Most of us don’t roll out of bed every morning to a life free from disorder. We procrastinate, things don’t go as planned, people get sick, we get frustrated—all could be summed up by saying ‘life happens’. This is the existence we know of; one that is fractured. One where our circumstances intersect with our heart condition and it produces what James notes as the existence of jealousy and selfish ambition.

For those of us who are Christians, we should have no problems admitting the presence of jealousy and selfish ambition in our hearts. To varying degrees and various times, these twin sin motives can rear their ugly head in our relationships and circumstances. We are not exempt from these things because we follow Christ; if anything, the life-giving presence of the Holy Spirit within us brings these things to our attention so that we can confess them as sin.

But motives are hard to decipher. They’re like code that we need the Spirit and each other to help unlock. Jeremiah 17:9 tells us, “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” Trying to sort out our jealousy and selfish ambition by ourselves is a recipe for disaster.

So often, we can’t see the root of our sinful motives, but we can see the fruit. Look at what else James says: “…there will be disorder and every vile practice.” See, he’s giving us some clues. We can’t lay every sinful motivation bare in community. What we can do is do a quick heart check in the middle of our everyday. If you find jealousy or selfish ambition possibly making an appearance in your heart, ask yourself these questions:

Am I frustrated with my circumstances? Why? What is motivating me?
Where is there disorder in my relationships? How is my sin affecting others?
Am I considering vile practices due to my angst; am I thinking of gossiping, or
avoiding, or lying?
Are my heart motives springing from the love of Christ and the freedom of the
gospel, or are I concerned with ‘my rights’?

We cannot afford to be naïve. Our root of sin will break through the soil and spring up, showing its disorder and vile practice to those around us. (Num. 32:23)

Instead, let’s be people who practice pure, peaceable, reasonable, gentle wisdom with each other and everyone around us. This is a testimony to the gospel of Christ to all those around us. In order to do this, we have to be honest with our hearts, through the guidance of the Spirit, that jealousy and selfish ambition are always there waiting for us to indulge them.

For further study: Jer. 17:9, Num. 32:23

There are two ways to gossip. We can gossip with things we say or with things we listen to other people say. Both are participating in gossip.

But the Bible does not forbid talking about other people. There are numerous instances in the New Testament where people are called out by name because their sin has affected other people and those actions were reported to church leaders. A great example is Philippians 4, where a conflict between Euodia and Syntyche was permanently canonized in scripture because someone talked to Paul about it.

So we need some way to diagnose our words and our motives in order to gain wisdom about what gossip is. The questions below reveal that most of the things we say about other people are harmful rather than helpful.

Gossip through Speaking

• Will I help or hurt the person’s character by repeating this information?
• If I talk about this, am I doing unto others what I desire to be done unto me?
• Even if the information is true, am I improving the situation by talking about it?
• Will anyone be edified if I repeat this information?
• What is my motive for telling it? Am I really seeking to build or destroy?
• Is the information true? Is there any basis for it? Is it rumor or innuendo?
• Is the information about something which the other person has repented of? (if so, leave it alone).
• Am I promoting unity by talking about this?

Gossip through Listening

• Am I enabling the sin of gossip in another person by giving audience to them?
• Will I feel better towards the one being talked about by hearing what is spread by a gossiper?
• Am I assisting the character of the person speaking to me by allowing them to talk about this?
• Am I convinced that the person speaking to me truly desires unity and love for the other person they are talking about?
• Has the person speaking to me already approached the one being spoken about?
• Even if they have, does that excuse this conversation?
• Who is being drawn more to Christ as a result of this conversation?

Proverbs 18:19 warns, “A brother offended is more unyielding than a strong city, and quarreling is like the bars of a castle.” If you are speaking gossip or listening to gossip then you are fortifying walls of distrust in other people.

Don’t do that.

(This post is connected to the Christ the King Church series on the biblical book of James called Wisdom. You can download the sermon “Taming the Tongue” here.

