Divine Wisdom for Daily Living by Joanne Colvin

“Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?”  (James 4:11-12)

This week we are working on foolish responses to God’s Word and its application. So far, we have examined: the failure to live by what we believe (hearers but not doers), neglecting our neighbors (not doing what we ought to do) and seeking favors from people with bribes or gifts. We come now to the sin of judgmentalness, characteristic of all people because we are all born in sin. Our sinful pride causes us to be self-righteous which leads to judgmentalness. We wrongly assume we are right (or okay), and as if that weren’t enough, we compare ourselves to others to justify our inaccurate self-assessment. But we only choose those who are inferior to us in some way, or the whole scheme fails. Criticizing others, either verbally or mentally, misdirects our self-examination to escape God’s standard for our conduct, attitudes, and motivations.

James offers an excellent way to appreciate the seriousness of judgmentalness by exposing its intention to place oneself above the law as if we can pass judgment on God’s commands. The command of Jesus is clear, “Judge not, that you be not judged” (Matthew 7:1). If I permit my judgmentalness without self-restraint or conviction, I negate this mandate. “There is only one lawgiver;” “the Lord is our judge” (Isaiah 33:22). If we foolishly criticize others liberally, either mentally or verbally (or both), either directly or indirectly (through gossip), we have judged God’s law and opposed his authority as the only righteous judge and evaluator of people. God says, “Be holy as I am holy.” We say, “I am more holy than him; therefore, I am holy enough.” God declares this prideful, evil, and hypocritical.

“Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother’s eye” (Luke 6:41-42)

Will you search for the log in your eye, your character defects, and faults, with Christ’s help and forgiveness rather than look for specs in the eyes of others? Jesus calls us to humble self-examination and gives us grace to love our neighbors, with all their flaws.

For further study see Matthew 7:1-5; Luke 6:37-38; Romans 14:13; 1 Corinthians 4:4b-5; James 5:9.

 

 

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)

I take a deep breath of relief when I read these three marvelous verses. That’s because I tend to push myself in ministry and feel guilty if I rest too much, with what feels like a yoke straining painfully at my neck. As my friend and I talked today, we enthusiastically agreed that the burden of legalism is unwanted but insidious, subtle, devious, and dangerous to ourselves and others.

Jesus is gentle and lowly; therefore, his yoke is easy and his burden light. He has fulfilled all the “rules” of the Law, perfectly obeying them during his short life, to qualify as the only man who ever loved God with all his heart, soul, and strength. Legalism is harsh, cruel, and utterly inadequate because its yoke enslaves us to our works for God’s approval. Legalism is a religion of works that worships the deeds of men rather than the God of Life. Legalism is deadly striving for the unreachable; Christ is the wisdom of God with grace and new life for the spiritually dead. Legalism is guilt-driven, prideful ambition for the sake of self-approval. The gospel is Spirit-led, humble submission for God’s glory and power for salvation.

In Romans, Paul wrote, “by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight” (Romans 3:20) and in Galatians, he wrote, “All who rely on works of the law are under a curse” (Galatians 3:10). Not only can the rule-keeping legalist not find approval (justification) from God, but she is under his curse. Sinfulness is the curse of disobedience to God. One of the primary purposes of the Old Testament Mosaic Law is to expose our sin. The Law cannot save anyone any more than a how-to book can change a person’s heart.

Every day we have a choice. Will we unconsciously make rules for ourselves that we cannot possibly attain, leading away from Jesus? Or, will we live in and through Christ who fulfilled the Law and frees us from the burden of performance? “But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” (Titus 3:4-7)

Note: There is a role of works in the life of a believer, but not for salvation. Ephesians 2:10 informs us that as those who are regenerated “we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Our works are the fruit of our salvation, not the cause of our salvation. This differentiation is crucial to our walk with Jesus.

