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Read Introduction to James

 

“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.”

 

willing to yield,

The only time the New Testament uses the Greek word “willing to yield” is here. This Greek word is made up of two Greek words: good, easily, and to prevail upon, persuaded. The idea of “willing to yield” is compliant. A “willing to yield” believer will easily obey. He allows himself to be persuaded; he is approachable. He is open to reason and willing to listen to others without acrimony. 

PRINCIPLE: 

Divine viewpoint understands the importance of pliability and the capacity to be persuaded. 

APPLICATION: 

The person “willing to yield” is open to reason, and persuasion is not a stubborn person. The person with divine viewpoint does not stand on his rights but forgoes those rights for others. He does not hold a grudge. 

Divine wisdom does not yield because of necessity but by conviction. He responds because he believes it is the right thing to do; he has been persuaded to do it. 

A compliant believer is not someone without a backbone but someone with whom others can reason. That is a weak willingness to yield. On the other hand, he willingly yields to God’s Word and accepts His counsel. He freely makes allowances for others. He is lenient toward their violations of him. This person is not rigid and exacting. He is not implacable. 

Mt 5:3, “Blessed are the poor in spirit,

For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

Christians are not perfect and require a process to come to conclusions about an issue. There are the absolutes of the Word of God, but there are the non-absolutes of man. In the latter, we open ourselves to persuasion. 

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