Yesterday
We zoomed in on the wisdom that is from God is peaceable, gentle and reasonable in verses 17-18.
Today
Let’s LOOK at true wisdom that is ‘unwavering’ and ‘without hypocrisy’.
Open GODcha to the Book of James.
NOTE:
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Let’s Pray
Oh Lord, we pray Your Spirit would instruct us from Your Holy Word today. We pray You, Holy Spirit, would make the Word vivid and real to us. And we ask that You would give us hearts that would desire to please You and obey You as we hear. Thank you!
LOOK at What God Says
Let GODcha direct you.
What will you do first?
READ God’s Word
Read James 3:13-18, asking the 5W’s and H.
Let’s Incorporate All Our Strategies
Let’s pick up where we left off yesterday in verses 17, and LOOK at a couple more of these characteristics.
“But wisdom from above is first pure, THEN…peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, ‘unwavering’. . .”
Understand God’s Words
Check Out the Meaning
Unwavering, adiákritos; Without separation. Without judgment. Without partiality. This word, is not used any place else in the Bible, and can also mean not divided in its commitment. Unwavering loyalty to God. There’s no vacillating; it is a who-hearted conviction. It’s consistent, not changing positions in various circumstances.
Let Truth Explain Truth
CR-Cross References-Word Search Tutorial >
1. Do you remember Chapter 1 regarding not doubting?
And what about Chapter 2, regarding partiality?
2. What is the opposite of unwavering?
Divided in one’s commitment to God.
Not loyal to the Lord.
THINK: When we lean on the world’s wisdom, we can be pressured from all sides, constantly changing our minds to take a new point of view on various issues of life.
We see: When we lean on God’s wisdom, there is NO vacillating. We stand firm and do NOT waver.
Engage With God
LISTEN…
Am I unwavering?
Am I impartial in my treatment of others?
Am I wholly committed to the Lord and His Word?
Respond to God…LIVE it out!
Next. . .
“But wisdom from above is first pure, THEN…peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, ‘without hypocrisy'”.
Understand God’s Words
Check Out the Meaning
Without Hypocrisy, anupókritos; Genuine, real, true, sincere. Hypocrisy was a word that was used originally of Greek actors who played a part on stage that was not like what they were in person. So to be without hypocrisy then originally meant inexperienced in the art of acting.
Understand: to be hypocritical, refers to someone who pretends to be what they are not. So to be without hypocrisy is someone who is not pretending, but is truly genuine.
Let Truth Explain Truth
CR-Cross References-Word Search Tutorial >
There are a few Cross References to check out.
Peruse a few today, and then a few tomorrow, and even the next day.
Fine Tune Your Ears!
Remember there is no hurry.
Your goal is to engage with God, your Creator.
Sit quietly and hear what He has to say to you.
He is waiting, let’s listen.
1. What do we discover about hypocrisy to see what it means to be without hypocrisy?
a. Jesus warned: beware of the leaven of the Pharisees which is hypocrisy. (Luk 12:1)
Understand: In Jesus day, Judaism had corrupted and perverted the true Old Testament worship, it was a false religion.
Understand: One would take leaven and put it in dough and it would expand it, permeate it.
Jesus is saying, beware of the leaven, the permeating influence, of this corrupted religion that was false.
Understand: False religion is hypocritical.
We see: we must be alert to the influence of false religion.
Do not expose yourself to that which is false.
b. Jesus said – You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye. (Mat 7:5)
Understand: the context of this is presenting truth against the backdrop of the Pharisees who were giving, praying, and fasting in a hypocritical way. They put their confidence in themselves, looking down upon others, in a self-righteous, judgmental, critical way.
Understand: Jesus is not saying we do not judge. He is saying first judge yourself. Cleanse and purify yourself, then you can help your brother/sister who is in sin.
Understand: The people who see everything wrong in somebody else’s life see absolutely nothing wrong in their own life. This is self-righteousness; this is the log. As long as you’re self-righteous, as long as you’re spiritually proud, as long as you set yourself up as a judge, you can’t help anybody else out with any sin.
c. We are not to judge others for the very things we practice and do. (Rom 2:3)
We see: to be critical and judgmental of others is hypocritical.
d. Jesus said -Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For they were like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside were full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. (Mat 23:27)
We see: The great concern is for what is in the heart, not what is on the outside.
e. We can’t say we love God, and not love our brothers. (1Jo 2:9)
f. Let love be without hypocrisy. (Rom 12:9)
2. What is the opposite of without hypocrisy?
“The person characterized by wisdom from heaven will be stable, trustworthy, transparent—the kind of person consistently displaying the virtues of wisdom and on whom one can rely for advice and counsel.” Douglas Moo
What Did We LEARN
You can do this…Sum it Up!
Connect With God!
LISTEN…
Am I without hypocrisy?
Can others rely on me because I am stable and trustworthy?
Or, am I pretending to be what I am not?
Am I beautiful on the outside, but ugly and dead on the inside?
Am I self righteous; spiritually proud, condemning and criticizing others hearts and motives? Do I play God?
Do I love my brother, or judge my brother?
Am I a hypocrite?
How do I avoid being a hypocrite?
Respond to God…LIVE it out!
That’s It For Today!
Ponder and chew on all God is teaching us about His Wisdom.
Do you need to work on any of these characteristics we have seen so far?
Oh, God loves you, talk to him.
Journal Your Discovery
You know what you need to do.
Take the time and do it!
Journaling your discovery, and communion with God, as this will help deepen your learning.
Let’s Pray
Perhaps. . .
OH FATHER GOD, we want to bless Your name forever and ever, as Daniel did. For wisdom and power belong to You. You change the times and the epochs; You removes kings and establishes kings; You give wisdom to wise men and knowledge to men of understanding. You reveal the profound and hidden things; And know what’s in the darkness, for light dwells with You, (Dan 2:20-22). Oh, reveal to us the condition of our hearts? Are we full of conviction, unwavering, standing firm on Truth? Are we without hypocrisy? Or, are we self-righteous and critical of others? Do we love our brothers and sisters, or judge them? Oh Father, may we be willing to accept what You reveal to us about ourselves and confess and repent. Thank you that when we confess, Father, You will forgive us for our awful judgments and many criticisms! And help us to hate hypocrisy more in our own hearts than when we sense it in others. We want to be wise and understanding Father! Help us not to set ourselves up to be the judge of others, yet, may we beware of the false, and have hearts to help restore others who are in err in a peaceful way. Father, thank you for Your wisdom that has been given to us in Christ, in whose name we pray and ask these things. Amen!
Next: We will continue to LOOK at this wisdom that is of God.
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Dear Janette,
This segment was wonderful, eye opening and very inspiring. Thank you for helping me to be a better follower of God and His Word.
Soraya, thanking God that you are doing the one thing that is necessary – sitting at the feet of Jesus to hear Him speak! Aren’t His Words to us powerful and life changing?