How do we decide what’s good and bad? The natural way is to use our own knowledge and experience, or trust someone else’s. We decide, like Adam and Eve in Genesis 3. This is the original sin, yet we accept it as normal.

I picture this like a horizontal line, with good and bad at either end. We spend a lot of energy thinking inside one dimension. But the vertical line is the one that matters: what did God say, and what did the snake say? What’s from above and what’s from below?

For example, is wisdom good or bad? James (chapter 5) answers the question entirely based on where the wisdom comes from:

¹⁵ Such wisdom does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. ¹⁶ For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.

¹⁷ But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.