“Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior 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, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.” (James 3:13-18 NASB1995)
Before I even knew what the passage of Scripture was going to be for today, the Lord put in my mind the lyrics to “The Music of The Night” from “Phantom of the Opera.” The song is sung by the Phantom. He is attempting to lure a female to his lair, and he attempts to seduce her with his dark world. For he tells her to close her eyes and to surrender to her darkest dreams and to purge her thoughts of the life she knew before. He tells her to let her fantasies unwind and to let her soul take her where she longs to be, and to let her darker side give in. Sounds like how the devil lures people.
But it is not just the devil who does this, but it is many of the people who are under the devil’s influence who also do this. For they are the malicious, the morally unclean, deceivers, manipulators, opportunists, egocentrics, liars, and the untrustworthy, some of whom fake their Christianity in order to lure people to their lairs (to their place of living) in order to convince them that as Christians they can, without punishment or condemnation, surrender to their darkest dreams, to let their fantasies unwind, and to let their darker side give in to the power of the message that the liars are singing.
And that fits perfectly with what this passage of Scripture is teaching us against. For it is teaching us against having bitter jealousy and selfish ambition and arrogance, resulting in lies spoken against the truth, and culminating in disorder and every evil thing. It is warning us against “wisdom” that is earthly, natural, and demonic, like the “wisdom” being spoken by the Phantom to try to lure the female to let her darker side give in, to let her fantasies unwind, and to surrender to her darkest dreams. And definitely such “wisdom” as this comes from the devil, who is against God.
And many of these “Phantoms” today are disguising themselves as servants of the Lord who are giving out his message of salvation, but their message is not the one taught by Jesus and by his New Testament apostles. For they give people the impression that a profession of faith in Jesus is enough to secure them forgiveness of all sins, and heaven as their eternal destiny, but without letting them know that biblical faith in Jesus requires that we die to sin and that we obey God, in practice. And some even encourage them that they can continue living in sin, only now without feeling guilty for sinning.
Thus, all sorts of evil is now being committed by some professing the name of Jesus, out of a belief that God does not require that they stop sinning and that they obey his commands. Many professing Christians are addicted to sexual sin and adultery and idolatry while they are convinced that they can just “claim who you are in Christ” to ease the guilt. So many are being taught that their addictive sinful behaviors will not keep them out of God’s heaven. And many are being lured into giving in to their fantasies and to surrendering to their darkest dreams, all in the name of “God’s grace.”
So, please know that God’s grace is not free license to continue in deliberate and habitual sin against God. God’s grace, which is bringing us salvation, is training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives while we wait for our Lord’s return. And Jesus taught if we want to come after him that we must deny self, die to sin daily, and walk (in conduct) in obedience to his commands. For if we hold on to our sin, and if we do not obey God, we will not inherit eternal life with God. So do not listen to the liars. Listen to what God’s word teaches us.
[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 1:12-13; John 6:44; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 1:18-32; Romans 2:5-10; Romans 3:23; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; Hebrews 10:23-31; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:1-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10]
Living Water
An Original Work / November 21, 2013
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
Based off Various Scriptures
My people have forsaken Me,
Their Savior, who died on a tree;
Made idols, and they worshipped them;
So empty, they will ne’er fulfill.
Lord, You are the hope of Your chosen ones.
Those who turn away from You will be shamed;
The Spring of Living Water left behind.
Living Water satisfies.
The thirsty, let them come and drink;
Believe in Jesus as their King;
The gift of Jesus given them,
So they will never thirst again.
Indeed, the Living Water flows within.
It springs up like a fountain cleansing sin.
Eternal life in heaven promised them.
Living Water glorifies.
Oh people, won’t you come to Him?
Obey Him and repent of sin.
Let Jesus come and live within.
Surrender all your life to Him.
My people, won’t you turn your hearts to Me?
Forsake your idols and then you’ll be free.
Won’t you come now to Me on bended knee?
Living Water sanctifies.
Where Jealousy and Selfish Ambition Exist
An Original Work / September 16, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
