Living a Faith that can be Seen - James 4:1-12

WHEN CHRISTIANS FIGHT

 

There will always be conflict between people, even between Christians. Big surprise! How we handle conflict reveals a lot about what we value as a community. When people disagree, when tempers boil and emotions run high, words are thrown like knives and damage is often seemingly irreparable. 

            How do we handle interpersonal conflicts?

            A proper Englishman happened to find himself seated on a train between two ladies arguing about the window. One claimed that she would die of heatstroke if it stayed closed. The other said she would expire of pneumonia if it was opened. Being at an impasse, the ladies called the conductor, but he didn’t have a clue as to how to resolve the conflict. Finally, the proper gentleman who had been trying to read his book throughout the verbal battle spoke up. “First, open the window. That will kill the one. Then close it. That will kill the other. Then we will have peace.” 

            So that’s one way to resolve conflict when you don’t care about the people involved. But how do Christians resolve conflict? 

            The world has many ways to resolve conflict, but invariably they leave God out of the process. God’s ways are higher than our ways and are counter cultural. That means that his ways are not the norm for a society that asserts coming out on top. Yet if we want true and lasting peace in our relationships, especially in the church, then we need to resolve conflict God’s way. His way for resolving conflict is not to give us surface techniques that achieve outward peace. God goes for the heart – he wants to transform our hearts so that our love for him naturally flows over to others. 

            When our ways please him, then we have a foundation for resolving conflict with others. The writer of Proverbs wrote, “When a [person’s] ways please the LORD, [they make] even [their] enemies to be at peace with [them],” (16:7). What does James tell us about conflict in the church?

To Resolve Conflict, Recognize the Source (4:1-3)

 

Church conflict is not unique. We know that the Corinthian church were divided over many issues; Paul singled out two women in Philippi and implored them to agree; and Galatian believers were “biting and devouring” each other (5:15). It is not surprising that James had to write about resolving conflict to his churches. 

            He asked, “What causes fights and quarrels among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you?”(1). Asked and answered. What causes conflict among you? You do. That is, your passions and desires are the source of your disagreements, your angst, your frustration with each other. 

            While our natural tendency is to find blame outside of ourselves, especially other people, James insists that we are guilty. The problem rests with me, not the government, not my rival, not my parents, not my brother or sister in Christ. It’s me. The word “passions” comes from the root for “hedonism.” Hedonism is the principle of self-gratification. In the soul it is pride, longing, thirst for honor, success; in the body, it is eating and indulgence. Hedonism is the ultimate serving of self – and when this motivation drives us, conflict follows. 

            This is where logic takes a holiday. The War of the Whiskers was a tongue-in-cheek term for a long conflict between France and England. It began when Louis VII refused to shave his beard after he returned from the crusades. His wife, Eleanor hated the beard so much she annulled their marriage and married Henry II of England. This spat led to the Hundred Years War (1337-1453). 

            You think that’s stupid? Sometimes churches split over doctrinal issues, but others fight over the color of the carpet. 

            James wrote that part of the problem had to do with prayer. Note the tone of verses 2-3: “You…do not have...cannot obtain…You do not have…do not receive.” People become frustrated when they see what needs to be done, but others choose a different method or plan. In short, when we don’t get our way, we get angry. And there are two problems with this regarding prayer: 

1) We haven’t been praying; we haven’t been asking God for his wisdom. A person may say, “Pray? No, I want to work. Prayers are not practical. Here’s the problem; let’s fix it. While you are praying, I will have solved the issue.” We are very self-reliant; before we pray, we will apply ourselves to the matter. If that doesn’t work, we might pray as a last resort.

2) If we do pray, we pray with wrong motives. James said that Christians were asking “wrongly” so that they could “spend it on your passions.” This may contribute to “not praying” as well. Jesus said, “Ask…Seek…Knock” (Mt. 7:7), and some of the believers in James’ church may have replied, “We prayed. And we did not get what we wanted.” Why pray? James sticks a finger in that wound saying, “You asked wrongly.” Jesus is the goal of our prayers. If he is not your main desire, your focus is misdirected. Our desire must be for Jesus in a world that desires everything else. He is the One we ask for; he is the One we seek; it is on his door that we knock. To treasure him above all else is the work of prayer. When we seek him first, all the things we need will be given to us. 

