This message, titled Envy and Strife, from James 3, verses 14-16, was preached at Winchester Reformed Presbyterian Church in Winchester, Kansas. For more information, visit us at winchesterrp.com. Brothers and sisters, I want you to recall this morning, at the very beginning, that one of the main themes of this letter of James is keeping ourselves unstained by this world. Now James doesn't say in the course of this letter, even as he raises that concern in the first chapter, that we not only learn to bridle our tongue and to meet widows and orphans in their affliction, but to keep ourselves unstained from the world. James doesn't say there or at any place in this letter that we should leave the world in which we live. James says only this, that we are to keep ourselves unstained, we are to keep ourselves unpolluted by this world. We, you and I, are in this world. We will continue to be in this world until we depart to be with Jesus. And in the course of our life, we must, in a very real sense, be in this world. In the course of our life and in our daily routines, we must eat. We must drink. We must be clothed. We must learn and be educated. We must work. We must sleep. We must do our daily business. We must have different relations in life. We are free to give ourselves to the recreations in this life. We are to be in this world and we are to continue in a very real sense, even as Christians, to live normal, ordinary, mundane lives in this world. But the challenge that confronts you and the challenge that confronts me is to be in this world, going about our daily business, to be in this world, but to be unstained and unpolluted by it. And of course, the great question set before us is, how? How do we do that? How do we live our daily lives? How do we live in the routine of our weeks and remain unstained and unpolluted by the defiling world around us? And the Holy Spirit's answer to that question is simply this, we keep ourselves unstained from the world by wisdom, by conducting ourselves in the normal routines of life under the rules of God's own wisdom. And that's a point that needs to be emphasized. This is God's wisdom. This is not a wisdom that is ultimately taught in educational institutions and in classrooms. The wisdom that scripture aims at, the wisdom that James is seeking to cultivate in us through the word is not a wisdom that is attained by diplomas and degrees. It is not a matter of being street smart. It is not a matter of gaining experience in the different situations and circumstances of life. It is not a wisdom that just comes with age. It is not a wisdom that is according to perhaps natural inclinations. But for Scripture and for James, it is a wisdom that comes down from above and is given as a resource of God's grace for our daily lives and for our daily routines. And we are, as Christians, to have lives that are brought under in every aspect to have lives that are brought under the instruction of wisdom. Wisdom instructs us how to eat, how to drink, how to clothe ourselves, how to learn and be educated. Wisdom teaches us how we are to work and to labor in this life. how we are to use all the resources that we have been given. Wisdom teaches us how we are to rest, how we are to sleep, how we are to recreate. If we are to remain unstained as we live lives in this world, if we are to be unpolluted, then every aspect of our lives needs to be brought under the guidance of God's wisdom. And that's where James is going in this portion of this letter. As he begins to write about wisdom, he does so helping us so that we can live in this world, but live as those unstained and unpolluted by this world. And this morning, I want to preach more to this theme found here in James's letter. And the first thing that I want to do, the first thing I want to draw from this text is a contrary wisdom. A contrary wisdom. Now, at this point, most of us should be somewhat familiar with the character of James in this letter. And if you're tracking with James, and if you've come to appreciate in a greater degree some of the flavor, you might say, of this letter, you probably realize that one of the trademarks of James' letter, James loves to distinguish. He loves to distinguish between that which is true and that which is false. Always with the encouragement that you and I would not be self-deceived into living according to what is false, but that we would be brought to live in light of the truth. And James has done this in many ways, hasn't he? James has distinguished in our relationship to the word of God. He says, do not merely be hearers of the word, so deceiving yourselves, but do what it says. James has distinguished for us in this letter what is true versus what is false mercy. A true mercy which goes out to people in their needs and seeks in as much as we are able to address those needs as opposed to a false mercy that says, well, I hope you get what you need somewhere sometime from someone else. James has distinguished, as we have seen in the past, between what we call true and false faith. A faith that talks a lot but doesn't do anything versus a faith that demonstrates and shows itself through love. One of the trademarks of James's letter, what James loves to do, he's a master of it, is to distinguish for us between what is true and what is false. And that is also seen here with regards to wisdom. There is a true wisdom and there is, in the mind of James, there is a false wisdom. And maybe you remember from a number of weeks ago, but James has already begun to characterize for us what is true wisdom. In verse 13, he asks the question, who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct, let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. James is saying, if you claim to be wise, if you are one who says, I'm a wise person, or if you want to identify who around you is a man or a woman, young or old, a person of