Devotionals by Raul Ries
SATURDAY July 25, 2026
Wisdom That Is From Above
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
James made a good distinction between earthly, demonic wisdom and godly wisdom which is from above––God-given wisdom. It is first pure, meaning “pure from every fault or immaculate.” It is also peaceable, which means “pacific––loving peace.” Godly wisdom activated in a Christian’s life will produce peace. Those who are not peacemakers will cause division.
Another description of wisdom that is from above is that it is gentle. What does gentle mean in context of these verses? The word gentle means “equitable, fair, and mild.” James continued to list other attributes stemming from godly wisdom, such as willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits. If you are a person willing to yield, then you are easy to get along with, obedient and compliant.
What does it mean to be full of mercy? James is communicating that Christians filled with wisdom are full of mercy and show kindness or good will toward the afflicted who are in such misery. There is a desire to relieve them of their suffering. What are good fruits? All the things James mentioned bear seeds of righteousness that result in fruitfulness in our works of Christian charity.
In the fruit of the Spirit, how many similar evidences of wisdom do you see? But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). As we abide in Christ, these things will naturally grow in our lives. We will be genuine Christians––without any hypocrisy or showing partiality to anyone.
“The fruit of righteousness" refers to what is produced in you as you operate in love, pursue excellence, and maintain your integrity. It includes every attitude and action consistent with God's standard of what is right.
~John MacArthur~
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About Raul Ries
Raul Ries is the Senior Pastor of Calvary Chapel Golden Springs and President of Somebody Loves You Ministries. After his miraculous conversion in 1971, Raul began to read and study the Bible extensively even though he had a limited education. In 1974 he began a home Bible study with seven other committed individuals. Soon, he started to preach and counsel youth during the noon hour at his former high school, Baldwin Park High. Calvary Chapel West Covina grew out of Raul's home fellowship, as well as his Kung-Fu studio, and was soon meeting weekly at an old converted Safeway store. In 1993, the congregation moved to Diamond Bar and occupied a 101,000 square-foot corporate building on 28 acres. Calvary Chapel Golden Springs (as it is now called) draws between 10,000 - 12,000 in attendance weekly.
Author of several books, including Fury to Freedom (the story of his early life and dramatic conversion), Raul Ries has also produced three films: Fury to Freedom (feature film dramatization of the book); A Quiet Hope (a riveting and stirring documentary detailing seven soldier's accounts of the Vietnam War and its aftermath); and A Venture in Faith (a documentary of the history of the Calvary Chapel movement).
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