When you are secure in your relationship with Christ Jesus, there is less conflict with others.

 

To Resolve Conflict, Remember your First Allegiance (4:4-6)

 

James is blunt. He uses harsh language to get his point across. Back in verse 2, he accused the church of murder. Most scholars see this as exaggeration to make a point. But he does it again when he calls the church “adulterous people” (4). 

            The correct word is “adulteresses.” This is important because this language recalls OT prophetic literature concerning Israel and Judah. It also connects to the jealousy of God in v. 5. The way Yahweh in the OT viewed his relationship to his people was as a husband to a wife. Jeremiah used this comparison to call Israel back to God when he said, “…like a woman unfaithful to her husband, so you have been unfaithful to me, O house of Israel,’ declares the LORD,” (3:20; see also Dt. 31:16; Hos. 2:5). 

            What James does here is rebuke the church for focusing on their own agendas and ambitions instead of pursuing God. Another way of saying this is that Christians have chased after the world forsaking God in the process. Why are they in conflict? Because they are thinking like the world. 

            When we adopt the world’s philosophy for doing life, we turn our backs on God. We can draw our own images of a faithful spouse with a ripped open heart. A soldier comes home after a tour of duty to find his wife has been seeing his best friend. A wife has made a home for her hard-working husband only to discover he has been texting another woman. We can feel the hurt of these suffering souls; how much more then the heart of God when we flirt with the world.

            John also warned the church about friendship with the world (read 1 John 2:15-17). James says that friendship with the world means becoming an enemy of God. Both James and John challenge us to reconsider what we love about the things of this world and about our love for God. When you pursue your desires, your friendship with God fades.

 

To Resolve Conflict, Submit yourself to God (4:7-10)

 

The remedy for friendship with the world is submitting to God. Submit! That’s a loaded term in our culture and has some negative connotations. 

            You can go to seminars on how to be more assertive. You can find self-help and life-coaches who can boost your esteem. The “in” thing in the 2020’s is to be true to yourself. I even heard a speaker on CHVN radio talking about “loving yourself first” so that you can properly love your spouse. If you don’t take care of you, you are no good to anyone. The speaker may have even based this on “love your neighbor as yourself,” a misunderstanding of Jesus’ response to the question of the Greatest Commandment.

            But you don’t hear about seminars or advice on how to learn to submit. Submission translates to so many as servitude and weakness, as in a wife submitting to her husband (like the Archie Bunker model). Yet James seeks to reverse this love affair with the world and turn Christians back to God by saying, “Submit yourselves therefore to God,”(7a). In this context it is best to understand submission as ordering our lives under God’s authority and will. This is actually the purpose of worship: to align ourselves with God choosing his values over the values of society.  

            Submission to God flows into the rest of your life. Paul envisioned a life surrendered to God to be such a state of contentment and trust in Christ that it influences relationship with each other. In other words, as Paul said, “submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ,” (Eph. 5:21). Mutual submission is the natural result of submission to God. This does not mean you keep your mouth shut when ideas are shared, but it does mean listening to others who may have better ideas (or worse; with respect). This does not mean rolling over when your idea is rejected, but it does mean respecting the fact that the community went another way (even if you think your way was better). 

            When we submit out of reverence for Christ, out of love for one another, the devil must flee. When he flees, the conflict dissipates. 

 

To Resolve Conflict, let the Law of Love Reign (4:11-12)

 

What happens after a committee meeting where the discussion gets hot? What happens when two people disagree and each feels they were not heard or were shot down? They talk. But not to each other. If they are good Canadians, they will passive-aggressively talk ABOUT the other person to someone who will sympathize with their perspective. 

            James will have none of that. He clearly and plainly puts this response in its place. He wrote, “Do not speak evil against one another…The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?” (11-12).  

