Welcome to the In Touch podcast with Charles Stanley for Tuesday, September 1st. You may be faced with several good options. But how do you know which one is right? Today's message from the book of James shows you how to cultivate wise, God-honoring decision-making. What place does God have?
in your decision-making process. Before you make any decision, you should always ask this question. Is this the wisest thing to do? Whether it's major or minor, Is this the wisest thing to do? Wisdom is a gift from God.
Living unwisely. is a very expensive lifestyle. to every aspect of our life.
Now I want you to think about this for a moment. There are Two different kinds of wisdom. There's the wisdom of God. And there's the wisdom that comes through man's thinking. And I want you to turn, if you will, to James.
Over to James and um I want you to look at this passage here in James. People who are living foolishly. And. What they're doing, here's what they do. And many people would be happy to have, listen, to have position.
Intellect. talent and possessions.
Well, if I have a high position, I think I'm smart. And I think I'm talented and I have plenty of money. What else do you need in life? Let me ask you a question. If you have all four of those.
And you are recognized with all four of those. Is he going to get you to heaven? No. Is it going to give you peace in your heart? No.
You see, the wisdom of the world, this is the wisdom of the world, this is what causes people to be arrogant. I can handle it. and they look at their positions, their talent, their skills, their intellect. And all of this, and they think, well, I can handle anything life throws. No, they can't.
But that's the foolish way to live. That's the unwise way. And so when James speaks here in this third chapter, in verse 13, he asked this question. And similar to what Paul asked. Who among you is wise in understanding?
Let him show by his good behaviour His deeds in the gentleness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy, and selfish ambition in your heart. Do not be arrogant, and so lie against the truth. This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, and demonic.
Now I want you to think about this for a moment. He says It is earthy. natural and demonic.
Now what does he mean by that? Here means by earthy. That it's limited to what man can do. It's limited to man's reasoning and his thinking and his attempts and his accomplishments in life. That's how limited that is.
Well hell, listen. How smart is man today? We might be able to invent things and go to the moon and this, that, and the other, but we can't get along with each other. And so we can think about all the things that man's wisdom and his knowledge and understanding without God can create. You can't do anything without God.
It's earthy.
So that's one part of the wisdom. And then secondly, he says, It is um Natural. That is, we all have a naturalness in us, and that is, that part of us that does not want to obey God. That part of us that is subject to temptation, that part of us that desires our will and our way. You may not yield to it, but all of us have that naturalness in us.
Some people call it a sin nature. You call it what you want to, but all of us have it. And so he says, those who are walking unwisely Their wisdom is earthy. It doesn't get any higher. And secondly, it's natural, it's sensual.
It relates to the fallen nature. And if you recall in 1 Corinthians 2, verse 14, he says, but a natural man doesn't accept the things of the Spirit of God. They're foolishness to him. And he cannot understand them because they're spiritually praised.
So you get in a discussion with somebody who doesn't believe what you believe about the Lord Jesus Christ, the God of holy things. And you know what? We say, well, why can't you believe that? And you know why they came? Because God said they couldn't.
Apart from the Spirit of God, they will not be able to understand the things of God. And so maybe you may be one of those persons and you're listening to this message and you're saying, well, I don't believe all that. You know why you don't believe it? If you just. Putting everything on your knowledge and your wisdom and your basis, he says, This is a description.
of wisdom without God. That is man's knowledge. It's earthy, it's very limited. Secondly, It's sensual. That is, as he says, it's natural.
And that is it's corrupt. But then he says, for example, listen to it, it's demonic. Its root is found in Satan himself.
So go back to Genesis chapter 3. Everything was absolutely perfect. And Satan convinced Eve. She believed a lie. And look at the consequences.
There are many people today, and you may be one of them. You've listened to the devil's lie. You've listened to him say to you, you don't need God. Those church people are weak. You can handle it.
You're smart enough to handle it. You got position, you got money, you got intellect, you got talent. You don't need that religious stuff at all. Mark it down. That is the voice of the devil.
The Word of God says it is demonic. It deals with your naturalness and that earthiness a part of you. And if you listen to Satan's lies, He's always going to tell you, well, this is the easy way. The issue is this. What's the wise way?
