February 26 Daily Devotional

Are You For Real? (James 3:13–18)

the Rev. Larry Wilson

Scripture for Day 57—James 3:13–18

^{13 Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. ¹⁴ But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. ¹⁵ This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. ¹⁶ For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. ¹⁷ But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. ¹⁸ And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.}

Devotional:

Bitter jealousy, selfish ambition, and boasting are besetting sins of those who are double-minded. James 1:8 warns you not to be a "double-minded man, unstable in all his ways…" To be double-minded is to be two-faced with God. A divided heart will get you nowhere with God or for God.

And pretend holiness is no holiness at all. Note that this Scripture says "do not … be false to the truth." If yours is pretend holiness, then you are "false to the truth" in at least three ways. First, you hide the truth about yourself; you pretend to be something you really aren't. Second, you hide yourself from the message of God's truth, which addresses your heart. Third, you hide and obscure to others the truth about Jesus Christ. "What you do speaks louder than what you say." Pretend holiness—the kind that gives place to "bitter jealousy and selfish ambition"—is "false to the truth."

Genuine Christian holiness starts with a heart that is transformed by God's grace. It flows out from the heart to transform the life. Out of the heart come all the issues of life (Prov. 4:23). Genuine Christian holiness can be produced only by the Lord Jesus Christ through the Word that he uses to grant the new birth. It's energized by the Lord Jesus through the Word that he uses to produce true holiness.

Are you looking to the Lord Jesus Christ? He is the only source of true wisdom! Are you moment by moment relying on his grace? Are you doing so by diligently hearing and meditating on and humbly following his Word?

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

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