“A bribe is like a magic stone in the eyes of the one who gives it; wherever he turns he prospers…The reward for humility and fear of the Lord is riches and honor and life.”  (Proverbs 17:8; 22:4)

“And you shall take no bribe, for a bribe blinds the clear-sighted and subverts the cause of those who are in the right.” (Exodus 23:8)

This week we have considered the only wise foundation of our faith, Jesus Christ. We hear biblical sermons and devotions; we study the Bible, but do we remember what we have heard and apply it in our daily lives? Pride and complacency cause us to neglect biblical applications and affects all of our relationships; we do not do the good we should. Today we shall consider how unwise it is to give or take a bribe, and the difference between a bribe and a reward. God commanded the Israelites to take no bribes because doing so both threatens and corrupts the plans of those who are righteous. However, the Bible unashamedly speaks of rewards for righteousness and submission to God.

Bribes are given or received as a payment for a favorable judgment or act, usually illegal or dishonest. Rewards, however, are blessings for godly faith and obedience. How do you know if giving your middle school child allowance or privileges for good grades is a bribe or a reward? Here is the test: bribes involve that which dishonors God while rewards encourage children to glorify him. Like most issues in life, the use of rewards is complex and can be easily confused with bribery, which is wholly unacceptable. We must wisely work through each case diligently.

An example of a blatant bribe in the New Testament can serve as a valuable example.   Matthew 28:12-15 describes a bribe which is foolish and utterly illogical. After Jesus’s body was found missing from the tomb, on the third day after his crucifixion, the Jewish chief priests and elders gave money to the Roman soldiers and said, “Tell people, ‘His disciples came by night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ And if this comes to the governor’s ears, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” Pastor John Gill, along with other theologians lists more than ten reasons why this is utterly foolish and makes no sense at all. I will give a few, and you can look up the others on the website below.* The disciples had no real understanding of the resurrection and therefore wouldn’t try to prevent anyone else from believing it. Nor did they have anything to gain from such an act since it would disprove Jesus’s resurrection and their faith would be seen as a mere crutch. Was it really possible that all the soldiers were asleep at the same time and that not one of them heard the stone being rolled away? Why didn’t they pursue and investigate the theft? This bribe of silence about the resurrection failed and led to nothing but an excellent example of why not to engage in bribery. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is a foundational doctrine of the Christian faith.

Do you try to bribe your children to do what they ought to do? Do you have friends who offer gifts or benefits because they want your love? Will you be diligent to know and teach about the difference between bribes and wise rewards? “Many seek the favor of a generous man, and everyone is a friend to a man who gives gifts.” (Proverbs 19:6)

 

* https://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/gills-exposition-of-the-bible/matthew-28-13.html

“Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it. Do not say to your neighbor, ‘Go, and come again, tomorrow I will give it’-when you have it with you…Do not contend with a man for no reason, when he has done you no harm…The devious person is an abomination to the Lord…The wise will inherit honor, but fools get disgrace.” (Proverbs 3:27-30, 32, 35)

Some cultures, such as those of the Middle East, Latin America, and Africa are community oriented; people live and work together as extended families and neighbors. Many Western cultures, such as North America, Europe, and England are individualistic, encouraging their citizens to act as individuals who are entitled to their rights. Your reaction to the above passage will vary greatly depending on where you live, or your nationality. If I am already community-minded, these verses will be a way of life for me, in respect for others in my community. If, however, I live independently, Proverbs 3 may be tough for me to incorporate. For example, if I never see my neighbors, how will I practice giving them anything, let alone helping them today rather than tomorrow?

Sometimes we sin by commission, doing that which we are commanded not to do, such as stealing, lying, and practicing adultery. More often we sin by omission, by not doing that which we are commanded to do. However, one of the most well-known and frequently quoted commands is found in Leviticus 19:18, which Jesus quoted in Matthew 22:39: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” I often remind myself that this means I am to love others the way Jesus loves me, not just as I want others to love me. Honestly, this is hard! According to Proverbs 3:27-31, I am expected to demonstrate this love to others by not withholding good, giving to others in need promptly, and not arguing with someone who hasn’t harmed me. God finds these practices repugnant according to verse 32. To which we may well say, “Uh oh,” and confess right now. It is an honor for the wise to approach God for forgiveness.

Every person with whom we have contact is owed the good we can do for them not just when it is convenient. I have learned to incorporate these practices by having regular contact with people to learn how I might help them through prayers, visits, encouraging notes, or material assistance. We have to work to overcome complacency and pride, which hinder our unpretentious empathy for and outreach to others.

