Introduction
Would you take your Bibles please, and turn tonight in the book of James, chapter 3? James continues to speak to us. James, what a great man he was. Let us hear his words of wisdom for those of us tonight, as we think on the subject of wisdom, and try to determine whether or not you are wise or otherwise. James chapter 3 and verse 13: “Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you?” (James 3:13). You can almost hear James, as he’s standing in the assembly and saying, “Say, I want to ask a question. How many of you are wise?” And, some of the teachers there would sit up straight because he’s talking to teachers. They would sit up straight, and with a smirk on their face, they’d lift their hands, and as if to say, “Well, I’m pretty wise.” And, then James would say, “All right, show me, just how wise you are.” For James didn’t want a say-so salvation or a say-so wisdom, James wanted a know-so and a show-so salvation, and a know-so and a show-so wisdom.
And, so James goes here to delineate and speak about wisdom. He says, “Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation”—that word conversation means behavior—“his works with meekness of wisdom But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace” (James 3:13–18).
I. The Value of Wisdom
Three things we’ll notice tonight in this little study. First of all, I want you to see the value of wisdom. Then I want you to see the virtues of wisdom. And, then I want you to see the victory of wisdom.
First of all: the value of wisdom. Now, James places a great value upon wisdom. James doesn’t say who is a rich man among you, or who is an educated man among you, or who is a popular among you, or who is a busy or ambitious man among you. But, James, looking for a leader in the church says, “Who is a wise man among you.” And, James like all of the writers of the Bible, puts a great, great, premium upon wisdom. Wisdom is greater, ladies and gentlemen, than monetary power.
Let’s just leave the book of James for a moment, and go to the book of wisdom, the book of Proverbs. And, let’s see what Proverbs has to say about wisdom. Proverbs, chapter 3, for a moment. Just lick your fingers and go there with me, will you? All right, Proverbs chapter 3 and let’s begin reading in verse 14. Well, let’s get verse 13: “Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding. For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold. She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her”—that is unto wisdom—“Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and honour. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace” (Proverbs 3:13–17). Now, James is saying—excuse me, Solomon is saying here that wisdom is greater than riches, and wisdom power is greater than monetary power.
I was interested to note in the newspaper today that they moved several billion dollars from one bank to another, seven point five billion dollars. And, when they did, according to this newspaper article, they had 100, an army of 100 policeman, and guards, and all of these with their machine guns, and their tear gas, and all forms, all manner of electronic communications, to move 7.5 billion dollars from one point to another because, of course, everybody wants money, don’t they? I wonder if they had a truckload of wisdom going down the street. How many policeman they would have had to guard it. I wonder how many people would have said, “That’s what I need, that’s what I want more than silver, more than gold, more than rubies, I want wisdom.”
It’ll be a great day in your life when you begin to seek after wisdom as you seek after wisdom. That’s what the writer of the book of Proverbs is saying, “That wisdom is greater than monetary power,” and then the Bible teaches that wisdom is greater than military power.
Look in Ecclesiastes chapter 9. You’re in Proverbs, just turn right and go just a little further and, if you will, look in chapter 9 verse 16: “Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength”—I wonder how many people believe that—“nevertheless the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard”—Hmm—“The words of wise men are heard in quiet more than the cry of him that ruleth among fools. Wisdom is better than weapons of war…”—I wonder if you believe that, that wisdom is greater that strength?— “Wisdom is better than weapons of war” (Ecclesiastes 9:16–18).
Do you know what we need in the Pentagon? We need some wise men. That’s what we need in the Pentagon. Do you know what we need in Washington, without my calling any names? We need some wise men. Some men who walk in the ways of the Lord. Some men who get on their knees, and their face before Almighty God, and pray to God. Solomon was a great king, and the Lord came to Solomon and God said to Solomon, “I’ll give you anything that you want, anything that you ask for.”
And, turn to 2 Chronicles, chapter 1, if you will, and look in verses 10 and 13, and see what Solomon asked of the Lord, that pleased the Lord and honored the Lord so much. In 2 Chronicles chapter 1, verses 9 and 10, or 10 and following. Solomon said, “Give me now wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people: for who can judge this thy people, that is so great? And God said to Solomon, Because this was in thine heart, and thou hast not asked riches, wealth, or honour, nor the life of thine enemies, neither yet hast asked long life; but hast asked wisdom and knowledge for thyself, that thou mayest judge my people, over whom I have made thee king: Wisdom and knowledge is granted unto thee; and I will give thee riches, and wealth, and honour, such as none of the kings have had that have been before thee, neither shall there any after thee have the like” (2 Chronicles 1:10–12).
