#DailyDevotion In Christ We Can Be Wise, Intelligent and Noble

James 3:13—18 ¹³Who among you is wise and intelligent? In a gentle spirit of wisdom show by a noble life what you can do. ¹⁴But if you feel a bitter jealousy and a selfish ambition in your hearts, don’t brag and lie against the truth. ¹⁵Such wisdom doesn’t come from above, but from this earth, from this life, and from the devil. ¹⁶Where there is such jealousy and selfishness, there is confusion and every kind of evil. ¹⁷The wisdom that comes from above is first of all pure, then peaceful, gentle, willing to obey, full of mercy and good works, impartial, and without hypocrisy. ¹⁸And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

The world at one time valued wisdom and intelligence. Perhaps not so much today. It doesn’t seem like we value wisdom at all. Seriously, when was the last time you eve used the words wise or wisdom, read Proverbs or some philosophy book? It seems we value “science” but intelligence not so much as well. So maybe James’ words here will fall flat on this age.

However if you think you are wise and intelligent James tells you, “In a gentle spirit of wisdom show by a noble life what you can do.” He doesn’t tell us what that looks like in a positive manner, at least not at first. And then there is another word we don’t use often, noble. The Greek word is “kalos” which has a number of meanings but here it probably is carrying the meaning of morally good and praise worthy. We may have a better understanding of a morally good life looks like.

James gets into what a spirit of gentle wisdom and noble life does not look like. If you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, then you are not in that zone. People have have such feelings brag and lie against the truth. Selfishness and self-centeredness is not the way of God. This way of life is not from God but from this world, from this life and from the devil. It is what caused the devil’s fall from grace and all the troubles of this world. It brings confusion and every kind of evil. Every war, every fight, every argument, every theft, murder is born of these sinful feelings.

The wisdom God gives us through faith in Christ Jesus James says is, “pure, then peaceful, gentle, willing to obey, full of mercy and good works, impartial, and without hypocrisy.” I certainly wish I exemplified this more in my life. This is the opposite of jealousy and selfish ambition. As Christians who have been redeemed by Christ’s blood and experience the peace of God, whom he has been gentle and merciful towards, we can by the Holy Spirit produce such works. With Christ being our life we can do good works, be impartial and without hypocrisy, at least often as we submit ourselves to his Spirit and become wiling to obey through prayer. “The fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.” That is the fruit of our faith that believes Christ Jesus effected peace between us and the Father is peace and we share that peace with others to make peace between them and God and them and us.

Now it is Jesus, the Wisdom and the Knowledge of God, who did all this in his earthly life for us, who effects this life, which is his life, in us. We cannot do it by our own power and strength. We first believe it, we pray for it, and by his inspiration and life, we live it.

Heavenly Father, give us your wisdom and intelligence that we may live the life of your Son Jesus Christ in our lives to your praise