How will you practice doing good to your neighbors on a regular basis?

“Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like.” (James 1:22-24)

I admit that I do not like mirrors or photos of myself because I do not like what I see. But since someone needed a picture, I recently had a professional photo session, and I do like those pictures. The salon spent lots of time on my makeup and hair. The photographer was careful to emphasize my “good” side and have me strike poses that would produce the best result. But sometimes I need to look in the mirror to see my tired eyes, hair in need of smoothing, or even the extra pounds I have gained. By looking I am reminded of my need for better physical care and attention.

When we look into Scripture or hear it preached and taught, we are to remember it’s content to apply God’s truths to ourselves. Sometimes we are encouraged and reinforced in what we see, with thankfulness for our conformity to our Lord, with his help. At other times, however, we do not like what we see so we may consciously or unconsciously neglect this area of nonconformity instead of confessing and asking for God’s help to repent. Paul wrote to the Philippians, “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure” (Philippians 2:12-13). We are to reverently work out what God works in us. Our sanctification is a joint effort with the Holy Spirit who infuses us with the wisdom of Christ after Christ’s righteousness has been imputed to us in our regeneration (Colossians 2:3; Romans 5:14).

Imagine looking into a mirror to see if some morsel from lunch was stuck on your lip, but being distracted, forgot why you are even looking in the mirror. As you go on your way you might realize that you have forgotten what you saw and feel even more foolish for having done so. How much more foolish are we to ignore what the sermon was about or what we studied this morning. Most afternoons I work at remembering my morning devotions, but I admit that it’s a struggle sometimes. I do it because there is a reward to comparing myself to Scripture: “The one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.” (James 1:25)

Are you willing to work at remembering Scripture, sermons, and devotions to apply God’s truths to yourself, your life, and your priorities?

“Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain.” (Psalm 127:1)

It is good to consider one of the Psalms of Assents as we prepare to worship Christ corporately on the Sabbath. These songs (Psalms 120-134) may have been sung by God’s people as they journeyed to Jerusalem to worship on their Sabbath. The Book of Psalms was probably compiled during the period after the small remnant of God’s people returned to their homeland at the end of the seventy-year exile.* The Jerusalem temple and wall were in the process of being or had been rebuilt, but there was no descendent of David on the throne, according to God’s promise to David. Perhaps the people had lost hope in God’s promises. The Psalms would encourage the faithful to turn their eyes away from their visible circumstances and look with spiritual eyes on the invisible Holy One of Israel.

Believers today frequently move further and further from God as the week progresses and the world demands our attention. Maybe this is why we like to sing hymns at the beginning of the worship service, before engaging in liturgy or the preaching of God’s Word. Singing hymns, psalms, and songs with biblical doctrines prepare us to embrace the teaching that follows. All of our worship should induce us to look with faith on Christ, our sure hope and the cornerstone of the church. He is the anchor of the church universal, and we are the living stones, reclaimed and restored by God, secured to him.

Commentaries often include a note for Psalm 127:1 that leaving God out of the building of a life, a house, or a family will fail. However, the verse says that “God is the builder,” not us. I appreciate John Gill’s reference to the Tower of Babel, which was entirely built by men, in imitation of God. However, this is the worst possible imitation, in contravention of God’s decree to multiply over the earth. The people gathered and said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth” (Genesis 11:4). Today people unwisely try to build for themselves what only God can construct, including alternative  families, church bodies, and ministries, to name a few. The Lord sometimes allows them to be completed and used, but to discredit and dishonor. Other times he will stop the work, as he did in Babel. Only with Christ as our foundation, by his saving work, are believers transformed into “living stones…a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:5).

Is your corporate worship built on the gospel of Jesus Christ, not the morals, ideas, or philosophies of men? Why not read a few more Psalms of Assent in preparation for worship today?

*Reformation Study Bible, “The Psalms” (p. 827), Reformation Trust Publishing (Ligonier Ministries), 2015

For further study see: Proverbs 9:1; Isaiah 28:16; Zechariah 6:12-13; and Ephesians 2:22.

