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You’ve probably already figured it out, but the world just never gets it right when it comes to true wisdom. With no regard for God and His truth, they come up with the foolishness of millions of years of evolution for how we got here. They fail to recognize man as made in God’s image but fallen in sin and in need of redemption and regeneration, so they come up with all kinds of psychological theories about why we are the way we are. Rejecting the idea of real guilt and need of repentance, they come up with self-help methods and techniques that don’t deal with the heart before God. You have to have a new heart with the Spirit of God using the Word of God in your thinking to have true godly wisdom. And that’s where James takes us now in verses 17-18 as he speaks of the wisdom from above, the wisdom that comes down from God Himself, the wisdom that only believers in Jesus Christ are privy to. The wisest people aren’t the people with the highest Intelligence Quotient or the savvy to make the best financial investments or do brain surgery, although we do appreciate these people. The wisest people are moms and dads, men and women, oldsters and youngsters who are diligently applying God’s Word into their lives and ministering with that Word in the lives of others. Jesus Himself grew in wisdom, beginning as a young child and continuing in his teen years.
Luke 2:40, The Child continued to grow and become strong, increasing in wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.
Luke 2:52, And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.
THE CLASH OF WISDOMS
How does God’s wisdom differ from worldly wisdom in practice? James shows us the effect and the results of this world’s wisdom in vs. 16 – bitter jealousy and selfish ambition. And the rotten fruit of this kind of godless wisdom is disorder and every evil thing – moral and spiritual chaos. People have a hard time getting along with one another. Fighting and strife and turmoil stir below the surface and eventually they erupt and explode out like a leaking gas line. Every war is the result of bitter jealousy and selfish ambition. Every broken relationship is the result of this. And it can get very ugly. When did all this godless wisdom begin?
I recently listened to the “Just Thinking” podcast on Evangelical Deconstructionism (questioning everything you thought you believed). The speakers pointed out from Genesis 3 that Satan was the first “deconstructionist” when he cast doubt on and then denied God’s truth to Eve. In verse one he questioned Eve, “Indeed, did God actually say you could not eat of any tree?” Then he flat out denied God’s words and said, “You surely will not die.” Eve looked at that fruit. It looked tasty, delightful, and desirable to make one wise (v. 6)! Wise without obedience? Impossible! Ever since Eve’s choice, the world has pursued its own earthly, natural, demonic wisdom. We are in a war with that which attacks God’s truth with doubt and denial and seeks to blast godly wisdom right out of our hearts.
Now let’s lay out the two kinds of wisdom to see clearly how these wisdoms clash.
The world’s wisdom: Make up your own mind about what is right and wrong.
Godly wisdom: You were created to need God’s counsel for living in God’s world.
The world’s wisdom: You’re here to enjoy yourself and get as much personal satisfaction as possible, even at the expense of other people, a marriage, or a family.
Godly wisdom: The chief end of man is to know, please, and glorify God and enjoy Him forever.
The world’s wisdom: You need to love yourself and meet your own needs first.
Godly wisdom: You need to deny yourself and help meet the needs of others.
The world’s wisdom: You should follow your feelings, your heart, be your own person.
Godly wisdom: Be truth oriented, even if it isn’t easy.
The world’s wisdom: This life, this body is most important – take care of yourself.
Godly wisdom: Prepare now for eternity and watch over your heart with all diligence. A truly wise person thinks about his accountability to God, about the brevity of life, about eternity ahead.
This clash of wisdoms is seen in the Psalms and Proverbs. The fool has said in his heart there is no God (Ps. 14:1). The wise man lives in the fear of the Lord (Pr. 14:16). The Psalm 1 man refuses to walk in the way of worldly wisdom. He refuses to walk, stand, or sit in the seat of foolish, godless people, but rather he delights in God’s Word and applies it to his heart! In Psalm 2 the worldly wise people say, “Let us tear off God’s standards and law. God has no right to tell us how we should live. We’ll live for ourselves. We don’t need or want a God or a Savior. Our humanism, progressivism, materialism, secularism, Marxism, genderism is all we need. We don’t want this man to rule over us!” But God laughs at these men and women who think they are little gods with their godless philosophies and corrupt ways. In verse 12 God counsels, “Kiss the Son, lest He become angry and you perish in the way!” This is God’s wisdom that has the final say and conquers all worldly wisdom.
THE CHARACTER OF GODLY WISDOM– vs. 17
James 3:1, But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy.
