This chapter is quite short and continues the thoughts of chapter 2 regarding a believer’s actions and speech. James has already made the case that actions precede from the beliefs held by the individual. Chapter 3 is a Segway for that thought into chapter 4 but regarding the contents of the heart made manifest by speech. The two main things that strike me regarding James 3 is the honesty with which James addresses speaking and the sting I feel in my own heart for speaking words with venomous intent. One can be subtle, manipulative, passive aggressive and carry all the appearance of meekness, but truly act as a snake by biting a fellow believer with the poison of a bitter heart.
The beginning of the chapter is blunt and clear: do not be too eager to be a teacher because the standard is all the more strict. I ponder this quite often. When I speak do I represent Christ or have the passions of my heart taken hold of my tongue? Am I leading others astray? Have I set an example that points others to Christ? What are my own failures? Is writing this bare-hearted thought truly encouraging for others? Will I hear the words “Well done, good and faithful servant” because of the things I taught others? Or will I barely escape the fire as my house burns because I built a house of cards on the Rock? These are the questions that attack my mind when I read James 3. If there is any wise word out of my mouth it is from the Lord; what wisdom can I earn on my own?
The double standards we prop up with our speech are un-Christ like. The example of fresh and bitter water is quite appropriate. Do I speak for the edification of the Church, the redemption of the lost and the glory of God? Or do I hold “bitter envy and self-seeking in [my] heart” (3:14)? James calls boasting and lying against the truth “wisdom…[that] is earthly, sensual, demonic” (3:15). It is strange to consider that the Bible (and God) recognize there are two types of wisdom: wisdom that originates from man and wisdom that originates from God. That battle between discerning man’s wisdom from God’s wisdom is quite difficult at times. The world is consistently throwing its wisdom at us. In today’s age, generally in the form of a meme on Facebook or Google that will get the heads nodding and a million “thumbs ups.” Yet, that is not our source of wisdom. While there are many, many examples of God’s wisdom in the Bible from Proverbs, to the Gospels, to the Epistles, to Ecclesiastes, to Job; James provides a nice summary in verse 17 that is worth quoting. “But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace” (3:17-18). Do I act in such a manner as to represent that Wisdom? While it is easy to recognize and scream out the flaws of my selfish, carnal wisdom; acting in accordance with God’s wisdom is extremely difficult!
How can I do this? The simple answer: I cannot. This is the point of living by the Spirit which Paul expounds upon greatly in his letters. The world believes if humans are properly incentivized that we can act “pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy” without God. They are wrong. Gratifying our selfish hearts does not “cure” selfishness; rather, it simply feeds the passions of the body that desire ungodliness. The concept of manipulating circumstances to create “good people” is wisdom of the world. James is directly talking to two groups with extremely different circumstances: the poor and the rich. He addresses the poor in chapter 2 and will address the rich in chapter 4. God’s wisdom triumphs over circumstances. The world’s solutions is giving each man the desires of his heart and everything will be okay. This is simply not true and originates from earthly, sensual, demonic wisdom.
Following the Spirit is entirely different. Circumstances do not cause someone that is following the Spirit to stumble and fall back under the Law or passions of the flesh. This is the parable of the wise man and the foolish man building their houses in the storm: one on the rock and the other on the sand. The wise man heeds Jesus’ words and this is building his house on the rock. A firm foundation that never moves. Paul reminds us in Galatians 5:16-18 “I say then: walk in the Spirit and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.” And Jesus also reminds us in Matthew 22:37-40: “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” This is the wisdom of God. That by loving God and loving one another we walk in perfect unity with God in the Spirit. It is by listening and heeding the wisdom of the Holy Spirit that we are capable of acting this truth out day by day in every circumstance despite complications, temptations and persecutions. (This is under the assumption you have accepted Jesus death on account of your sins, his resurrection to the right hand of God, been baptized in water and have received the Holy Spirit as a seal unto new life in the day of the Lord who leads us into Eternity.)
My final thought is this: how can I walk by the Spirit and the Word if I do not know them? God is a genius of checks and balances. Walking in the Spirit is a personal experience that no one else can positively affirm 100%. While reading the Bible is something every Christian can do 100%. These are the confirmations to affirm we stand on the Rock. Salvation is extremely personal but my influence on and interaction with others is extremely social. Ask God for Wisdom in Prayer and seek Wisdom in His Word so that the Holy Spirit in you can be affirmed and your mind encouraged to walk in faith and confidence of the Hope we hold in Christ Jesus that your testimony will shine God’s glory for others praise that they might be redeemed as your brothers and sisters in Christ.
May you be blessed and walk in the Spirit and speak in the Wisdom of the Word.