            This verse talks a lot about “the law.” I am convinced, and there are scholars who agree, that the law James refers to is not the OT law as such, but the law that he mentioned earlier. The royal law, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” (2:8), governs how we talk about each other. It must; it is imperative. If we give in to our desires and ambitions, passions, and hobby horses, we will destroy our brother or sister in Christ with words. James teaches that to claim to follow Christ and to speak evil of others is double minded. 

            Why do Christians attack each other? Why is there conflict between us when we discuss politics, blueprints, or even what we believe about the Bible?

·      Is it because we believe that we are right, and they are wrong?

·      Is it because we make a hill of beans about matters that are of no eternal worth whatsoever? 

·      Is it because we enjoy arguing and “winning” so that we appear intelligent or smart?

·      Is it because grappling with Christians over so-called spiritual issues is easier than sharing our faith with unbelievers?

·      Is it because we are jealous of others in the church and tearing them down will bring them down a notch?

·      Is it because we enjoy the affirmations of others who feel neglected or on the fringe? 

The law of "neighbor love” does not allow for these attitudes. The law of love seeks to restore relationships and to reconcile with adversaries. There may be a cost to reconciliation. You must be willing to answer softly. You must be willing to give up the final word. You must be willing to lose your dignity, if necessary. You need to forget the offense. You need to return love for hurt and risk looking impotent. In other words, you need to look like Jesus. “Forgive each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you must also forgive,” (Col. 3:13). 

 

Larry Crabb said, “The difference between spiritual and unspiritual community is not whether conflict exists but is rather in our attitude toward it and our approach to handling it. When conflict is seen as an opportunity to draw more fully on spiritual resources, we have the makings of spiritual community.” 

            A spiritual community is a community filled with the Holy Spirit who guides us into more fully into the life of Christ. I pray that we would be a community that reflects the person of Christ so intimately that when we face conflict, we will walk away loving each other. They will know we are Christians by our love.

 

 

                                                AMEN

Living a Faith that can be Seen - James 3:13-18

DO YOU WANT TO BE WISE?

 

Not too long ago, Sharon and I became friends with a family from Texas. They are devout Christians and very proud Texans. We even had two of their adult children live with us for several months. There were a few learning curves in this experience, but we managed to provide these children a safe space to finish their college degrees at Providence. 

            One piece of parental admonition stood out for us: the parents of these children would not tell them to “be safe” when they went out into the world…no, they would tell them to “be wise.” I’ve never forgotten that “blessing” and now use it myself.

            As parents, we want our children to be safe when they leave the house. Nothing wrong with that. But the caution to be safe is limited in its scope. It encourages taking a defensive posture with life and protecting oneself from the risks that could potentially harm us physically or emotionally. Being safe is also inward focused; it’s about “me,” and not so much about others.

            Telling our loved ones to “be wise” embraces a broader scope of life with its implications. Being wise is not just about “me” but about others as well. My caution is coupled with my concern for others so that my own well-being is not the sole objective. To be wise means making decisions that are God-honoring and beneficial for others.

            Being safe is driving a six-lane freeway as if it were a one-way country lane. Being wise is driving a six-lane freeway with your head on a swivel looking this way and that for opportunities while practicing awareness of the cars around you.

            Do you want to be wise? I think we all do. We want to be wise. We don’t want to be seen as fools. We seek after wisdom, but we need to be discerning about wisdom. There are two kinds of wisdom in our world. James 3:13-18 speaks of worldly wisdom and godly wisdom. Can we tell them apart?

Can I See your Wisdom? (3:13)

 

James asked a loaded question of the churches in his care: “Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom,” (13). Remember, James had been talking to teachers and leaders in the church, some of whom thought that by being a teacher or leader they were due some respect. He did draw in all Christians who sought wisdom and asked them to evaluate themselves asking, “Who is truly wise among you?”

            In the NLT, we find not a question but a challenge: “If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom.” This sounds like his earlier challenge, “Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do,” (2:18). This fits because wisdom is revealed by the way one lives his or her life. Good work is the result of true wisdom.

