James 3:13-18
13 Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom. 14 But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. 15 This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. 16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. 17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. 18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.
Earthly, Sensual, Devilish Wisdom / Spirit of Jealousy[1] (vs. 14-16):
- Strife – The heated and often violent dissension between rivals. Caused by a lack of agreement and a desire for discord.
- Criticism – disapproval expressed by pointing out faults or shortcomings. Shun negative people.
- Envy – To so begrudge another on account of their success, possessions, position, and so on, that you’d consider them an enemy and desire to ruin them at any cost.
- Greediness / Covetous – To have such a vehement and selfish desire for something that one would gain it even by defrauding another.
- Backbiters – To use false statements as a means to assassinate the character (reputation) of another.
- Emulation – To have such a fervent apprehension of a perceived rival that it would affect one’s happiness and cause one to strive to equal that rival solely for the sake of malice. Jealous rivalry!
- Selfish / Lovers of Their Own Selves – Caring supremely or unduly for one’s self; regarding one’s own comfort, advantage, etc., in disregard, or at the expense, of those of others.
- Bitterness – To be full of such resentment that you find yourself in a state of enmity to God. Bitterness will eventually lead a person to apostasy. Bitterness is also characterized by these qualities: implacableness; resentfulness; severity; keenness of reproach or sarcasm; deep distress, grief, or vexation of mind.
The earthly, sensual, devilish wisdom, which is contrary to the Wisdom from Above, is like an octopus living beneath the surface.
It will tend to protect the pride and ego of an individual (their treasure), by wrapping its various tentacles around what it desires to have by earthly, unspiritual or demonic means.
This particular spirit needs to be CAST OUT of the individual and at times even the Church itself.
Opposite of Jealousy is Edification (to build up, establish, or strengthen a person).
Wisdom from Above (vs. 17):
- Pure – reverenced and considered sacred. Clean and pure from carnality, infidelity, immodesty.
- Peaceable – to bring peace with or to love peace. Freedom from dispute, strife, violence, or disorder.
- Gentle – patient, moderate, equitable, fair, mild, considerate, or amiable.
- Easy To Be Entreated – easy to work with or petition. Approachable!
- Full of Mercy – kindness or good will towards the miserable and the afflicted, joined with a desire to help them.
- Full of Good Fruits – good and honorable results that follow from the rendering of mercy. The measure of a person is the fruit they leave behind. What follows you?
- Without Partiality – not doubtful, ambiguous, uncertain, or vacillating, but clear headed, decisive, and sure.
- Without Hypocrisy – unfeigned, undisguised, sincere.
It takes humility to be able to admit when one has wronged another through jealousy, but this wisdom from above will bring peace to the lives of such people.
It will also produce the fruit of righteousness because the wisdom from above key to living a righteous life.
James 1:5, “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.”
Remember this American Proverb: “A full ear of corn bends its head; an empty ear will stand upright.”
[1] Frank & Ida Mae Hammond. Pigs in the Parlor. p. 31. Accessed: 6/22/2023. https://ia601006.us.archive.org/8/items/PIGSINTHEPARLORByFrankIdaMaeHammond/PIGS%20IN%20THE%20PARLOR%20by%20Frank%20%20%20Ida%20Mae%20Hammond.pdf
Picture Credit: Tarik Tinazay / AFP – Getty Images file
Originally compiled on May 25, 2006.
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