Here is an overview of the course, a roadmap to understanding manhood:

Four Archetypes

An archetype is an ideal example of a type.  As far as masculinity goes, God has made men to embody four particular expressions of manhood.  These are the four spheres of a man’s life:

1. King: We have been given domains to rule
2. Cultivator: We harness the resources of our domains for sustenance and beauty
3. Protector: We secure our domains from entropy and enemies
4. Shepherd: We leave a legacy by training other men to be Kings, Cultivators, and Protectors

Eight Stereotypes

A stereotype is an exaggeration of a type.  These two opposing extremes are displayed when a man either abuses his sphere or abandons his sphere:

1. King:
   1. Tyrant (Abused)
   2. Appeaser (Abandoned)
2. Cultivator:
   1. Addict (Abused)
   2. Sluggard (Abandoned)
3. Protector:
   1. Manipulator (Abused)
   2. Coward (Abandoned)
4. Shepherd:
   1. Know-It-All (Abused)
   2. Fool (Abandoned)

Two Prototypes

A prototype is an original type or version of something that is the basis for later types.  There are two prototypes for masculinity:

1. Adam.  The first Adam led his family (including us) outside of God’s authority in an attempt to be his own god.  This sin obscured every aspect of masculinity, causing men to either abuse or abandon their domains.
2. Jesus Christ.  The second Adam, Jesus, ruled his life perfectly.  He demonstrated justice and wisdom in each sphere of his manhood, showing us what it means to be a true man.  Furthermore, he was God-in-the-flesh, and as such, his crucifixion is sufficient to atone for our sins, and his resurrection from the dead is sufficient to overcome death.

Men’s Leadership Training is on Wednesday nights from 5-8 at Molly Malones in Covington.

Most of us don’t consider out tongues to be full of deadly poison. Makes me think of the spitting cobra. Ever seen one? They can spit venom almost 7 feet into the eyes of their prey in order to disable and move in for the kill. We don’t see our words as deadly poison, used to ‘move in for the kill’.

If you don’t think your tongue is full of deadly poison, consider if you do any of these three things:

1. Do you speak rashly? (Pro. 12:18, 29:20)
Do you talk without really considering what you are saying? Ever just ‘fire away’ without considering just what you are saying, and whether or not it needs to be said?

2. Do you talk too much?
“Where words are many, transgression is not lacking.” The more you talk, the more odds are your words are full of deadly poison. This is why not many of us should desire to be teachers (3:1). Consider whether or not the things you are saying really need to be said or not. Could you talk less to others and talk more to Jesus?

3. Are you regularly snared by your words? (Pro. 6:2-5)
Some of us are notorious for making promises we cannot keep, leading to disagreement between friends. Do you find yourself saying regularly, “I wish I hadn’t said that”?

Mind you, these are just three questions to ask. We could ask 30 more maybe. How did you score? I’m 0-3. When we look at what the scriptures say about things like our tongues, it is easy to despair. We think, “There is no way I can change.”

This is when we are either driven to try harder or we’re comforted by Jesus and drawn to worship him more. He is the true Word become flesh (Jn. 1:1-18). Christ has loved us and died for sin knowing we would spit deadly venom from our mouths. The resurrection reminds us that there is victory over sin and death in Jesus, not shame and defeat. As you are reminded that your words matter, remember that in Christ, our words don’t matter as much as the true Word, Jesus, dying for our sin and giving us his righteousness. This will lead us to a true change of heart and worship of Jesus.

For further study: Eph. 4:15-29, Jn. 1:1-18, Pro. 12:18, 29:20, 6:2-5, 16: 21, 23, 24, 28, Phil 2:14

James says, “A person is justified by works and not by faith alone” (James 2:24).

Paul says, “One is justified by faith apart from works of the law” (Romans 3:28).

Although they appear contradictory on the surface, a closer examination of how James and Paul are using words shows that they are talking about two different things.

Both James and Paul (and Jesus, for that matter!) argue forcefully that saving faith will always result in a changed life; a life that is characterized by good works. But Paul and James are referring to two different things when they use the word “justified.” Paul uses the word “justified” to refer to the declaration of a person’s initial pardon at the moment of his conversion. James uses the word “justified” to refer to the final accounting of a person’s life before God on the last day.

James argues that any faith that does not produce good works is only a superficial faith. It is not real. It is a “dead” faith (James 2:14), he even says a faith that doesn’t produce good works is demonic (James 2:19). James is not saying, however, that we need to perform good works in order to be saved. The kind of faith that actually saves us is a faith that changes us and produces spiritual fruit in our lives.

Consider it this way: if a person goes through the spiritual motions of “getting saved” but is not moved to care for people in need, be more generous, experience some degree of joy and thankfulness in Christ, then what good is that kind of faith? Sobering question.