            If you are paying close attention to James’ challenge, you will notice a phrase that sets the tone for how he will define wisdom: “the meekness of wisdom.” That word “meekness” was not too popular in Greek thinking. But it’s not based on popular Greek thinking; it is based on the life of Jesus. The NT writers understood “meekness” to involve “a healthy understanding of our own unworthiness before God and a corresponding humility and lack of pride in our dealings with our fellow men,” (Blomberg, 171). Now you know why it was not popular among a bunch of egocentric people who thought themselves wise. Meekness asks us to be teachable, to yield ourselves to God’s word. It is the quality of NOT being overly impressed by one’s own self-importance. 

            Wisdom is not knowledge. I can know something without understanding it. You will gain knowledge by taking apart a refrigerator, but it takes wisdom to put it back together again. When you can’t put it back together, it takes the meekness of wisdom to ask for the expertise of another to help you. You can begin to see that biblical wisdom is contrary to the wisdom of our world. (Worldly wisdom: “I can do it myself”; Biblical wisdom: “I need help”).

            In fact, it is. Consider 1 Corinthians 1:21-24 (read). Reading Paul’s words, wisdom is defined through the cross of Christ. Through the lens of the cross we see that God’s supreme expression of wisdom was his Son losing, being defeated by Jewish and Roman authorities, and dying on a cruel device meant to torture, punish, and kill. Jews called it weakness; Greeks called it foolish. But Christians are supposed to call it power and wisdom. That is upside down and backwards to how the world understands wisdom. 

            Wisdom requires humility. Wisdom asks us to be teachable. “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding,” (Prov. 9:10).

 

Wisdom that isn’t Wise (3:14-16)

 

James tells us that there are two kinds of wisdom. He contrasts the two kinds saying in effect that one comes from below and the other from above. These two types of wisdom are contrasted further by their origins, operations, and outcomes (W. Wiersbe ch. 8). Let’s look at the wisdom from below.

Origins – Jumping down to v. 15, James said, “This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic,” (15). Bible scholars also call this unholy trio the world, the flesh, and the devil. In other words, this wisdom does not originate with God.

·      It is Earthly. Wisdom that is earthly shuts out God and limits its scope and understanding to things on this earth. It is tested primarily by what you can see (seeing is believing). It does not consider God and deems faith as an inferior approach to life.

·      It is Unspiritual. Also known as natural, it is a wisdom that lacks the life of the Spirit – it is life apart from God. In Greek this word refers to the base instinct of an animal to survive. Survival sums it up fairly well. Feelings guide this kind of wisdom – doing what feels right.

·      It is Demonic. This packed term is like what James said about the tongue, how it is set on fire by hell and destroys. The actions of this wisdom imply that they are demon-inspired. 

Operations – How does this wisdom operate? Twice, James uses the phrase “bitter jealousy and selfish ambition,” (14, 16). This is where self-importance and self-interest motivate one’s actions. These attitudes come from seeing others receive what we think we ought to have. Worldly wisdom says, “I deserve this” and “I demand respect.” 

            Think of King Saul in the OT who grew increasingly bitter over David’s successes. The women sang a song of celebration, “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands,” (1 Sam 18:7). You can imagine how that song must have driven Saul out of his mind. When we allow bitterness to grow it becomes antagonism that confuses others and destroys ourselves. It is like swallowing poison and waiting for the other person to die. 

            Craig Blomberg said this, “Often when Christians strive for a higher position in church, they do not imagine that their actions will actually create more problems. We may well think that we are the solution and that if we get our way, we will help the church improve. Instead, James declares that self-seeking will invariably produce chaos and lead people to baser actions rather than to nobler ones,” (174). 

Outcomes – The result of this earthly wisdom is described as “disorder and every vile practice,” (16). The word “chaos” is a good synonym for “disorder.” One of my favorite shows growing up was Get Smart, a spoof of spy shows. The bad guys were called “Chaos” while the good guys were called “Control.” Seems fitting that when selfish ambition clouds a leader’s mind there will be chaos for those following. 

