Discerning True Wisdom (I)
James 3:13-18
7-13-08
Intro
As background for our message this morning, I want to begin by reading a crucial bit of advice. What is the most important thing in life? What are you pursuing in life? I have known some people who spend most of their time and energy in pursuit of money. They make all kinds of personal sacrifices to make more money. They move to where the job opportunities are. They choose their life work based on earning potential. In all their getting, they get money. Others pursue recognition and status. Some of these people are PhD’s. Some are politicians. They spend hours upon hours getting degrees or getting votes so that they can “be somebody” according to a certain definition of what that means in their own minds. For other people a healthy body or a beautiful body is all-consuming. For others pleasure is the pursuit of life. Some are thrill-seekers. They are adrenalin junkies. Some are world travels. Others are drug addicts. If you’ve spent much time with an alcoholic, you know that for the alcoholic life can be reduced to a pursuit of the next drink. My point is this: everybody is pursuing something. Everybody is investing his or her allotted time and energy toward something. What are you pursuing in life? That will in large part determine what you become and where you wind up.
When I was a young adult I read something in the Bible that struck me as pretty important. In Matthew 6 Jesus talked about the cares of life—all the natural things we can occupy ourselves with in this life. He said that nobody could serve two masters. Something would take priority in a person’s life. He specifically said, “No one can serve two masters...You cannot serve God and money” (NIV). At that time I had just launched my career as a C.P.A. I was 22 years old and I was making good money. I knew I was at a fork in the road. Then I read this promise from Jesus, Matthew 6:33 “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added unto you.” That’s when I decided that my life would not be a pursuit of money.
Am I saying we should not try to make money? No. Am I saying that our health is not important? No. Am I saying that we cannot enjoy some pleasure during our journey with God? No, not at all. But I am saying that for everybody in this room something will be your central pursuit in life. For you, what is that central pursuit?
Here is advice that every Jewish child received about life : Proverbs 4:5-7
“Get wisdom! Get understanding!
Do not forget, nor turn away from the words of my mouth.
6 Do not forsake her, and she will preserve you; Love her, and she will keep you.
7 Wisdom is the principal thing;
Therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding.”
James is writing to people who would have been familiar with that passage. Now he asks an important question in James 3:13, “Who is wise and understanding among you?” “Is there anybody there who has actually gotten the wisdom recommended in Proverbs 4?” That’s a question we must be able to answer. Only follow leaders who are operating in godly wisdom. We need to discern between godly wisdom and worldly wisdom so that we follow the right people and learn the right principles. We need to know what godly wisdom looks like so we can nurture it in our own lives. It is God’s will that every person here become wise according to His standards.
So, How can we discern godly wisdom & distinguish it from the counterfeit?
1. Lifestyle:
James 3:13 “Let him show by good conduct this his works are done in the meekness of wisdom.” The Greeks understood wisdom as mental exercise. But revelation came to the Hebrews which showed them that wisdom is something lived out in a practical way. Godly wisdom shows up in godly behavior. It shows up in our deeds. It shows up in our attitudes. Are the works good? Are the works done in meekness? How many know, “Meekness is not weakness.”? Moses was the meekest man alive in his day. Yet he was also the strongest leader. He was not intimidated by the treats of Pharaoh. He confronted rebellion in the camp. Yet he did none of that pridefully. He always operated in humble dependence upon the Lord. One of the best illustrations of biblical meekness that I have ever heard is of a trained stallion. The strength of that powerful animal is so under the control of the rider that just a gentle touch of the rein on the horse’s neck causes him to turn immediately. Just a shift in the rider’s weigh and the horse turns in the right direction. Meekness is strength under control.
In contrast, worldly wisdom operates out of pride and boasting. The lifestyle does not reflect godliness and it does not reflect an attitude of meekness. James 3:14 “But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth.” The truth is you are not wise by God’s standards if all that is going on. At least, acknowledge that. Don’t put a spiritual veneer over your carnality. Just be honest about what’s really going on.
2. Motives:
James mentions two motivations characteristic of this ungodly wisdom. First, “if you have bitter envy...” The word translated envy is zhlo$ (zelos). It is often translated zeal. In fact, we get our English word zeal from that Greek word. The word translated bitter is pikro$ (pikros). It means bitter, embittered, or harsh. Have you noticed how harsh embittered people can be? James is saying, harsh zeal is not a manifestation of the Holy Spirit. The Pharisees in the Gospels had “harsh zeal.” It was their way or the highway. When we operate in harsh zeal we do not win the lost. We turn them off. We may even alienate them. I am opposed to abortion. But I want to express that opposition with mercy and compassion, not harsh zeal. I believe homosexuality is outside the will of God. But I want to confront that problem with love, not harsh zeal.
James is dealing with contentious people who have knowledge, but not according to godly wisdom. They know how to argue their point. But in the process they alienate people rather than win them. Harsh zeal has been a problem in our Evangelical movement. The position may be right. The doctrine may be right. But is it done in the right spirit? It’s possible to be meek and compassionate while being uncompromising at the same time. Jesus was the perfect example of that.
Sometimes in a zeal for a particular denomination or a particular church people become very divisive. We are a part of a denomination. But we are not denominational in a sectarian way. We belong to a church family and are accountable to the Foursquare leadership. But we are interdenominational in our spirit and in our cooperation with the Body of Christ. Religious zeal can become harsh and counter-productive if it is not submitted to the Holy Spirit and guided by a meek, humble heart.