First, we see the source of this wisdom – it is from above. It isn’t your own wisdom or mere human wisdom; it comes from God Himself through Jesus Christ alone. God’s kind of wisdom is always God-focused, God-centered, God-glorifying, Bible-directed, and Christ-honoring first and foremost. And it only comes to you through Christ. You won’t find it anywhere else. It is God’s truth, reality, and revelation from God. Wisdom doesn’t come from the corrupted heart of the smartest of men in this world; it comes from God.
Now James lays out eight beautiful qualities that don’t grow in the hearts of lost people. You must have the life of God in your heart to grow truly wise fruit. Christ alone gives what we need to turn us from being fools and people full of bitter jealousy and selfish ambition, into people who make God’s wisdom the treasure and pursuit of our lives. Picture these qualities as eight exquisite jewels hanging from a beautiful necklace.
PURE – Godly wisdom is first of all pure. This jewel is first, before the rest. Before going further, know that God’s wisdom is pure or undivided. When an Israelite brought a sacrifice to the temple, it had to be without spot or defect. Purity means an undivided heart in devotion to God. Daniel was completely devoted to his Lord. If you don’t start with purity, you don’t have God’s kind of wisdom. It is the opposite of the double-minded man of James 1 who sits on the fence or has his feet straddling two canoes. Purity is a single-minded firm devotion to Jesus Christ. That’s the essence of purity. You may be fighting a battle against worldliness in your heart. You may be warring against sinful lusts and selfishness, but you are committed to Jesus Christ and are living for His glory. 1 John 3:3 says, “He who has this hope in him purifies himself even as He, Christ, is pure.”
Wisdom always comes down on God’s side. Godly wisdom will love and be concerned for people who are walking against God’s truth, but it will never affirm defiance of God’s standards. One conservative pundit hit the news the last couple weeks about how he and his homosexual partner are arranging to use females to provide them with two babies. Godly wisdom simply cannot affirm or congratulate this kind of behavior. Godly wisdom always comes down on God’s side. We pray for people in rebellion against God’s ways, but we don’t ally with them. Godly wisdom is first of all, and most importantly, pure. In Matthew 5:7 Christ taught, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” Sin clouds your vision of seeing God working in your life.
The wisdom from above is first pure. Immediately James is signaling that we need a Savior who is pure, because we’re not. But as believers, James expects us to be growing in the purity of godly wisdom, a single-minded devotion to Christ and His Word.
PEACEABLE –The man or woman who is developing godly wisdom works hard to be a peaceable person, a person who isn’t demanding, controlling, doesn’t take offences personally, who is quick to be reconciled and isn’t out just to win an argument. Remember in 1 Samuel 25 when David in his wrath put on his sword and took 400 men to take vengeance on Nabal, the fool? Nabal had treated his men badly. But a wise and peaceable Abigail came out to meet David with words of wisdom and defused his anger. Grace pacifies an angry temper, even when others treat you badly. One pastor reminds us, “God is going to let people treat you badly to help you grow.”
GENTLE – You don’t retaliate or argue and insist you’re right. You can afford to be gentle because you know the truth. You don’t need to get all pushy and angry when people disagree with you or cross you. You know in whom you believe, and are persuaded He is able. If you just saw a deer run across the road, you don’t need to argue with someone who denies it. You know what you saw. If you know the tomb is empty, that Nineveh really was destroyed, the flood marred the surface of the planet, and God created male and female, you don’t need to get all huffy and pushy and harsh with people. Being pushy and harsh is not godly wisdom. Christ walked through men’s plots to kill him. They cursed and mocked and spit on Him, yet He was gentle beyond imagination, enduring injury without retaliating and without resentment. “Father, forgive them,” He prayed, “They don’t know what they’re doing.”
Every father needs a good measure of this kind of gentle wisdom. Kids can push your buttons, aye? My all-time favorite professor, Dr. Edward Panosian, grew up in Armenia in Western Asia. He tells about a time at age six or seven when he stole coins from his mother purse to buy candy on the way to school. She found out and scolded him, assuring him father would hear about it. Edward dreaded the coming judgment. One evening everyone was out of the house except father and young Edward. Father told Edward to get a stick of wood from the basement. Not knowing what his father had in mind, he got the stick and followed his father up the stairs to a bedroom. Then Edward understood this was punishment time. However, instead of lashing poor Edward in anger, he did something else. Dr. Panosian tells this story with tears. Father got on his knees by the bed and ordered Edward to hit him with the stick as hard as he could, “again, again, harder.” After a time, Father said, “Sit here, my son. What you just did to me didn’t hurt me nearly as much as how you hurt me when I heard what you had done.” Father looked into his son’s eyes and said, “Don’t ever steal again.” Sometimes the biggest lessons come from the gentleness of wisdom on a parent’s part. Now kids, it doesn’t always happen this way, so don’t expect this from your dad.