“There are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers.” (Proverbs 6:16-19)

Do you like to know where you stand with God or other people? I do, and I sometimes remind my friends that I want to know if I offend them by saying or doing something insensitive, or just plain wrong. God’s Word is very clear about many things, sin being one of them. Our passage above does not employ the actual word sin (or iniquity or trespass), but clearly states what God hates; anything God hates is a sin. And, if God hates it, so should we since, “the fear of the Lord is hatred of evil” (Proverbs 8:13)

As I studied the seven named sins, I was eager to find a connection or a pattern. Six of the seven do speak of our different body parts, with which we sin: eyes, tongue, hands, heart, feet, and breath. But that leaves out the seventh, which some commentators emphasize just because it is seventh, and because conflict is so destructive to the church. No argument there. However, I see a different pattern in the way these seven evils are presented, using the chiasmic poetic form of Hebrew poetry. I don’t know if Solomon intended it, but it seems that the sins here are in descending and ascending order, with the main issue being found in the middle verse.

Let’s pair “haughty eyes” with “sowing discord” to consider the pride of the one who looks down on others with the intention of flaunting their superiority, therefore creating conflict rather than being a humble peacemaker. The next pairing is a “lying tongue” with “a false witness.” Those who lie most frequently are gossipers and slanderers, who again seek to have some advantage in the process. The last pairing involves murderous hands and feet running to evil, describing a criminal who is determined to break the law, opposing God. In the very center of these pairs is a “heart that devises wicked plans.” “Out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person.” (Matthew 15:19-20)

It is a little surprising that the sins seem most gruesome as they come out from the heart, with the sin of pride being first and last. I wonder if that is because they are indeed the subtler sins, and therefore the easiest to neglect. We all struggle with pride, which God hates. “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” (James 4:6) Do you recognize your pride? How will you manage the pride in your heart?

“The woman Folly is loud; she is seductive and knows nothing. She sits at the door of her house; she takes a seat on the highest places of the town, calling to those who pass by, who are going straight on their way, ‘Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!’ And to him who lacks sense, she says, ‘Stolen water is sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant.’ But he does not know that the dead are there, that her guests are in the depths of Sheol.” (Proverbs 9:13-18)

I was traveling recently, waiting in the airport for my first evening flight at the gate. Another flight assistant, a petite woman joined the first one at the desk. She had a thunderous voice. I was able to hear everything from my seat in the waiting room. The two agents were disagreeing about something, the small woman who seemed to be shouting at the tall, young man about something insignificant. An older passenger, sitting near me gently said, “Now children calm down.” Her comment reminded me of this passage. Lady Wisdom offers commentary on Lady Folly, who, in spite of knowing nothing, finds a high perch and calls out for the simple to enjoy her delicacies. Wisdom quietly comments that something is not right here, so pay attention.

Using another analogy, a person who has suffered traumatic brain injury might end up in a coma, due to the severity of the damage. In some cases, the doctor might induce a coma to give the brain time to heal with decreased demands for pumping blood to other body parts. In either case, no one wants their loved one to remain in a coma indefinitely. It is the same with spiritual traumas when we fall into a sin like drinking “stolen water” (as in adultery or other sexual sins). The brain’s functions take a nosedive, leaving the person separated from God, in the place where the spiritually dead are living. Most medical professionals believe that a comatose person can hear others but obviously cannot respond.

Such is the case with those who delight in being folly’s guests-they can hear and see what the wise are saying. And this is good news! Proverbs’ warnings about the consequences of folly are excellent teaching tools. If we would use proverbs more often to instruct our children, perhaps they would be wiser and less foolish. The Law and Old Testament wisdom function as our tutors until we are redeemed as new creations in Christ (Galatians 4:1-2). God is gracious to warn those who mistake folly for something good.

