Obtaining Wisdom From Above

Imparting Wisdom

James 3:13-18

Online Sermon: http://www.mckeesfamily.com/?page_id=3567

Imagine what it must have been like to become the successor to the throne of King David! How could Solomon ever “fill the shoes” of one who subdued Israel’s enemies (1 Samuel 18:7) and was known as a “man after God’s own heart” (1 Samuel 13:14)? While making an alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt by marrying his daughter, finishing his palace, the temple of the Lord and the wall around Jerusalem (1 Kings 3:1) seemed like a good start to his reign; Solomon was still concerned that being “but a little child” he was ill equipped to carry out his duties of ruling such a great nation (3:7-8)! One night at Gideon “the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream and God said, ask for whatever you want from Me to give you” (3:5). If a sovereign God offered, you a “blank cheque” what kind of payment would you request? Solomon could have asked for physical strength like his father to sleigh the Goliaths threatening Israel or wealth beyond imagination to “purchase” what his eyes might see or heart desire but instead he humbly asked the Lord to give him “a discerning heart to govern Your people and to distinguish right from wrong” (3:9). Even at a tender age Solomon knew that to show his love for the Lord and walk according to the instructions given by his father David would mean not just knowing but living and making kingdom decisions based on God’s righteous decrees! For Solomon Godly wisdom was on infinite value to one who wanted to please the Lord and govern rightly!

Two Kinds of Wisdom

The following sermon is going to focus on two kinds of wisdom as found in James 3:13-18. Let’s take a quick review of the historical circumstances surrounding this passage. Like the church of Corinth, there were rival teachers in James’ church who believed their superior wisdom entitled them to have his leadership position! In response James stated they were false teachers for any wisdom marked by tongues like fire and a lifestyle of envy and selfish ambition is at “odds with the law of love and therefore is worldly in nature! While everyone ought to learn and put into practice the truth concerning God5 to do so with the attitude of showing off one’s supposed spiritual superiority through rivalry and political campaigning does not prove one is wise but merely that one is full of pride and breaking Christ’s command to not seek positions of power an authority. James reminded these false teachers that Godly wisdom comes from heaven, is “marked by humility, results in good deeds,” (3:13) and above all is “pure, peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere” (3:17). While James is specifically speaking to the false teachers in his church his teaching on earthly and heavenly wisdom applies to all believers! What fuels a person to learn more about the truth concerning God and how one puts His righteous decrees into practice are the fruits by which one can discern what kind of wisdom one has obtained, earthly or heavenly!

Who is Wise?

James begins by asking “who is wise and has understanding among you” (3:13)? To even attempt to answer such a provocative question one must first define what Godly wisdom truly is! If one were to picture oneself “as a car and one’s life as a road” then wisdom is knowing how to negotiate the twists and turns of life in a manner that “applies God’s word to the practical issues of life.” The Jews understood that wisdom was more than a philosophical esoteric word game” it comprised of three crucial levels to be from heaven and not earthly. First, since our ways and thoughts are not God’s ways and thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9), the backbone of heavenly wisdom lies in knowing the absolute truth as contained in His holy word. Second, with the aid of the Spirit of Truth (John 16:13) Godly wisdom is acquiring understanding on how to negotiate the twists and turns of life in accordance with the commands one has read in His word. And lastly Godly wisdom takes knowledge and understanding of His word and puts it into practice! To accomplish these three levels, one must learn to fear the Lord (Proverbs 9:10) for until one completely puts God in charge of the “wheel” of one’s life the “old self” and all its evil desires will “win out” (Romans 7; James 1:14) and one’s presumed “wisdom” will only “seem right but in the end lead to destruction” (Proverbs 14:12). To obtain heavenly wisdom one cannot be motivated by self-proclaimed spiritual superiority but instead in seeing other Christians as better than oneself (Philippians 2:3) being teachable and seeking council from other believers (Proverbs 11:14). And the most important thing for wisdom to be Godly is through fasting, and prayer seeking the will of God the Father in heaven so that in all one does one’s footsteps are establish because His stamp of approval has already been obtained! It is no wonder that when asked by God what was the desire of his heart Solomon said wisdom for it truly is the “vehicle that will take you through and to the destination” called living a holy life!