wisdom, James says, then here's how you distinguish this true wisdom. True wisdom shows itself, it exhibits itself, it demonstrates itself in meekness, in gentleness. in a spiritual, you might say, self-restraint. And that's what we considered last time. Then notice, however, how James continues. There in verse 13, by his good conduct, let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. And then in verse 14, James writes, but, but, And that cues us in immediately. It's grammatical, but it cues us in to this simple point. James is about to make a distinction. He's about to draw a comparison. He's about to show us a contrary wisdom. And James says in verse 14, but if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, There will be disorder and every vile practice. And I want you to see this morning, first and foremost, as we look at this text, that James is drawing a distinction. There's true wisdom that shows itself and demonstrates itself in meekness. And then there is this contrary wisdom, this false wisdom, that shows itself and demonstrates itself in verse 14 and 16 in bitter jealousy and in selfish ambition. And so James is showing us this contrary wisdom and here's what I want you to note about this contrary wisdom. I want you to note the characteristics of this contrary wisdom. James says it is that of bitter jealousy and selfish ambition. there in verse 14, and then he repeats that in verse 16 for where jealousy and selfish ambition exist. James is telling us, brothers and sisters, there is something in this world that appears to be wisdom, that appears perhaps even to the sight of this world to be something that we call wisdom, but it is a wisdom that is characterized, it is a wisdom that is actually defined by bitter jealousy and selfish ambition." Now, what does James mean by that? What does James mean by these characteristics? Well, this morning, I don't want to get lost in dictionary definitions, but the words that James uses are potent words, and in some sense, they're colorful words as well. James tells us that one of the characteristics of this contrary wisdom, he says this again in verse 14, he says it consists of this, of bitter jealousy, of bitter jealousy. Now, if you're familiar with scriptural vocabulary, you may know that the word jealousy quite literally translated is simply the word zeal, a bitter zeal. And in that sense, and again, biblically speaking, sometimes the word jealousy actually has a positive, it's a positive characteristic. We read in the scriptures that God is jealous for his own glory. God has a zeal, he has an unbridled passion for his own glory. And we can think of the way in which zeal and this idea of jealousy sometimes plays out in our own lives in a positive sense. You remember perhaps when Jesus clears the temple, why does he do that? Because jealousy, zeal for the house of the Lord consumed him. And so the word that James uses here for jealousy is a word that of itself, it can be something positive. It's the word zeal, it can be positive. But it is also a word that can be negative. And it's very clear that this is exactly what James means here. James does not mean here, in talking about the characteristics of this contrary wisdom, that this jealousy is something that is good. He calls it a bitter jealousy, a bitter jealousy. So that this word that we have here as jealousy is sometimes elsewhere in the Bible, it's rightly translated as the word envy, a bitter envy. And of course, we don't need to descend far into dictionary definitions. We understand what jealousy is. We understand what envy is. Envy is a selfish desire. Envy is what one dictionary rightly, it's a resentful longing. A resentful longing to have and to be and to do something that someone else has or is or does. It's a tremendously selfish desire. And James says, here's one of the characteristics of this contrary wisdom. It is a bitter jealousy. It is a bitter envy. And then he adds to that, not only this selfish, this bitter jealousy, but also what he says in verse 14, and again in verse 16, a selfish ambition, a selfish ambition. Now, literally, that word that is used there is the word that means faction, a faction. What is a faction? We sometimes speak of faction even in today's language as maybe dissenters in an organization. A faction that breaks off from somebody else, that fractures an organization. And in many ways, that's the idea, that's the imagery behind this word that James uses, this selfish ambition, this selfish ambition that seeks to be in conflict, that seeks to be divisive, to be factitious, or another word that is often associated with this in the scriptures is the word strife. Strife, to be in conflict with. And James is really telling us here, here are, and again, this is biblically speaking, these are the twin evils. In so many places throughout the scriptures, you find envy or jealousy linked together with strife, because where one is, the other is sure to be. And both of them in the Bible and here in James's mind, both of them are connected, we might say, by an attitude of self-centeredness. Because at the end of the day, that's what these things are. Bitter jealousy and selfish ambition. What is that? It is self-centeredness. Jealousy, resentment, divisiveness, conflict, strife, These are our things that center upon self, that center upon self. And James is saying there is this thing in this world that people call wisdom that is characterized by these things. And obviously, as we look at James, we see how contrary and how opposed that is to heavenly wisdom. Why? Because if you remember, as we've already said, heavenly wisdom, the wisdom that comes down from above, James says in verse 13, expresses itself in meekness, in self-restraint. And James is saying that there's this contrary wisdom present in the world that is not about self-restraint, it is about self-assertion. Asserting your