Two Kinds of Wisdom - Ezekiel 16-17 and James 3
The Lord tells us in James 3 that there are two kinds of wisdom. We see them around us all of the time, and they have been around around as long as there have been people on this earth. We have to decide which type of wisdom we will use. If we make the wrong choice, our lives will be destroyed. If we make the right choice, we will be blessed by God.
Israel chose to live by the wisdom of this world. The wisdom that does not come from above is "earthly, sensual, and demonic." That is why they broke the covenant with the Lord to pursue other gods and pleasures. The wisdom of this world is ruled by envy, self-seeking, confusion, and every evil thing. Read what Ezekiel says that Israel did when they played the harlot. They killed their children by offering them as a fiery sacrifice to the gods. They engaged in sensual idolatry. All the while they thought they were acting wisely, because they were doing what the other people in the world were doing. That is how the wisdom of this world works. Look at the news. The same things are there every night. That is where the sexual sins, murder, and other sinful practices come from. We must decide once and for all to reject the wisdom of this world.
However, James call us to live by the wisdom from above. It is pure, peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits. It is without hypocrisy and partiality. Once we begin to ask God to show us His wisdom and to give us the power to live in it, our lives change. There is peace. The result is purity. The tongue is a good example. The tongue is a fire. It can cause a lot of damage, or it can do good. The truth is that no man can tame the tongue. The Lord can tame it, if we let Him. The wisdom of this world leads us to use the tongue for selfish purposes and to express terrible things. God's wisdom shows us how to use the tongue to build people up and bless others. We must allow God to guide us in His wisdom to tame the tongue. What are you living by today, the wisdom of this world or the wisdom from above?
Tomorrow, I intend to read Ezekiel 18-19 and James 4.
Israel chose to live by the wisdom of this world. The wisdom that does not come from above is "earthly, sensual, and demonic." That is why they broke the covenant with the Lord to pursue other gods and pleasures. The wisdom of this world is ruled by envy, self-seeking, confusion, and every evil thing. Read what Ezekiel says that Israel did when they played the harlot. They killed their children by offering them as a fiery sacrifice to the gods. They engaged in sensual idolatry. All the while they thought they were acting wisely, because they were doing what the other people in the world were doing. That is how the wisdom of this world works. Look at the news. The same things are there every night. That is where the sexual sins, murder, and other sinful practices come from. We must decide once and for all to reject the wisdom of this world.
However, James call us to live by the wisdom from above. It is pure, peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits. It is without hypocrisy and partiality. Once we begin to ask God to show us His wisdom and to give us the power to live in it, our lives change. There is peace. The result is purity. The tongue is a good example. The tongue is a fire. It can cause a lot of damage, or it can do good. The truth is that no man can tame the tongue. The Lord can tame it, if we let Him. The wisdom of this world leads us to use the tongue for selfish purposes and to express terrible things. God's wisdom shows us how to use the tongue to build people up and bless others. We must allow God to guide us in His wisdom to tame the tongue. What are you living by today, the wisdom of this world or the wisdom from above?
Tomorrow, I intend to read Ezekiel 18-19 and James 4.