March 1 Daily Devotional

Scripture for Day 60—James 3:14–18

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.... 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:

Here in James 3, our Lord warns that there are two kinds of wisdom among professing Christians. Indeed, there are two competing wisdoms in each Christian heart. How can you tell the difference between true and counterfeit wisdom? What is wisdom like?

The wisdom-not-from-above is marked by "jealousy and selfish ambition" (v. 16a). It is a kind of wisdom is from the world ("earthly"), that's produced by the flesh ("unspiritual"), and that Satan himself inspires ("demonic"). Its chief marks are "jealousy and selfish ambition."

It's the polar opposite of our Lord Jesus Christ "who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross" (Phil. 2:6–8)! How sharply Jesus contrasts with the worldly-wise. There's not even a hint of jealousy or selfish ambition in our Lord Jesus! If you aren't yet scared enough of the wisdom-that-is-not-from-above, then be scared by this—it's not merely un-Christlike; it's downright anti-Christlike!

It is very different with the wisdom from above. "But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere" (v. 17). Above all, this describes our Lord Jesus Christ, "who became to us wisdom from God" (1 Cor 1:30). Cling to Jesus. Ask him to grip you by true wisdom.

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