The evidence that God exists is all around us. Even though God is invisible, what He has created in the physical word shows His eternal power so strongly that there is no excuse for those who deny His existence (Rom. 1:20). However, man has been given the freedom to choose to know God or to reject Him. Man can deceive himself into believing foolishness if the world deems it wise (Rom. 1:22; 1 Cor. 3:18).

Genesis 1:27 states, “So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” The Genesis record also declares that there are kinds of the living things that were here from the beginning—grass kind, whale kind, cat kind, dog kind, horse kind, etc. (Gen. 1:11, 12, 21, 24, 25). However, the theory that has been in vogue for the last century and half proposes that all living things came from one common ancestor and have developed over a very long period of time by minute changes. Instead of purposeful design by God, the world around us is thought to be the product of random occurrences. The wisdom of the world has rejected God as the Creator. One century after the publication of Darwin’s Origin of Species,[1] George Gaylord Simpson stated, “Man is the result of a purposeless and materialistic process that did not have him in mind.”[2] Even today people in general are more likely to believe a scientist who makes an outlandish claim over that of a spiritual leader.[3] The General Theory of Evolution has insurmountable problems, yet it still remains the respectable view in the eyes of the masses.

Think of pioneers of this godless theory who made inroads in the educational arena which then trickled into popular thinking. They caused so many to reject God; where are they now? Though they are not on earth, they have not ceased to exist. Unlike the animals—from which they proposed we descended—humans have eternal souls which stand before God in judgment (Ecc. 12:7; James 2:26; 2 Cor. 5:10; Heb 9:27; Rev. 20:12). Like the rich man of Luke 16, they have a very different view of God now that they have died; like him, their realization of their responsibility to God and their fellow man has come too late for their salvation.

Ungodly people who have lived before our time serve as an example for us today to avoid the path that leads to the punishment they are presently undergoing (Jude 7). Instead, of teaching people to reject God and His standards, may our lives be devoted to promoting healthy teaching of the gospel which is able to save man’s eternal soul (Rom. 1:16; James 1:21). What we teach will affect our salvation and the salvation of those who hear us (1 Tim. 4:16).

[1] The full title of Darwin’s work published in 1859 is On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life

[2] George Gaylord Simpson, The Meaning of Evolution (New York: Mentor, 1959), p. 19.

[3]  “Credibility Score: People Put Their Trust in Scientists” (2022), Nature cited in “Should ‘Science’ Trump Scripture?” by Jeff Miller (Apologetics Press) < https://apologeticspress.org/should-science-trump-scripture/>

All Christians should seek to make wisdom an attribute of their lives. God will help us to be wise if we seek Him and ask Him (James 1:5). Wisdom is not a vast vocabulary, a degree from a prestigious school, or the ability to quote hundreds of verses. James shows us that wisdom can be seen practically in one’s daily conduct by asking, “Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom” (James 3:13). Just as James earlier challenges one’s faith to be evidenced by works (James 2:18), so here the challenge is wisdom evidenced by conduct.

While worldly wisdom puffs one up in pride (1 Cor. 1:20-31), receiving heavenly wisdom requires meekness (James 1:21). The good works that a wise Christian does are not done before men to be seen by them (Matt. 6:1-4), but rather are done in the meekness of wisdom which respects God. The wise man understands his proper position under God and does not seek the glory that belongs to the divine. Wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord (Prov. 1:7).

In contrast to heavenly wisdom is the description of selfish ambition described in the next two verses: “But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic” (James 3:14, 15). We must remember it is the Lord who gives wisdom (Prov. 2:6). Paul asked the puffed-up Corinthians, “For who makes you differ from another? And what do you have that you did not receive? Now if you did indeed receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?” (1 Cor. 4:7). To seek greater glory for oneself is to not be content with the place God has assigned. This follows the path of the angels who sinned and are reserved in everlasting chains under darkness (Jude 6). Selfish ambition is devilish. To be envious of another’s place or success has led to all sorts of sins throughout history. The first murder occurred because Cain despised the fact that his brother’s works were righteous while his own were evil (1 Jn. 3:12). That the chief priests delivered Jesus to be crucified because of envy was so obvious that even Pilate could see it (Mt. 27:18; Mk. 15:10).

 “Thus says the LORD: ‘Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, Let not the mighty man glory in his might, Nor let the rich man glory in his riches; But let him who glories glory in this, That he understands and knows Me, That I am the LORD, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight,’ says the LORD.” (Jer. 9:23, 24). Heavenly wisdom produces the greatest quality of life. Consider the fruit of the Spirit and those you have known whose lives prove they have been thoroughly influenced by God’s instruction (Gal. 5:22, 23). In contrast to the strife that comes from people with mixed motives and hidden personal agendas, the wisdom from heaven results in purity of heart and peace among the people of God. “But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace” (James 3:17, 18). Does your conduct show you are wise in the way God has set forth in James 3:13-18?