Purity>Peace>Righteousness - James 3

Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness. James 3:18

After reading the first 3 chapter of James, it has become pretty clear to me that James is passionate about righteousness. And the way I understand James is that peace follows purity, actually depends on it…and James wants peace for the church because peace is the context in which righteousness can flourish.
In my own life this has been the case as well. When my thought life goes south, or my actions or motives are less than pure…..any attempts at righteousness are contrived and put on. I’ve been faking it!
As you guys know, I taught on Worthless Religion a couple of weeks ago….and one of the saddest things is seeing a mom or dad, reaping the harvest in their kids….of a Worthless Religion.
I think most of our kids are still pretty young….but they are watching and they are smart. They know if your deed matches your creed….or if you are merely going through the motions.
This plays our in tons of ways…and what I am seeing now is that kids don’t want to come to church, kids don’t respect their parents or any adult figure. They are looking to fill the place in them that God is suppose to occupy with drugs, sex, porn, materialism, status.
I was talking last night with our Student Minister, Brandon Gregory….and as parents, we have such a great influence over our kids before high school…and if we’ve done a good job….we keep that influence. One the other side of the coin is those kids who begin to count down the day til their 18th birthday to give you the finger and get out of the house.

The wicked earns deceptive wages, But he who sows righteousness gets a true reward. Proverbs 11:18

And the work of righteousness will be peace, And the service of righteousness, quietness and confidence forever. Isaiah 32:17

My prayer is that all of us have homes where purity is taught, practiced and encouraged…so that we have peaceful homes where righteousness is the norm.