Fight Club
But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. James 3:17 NASB
Reasonable – Is faith reasonable? In the post-Kiekegaardian era, this question might be answered, “No, faith goes beyond reason.” But Kierkegaard’s distinction between faith and reason never crossed James’ mind. Kierkegaard’s division is a purely Western man’s dilemma. If we paid attention to the true meaning of this Greek word, we would know that not only is the distinction faulty, so is the whole idea of “reasoning to faith.”
James uses the Greek word eupeithes. The translation “reasonable” masks the true sense of the word. It is not about logical discussion. It is about the ease with which a follower is persuaded. Eupeithes is the combination of “good” (eu) and “agree” (peitho) – therefore, easily persuaded. In other words, James is not making a statement about the rational coherence of what we believe, nor is he talking about the orderliness of God’s plan. He is making an observation about us, not about God. When we are characterized by wisdom from above, we don’t fight the truth. We are easily compliant with God’s instructions. Godly wisdom entails quick obedience.
How are you doing with this one? If you have committed yourself to purity and if you know that your life is the only real message of His rightouesness, has that resulted in immediate acceptance of His instructions? You can measure yourself on James’ scale of wisdom with this simple little test: how hard do you fight it?
How much fight do you give to the diet? How much do you battle against Shabbat? How much do you argue about God’s yearly calendar? How much do you argue about Torah? What are you willing to battle about? Are there clear instructions in Scripture that cause you to take up arms? Do you quarrel with God about those things you don’t think are necessary? Eupeithes describes someone who knows what it means to hear the Master and do His bidding. There is no “Why do you call me Lord but do not do what I say?” with this person. If there is still fight in you, don’t be discouraged. It took Abraham a lifetime to rise up early in the morning and saddle his donkey (Genesis 22:3). Abraham learned eupeithes through suffering, tragedy and trials. And we are a lot more like Abraham than we are like the one who left the prestige of the Temple in order to be obedient to his parents.
This word asks only one question: “How long will you kick against the goads?” Will you wait until the blinding light wakes you up? Or will you say “Hinneni.”
Topical Index: fight, eupeithes, easily compliant, James 3:17, Genesis 22:3, Acts 26:14
Thank you to this community of believers for your prayers on my behalf for the need of some face to face fellowship. I just yesterday received communication from a house church in North Central Iowa that is possible for me to travel to (less than 75 miles and another praise item is that I have a job interview for a part time job that would provide the funds for travel. I will let you know of the results of that today. I hadn’t worked for close to 2 years due to health concerns. Our Father is so good to provide.
I’ve always been kind of an odd ball.
That’s so funny! My goodness, G_d is good.
I just typed out this long spiel and hit “submit” and the only thing that got published was my first line:”I’ve always been kind of an odd ball!”
Hilarious!
Let’s see if I can remember what I wrote… (an attempt at a recovery, eh?)
That’s right.. I have always been kind of an odd ball.
And I’ve come to recognize a common quirkiness in many believers.
I once said in conversation with a group of guys, “Everything I really value in life came to me by way of surrender.” That was a real show-stopper. They all looked at me like I had two heads. Granted, “surrender” was not the battle-cry of any of us growing up.
That was 10 years ago or more.
Of course, many things are worth fighting for. But it pays to align with Truth and what’s true before making the valiant effort.
Thank you Lord that there is a truth; that we can test it, find it firm and stand on it.
Bless HaShem.
A peculiar people…that may be scriptural. Have to be willing to swim upstream sometimes.
The interview went well. This was for a job caring for people with special needs. The person who interviewed me was the person who fired me previously. They most likely wouldn’t have fired me if they had known I had diabetes at the time. One of the first statements that she said, “You are already hired.” She was my next door neighbor for last summer, than she moved. I will be working Wednesdays and Thursdays on the 2nd shift and every other weekend. I asked for Fridays off. This was what they already had me set up for. Isn’t it like our gracious Father to go ahead of us and prepare a way.
Amen 🙂