The second thing James condemns in verse 14 is “self-seeking in your hearts.” The strife being produced by ungodly wisdom is rooted in the heart condition. When the heart is filled with strife and selfish ambition, the wrong kind of wisdom is in operation. In contrast, godly wisdom is first pure (verse 17). Godly wisdom is based on unselfish motives. In Phil. 2 Paul called upon Christians to have the mind of Christ—the same attitude that was in the Son of God when He humbled Himself and became a man for the sake of our salvation. Paul wrote in Phil 2:3 “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.” In Eph 4 he talked about the attitude we should have toward one another: “with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”
3. Origin: The source of wisdom is another crucial factor.
In verse 15 James says the kind of wisdom that stirs up confusion and strife “does not descend from above.” It’s not from God. In fact, it is earthly or not heavenly; it is sensual or not spiritual in a godly sense (it flows out of carnal thinking); it is even inspired by demons.
Do you remember the story of Esther? There was an evil man in that story named Haman. Haman was shrewd. He was clever. He had a good amount of worldly wisdom. He probably had some demonic help in his efforts to deceive and manipulate King Ahasuerus. He is an example of the wisdom James is opposing. I’ve got good news from Esther’s story. God’s wisdom is greater that ungodly wisdom. When Mordecai and Esther sought God, He gave a wisdom that superseded anything Haman could come up with. God will always show us the path to victory if we will seek Him.
James says the source of godly wisdom is “from above.” It is not something we have apart from our relationship with God. It operates in our lives out of our relationship with God. Prov. 3:5-7 “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.
7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and depart from evil.” When we lean upon our own understanding—when we stop trusting in the Lord, those are the times we’re in danger of operating out of our carnal nature with the wrong kind of wisdom.
When the early church was looking for leaders in Acts 6:3 they looked for “men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom....” It is by the Spirit that we operate in godly wisdom.
It is shocking how someone can operate in godly wisdom one moment and wicked wisdom the next. Remember in Matthew 16 when Jesus asked His disciples “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” (verse 13). They told him some were saying Elijah, some John the Baptist, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets. When Jesus made the question more personal and asked, “But who do you say that I am?” it was Peter who spoke up and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Where did that come from? It was revelation from God. It came from above. It was wisdom from above. But then what happened? Jesus began to share with them how He would have to suffer and be killed and be raised the third day. Now watch Peter. He takes Jesus aside to correct the Lord and says, “Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!” “That’s not a good plan. That’s not the success we signed up for. Jesus, we’re not going to let that happen to You.” What kind of wisdom is he operating in there? His carnal mind is in full operation. In Matthew 16:23 Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.” Jesus identified the source of Peter’s words and rejected his counsel.
4. Fruit: The results of wisdom in operation will also tell us its nature.
James identifies the fruit of ungodly wisdom in verse 15 as confusion and every evil thing. God is not the author of confusion. Contention and harsh feelings and all those things are a strong indication that somebody is operating in the wrong spirit and is probably motivated by some pride or selfishness or even bitterness. Heb. 12:14 & 15 says, “Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled.” Bitterness has a tendency to spread if it is not dealt with. We usually know when we’re speaking out of past hurts; when we’re being defensive; when we’re manipulating or attacking. The deception comes if we justify it rather than confess it and turn from it. Very often we need some healing ourselves when that is going on. If it keeps popping up we may need to get some prayer or counseling.
The fruit of godly wisdom is peace and righteousness. James 3:18 “Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.” There is a powerful connection in the Bible between peace and righteousness. Isa. 32:16 promises, “The work of righteousness will be peace, and the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever.” When we’re living right with God we feel the confidence to trust Him to defend us when we’re opposed by others. We do not rise up in our own defense because we know God will take care of it. The Lord may have us answer the accusation. But we won’t be doing out of fear or anger but simply out of obedience and dependence upon Him.
I want to read you James 3:18 out of The Message. “You can develop a healthy, robust community that lives right with God and enjoy the results only if you do the hard work of getting along with each other, treating each other with dignity and honor.” That’s what God wants for every church—a community of believers who treat each other with dignity and honor—a healthy, robust community that lives right with God and each other.
Conclusion
How do we get this godly wisdom James is talking about in our text? We get it by asking God to give it to us and pursuing it with a life-long diligence. Remember James 1:5
“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting....” I often use this verse when asking God for a word of wisdom or wisdom for a specific event or situation. God is faithful to answer that kind of prayer. When you’re on the job or when your family has a problem, ask God to give you a solution. Ask God to give wisdom for handling the problem. You have not because you ask not. We should be continually looking to God for guidance in our daily lives. Amen?
But the main thrust of James 1:5 is for a life-long pursuit of wisdom (sophia). James tells us to not be double-minded about that pursuit. There may be some trials along the way. But keep pursuing wisdom. Prov. 4:7 Wisdom is the principal thing; Therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding.” Stay after that pursuit because it is worth it.
Invitation
For NOTES/SOURCES go to www.CrossroadsNixa.org
Richard Tow
Gateway Foursquare Church
Nixa, Missouri
www.GatewayNixa.org
TEXT: James 3:13-18
Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. 15 This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. 16 For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. 17 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. 18 Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. NKJV
