and it is an unrestrainable evil and full of deadly poison. Is it any wonder, then, that God declares that taming the tongue is impossible?
Lurking within each of us are varying degrees of hatred, bitterness, jealousy, and pride, and the tongue takes hold of these and other destructive tendencies and strikes out, often with a push from Satan. We see this every day among strangers, friends, siblings, and, worst of all, among husbands and wives, the very people who, the very people who should have the most love for each other.
What is to be done, then, to tame the tongue? It takes the power of Christ within us to control the tongue, and that power is available only to those who turn their lives over to Him. As with so many things in life, “with men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible” (Matt 19:26)There is only One who can control the tongue. Only by God’s Spirit living within us can we hope to gain control over our tongues. (read also, Galatians 5:16-26) He convicts us when we sin with our lips, and that conviction drives us to repent and pray for more filling of the Spirit so we can avoid further sin. As we cling to Him and yield to Him in obedience, He controls us more and more, including our tongues.
“Wisdom Comes From God.”
James 3:13-18
Key verses – 17 “But the wisdom from above is first of all, pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere.”
Meditation – In this section James teaches about wisdom and challenges his readers to prove their wisdom by the actions of their lives. In that, there should be honorable living, good works, and humility. He continues here stating next what should be MISSING from our words: jealousy, selfishness, boasting, and lying and that those are not from God. Then, James gives us the metrics of Wisdom in that it is: pure, peace loving, gentle, yielding, mercy-filled, without favoritism, sincere, and has the fruits of good deeds. We should all regularly evaluate our day to day living with those metrics as we seek to follow God and gain wisdom from Him.
“Deepen Your Relationship with God.”
James 4:1-10
Key verses – 4 “You adulterers! Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God.”
7-8 “So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world.”
10 “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.”
Meditation – Getting our words right starts with God’s wisdom and living in His Spirit and doing that starts with a deepening relationship with Him. God has given us His Spirit that we would draw close to Him and be faithful to Him. (vs.5) Listening to and following His Spirit will assist us in being humble and resisting the devil and will help us to not have a divided loyalty but strengthen us to also resists the pull of worldly ways.
What do you do on a regular basis to deepen your relationship with God? Don’t let this be a mundane check list of religious to-do items to then feel good about doing spiritual things! In a marriage, a man and woman deepen their relationship and connection by spending quality time together, by learning what each other loves and is passionate about, and by studying what is important to each other. Over time, then, they grow more closely as one, knowing each other intimately and emotionally. The connection becomes powerful and unbreakable and can withstand the test of anything life brings. This is what God wants with us… a deep connection through which He can live in us and through us and when that happens, righteous living is the result. The more time you spend with God, the more you know God. The more you know God, the more you understand what He loves and what is important to Him. And the more you understand these things, the more you love the same things and in turn, it all becomes reflected in your daily living.
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