What is the wisest thing to do? When your children come to you and they ask you, what shall I do about this, that, and the other, what do you say to them?
Well, let me think about it. Or do you say to them, Uh no, why not? Because I said so. Or why don't you say to them, I've been thinking about that. And my conclusion is it's not the wisest thing to do.
One thing we need to instruct our children is to ask that question: What is the wise thing to do? Not what is everybody else doing. What's the wisest thing to do?
Well, in other words, what does God see on the basis of his omniscience of knowing everything, omnipotence having all power, omnipresence being in the, he's in the middle of everything you're dealing with. The question is, what is the wisest thing to do?
Now here's why you shouldn't be asking everybody you know. Because, first of all, you get a lot of different opinions. Then you're right back where you started, only more frustrated, more confused. God is going to always tell you exactly what you need to hear. because he's going to be honest with us about everything.
And I think about, made a lot of decisions after all these years, and some of them I've made, if I'd go back, I'd do it a little differently, but we were trying to find a house in Atlanta when I first moved here, couldn't find a house anywhere. And finally, it found one. Uh they were sort of okay. And um It was not like me to finally say okay on something like that, but I did. but the Lord in His wisdom.
Believe me, it's his wisdom. I put in the contract, if there's any water in the basement, I wouldn't take the house. That night it rained. It rained so much that there was a foot of water in the basement of that house the next day.
So I cancelled it. And so I think, God, what are you up to? That very week. My wife found the exact house we were looking for.
Now I didn't wait for God. I didn't say what's the wisest thing to do. I don't think this is the right one, then don't buy it. But I did anyway. But then the Lord redeemed me from that.
So Then I was in the process of buying an automobile. I'd been hit from behind, knocked me about 30-some feet down that road. And I waited for months to buy a car. I finally thought I'd be very modest about what I was going to drive and so forth, so I kept looking around and you know what, you know, you ain't got to buy a car, you just go, oh, what am I going to do?
So I finally found what I thought would be a pretty nice car and not too much. I'm sitting in it and I drove it three times.
Well, that should have told me something, but it didn't. And so I'm sitting there and the fellow walks up and says, so what do you think?
So I'm thinking about it. I'm sitting there, I can still remember the color. I can still remember the dashboard. After all these years, And I'm thinking, What shall I do is like God said to me. Listen to this.
Do you want this? Or do you want my best? I thought that was pretty good. Do you want this or do you want my best? I said, God, I want your best.
The fellow came over and asked me what I thought. I told him, you're not going to understand what I'm thinking about. Yeah. But here's an illustration. A couple of months or so later, I don't know the exact time.
I was going to a meeting with this gentleman and he said, Why don't you buy your car? I said, I just, God hadn't given me any peace about buying one for some reason. And he said, What kind would you buy if you If you wanted one, I said, well, and God is my witness. I never even thought about, I said, well, I'd have one just like this. Three days later, He sent me a check to buy an automobile just like his.
Now. Let's put it this way. Here's the issue. The car He gave me that money to buy. Was way out of the category of the one I was gonna buy.
What am I saying? I'm saying this. He always has the best. And the best isn't always the most expensive, but it's the best for you. He always has the best for us.
And it is foolish for us to approach it any other way.
So listen to what he says here. He says, it's earthy. limited our knowledge. It's natural. Worldly wisdom is natural.
It's got the unholy mixed up in it. And thirdly, It's demonic. It's from the devil. that you can remember that. that we're talking about the devil that Deceived Eve is still at work, and he'll work in your life if you open the door.
Well, let me see what other folks are doing. That's not the issue. Is God, what is the wisest thing to do? And all of us have come to very difficult decisions in life. That I don't know what you ask, but that's the right question.
What is the wisest thing to do? Listen.
Sometimes the wisest thing for you to do, nobody will agree with it. But you know what, remember, all their knowledge together can't equal the wisdom of God. Listen, you can't ever go wrong. You cannot ever go wrong obeying God. Never.
Never. So just because you don't understand it. doesn't mean that it's not right. The wisdom of God, who has all wisdom, knows all things about all people. And I can just stand the rest of the afternoon telling you, giving you examples that flip to my mind about times that I've obeyed God and times I haven't.
