February 24 Daily Devotional

Scripture for Day 55—James 3:13

¹³ Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom.

Devotional:

There used to be a TV game show called, "To Tell the Truth." A panel of four celebrities would try to deduce which of three contestants—each claiming to be the same person—was telling the truth. They'd take turns asking questions, doing detective work, and finally they'd vote on whom they thought was telling the truth. After they announced their votes, the host would ask, "Will the real [person's name] please stand up?" at which point the truthful contestant would reveal himself.

In a real sense, today's text asks, "will the truly wise person please stand up?" "Who is wise and understanding among you?"

Our Lord Jesus answers, "you will recognize them by their fruits" (Matt. 7:20). Through James he answers, "By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom." Good fruits reveal who is truly wise, and good fruits must come from good roots.

The true Christian life is not just a role that you play. It's not like a costume or makeup that you put on the outside of your personality. The true Christian life starts with a changed heart, a heart that is born from above by the power of the Holy Spirit. Then it grows from the inside out.

If the true Christian life must start with a changed heart, how do you know if God has changed your heart? What is the chief confirmation of a truly changed heart? Over and over, the Bible says "meekness" or "humility."

• Proverbs 9:10; 15:33 — "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight. … The fear of the LORD is instruction in wisdom, and humility comes before honor."
• Isaiah 66:1–2 — "Thus says the LORD: 'Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool; what is the house that you would build for me, and what is the place of my rest? All these things my hand has made, and so all these things came to be, declares the LORD. But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word."
• Matthew 23:12 — "Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted."
• Ephesians 4:1–2 — "I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility..."
• 1 Peter 5:5 — "Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for 'God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.'"

John Calvin quoted Augustine with approval—

"When a certain rhetorician was asked what was the chief rule in eloquence, he replied, 'Delivery;' what was the 2nd rule, 'Delivery;" what was the 3rd rule, 'Delivery;' so if you ask me concerning the precepts of the Christian religion, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and always I would answer, 'Humility'" †

Are you wise and understanding? Not unless you're humble before God and others. Humble yourself before God through Christ the Mediator. And then "by [your] good conduct … show [your] works in the meekness of wisdom."

^† John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, 2.2.11).

Click here for background on the author of Are You For Real?: Meditations in the Epistle of James for Secret or Family Worship.