James 4:1 KJV [1] “From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?”      James asks two questions in this verse, and he uses the word war in both of them. I think that is interesting because, in the last verse, he used the word peace twice. He expresses how God’s people can live either in peace or strife. God wants His children to get along and live in peace rather than strife and envy. Spiritual people desire to have unity.      We must consider the first question …

James 3:18 KJV [18] “And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.”      I want to consider them that make peace. The peacemaker is someone who understands the values of unity among the saints. Their goal is to bring people together instead of dividing them. They look for ways to avoid or end any trace of strife that might come up. The peacemaker lives peacefully and enjoys the good things life has to offer. When you practice spreading peace, you can live in peace.      Those who make peace are known by their words. …

James 3:17 KJV [17] “But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.”     You cannot put a price tag on the wisdom that God imparts to His children. In one of our devotionals, we discussed the difference between knowledge and wisdom. Wisdom is provided by God, not learned from a book. This verse describes the many characteristics and benefits of wisdom. The things listed in this verse should provoke God’s children to seek wisdom.      We never have to …

James 3:16 KJV  [16] “For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.”     I want to invite you to Confusion Baptist Church. Allow me to describe the church to you for a moment. Confusion Baptist has the right kind of music, the right Bible, and the right standards. They believe the right doctrine and go out on weekly visitation. This church has many outreach ministries, a great mission program, and the offerings could not be better. The attendance is good, and visitors come on occasion.      However, this church appears to get along on the …

James 3:15 KJV [15] “This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.”      When we promote ourselves, we create envy and strife among others.  It will never uplift our brethren or encourage the weak, and glorifying the flesh never glorifies God. When we strive to be the most popular or number one, it is not of God.      Self-promotion is earthly, sensual, and devilish. The Devil’s goal was to be number one, and he wanted to promote himself above God’s throne. It is so wicked to magnify ourselves! That should be our attitude when it comes to …

James 3:14 KJV [14] “But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.”      James gives a direct command in this verse to “glory not”. The tongue loves to brag on the flesh. We must be careful to guard against lifting ourselves up. The pride of self-promotion has destroyed the testimony of many people. Several years ago, I  read a quote that said, “Pride and grace never dwell in the same place.”      Some people like to brag about how they have mistreated someone. They think that it makes that person …

James 3:13 KJV [13] “Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.”     Knowledge enables us to know things in part, but wisdom enables us to put those things together. For example, a man can be a genius, have a photographic memory, master computer skills, and have many intellectual abilities, but he may struggle to complete simple tasks in life. He has knowledge, but he lacks wisdom.      A knowledgeable man may speak many words but never say anything worth hearing. On the other …

James 3:12 KJV  [12]  “Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh.”      James gives us a simple fact that we can all understand. A fountain cannot give forth two kinds of water, and a tree cannot bear two types of fruit. Whenever we drink from a fountain, we expect clear sweet water. When we plant an apple tree, we expect the tree to produce apples. These are simple facts that everyone would agree on.      The same is true about the vocabulary of the Christian. …

James 3:11 KJV [11] “Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter?”      I remember as a boy going with my dad to a spring on the side of the road in the town where we lived. We would take plastic jugs and fill them to the brim with clear, cold water. It tasted very pure and refreshing, especially on a hot summer day. The spring was always faithful to give us the same clear, cold water. Recently, I was driving through my hometown, and I stopped by the spring to see if anything had changed. …

James 3:10 KJV [10] “Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.”      Our thought in this verse is a continuation of our last verse. James reminds us again not to allow blessing and cursing out of the same mouth. You see, a double tongue is a hypocritical tongue. Our speech can confirm our faith, but it can also condemn our faith. It can reveal any hypocrisy that may be within us.      Some people are good at talking out of both sides of their mouths. What they say is …