In the Meekness of Wisdom

James 3:13-18 ESV

“Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.”

Our conduct is not only critical to our relationships with God/Christ, and with other humans, but it is critical to our salvation from sin and to eternal life with God. So many people are teaching that our conduct does not matter, and that works are not required of us, but that is a lie. So many people are believing that they can be saved from their sins, be on their way to heaven, be assured that nothing can take that away from them, but regardless of how they live. And that just is not true! (Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Luke 9:23-26; Matthew 7:21-23; Galatians 5:16-21; Galatians 6:7-8).

So many people quote Ephesians 2:8-9, and they use that to say that works are not required of us, but they leave out verse 10 which says, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” And this goes right along with Titus 2:14 which says that Jesus Christ “gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.”

And we read in 1 Peter 1:14-15, “As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct.” And in 1 Peter 2:12 it says, “Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.” And to be holy is to be separate (unlike, different) from the world because God is conforming us to likeness of character of Jesus Christ.

But there are those among us who profess faith in Jesus Christ who believe nothing is required of them – no repentance, no forsaking of their sins, no submission to Christ as Lord, no living holy and righteous lives, pleasing to God, and no obedience to our Lord and to his commands under the New Covenant. So, out of pure selfishness and pride, they continue in deliberate and habitual and premeditated sin against God and against their fellow humans. And even spouses are sinning sexually against their spouses.

But where does this all come from? It comes from what is stored up in their hearts. Many of them have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition and unforgiveness and hate and pride and the lusts of the flesh all stored up in their hearts, and so this is what is coming out in their behaviors. And many of them refuse to deal with what is in their hearts, and so they continue in those same sinful patterns of behavior deliberately and habitually, hurting those they claim to love. And this is of Satan, not of God.

But we who are of genuine faith in Jesus Christ, who have been crucified with Christ in death to sin, who were raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, no longer living as slaves to sin but as slaves to God and to his righteousness, we should not be holding on to such bitterness and unforgiveness and hate and pride and the lusts of the flesh, etc. But we should be those who forgive others, who refuse pride, who say “No!” to the lusts of the flesh, and who say “Yes!” to God and to his will.

But in our endeavors to live peaceably with other humans, and to show them gentleness, mercy, impartiality, sincerity, and good fruits, we should never compromise truth and righteousness nor the truth of the gospel in order to not offend others. For making peace with others should never involve compromise in essential areas such as holiness and godliness and moral purity and the truth, etc. But we can make compromises in non-essentials, in things that are not critical to our salvation and to eternal life with God.

Video Talk

https://youtu.be/ZA92do19Dm8

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Oh, to Be Like Thee, Blessed Redeemer 

Lyrics by Thomas O. Chisholm, 1897

Music by W. J. Kirkpatrick, 1897

Oh, to be like Thee! blessèd Redeemer,

This is my constant longing and prayer;

Gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s treasures,

Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear.

Oh, to be like Thee! full of compassion,

Loving, forgiving, tender and kind,

Helping the helpless, cheering the fainting,

Seeking the wandering sinner to find.

O to be like Thee! lowly in spirit,

Holy and harmless, patient and brave;

Meekly enduring cruel reproaches,

Willing to suffer others to save.

O to be like Thee! while I am pleading,

Pour out Thy Spirit, fill with Thy love;

Make me a temple meet for Thy dwelling,

Fit me for life and Heaven above.

Oh, to be like Thee! Oh, to be like Thee,

Blessèd Redeemer, pure as Thou art;

Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;

Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrYhiK2nQBg 

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