But James is not the only one who says these sorts of things. The Apostle Paul wrote similar things in the book of Titus. He says that some people “profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work” (Titus 1:6). He calls them “empty talkers” in Titus 1:10. People whose faith is nothing more than a religious accessory to round out the image of a balanced life. In Titus 3:8, Paul tells another Pastor, Timothy, this: “I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believe in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people.”

Perhaps the most striking words come from Jesus himself, who said “Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits (Matthew 7:19).”

James cites two examples to make his case: Abraham (Jew) and Rahab (Gentile). Both of them believed in God’s saving power, and they demonstrated their faith by incredible acts of faith. In Genesis 22, Abraham believed so strongly in God’s promise to provide him with a family, he was willing to allow his own son to die because he believed that God could even raise the dead. Rahab, who was a Gentile prostitute believed God to save her by putting her own life at risk to protect two of God’s people.

James cites these acts of faith to show that true, saving faith is lived out in every day life. When James says that “Abraham was justified by works” in James 2:21, he is saying that Abraham’s works proved in the end that his initial, saving faith was real. God did not justify Abraham because Abraham did some great work. Rather, Abraham’s faith in God was proven genuine by his works.

Consider this. Suppose a man is arrested and placed on trial for burglary. In the course of the trial, this man is able to present clear evidence that he was innocent of the crime, and he was acquitted by the judge. The man could say that the verdict justified him because he was an innocent man. But the judge could say the evidence justified him because the evidence proved he was actually innocent. The man sees his justification in terms of his actual innocence of a crime. The judge sees his justification as having been proven by evidence.

The same is true for James and Paul. Paul sees our “justification” as a declaration that God views us innocent and perfect in Christ and given new life. James sees our “justification” as the evidence of that new life demonstrated by our good works.

Thus James and Paul do not contradict each other. They are both describing different things using the same word. And both James and Paul agree that we are saved by God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ, and that faith changes us and produces good works in us.

You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!

James 2:17,19

Cramming thoughts on James 2:17 into a 400-word blog post (or a 50 minute sermon for that matter) is like shoehorning an elephant into a matchbox. Impossible. Volumes upon volumes have been written on this text; a reminder of the depth and complexity of God’s Word. The deeper we peer into it, the more complexity we see in it and in our own hearts.

Instead, let’s make one connection between verse 17 and verse 19. James, inspired by the Holy Spirit, gives us something to consider. He tells us that there is a level of information about God that even demonic beings readily acknowledge as true. Demonic theology may have some measure of technical orthodoxy, but it has no action or obedience in response.

Let’s be honest, we don’t think about demons everyday. But we should think about this; how does your faith in Christ look to yourself and the world around you today. Think back on the past 24 hours; how have you demonstrated your faith with works? Have you held your tongue? Have you prayed for wisdom? Have you served the tangible needs of another in spite of your selfish desires? Have you asked someone to forgive you and modeled the gospel of grace?

The point is not to doubt your right standing in Christ based on your works, if you are a believer in Jesus. Instead, we need to be reminded we have been…”redeem(ed) from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.” (Titus 2:14) We have been saved to good works.

But where there is a misfire between what we know to be true about God and our actions, there is sin to be repented of. When our theology and practice, our faith and works, are disconnected, we are more like a demon than a Christian, if we are prideful and unrepentant. We cannot be deceived into thinking because we know the right answers we always do the right thing.

As you think on this today, consider these things. First, the gospel of grace is that even though we constantly get it wrong, we are right before God in Jesus. Second, from this identity in Christ, we are able to do good works that please God. And finally, we live in broken world where Satan and demons are subtly active and definitely real. Rather than looking for the extraordinary, we should examine our own pride and hypocrisy, to stand on guard against the enemy.

For further reading: Ja. 3:13-15, Eph. 6:12-18, 2 Cor. 11:14, Phil. 1:6, Tit. 2:12-14.

Money and relationships are power. Wherever you are as you read this, money and relationships (or a lack of either one) have played a key role in your social status and how you see the world. Do you realize that? It is an evidence of God’s grace if you are a person who has a strong family unit and financial resources—these things are gifts to be thankful for, not feel guilty for having.

However, all to often, these ‘power’ indicators are what we use to judge a person’s importance to us. Power isn’t a bad thing necessarily, but what James is speaking of in this verse is this: if power, or social status, is what you use to judge those you associated with, that is sin.

