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Sowing Peace
James 3:18=4:12
Last week we ended with James statement:
a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. (James 3:18)
James is talking about life within a community. Sowing peace is a powerful thing and is a product of saving faith. As we continue our series in James looking at the characteristics of saving faith, this would be the one we see in this passage. Saving faith sows peace in the community, specifically the church community.
Jesus had much to say about this. For example,
By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:35)
Here he describes a single attribute, love, that will identify the church apart from the world. The church living out saving faith stands apart as a community. The peace that permeates it proves a genuine love between the members.
When I say community, I’m talking about more than a loosely connected group. I’m talking about a group that has learned to share each other’s burdens and joys, share their assets when needed, gently correct and quickly forgive. This is the kind of community the apostolic writers directed for the church. This is the environment in which we mature into Christlikeness. Apart from this community, in fact, we cannot expect to grow as God intended. As Paul puts it in Ephesians 4:15-16
speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.
This level of community is assumed by James. So the first thing we must encourage is to be involved in the church to this degree, which can’t happen with a casual connection. If you’re only time to interact with others is Sunday morning where you might have 5 minutes before or after worship, it is extremely unlikely. Which is why we cultivate small groups, whether Bible studies, men’s prayer, TWC, etc. So involvement is assumed. Without involvement, conflicts won’t happen, that’s the good news, but niether will any of the development. We know James community was involved with each other because there were conflicts. That’s the positive aspect of James’ rebuke.
What happens in a community when peace is not sown? When saving faith is not at work? This is what James launches into with this passage out of chapter 4.
When peace is not sown, there is conflict. James describes this in verse 1 as quarrels and fights. These are similar words, but have different scopes. “Quarrels” has to do with large scale conflict — ongoing hostilities, factions, parties forming in the church. “fights” has to do with smaller disputes — arguments, personal quarrels, tensions between individuals. And sadly, these were happening in the early church. Otherwise James would not be addressing it.
The good news for us is that James shows us the path out of it. To get there, we must understand the cause of conflict, the catalyst of conflict, and the cure for conflict.
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By James 3:18=4:12
Last week we ended with James statement:
a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. (James 3:18)
James is talking about life within a community. Sowing peace is a powerful thing and is a product of saving faith. As we continue our series in James looking at the characteristics of saving faith, this would be the one we see in this passage. Saving faith sows peace in the community, specifically the church community.
Jesus had much to say about this. For example,
By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:35)
Here he describes a single attribute, love, that will identify the church apart from the world. The church living out saving faith stands apart as a community. The peace that permeates it proves a genuine love between the members.
When I say community, I’m talking about more than a loosely connected group. I’m talking about a group that has learned to share each other’s burdens and joys, share their assets when needed, gently correct and quickly forgive. This is the kind of community the apostolic writers directed for the church. This is the environment in which we mature into Christlikeness. Apart from this community, in fact, we cannot expect to grow as God intended. As Paul puts it in Ephesians 4:15-16
speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.
This level of community is assumed by James. So the first thing we must encourage is to be involved in the church to this degree, which can’t happen with a casual connection. If you’re only time to interact with others is Sunday morning where you might have 5 minutes before or after worship, it is extremely unlikely. Which is why we cultivate small groups, whether Bible studies, men’s prayer, TWC, etc. So involvement is assumed. Without involvement, conflicts won’t happen, that’s the good news, but niether will any of the development. We know James community was involved with each other because there were conflicts. That’s the positive aspect of James’ rebuke.
What happens in a community when peace is not sown? When saving faith is not at work? This is what James launches into with this passage out of chapter 4.
When peace is not sown, there is conflict. James describes this in verse 1 as quarrels and fights. These are similar words, but have different scopes. “Quarrels” has to do with large scale conflict — ongoing hostilities, factions, parties forming in the church. “fights” has to do with smaller disputes — arguments, personal quarrels, tensions between individuals. And sadly, these were happening in the early church. Otherwise James would not be addressing it.
The good news for us is that James shows us the path out of it. To get there, we must understand the cause of conflict, the catalyst of conflict, and the cure for conflict.