importance, asserting your opinions, and your rights, and your ways, and your wants, And making everything and everyone revolve around your self. And James is saying that's what this contrary wisdom is. It expresses itself. It is characterized by bitter jealousy and resentment. By selfish ambition and strife and conflict. That's how it's characterized. And notice as James speaks about this contrary wisdom, not only the way he characterizes it, but I want you to notice this morning also the cause of this contrary wisdom. Whereas that wisdom that expresses itself in meekness, James says that wisdom comes down from above, its source, its origin, its cause is God. He says this contrary wisdom has a source, something quite different. In verse 15, this is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. It is earthly. It is unspiritual. It is demonic. And James is saying in this increasingly climactic way that this so-called wisdom, this wisdom that is motivated by envy, by jealousy, by resentment, this wisdom that is motivated by selfish ambition and divisiveness and conflict and strife. In an increasingly climactic way, James piles on the terms to get the point across to you and to me that this wisdom is absolutely and totally contrary to God himself. It is a contrary wisdom. It is a wisdom that opposes and sets itself against the wisdom that expresses itself in meekness. It is a wisdom that exalts itself against God. And I don't know this morning if you need to hear it, but maybe some of you do. So let me cast the net out and see if the spirit will bless. Some of you may need to hear this morning that your bitterness for whatever it is in your life is not wisdom and it's not from God. That the envy that harbors itself in your heart is not spiritual, that your resentment is not of heaven, that the strife with which you express yourself and relate to other people is not of God, and your quarreling and your divisiveness And your factitious spirit is not godly. These things, brothers and sisters, do not come down from above. They are earthly. They are unspiritual. They are themselves, James says, in the strongest possible terms, they are demonic. James is saying, don't we understand this this morning? James is saying, this is the polluting force of the world. This is the pollutants. This is, is that which stains Christians to harbor in our hearts, bitterness and, and resentment and jealousy and, and envy and, and, and selfish ambition. These are the things that stain our hearts and our lives. And James is saying, here is the wisdom that is contrary to that wisdom that comes down from above. That's the first thing that I want you to see here, this contrary wisdom. But secondly, this morning, I want to draw out of this text the consequences of this wisdom, the consequences. So you notice here that James writes in verse 15, this is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. In verse 16, for where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, and then note here, note here, brothers and sisters, the consequence that James writes. Where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. There will be disorder and there will be every, James writes so extensively there, so comprehensively, there will be disorder and there will be every vile practice. And we might be tempted here for a moment to think, well, James is being, he's speaking in hyperbole, isn't he? And sometimes preachers do that. Sometimes there is a little bit of an exaggeration. I remember one of the most well-known preachers of the 20th century. in all the sermons that I've read by him, seems to open almost every sermon by saying, I'm going to tell you the most important thing that you could ever hear. And it's amazing. One week after another, he brings forth the most important thing anybody's ever going to hear. Sometimes there is a little bit of an exaggeration. There is a hyperbole. And the question is, is James being hyperbolic here? Where these things exist, James says, there's going to be disorder and there is going to be every, every vile practice. Is James exaggerating? And of course, we have to understand this morning, we have to understand that the answer to that question is no. James is not being hyperbolic here. James is not giving some kind of exaggerated statement of the consequences of jealousy and resentment and conflict and strife in our lives. James is not being hyperbolic. You see, James understands, doesn't he? We've seen this page after page in this letter. James understands the human heart. James understands the human heart, but even more than that, this morning, brothers and sisters, James also knows his Bible. And he remembers, even here, he remembers the scriptures. that are able to make us wise unto salvation. And James understands, in understanding the human heart and in understanding the scriptures, James understands this, that where jealousy and strife are unchecked, and where jealousy and strife are unleashed in our heart and in our life, It introduces every conceivable sin into our relationships. And you don't have to go far in the Scriptures to find the obvious demonstrations and illustrations of this. You don't need to get past the opening chapters of Genesis to see the way in which Cain envied his brother Abel. Because Abel's sacrifice was pleasing to God and Cain's was not. And so what does Cain do? He kills his brother. Why? Because of envy. You don't have to go much further in the scriptures to remember that scene between Abraham and Lot. and the separation that comes between these two men who are held forth to us in the scriptures as righteous men. And why is it that Abraham and Lot separate? Because they're herdsmen, we read in Genesis 13, had strife with one another. You can think on the life of Joseph and the envy and the jealousy and the bitterness of his brothers toward him. causing them to give him away into slavery. You