Bitter Envying and Strife James 3:14

James, the “servant of God and the Lord Jesus Christ”, exhorted his readers concerning their speech and manner of living. He told them if they were “wise and endued with knowledge” they should “show out of a good conversation” their “works with meekness of wisdom.” In chapter three and verse fourteen of his letter, James wrote concerning “bitter envying and strife” in their “hearts” where we read:

But if you have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.

The verse begins, “But if you have bitter envying and strife in your hearts,...” James began with the word, “But” which is a disassociation conjunction that means what is about to be written takes precedence over what was just stated, “nevertheless, moreover and notwithstanding”, “if you have” or “hold, wear, possess, keep fast, comprise or involve” “bitter envying” which means “harsh, virulent, sharp and acrid zeal, indignation, fervent mind, jealousy and emulation” “and strife” or “contention, partisanship and fractiousness” “in your hearts” which means “the center and seat of spiritual life”. James reveals the conditional source of malicious speech - “envy” and “contention” in “hearts”.

The verse goes on to say, “...glory not, and lie not against the truth.” James continued, “glory not” which means “do not rejoice, boast or exult one's self to the injury of another”, “and lie not” or “do not speak deliberate falsehoods and deceptions” “against” which means “down from, throughout, according to and along” “the truth” or “what is true in things appertaining to God and the duties of man both in moral and in religious truth”. James exhorted his reader that “if” they discovered the traits of “envy” and “strife” within their “hearts”, they were to not to be boastful about it nor “be deceptive” concerning what is true.

When we think through James' words, we realize the origin of our “bitter” words - “our hearts”. When we allow “envy” or “strife” within our “seat of spiritual life”, if we speak, they are revealed. The cleansing of our “hearts” by the blood of Jesus Christ is the only way to truly refine our speech, and if we discover “jealousy, emulation, contention and partisanship” within them, let us bring them before the altar of God and repent.

Next time James shares from where “this wisdom” does not “descend”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

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