“Our Daily Bread”
http://odb.org/2012/09/14/family-togetherness/
The Daily Devotions of Greg Laurie
http://www.harvest.org/devotional/daily-devotions/home.ht
James 3:14-15… But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. 15 This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. (NKJV)
There are two kinds of wisdom written about by the apostle James (Jesus’ ½ brother), in chapter 3 of the Book he penned… Wisdom that Satan uses to blind people (2 Corinthians 4:4) to the truth that can only be found in God’s Word…and wisdom from the truth God’s wants everybody to see and receive… Jesus tells us this truth God wants the world to partake of, will set the sinner free from Satan’s bonds of sin…John 8:32… “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (NKJV)
The apostle James goes on to describe the person blinded by Satan, in…James 3:16… For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. (NKJV) James only lists the sin of “envy” in this short piece of scripture… But the person, who is “self-seeking” and has “confusion” in their lives, is the direct opposite of how a Spirit filled Christian should feel…
God doesn’t want the Christian to feel “confusion” or fear… This is why the new believer is filled with the Holy Spirit at the moment they are forgiven of their sins…John 14:26… But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. (NKJV)
It is God that completely changes the life of those He graces with His free gift of salvation… I remember the day God graced me with salvation, by bringing me into His family as a new child of God… The feeling is almost impossible to put into mere words… But it felt like a tremendous weight had been taken off of my shoulders, along with an indescribable peace… Praise the Lord for His grace and the mercy He showed me, just over 10 years ago…
Along with the lifelong “Helper, the Holy Spirit”; comes the God given supernatural peace I so often reference, in…Philippians 4:6-7… The new Christian is filled with spiritual wisdom, which James describes in this scripture…James 3:17… But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. (NKJV)
I pray that all readers can see this dramatic difference in the attributes of the Spirit filled Christian… I say a Christian must be Spirit filled to enjoy this peace, because only a Spirit filled Christian is righteous in God’s eyes… They have confessed any and all sins (1 John 1:9), and are walking with the Lord; not away from the Lord, as they will be doing if they insist on living in sin…
James concludes this comparison of demonic wisdom vs. Godly wisdom, with this scripture…James 3:18… Now the fruit of righteousnessis sown in peaceby those who make peace. (NKJV)
All Christians should bear fruit… There is much written about this fruit, including what Jesus teaches us in…John 15:5-6… “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears muchfruit; for without Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.” (NKJV)
This “fruit of righteousness” that yields such overpowering, supernatural peace…has to be experienced to be believed… But as quick as this supernatural peace appears when a Christian is Spirit filled…is as quick as it will depart; as the Christian continuously lives in sin, and thereby becomes unrighteous in God’s sight…
Heavenly Father, I thank You for the truth Your Word promises, with my bonds of Satan that You have broken to set me free… I pray Father, that others would seek this truth, as they seek Christ by faith alone, to become their Lord, their Master, and their Savior… Help sinners to see that this freedom is only accomplished by understanding and obeying the gospel of Your Son Jesus Christ… I pray for this supernatural peace for all of us that only You can provide…in Jesus’ most precious name and for His sake…Amen…
written by bruce r mills
P.S. The gospel of Christ is presented in the link below, to plant the seed toward salvation for those who want to become part of God’s family; to be sure they are righteous in God’s eyes, and filled with the awesome power of the Holy Spirit…
God's group 