Oh, would to God that our leaders in our nation’s capital could say, “O God, give to me wisdom. I’m not able; we’re not able to lead this great nation unless we have wisdom that is from above.” “Stand beside her, and guide her, through the night with the light from above” (Irving Berlin). I’m so afraid that our President has surrounded himself with many people who are smart, but not wise. We need to pray for Mr. Carter, who says that he’s a Christian. I love him, he’s my president, and I pray for him. But, oh, we need to pray that God will bring into his company, and that God will surround him with people who have honor, and dignity, and strength, and people who are wise and seek the face of the Lord, and the will of God, and the wisdom of God that is revealed in this book.
The Bible says that wisdom is greater than monetary power. Wisdom is greater than military power. Wisdom is greater than mental power. Look in Proverbs chapter 4, and look in verse 4: “He taught me also, and said unto me, Let thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live. Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth. Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: love her, and she shall keep thee. Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding. Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her” (Proverbs 4:4–8). Notice especially verse 7: “Wisdom is the principal thing…”
Now, he says with all your getting, get understanding too, get knowledge too, but above all, get wisdom. It is so important. Wisdom is the most important thing that a leader can have, that a teacher can have.
Now, notice in these scriptures that I have given you, that the Bible links wisdom and knowledge together. Go back to James, the third chapter, and we’ll see it also there in James the third chapter. Notice what James says: “Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you?” (James 3:13). Wisdom and knowledge are always linked together, but get this, and understand it, wisdom always comes first, and knowledge without wisdom is a dangerous thing. You see, if a man has knowledge without wisdom, he may be proud that he knows so much. Wisdom is humble that it knows so little. And, knowledge always fails if it is not linked to wisdom. You see, wisdom gives you the ability to apply the knowledge that you have.
Einstein had knowledge. But, it grieves me to say that I do not believe that Einstein had wisdom. You say, “How do you know what Einstein had?” Because Einstein never confessed Jesus Christ as his personal Savior, and Jesus is the heartbeat of wisdom. Einstein confessed, before he died in 1955, that there were so many things in his mind that he could not unlock, so many things that he didn’t understand. And, Einstein said, and I quote, “I feel like a man who is chained. If I could only be freed from the shackles of my intellectual smallness, then I could understand the universe in which I live.” 1 He’d never understand this universe until he knows the Lord, ’til he knows the Lord Jesus Christ.
I don’t care if you’re an Einstein. I don’t care if you’re an intellectual genius. I want to tell you the Bible says, “God hath hidden these things from the wise and the prudent and hath revealed them unto babes” (Matthew 11:25). Talking about this world’s wisdom, talking about the people, the intellectual people of this world. God reveals the simple things, the wonderful things, to those who know Him, and to those who love Him. And, the Bible describes that so carefully and poignantly in 1 Corinthians chapter 1, verses 18 through 25, but I’ll not read those verses now, just jot them down in the margin and read them when you get home.
Now, God links wisdom and knowledge, but he always puts wisdom first and knowledge follows hard on the heals of wisdom. Because, you see, a wise man will get knowledge. A wise man will study. I’m not trying to tell you that if you have wisdom, that you don’t need to study, that you don’t need to learn. The Bible says the contrary, that we’re to: “Study to show ourselves approved unto God…workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). And, a lump in your throat is no excuse for a vacuum in your head.
A little boy in school one time was asked what a vacuum was. He said, “Let me think.” He said, “Well,” he said, “I can’t exactly say, but I’ve got it up here.” Now, there are a lot of people, I think, who are very similar to that little boy. They are saved but they don’t have understanding, they don’t have knowledge. They may have a modicum of wisdom, but if they were truly wise, they would do what Peter says in 1 Peter chapter 1, verse 13: “gird up the loins of your mind…” (1 Peter 1:13). Now, back when Peter wrote this men wore long flowing tunics. And, if a man wanted to run, he had to reach down and take this tunic—this long, flowing skirt—and just kind of pull it up, and tuck it under his belt so he could run. Now, what Peter is saying is, “Gird up the loins of your mind.” Take those long, flowing robes of indiscipline, and laziness, and carelessness and run for all your worth, and apply your mind, and love God with all of your mind.
Now, notice especially, James is talking to teachers, and the whole chapter is really to teachers. And, you Sunday School teachers, listen. Chapter 3, verse 1: “My brethren, be not many teachers, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation” (James 3:1). Don’t you just sally forth to teach a Sunday School class unless you’re willing to be right with God, unless you’re willing to study The Word of God. You ought to resign and get out of your class, for you’re cumbering the ground, you’re a disgrace to God and man.