Our world judges worth based on power rather than each human being an image bearer of God. James’ word of warning to us is a reminder that it is easy to get caught up in seeing people in a worldly way. Instead of seeing ourselves as sojourners just passing through our short time on earth, we get tunnel vision. People become valued by their ability to do something for us.

Thankfully, Jesus doesn’t judge us based on what we can do for him; the gospel is that God gave everything to those ill-deserving (us). Because of our redemption, we can in turn extend the same to those in our world who have been neglected and in some cases abandoned by society. The gospel frees us in Christ to love those who have been passed over by the power structures of this world.

So, how do you treat people who have nothing to offer you? Don’t be guilty of passing off this question without real examination. Think about this; who are your friends? Do you have people in your life that you are giving to, expecting nothing in return? Are there people around you with tangible needs you can meet? Do you have a willing heart to give both money and relationship (not just one or the other) to people who are vulnerable and in need?

The book of James pushes us to wisdom—the marriage of belief and action. Pure and undefiled religion will always have as one of its byproducts a concern and awareness for the needy among us. We live out the gospel by doing for others because of what Jesus has done for us. Be sure to check out the following references…

For further study: Pro. 19:4, 14:20, 1 Pet. 2:11, Eph. 2:19-20, Lk. 14:12-24, Ja. 4:4

*A word on using this devotional blog. The good stuff is in parentheses. Proverbs is a deep well of practical understanding for our souls that runs parallel with much of the wisdom found in the book of James. Be sure to reference the texts listed and allow God to speak to you through the power of the word. The subject matter follows along with the current sermon series in James; download each week’s podcast to journey with us.

But criticism isn’t always something that happens to us; it is also something we do to others, or should be.  That’s right: we need to be criticizing each other.

Now before I go on, let me qualify what I mean by “criticize.”  We tend to think of criticism in strictly negative terms, as a harsh or severe judgment against us.  But criticism can be positive too, and doesn’t always have to be so “heavy.”  The reason criticism seems so heavy to us is because we have created a culture that avoids “judging” and evaluation on a personal level.  We expect criticism in D.C., in Hollywood, and on Wall Street.  On a professional level, we get criticism—it makes sense to us.

But when it comes to having our personal life objectively evaluated by another person and found wanting, it’s a different matter altogether.  We get really defensive, really fast.  That’s because we have made our personal habits and practices “off-limits” to others.  Sure, we invite people into our lives as friends, but too often we keep them at arms-length so that they cannot really get to know us, because if they did, they might have a problem with what they find.  Like Adam and Eve, we hide from those who really know what’s going on in our hearts.  It’s just easier this way.

This is where the gospel and community come together so clearly.  The gospel serves to build community, both by inviting us into God’s family, and then by continually pushing us toward hope in Jesus.  Christian community reflects the gospel in that it too is fundamentally critical and hope-giving.  We like the hope-giving part; we tend not to like the critical part so much.

But think about it.  If God intends to make us more like Jesus, then he will not stop until the job is done.  And until the job is done, he will chip away at our egos and idols, and replace them with confidence in Jesus.  But he doesn’t do this with a lightening bolt or magic wand; he does this through community, a community built by his Spirit and his Word, a “critical” community.

Criticism should be a regular part of our interaction with one another as a church.  It will not always be heavy and severe.  Sometimes it will be a gentle word of rebuke, or a good push in the right direction.  And sometimes it will be a severe warning, or a devastating blow to our pride.  Nevertheless, criticism is necessary for sanctification and fruitfulness.  We need to have others telling us how we’re doing.  It’s just better this way.

Avoiding criticism is why church-communities never really solidify, or end up unraveling.  You can never build good community if people aren’t willing to be completely and aggressively honest with one another, and you can’t hold community together if you’re overlooking sin and immaturity for the sake of “peace.”  Sure, criticism tends to be a downer; it has a way of making smiles disappear.  But the goal of criticism is to strengthen faith and hope in Christ—it leads to real peace.

So if you want to be in community, expect criticism, and don’t withhold it from those who need it.  We need to be honest with each other.  It’s the only way we’re going to mature and become the kind of disciples Jesus calls us to be.

