Daily Bible Verses for 4/4/2017
Daily Verse(s)
With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so. Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening? Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh.
Reading Notes
Mankind is the only member of God’s creation which God has made in His image! Therefore, we are special in the eyes of the Lord. And therefore how can a child of God, who has placed their faith in Christ Jesus our Lord, curse those who were made in God’s image? And at the same time and with the same tongue praise God as if our previous transgression of cursing had not taken place? This is what James is referring to in these passages. James is confirming for us that it’s no small thing in the sight of God for believers to curse others. James does this by using illustrations from nature and asking rhetorical questions. Questions of which, the correct answer is obvious. James does this to show us the hypocrisy in our actions. To show us the contradictory nature of our actions when we sin against God with the words that we speak. Moreover, what we should remember is that when Christians behave this way we hinder the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. In addition, we negatively affect our spiritual growth.
For example, James asks can a spring bring forth both good water, and bad? Can a spring yield both freshwater and saltwater? Of course the answer is no. Then He asks can a fruit tree of one kind produce fruit of another kind? And again we are forced to answer no. Which now brings up the obvious question. Then how could Christians following the guidance of the Holy Spirit curse others? The obvious answer is they cannot. And when a Christian does so they are being double-minded as James pointed out previously. In other words, Christians who do this are no longer following the Holy Spirit, but rather they are trying to live as one with the world. A world which is passing away. They are trying to live with one foot in the world and another foot in God’s kingdom and that’s not possible. And it naturally calls into question the genuineness of their faith. And the only cure for double-mindedness is to turn our hearts and our lives completely over to the Lord. And He will give us a new heart sensitive to the will of God. And when we do this God will replace the source of our speech. We will no longer draw from a world at enmity against God. Instead, we will draw from the divine source itself. Which is the indwelling Holy Spirit along with the word of God.