can think this morning of the great illustration of Saul and David, how Saul had his eye toward David, envying David, envying who he is, rending asunder these two men in this life and undoubtedly in the life that is to come. You can think upon the earthly ministry of Jesus, The way the priests were driven mad with jealousy and envy because nobody spoke the way that Christ did. See, James knows all this. James remembers his scriptures. James remembers that where bitterness and resentment and jealousy and envy and strife exist, James knows where those things are. There is disorder in every vile practice. And James undoubtedly here remembers what wisdom teaches over and over and over again. What did we read this morning from Proverbs chapter 17? Proverbs 17 verse 14. The beginning of strife is like letting water out. So quit before a quarrel breaks out. And in only the pithy way that the Proverbs express these things, what's the imagery there? The imagery there is the breach of a dam. The breach of a dam, one small crack in a dam that is holding back the floodwaters, one small breach of that, one small crack, the water begins to drop out, then it begins to pour out, then it becomes an untamable flood. And Solomon is teaching us that's what strife does. That's what conflict does. When our attitude is one of divisiveness, when our attitude is one of being factitious, when we are seeking to sow discord and strife, when we are giving in to these things, we are actually cracking a hole in the dam so that it can burst at any moment into a flood of unbridled sin. That's what the scriptures teach. That's what wisdom teaches us. That's what strife does. And so we read again and again of all the sins that come from jealousy and from strife in Proverbs chapter six, verse 34. For jealousy makes a man furious and he will not spare when he takes revenge. Proverbs 10, 12, hatred stirs up strife. but love covers all offenses. Proverbs 14.10, the heart knows its own bitterness and no stranger shares its joy. Proverbs 14.30, a tranquil heart gives life to the flesh, but envy makes the bones rot. Proverbs 15.18, a hot-tempered man stirs up strife, but he who is slow to anger quiets contention. Proverbs 16, 28, a dishonest man spreads strife and a whisperer separates close friends. Proverbs 17, 19, whoever loves transgression loves strife. He who makes his door high seeks destruction. Proverbs 20, verse three, it is an honor for a man to keep aloof from strife, but every fool will be quarreling. Proverbs 22, 10, drive out a scoffer and strife will go out and quarreling and abuse will cease. Proverbs 23, 29, who has woe, who has sorrow, who has strife, who has complaining, who has wounds without cause, who has redness of eyes? And Solomon goes on to condemn the drunkard. Proverbs 27, 4, wrath is cruel, anger is overwhelming, but who can stand before jealousy? Proverbs 28, 25, a greedy man stirs up strife, but the one who trusts in the Lord will be enriched. Again and again, brothers and sisters, here are those evil practices that follow and come at every time with jealousy and strife. It's quarreling, and it's anger, and it's cruelty, and it's abuse, and it's dishonesty, and falsehood, and deceit. It's without joy and without gladness. It is being hot-tempered and separating close friends. And again, and again, and again, Scripture tells us, here's what accompanies bitterness and strife in our hearts. It is not only every disorder, but it is every evil practice. That is the consequence of living by and walking by this contrary wisdom, by letting bitterness and jealousy and resentment and selfish ambition have a place in your heart. It's the consequence of this wisdom. And finally, briefly this morning, then from this text, is confronting this wisdom. Confronting this wisdom. So James is holding up these two wisdoms. There's the wisdom that is from above that shows itself in meekness, and there is the wisdom that is earthly, unspiritual, and demonic, and it shows itself with bitter jealousy and selfish ambition. And of course, the question that confronts us, the question that's before us is, how then do I get this wisdom that is from above, this wisdom marked by humility, and how do I keep myself and avoid this earthly, unspiritual, demonic wisdom that comes with disorder and comes with every vile practice? How do I do that? And if we're going to appreciate James, we need to appreciate that the key to understanding this, brothers and sisters, is what James writes in the 14th verse. James says, but if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition, where? In your hearts. In your hearts. So what I'm saying here is if we're gonna confront this false wisdom, we need to understand that this false wisdom, it begins with our hearts. It is our hearts that harbor jealousy. It is our hearts that harbor resentment. It is our hearts where our selfish ambition and our strife exists. This is what Jesus teaches. You know, when we think about worldliness, We often think about what is out there, as long as I don't get impacted by everything out there. So I'm not going to listen to certain kinds of music. I'm not going to watch certain kinds of movies. I'm not going to dress the way that everybody else dresses. And we think that if we just create this to-do list of things that are out there that we keep ourselves unstained by the world. But what James is saying, can I be so bold as to say it this morning, as much as we should have a concern for the world that is out there, The greatest concern is for the world that is in here. In my heart. Because it's my heart that produces jealousy. It's my heart that produces bitterness. It's my heart that holds on to resentment. It's my heart that creates conflict and creates strife. And this is what Jesus teaches in Mark 7. It is not what you put into yourself that makes you unclean. It is what comes out of you. that makes