​Difference in Operations (3:13–14, 17)

Spiritual,"Difference in Operations (3:13–14, 17)
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The wisdom that comes from God works in a different way than the wisdom that comes from "earthly, sensual, and devilish" sources. Because they come from very different places, they must work in very different ways.

What are the signs of false wisdom?

Envying (v. 14a). This word means being selfishly ambitious and eager. It goes along with James 3:1, where James told them not to be overly desirous of spiritual positions. The world says, "Make yourself known." You might be better than the other candidates. The squeaky wheel gets the grease. It's sad to say that God's people do a lot of selfish, carnal promotion. The apostles even fought about who was the best in the kingdom.

When you believe you play the part of "Mr. Spiritual," it's easy to let your ego take control. The Pharisees used their religious activities to get people to praise them (Matt. 6:1–18). We should be very interested in the Lord's things, but we must ensure our motives are pure. The wisdom of this world elevates humanity and diminishes God's glory. Paul talked about the wisdom of God and the wisdom of this world in 1 Corinthians 1:17ff. He also talked about why God does what He does: "That no flesh should glory in His presence" (1 Cor. 1:29). He finished the section with the warning, "He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord" (1 Cor. 1:31).

Is our love for the Lord spiritual or physical? Do we feel pleased when other people do well, or do we secretly envy and criticize them? Are we happy or sad when someone else fails? When worldly wisdom infiltrates the church, it leads to excessive promotion of the flesh and glorification of humanity. Be careful!

Strife (v. 14b). This word means "party spirit." The Greeks used it to talk about a politician who was going door-to-door to get votes. "Get all the support you can!" says the world's wisdom. "Ask the people in the church if they are with you or against you!" This attitude of wanting to be better than others only causes problems and fights in the church. “Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than [more important than] themselves” (Phil. 2:3).

Bragging "glory not" (v. 14c). Pride loves to brag, and nothing is more proud than men's wisdom. There is a way to tell people about blessings that gives God the glory, and there is also a way that gives men the praise. It is sad to see groups of God's people who admire each other. When Paul boasted about his ministry in 2 Corinthians 10, he made sure to give God the credit. We shouldn't even consider putting ourselves in the same group as people who write their testimonials or comparing ourselves to them. Of course, these individuals are merely measuring themselves by their standards or by comparing themselves to others within their group, which does not provide an accurate picture and certainly does not glorify God (see 2 Cor. 10:12).

When God's wisdom is at work, you feel humble and want God to get all the praise. You don't want to compare yourself to other Christians because you only see Christ, and compared to Him, we all have a long way to go!

Lying (v. 14d). "Don't lie about the truth." It's not hard to understand the order James gives in verse 14. First, there is selfish ambition that causes people to be competitive and have party spirit. To "win the election," we have to brag, and bragging usually means lying! The Lord reads a man's life in his heart, not in his press releases. "Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God." (1 Cor. 4:5).

[Tomorrow we will look at the signs of true wisdom.]