Scripture Reference: James 3: 13-16

In Part 3 of this lesson, we looked at how James warned the readers against the unruly nature of the tongue.  He brought in the idea that good words and evil words do not need to be coming out of the same mouth.  Let’s now consider why he gave the warning about our speech.

James had already covered performing good deeds to prove we have faith in God.  He reminds us in Verse 13 to humbly do good deeds to prove our faith if we possess understanding of God’s instructions on how to live.  Now he gets to an important point about why we must be careful about what we say.  This point deals with hiding jealousy and selfish ambition by lying and boasting.

Jealousy and selfishness do not come from the wisdom God liberally gives to those who ask in sincerity.  Jealousy and selfishness are evil and come from an evil source.  They come from the world’s wisdom.  They come from wisdom that is described as being unspiritual, even demonic.  That word unspiriitual, meaning not of the spirit, refers to something that is controlled by the appetite or passion.  James is saying that jealousy and selfishness are demonic and sensual because they come from physical wisdom, not Godly spiritual wisdom.

James completes this section of his letter by saying that wherever jealousy and selfishness exist, there is disorder and every evil work.  The King James Version makes this statement like this:  “For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.”  Envy, or jealousy, and strife, or selfish ambition, come from the same source as confusion, disorder, and every other evil work.

James’ admonition about our speech, especially the tongues of teachers of the faith, centers around the fact that evil hearts produce evil speech.  I believe he is telling those scattered Jewish disciples of Jesus that they are not to try to cover their true nature that is evil by lying or being boastful in what they say.  He is telling them that lying, boasting, jealousy, strife, contention, selfishness, confusion and chaos do not come from Godly wisdom.  The obvious command would be to stay away from those character traits because they are evil at the core.

This next statement may offend someone, but it needs to be said, based on what this scripture is teaching us.  Anyone who says and does things that result in the evils described in this passage is operating under the control of an evil source.  If words and actions are producing division, strife, selfishness, chaos, jealousy, and other evils like hatred and hypocrisy, then those words and actions are coming from ungodly wisdom.

God’s wisdom does not create those destructive results.  God’s wisdom creates results that are different, because the source of that wisdom is good, instead of evil.  We’ll look at God’s wisdom and what it produces in the next part of Lesson 7.

Until then, pray that what we say and what we do come from a good source, not an evil source.