you unclean. And James is so worried about the world of sin that is right here, right here in my heart. And we need to appreciate that. We need to appreciate that as we think about confronting this worldly wisdom. not as it exists simply out there, but as it exists right here. And if we appreciate that, we're gonna see this from two angles. On the one hand, James says, doesn't he, says, if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, Who is the your that James is speaking? Well, he's speaking of you and he's speaking of me. He's speaking of, as he's addressed elsewhere in this letter time and again, brothers. James is, we've said this before, let me emphasize that James is writing this letter to Christians. to those who have faith, to those who are united to Christ, and not only united to Christ, but united to him through the glorious grace of adoption, to be made brothers and sisters in the Lord Jesus Christ. And James says, on the one hand, brothers and sisters, here's what James is saying. James is saying, even as Christians, these things can and these things do exist in our hearts, my heart and your heart. The author of Hebrews in Hebrews chapter 12 verse 15 says, see to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God, that no root of bitterness springs up and causes trouble and by it many become defiled. The author of Hebrews is saying, here's the reality of even those of us who are Christians, there are many of us who can become undefiled by the root of bitterness. And James is saying, don't you understand that if these things reside within you, you've been stained and you've been corrupted and you've been polluted and you've been disordered by this world. That's what James is saying. Of course, our experience bears witness to it, doesn't it? Why are so many Christian marriages broken? Because of the world of sin within, because of bitter jealousy, because of resentment, because of self-centeredness, because of selfishness. Why are so many Christian friendships rent asunder? Because we can and we do have these things in our hearts. Why is the fellowship of so many congregations shattered? You know, it's true that almost every book in the New Testament warns us against false teaching. and the dangers of false teaching to fracture the church. But brothers and sisters, for all the false teaching that we need to be aware of, we need to be aware that one of the greatest killers of church fellowship is envy and bitterness and jealousy and resentment and a divisive spirit. And James is saying, here's the reality, even as Christians, these things can, these things do exist in our hearts, in your heart, and in my heart. But if we're gonna fully appreciate James, we see that on one hand, but on the other, on the other hand, brothers and sisters, James gives us hope that this doesn't need to be the case. Notice how he words this in verse 14. There are times in this letter, James is tremendously direct, tremendously. Verse 14 is not one of them. James says in verse 14, but if, if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, With a certain pastoral sensitivity, James is saying there, brothers and sisters, even in that conditional statement, if, James is saying it doesn't need to be the case. It is possible as Christians to have hearts filled with heavenly wisdom. James understands that verse 13 is possible. It is possible to demonstrate your wisdom in meekness. That is not something that is unattainable in the Christian life. It is possible to have that wisdom. And that's the other angle of this that we have to appreciate. James is saying on the one hand, bitter jealousy and selfish ambition can and does exist in our hearts. But on the other hand, James is saying it doesn't need to be that way. Why? Because a new heart is exactly what God gives us in the gospel. A new heart is exactly what God has given us. Ezekiel 36, verse 26, I will give you a new heart. I will take your heart of stone and I will give you a heart of flesh. Jeremiah 31, the promise of the new covenant, I will write my law on your heart. 2 Corinthians 5, verse 17, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has gone, behold the new has come. Titus 2, verse 14, he gave himself for us to redeem us from all unlawfulness and to purify for himself a people of his own possession who are zealous for good works. Titus chapter two, the grace of God has appeared, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self-controlled. Second Peter chapter one, verse three, by his divine power, he has given us everything we need for a godly life. In James chapter 1 verse 18, of his own will, he brought us forth by the word of truth that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures. James is saying this doesn't need to be the case. As Christians, as those who have received the unbound grace of God in Jesus Christ, who have been made new creatures, who have been given new hearts, It is possible to live out of the resources of God's grace in a way that rejects jealousy, in a way that rejects resentment, in a way that rejects selfish ambition, in a way that rejects conflict and strife, and to live in the meekness of wisdom. And how do we do that? I'm gonna sound like a broken record, but let me do it anyway. by word and prayer. It is the word of God that has an expulsive force. That's James' emphasis in this letter. It is the word of God as we hear it and do it that overrules and overrides the jealousy and the strife of our hearts. And it is a life oriented around prayer. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, the generous, giving God, and he will give without reproach. How do we confront this earthly wisdom that seeks to pollute and stain us every step of our lives from here to eternity? by word and prayer, word and prayer, word and prayer. That's how we confront it, to be made wise with the wisdom that is from above. Let's pray.