And it all goes back to what is the wisest thing to do.
Now can you tell me a better question than that? Not ready. Because therein is Almighty God. And so what he does, he shows us here. In this passage of scripture in James, here's the difference.
Look at this. In his third chapter, he says in verse 13, Who among you is wise in understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds and his gentleness and wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy, selfish ambition in your heart. Do not be arrogant and lie against the truth.
Look at this. This is a group of people who think they're wise. This wisdom is not that which comes down from above. but it's earthly, natural, and demonic. And you and I live around people, probably at some point or other, and work around them.
That's true of them. They think They have the right answer. They leave God out of it. And in their arrogance, they tried to prove to you why they're right.
Now they may have position, and talent and skill and intellect and they may have all that. Does that make them wiser than you? No. They may be smart in many areas. But when you leave God out of your life, you're not smart at all.
That's just demonic. And that falls in the category of living your life earthy, natural, and demonic. Look at that, jealousy, self-ambition. And if you'll notice here, on down a little bit further, he says, but the wisdom that's from above is first, listen to this, pure. Look at that.
God's wisdom is pure. That means it is absolutely perfect. Do you get that? It is absolutely perfect wisdom. It's pure.
and peaceable. His wisdom will bring you peace. Gentle. There's nothing harsh about it. reasonable reasonable Listen, from God's viewpoint, Full of mercy, and good fruits unwavering without hypocrisy.
That's the wisdom of God. Listen, would you not agree that it's foolish to choose something else? Look at that passage. The wisdom from above, that's God's wisdom. Pure Peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy, good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy.
That's the kind of life I want to live. Amen?
Now, what did he say up here? Jealous is selfish ambition. disorder and every evil thing. Only two choices in life. You can choose to live wisely.
or you can choose to live unwisely. And may I say this? Ivora made that choice. Wherever you are, Are you walking in the pathway of the wise or are you walking in the pathway of the unwise? Change paths.
if you're walking unwisely. Listen, you're not smart enough. You may think you are, but you're not. You're not smart enough to outsmart God. You're not intellectual enough to know more than God.
You don't know your future, God does. You don't know the future of those that you influence, but God does. Apart from Almighty God, through the saving person of Jesus Christ. Who forgives us of our sin, cleanses of our sin, writes our name in the Lamb's Book of Life. has a will for us.
And lives presently within us through His Holy Spirit, He will give us wisdom in every single decision we make in life. There is no other way to live.
Now if I were 30 years of age, you could say, what do you know about it? I'll be able to tell you that when I'm 100. You know why? because it doesn't change. That's who God is.
You can trust him. He's not going to change on you about anything. You have two choices, live out your life. Wisely. living obediently before Him.
Living in wisdom. Or you can live foolishly. Convince a lot of people. Do a lot of things, go a lot of places, have a lot of stuff. Then you're gonna die.
And my friend, When the last seconds of your life come, You're gonna wish. You had listened. The most tragic thing you can do. is die without Christ. You know why?
because the consequences are eternal. May not have a lot of stuff. May not have any degrees behind your name. Without having any notoriety, most people never know your name's not in the newspaper, TV, and all that stuff. But you live for God.
You've walked obediently before him. You see, God's values are not the same as man's. what he thinks. It is absolutely awesome. It's not what the world thinks.
So make up your mind. You can live wisely. Are you going to live foolishly? You'll be wise. if you choose Christ and His way of life.
And that's my prayer for you. Father, how grateful we are that you made it simple. And knowing that you loved us enough to send Jesus to die for us and pay our sin debt in full. You must have an awesome love for us. And so we want to be obedient to you.
Because we're the ones who end up. profiting from that. in so many ways. And I pray that every person who listens to this message Well fake. Think honestly.
and realize that they've only heard the truth. It is appointed unto men once to die, and after this the judgment. No. But all sin can be forgiven. By asking and believing and trusting.
We love you, dear Father. We thank you for the awesome gift of your grace toward all of us in Jesus' name. Amen. Thank you for listening to Part 2 of Living Wisely or Foolishly. If you'd like to know more about Charles Stanley or InTouch Ministries, stop by intouch.org.
This podcast is a presentation of In Touch Ministries, Atlanta, Georgia.