Our Father loves us and wants to keep us from harming ourselves, by heeding these warnings. Are you in a spiritual coma, hearing but not acting on God’s warnings? Will you awake, appreciate them, and apply them to be wiser? “For the simple are killed by their turning away, and the complacency of fools destroys them.” (Proverbs 1:32)

“The simple believes everything, but the prudent gives thought to his steps…The prudent sees danger and hides himself, but the simple go on and suffer for it.” (Proverbs 14:5; 22:3)

In 2017,  Merriam-Webster and Oxford dictionaries added the word “cringeworthy,” along with a bunch of other new words. The Official Scrabble Dictionary added a total of eight thousand new words last year-I know because I am an avid Scrabble and Words with Friends player. I like words, as do many of my friends. And yet, with all these new words, many have been in use for hundreds if not thousands of years that we hardly use today. “Prudence” is one of those words that you never hear today. The Bible in Basic English provides these substitutes for prudence: “good sense” (14:5) and “sharp” (22:3).

Prudent is the opposite of “simple” in our verses above, so we can safely (prudently) say that there is more to prudence than good sense or reasonableness. The simple person is the one who does not give thought to his movement or pay attention to danger to protect himself. I imagine walking on a sidewalk and tripping over a very obvious irregularity, which I have done many times. It’s simple to avoid a bump, by merely looking down. The analogy to spiritual matters is easy; when tempted by worldly occupations or distractions, be careful to recognize them and steadily fix your gaze and attention on Christ. But it’s not that simple to avoid being “simple,” is it?

Prudence not only means having and using good sense, caution, and wisdom but also includes the idea of being able to manage oneself. Practicing self-discipline and self-control is one of the hardest things for people to do. Self-control is one of the fruits of the Spirit and is essential for spiritual growth. Those who are “simple” do not have this fruit, and many Christians merely suffer from a lack of practice. Good fruit is given to us by God, through the work of the Holy Spirit in followers of Jesus Christ (Galatians 5:22-23). However, if one does not put the fruit to use, it will spoil on the tree, unused and of no benefit to anyone. The simple do not use the fruit given to them by God and therefore are caught in many traps because of their complacency. “For the simple are killed by their turning away, and the complacency of fools destroys them.” (Proverbs 1:32)

The opposite of prudent is imprudent, meaning unwise, incautious, or thoughtless. In what ways are you complacent or foolish with strangers? Do you make inaccurate assumptions about people in your home, extended family, your circle of friends, coworkers, or church relationships? Will you ask God to help you practice prudence today, avoiding the danger of taking people for granted?

“If you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.” (James 3:14-16)

One of the reasons I like to read articles in World Magazine online is the calm, rational, Christian worldview it offers on current events and trends that are compelling without being abusive. No matter what your political stance or religion, I think you would agree that many media sources and social networking sites are negative, insensitively critical, and combative. James warns us about wisdom that “does not come down from above.” In verse 15, he exposes it as earthly, unspiritual and demonic “wisdom” is certainly not from God. While it is not pleasant to call out sin, it is necessary, especially when teaching God’s Word accurately. I implore you not to be put off by the negativity of our passage but embrace the opportunity to logically consider the danger of human thinking that is opposed to biblical truth.

In verse 14, James identifies bitter jealousy and selfish ambition as two primary characteristics of worldly falsehood. If these issues remind you of Tenth Commandment, “Thou shall not covet,” good for you! After all, what makes us envious or ambitious but the things, people, or positions we want but do not have. It is possible to be tempted to jealousy but repentant, and it is possible to be ambitious for the good of others or a community. Some politicians are ambitious to win seats for the good of the constituents while others are self-serving, seeking power, fame, or influence for personal benefit. We are encouraged to ask God for wisdom to know the difference (James 1:5). For example, is this a true statement: “It has been said that for evil men to accomplish their purpose it is only necessary that good men should do nothing?” (Charles Frederic Aked, preacher and lecturer, 1920)

In verse 16, James reminds us that jealousy unmanaged and ambition that is selfish will lead to chaos and instability with even more evil practices-actually “every” wicked behavior. Apparently, there were problems in the churches or Christian communities that had come to James’s attention. Like an Old Testament prophet, the apostle warned them, and now us, to seek meekness and good conduct (v. 13), rather than fight, argue, and demand our rights in an atmosphere of restless entitlement. This is a very helpful warning for our Christian communities today, which can be transformed by Scripture and a biblical worldview.

How are you influencing others to adopt a biblical worldview? People do not abandon their beliefs and habits without first seeing that they are just plain wrong or ineffective. Will you speak God’s wisdom today, out loud, rather than do nothing?