            Again, Blomberg nails it, “When we fight for power in Christian circles, evil establishes a foothold. When we operate with worldly values, seeking our own honor and status, we even offer Satan an entrance into the house of God!” (175). 

            Sometimes this occurs when we try to apply the wisdom of the business world to the church. If we focus on numbers and physical growth, we lose sight of what God values – relationship and spiritual growth. The term “CEO” does not have a biblical basis and reflects the leadership styles of corporate practices. Jesus instead speaks of shepherds and relational nurturing. 

 

Sowing and Reaping a Harvest of Wisdom (3:17-18)

 

The wisdom from above offers a dramatically different approach to living life. Let’s consider again the origins, operations, and outcomes of this wisdom. James wrote, “But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere,” (17). 

Origins – This wisdom is from above; it comes from God. Remember that James said earlier, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights…” (1:17). Another pastor, Brian Bill, commented on the difference between these types of wisdom saying, wisdom from below comes from reason; wisdom from above comes from revelation. 

            Reason and logic are a necessary part of life, but without revelation, they have no purpose. Revelation is God revealing himself and his purpose for life, that we may know his heart. 

Operations – The wisdom from heaven operates on a totally different level than the wisdom from below. Heavenly wisdom is pure. All of wisdom’s attributes flow from purity. The root of purity means ethical blamelessness and implies that one is free of the moral and spiritual defects that the marks of the double minded. Remember, James said when we ask for wisdom we should believe and not doubt because the doubter is double-minded (1:6-8). 

            From the root of purity comes further descriptors of true wisdom. These sound a lot like Paul’s “fruit of the Spirit” in Galatians 5:22-23 and with good reason. Some writers believe that James viewed wisdom as a primary function of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer. How does this wisdom operate?

·      It is peace-loving: wisdom seeks to get along with others.

·      Gentle: a wise person gives up his right to be right.

·      Open to reason: a wise person is compliant and approachable, willing to be taught and willing to let others have the spotlight.

·      Full of mercy and good fruits: a wise person shows compassion to those who are hurting, sick, or broke. 

·      Impartial: wisdom sees through the veneer and values people as people, not for how much money they possess or don’t possess. Wisdom heeds the “love your neighbor” law. 

·      Sincere: a wise person is a person of integrity and consistency. What they are today, they will be tomorrow. 

Outcomes – Heavenly wisdom produces an attractive fruit. “…a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace,” (18). When the wisdom of Christ is practiced in the church of Christ there is a harvest of peace because the people in the church are confident that the gospel guides the church. 

            Peace is more than the absence of unrest or turmoil. This peace is holistic; it is shalom. Shalom in the OT was a sense of harmony and balance in oneself and amongst the people of God. It goes beyond the mere avoidance of trouble or problems and uncomfortable issues. It will fight sin, but hunger for peace. It seeks to heal divisions and provide wise counsel. Peace is the ultimate goal of wisdom. 

“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him,” (1:5).

            Do you want to be wise?

            I sat at my desk this week trying to come up with an illustration of what godly wisdom looked like and could not think of anything that wasn’t cheesy or contrived. I began to wonder if I knew what wisdom really looked like. I wanted so badly to show you the essence in real terms of what wisdom looks like. 

            I gave up.

            Then it hit me. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God…what do you get? Jesus! Jesus is the wisdom of God. Jesus is not some pie-in-the-sky image that lacks earthy imagery that we long for. He came and lived this life. He absolutely is the earthy image we long for. 

            Paul uses oddly similar wording in Philippians 2 when he writes, “Do nothing from selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves,” (3). Paul tells us to look at the interests of others, just as James was teaching. And then Paul gives the example of wisdom in these words (I dare you to deny this):

            “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God something to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross,” (5-8). 

            Jesus did not only save us from sin, he demonstrated how we are to live in his upside-down kingdom. He is the example of wisdom personified. 

            Do you want to be wise? Live as Jesus lived.

 

                                                            AMEN