REASONABLE – Peter was willing to change his mind when Paul confronted him in Galatians. Being reasonable means you are willing to listen to opposing opinions and if you see that you’ve been wrong, you’re ready to change your mind. Godly wisdom is not pig-headed and stubborn.
FULL OF MERCY – Joseph was ready to grant mercy to his brothers even though he could have strung them all up for betraying him. Remember the servant who was forgiven much and then went out and strangled the guy who just owed him a couple of bucks. The Samaritan was merciful when he felt compassion on that poor fellow all beat up along the road. What about Jacob’s two sons Simeon and Levi, cold blooded murderers who schemed against the Shechemites and slew them all because of Dinah? That’s us when we refuse to extend forgiveness, when we hold grudges. That’s us walking in the burnt out landscape of godless, worldly wisdom.
And I want you to notice that James says “full” of mercy, not just mercy, but lots of it. It is so easy to be stingy with mercy. But when godly wisdom rules your heart, you remember how Christ flooded you with His mercy. He was rich in mercy to you and continues to pour out mercy on you. Godly wisdom always practices mercy to people who don’t deserve it any more than you do. Are you quick to forgive those who offend you…your spouse, a fellow Christian, a co-worker? I recently heard R.C. Sproul tell about offending a lady in his church. He asked for forgiveness, but she carried an unforgiving spirit for years, even onto the mission field. God Himself is “ready to forgive.”
Psalms 86:5, For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, And abundant in loving-kindness to all who call upon You.
FULL OF GOOD FRUITS –Proverbs 11:11, “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise.” You are a tree of wisdom and you are producing, not just a little, not just some, but your life is full of refreshing, encouraging, helpful fruit for others. You feed others not with rotten fruit of anger and irritations, but with good fruit that refreshes and encourages.
IMPARTIAL –Godly wisdom doesn’t make judgments based on human differences. “We don’t want to step on his toes. He’s a big giver.” You are either a Christian or you aren’t. That’s the only difference. Godly wisdom does not show partiality. Telling a son, “God has given you a good mind. You can do better than that,” is better than, “Your brother was doing so much better when he was your age.”
SINCERE – Unhypocritical. A hypocrite was an actor speaking behind a mask. Don’t put on a Christian show for other people. Ask God to make you genuine, not saying nice things to their face and then slandering them behind their back. Angry, jealous, selfish people easily learn to fake it, wear that pasted on grin that skulls wear. Romans 12:9 urges us, “Let love be without hypocrisy.” Be real. Remember, hypocrisy was the leading sin of the Pharisees.
THE CALL OF GOD’S WISDOM –
James 3:18, And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
This is God’s call. Be a peacemaker, do all you can without compromising the purity of truth to bring shalom, bring peace into your relationships. Romans 12:18 has the official word on this: “As much as possible, so much as it depends on you, live at peace with all men.”
SO WHAT?
These eight character qualities truly reflect Christlikeness. Aim for these. Review them often. Dads, moms, kids, believers of all sorts – are your motives pure, seeking first God’s kingdom rather than playing games with sin and the world in your heart? Do you pursue peace, or argue about the slightest thing that comes up. Are you gentle with others, with your family, and especially with people who oppose or contradict or criticize you? Are you reasonable, or bull-headed? Are you willing to change your mind when you see you’ve been wrong, or are you too proud to change? Are you full of mercy toward others, quick to forgive and quick to seek forgiveness when you’ve offended someone. Do the days of your life reveal good fruits, bringing blessing to others? Are you involved in sharing the gospel or at least pointing people to Christ? Are you free of partiality, or do you only hang with your own kind? And are you real? Are you the same at home, at church, at work, in your leisure times, or do you compromise your standards and morals, depending on whom you are with. Are you a Christian chameleon, or do you maintain the color of truth even in tough situations?
And then, do you sow the seed of God’s truth into other people’s lives that sooner or later may take root and produce righteousness? This is the only kind of life worth living. And it is guaranteed that by the grace of God you can live that kind of life no matter where you spend your days…in an office, in a home, in a factory, on a line, on the road, in a store, on the phone, regardless. But this wisdom is only available through Christ and His Word. He came as God’s wisdom, dying in our place to deliver us from our sinful foolishness and to transform us into wise, godly people living by His grace and for His glory alone.