If you are quick to dismiss the label of being an angry person, be sure you’re not also dismissing the many ways anger can express itself.  It’s not always the red-in-the-face explosion.  Here are a few other ways anger surfaces:

1. Wounded Pride—“I’m your best friend until you say something I don’t like.  I often present my bitterness and resentment as suffering.”
2. Control Freak—“If I feel like my autonomy is threatened, I’ll manipulate situations and people to position myself for maximum benefit and power.  Collateral damage is of little concern to me.  My primary goal is to be vindicated.”
3. Frustration & Irritation—“I’m tired all the time because my critical spirit is exhausting me.  I have a low-grade discontentment that keeps me at a distance from people and causes me to be easily annoyed by others.”
4. Self-Directed Anger—“I wrestle with powerful insecurities that always seem to pin me against the mat.  They cripple me.  I can hardly love anyone, and joy is elusive.  I always feel guilty, even when I haven’t done anything wrong.”
5. “Victim” Anger—“I’m never to blame, at least, never fully to blame.  I’m always getting hurt by insensitive people who don’t understand me and what I’m going through.  I am extremely bitter deep down inside.”
6. “Where’s God?” Anger—“It seems pretty obvious to me that God hasn’t done his job at being good and wise.  Somebody needs to stand up to him, and I guess that person is me.”

These are just a few.  Maybe you see yourself in one of these descriptions.  We all have anger in our hearts because we all have rebellion in our hearts.  But the Spirit is constantly working to drive anger out of our hearts and to conform us to the likeness of Jesus, the man who was cursed at, but never cursed in return; who was unjustly crucified, but trusted his Father to vindicate him.  This same Spirit is producing in our hearts the fruit that only he can create: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, & self control.  This is anger-destroying fruit.

If you are in an “angry season” in your life, you must repent for the sake of your soul.  You don’t need to control things, and besides, you don’t know how to anyway.  You don’t need to be right; Jesus is right, on your behalf.  You don’t need to whine and complain, because your Father knows what you need before you even ask him—and besides, it will only produce a bitterness that will cause you to walk away from Jesus.

Remember, in Christ, nothing has been taken away from you that you deserved except judgment, and nothing has been done to you that you didn’t deserve accept full forgiveness and acceptance into God’s family.  See the difference?

I am a fan of profoundly simple and practical advice. There are plenty of instances in scripture where we are presented with spiritual reality about who we are and who God is, but we’re left to wonder, “But how am I supposed to live in light of this truth?”

James 1:19-20 is crystal clear. In it we are given a practical lens to pass our thoughts and actions through, allowing us to test our thoughts before they become actions.

Be Quick to Hear
This instruction doesn’t just apply to when we’re angry. Learning to listen makes us better missionaries as well. Prayer gives us time to pause when we are trying to slow our responses. We can mentally pray, “Lord Jesus, help me to hear this person rightly.” Misunderstanding is the source of many interpersonal conflicts and frustrations. Check the following references on the importance of listening: Pro. 13:1, 19:20, Ecc. 7:5, 21, Pro. 18:13, 17, 19

Be Slow to Speak
Are you willing to let others be heard? Do you really listen to others, or are you just keeping quiet, waiting on your turn to talk? We should all consider that in our quickness to speak, often this leads to hasty, harsh, untrue words, gossip, and other sins of the heart with the tongue. (See Pro. 12:18, 21:23, 28:23, 15:1, Mt. 15:18)

Be Slow to Anger
How long is your wick? Do you burn slow or explode at the smallest spark? Again, being slow to anger will not happen if you can’t hold your tongue and listen. But doing those things doesn’t guarantee we’ll never get angry, either. Assume that things are going to tick you off from time to time, even if you listen well, and be prepared to ask for the fruit of the Spirit instead of the kindling of your anger. (See Pro. 29:11, 19:11, Pro. 15:18, 16:32)

If we’re honest with ourselves, this is a tall order for all of us. Remember, practical instruction in scripture is an evidence of God’s grace, not a law for us to be weighed down under. God loves us enough to tell us how to live with wisdom. Christians, God loves you in spite of your anger and foolishness because of Christ. Unbelievers, these principles are valid for you, too. But they’re useless a part from Christ. All the conflict resolution improving you can attempt will never truly root out the sin in your heart. For all of us, are deepest need isn’t anger management, it is Christ.

*A word on using this devotional blog. The good stuff is in parentheses. Proverbs is a deep well of practical understanding for our souls. Be sure to reference the texts listed and allow God to speak to you through the power of the word. The subject matter follows along with the current sermon series in James; download each week’s podcast to journey with us.