Contrast in the Outcome of Wisdom (James 3:16-18)

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 10-13-03

 

My Worship Time                              Focus:  Contrast in the Outcome of Wisdom

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                         Reference:  James 3:16-18

 

            Message of the verse:  “For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing.  And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.”  (NASB)  “For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and every kind of evil.  And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of goodness.”  (NLT)

            A.  Worldly wisdom produces trouble.  (3:16) The word that is translated confusion in verse 16 in the AV is a word for disorder and that is how the NASB translates it.  Strongs gives this definition:  “instability, a state of disorder, disturbance, confusion.”  We can see an example of this confusion and disorder in Genesis eleven, which is a good example of man using his wisdom, which is opposed to God’s wisdom.

1.     Confusion and disorder set the stage for “every evil work.”  Strongs says this in giving a definition for the word “evil”:  “easy, slight, ordinary, mean, worthless, of no account.”  Works that are evil or worthless will be burned up as seen in 1Corthians 3:11-15:  “For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.  Now if any man builds upon the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it, because it is to be revealed with fire; and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work.  If any man’s work which he has built upon it remains, he shall receive a reward.  If any man’s work is burned up, he shall suffer loss; but he himself shall be saved, yet so as through fire.” 

B.  God’s wisdom produces blessing (3:18).  We can see again that God’s wisdom will produce fruit.  Fruit produces seeds within it and so when we produce fruit in our lives by the power of God’s Word and through His Spirit, there will be seed sown in this fruit, as we saw in John 15.  An example of this would be for a person to use his God given fruit to tell someone the way of salvation, and when that person receives Christ as the Savior and Lord they will in turn have the seed from this fruit in their life to produce more fruit as they too go and tell the message of salvation to another and so on the fruit from the original person’s life will continue to produce fruit.  One only has to think of D. L. Moody to see that there is still fruit being produced from his life even though he is now with the Lord.  Jesus prayed about this in John 17 when He prayed for those who would come to know Him through the message that His apostles would tell.  Dr. Wiersbe says that “what we are is what we live, and what we live is what we sow.  What we sow determines what we reap.  If we live in God’s wisdom, we sow righteousness and peace, and we reap God’s blessing.  If we live in man’s worldly wisdom, we sow sin and war, and we reap confusion and every evil work.”

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  It is easy to settle for the wisdom of man and not to ask God for His wisdom, but God says that if we ask Him that He is more than willing to give us His wisdom. 

 

The Word of God was convicting and very informative to me as I read it this morning.

 

My Steps of Faith Today:  To trust the Lord’s wisdom and to remember to ask Him for His wisdom each day.