So, James says, “You be careful for your Sunday School teacher,” or any kind of a teacher, any person who assumes to be a spiritual authority. He had better watch his words, and he had better be wise, and he had better have knowledge. He had better learn to study.
I remember reading, or hearing, long ago about a country school teacher who was applying for a job to teach in a country school house, and the board of education was giving this country school teacher a test. And, one of the questions on this test was this: “Can you teach what you do not know?” I think her answer was classic. She said, “You can no more teach that which you do not know than you can come from where you ain’t been.” But, I’m afraid that we have teachers today who are trying to teach what they don’t know.
Now, listen, wisdom and knowledge are always linked together. Study—you preacher boys, you seminary students, don’t you fall into this trap, this vicious trap, that you say, “Oh, well, I’ll just get up and depend upon the inspiration of the moment, and God’ll just put into my heart what He wants me to say.” That’s a cop out. That’s laziness.
One man told the professor in his theological school that’s what he was going to do. He said he had no need to study, he was going to trust the Lord, and when he got up God would show him what to say. The professor said, “Very well, I have a preaching appointment for you the next day.” And the boy said, “Well, where is it?” He said, “I want you to go down to thus and such a corner, and there I want you to preach.” He said, “Well, that’s in the Mexican section of this city. The people down there just speak Spanish.” “Well,” he said, “that makes no difference if God’s going to put it in your heart, he might as well put Spanish in your heart as any other language.” Amen? Oh, listen, dear friend, study to show yourselves approved unto God.
One great preacher, who had studied hard and applied himself, and had labored over The Word of God, was up to preach when an ignorant person, who had never studied, took him by the coat-tail and in a snide way said, “Don’t you think God could do without your education?” And, this great and gracious minister, who had applied himself to The Word of God, turned around and said, “Yes, I’m quite certain God could do without my education. Don’t you think God could do without your ignorance?” Let me tell you something ladies and gentlemen. There is no excuse for some in this congregation to be as spiritually ignorant as they are.
Now, what is the difference between wisdom and knowledge? Knowledge is learned but wisdom is given. Do you understand that? Knowledge is learned, but wisdom is given. You get knowledge by looking around, you get wisdom by looking up. You get knowledge by studying, but you get wisdom by prayer and meditation. That’s the reason the Bible says, in James chapter 1, verse 5: “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him” (James 1:5). Wisdom is given. But, don’t any of you kids go to your examination in
school and sit down, and when you’ve not studied say, “O God, give me knowledge.” He ain’t going to do it. And, if it’s an English test, He isn’t going to do it. He’s not going to do it. But, you can say, “O God, give me wisdom.” And, God will give you wisdom. God will show you how to apply your heart unto wisdom.
You see, the Bible never tells us to pray for knowledge. The Bible tells us to study for knowledge, but the Bible tells us to ask for wisdom. And, the difference between wisdom and knowledge is this, that wisdom is given, knowledge is acquired through study.
And, oh how we need to get wisdom. Wisdom commences that conversion. You see, the Bible says, in Psalm 111, verse 10, that “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom…” (Psalm 111:10). Until you come to an honest, reverential fear of God, you don’t even have a modicum of wisdom, not even a modicum of wisdom. And, then the Bible says in 1 Corinthians, chapter 1, verse 30: “the Lord Jesus Christ has made into
us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption” (1 Corinthians 1:30). wisdom? Oh, listen, if you don’t have wisdom—it’s more important for you to have wisdom than it is for you to have a good paying job. It’s more important than it is for you to have strength in your body. It’s more important than for you to have the doors of your house locked tonight when you go to sleep, that you have wisdom.
II. The Virtue of Wisdom
Now, secondly, notice not only the value of wisdom, but notice the virtue of wisdom. James, here, begins to describe wisdom because James wants to get it out of the ethereal—and out of the abstract—and into the concrete.
I heard about a man who talked about the fact—how much he loved children, until one day he’s pouring a new driveway and some kids came and wrote in the wet cement. And, he was furious. And, somebody said, “I thought you loved children.” He said, “Well, I love them in the abstract, but I don’t love them in the concrete.”
Now, there are a lot of people who love wisdom in the abstract, but James wants to get it right down into the life, and so he gives the virtues of wisdom beginning now in verse 13: “Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation”—and that word means behavior—“his works with meekness of wisdom” (James 3:16).
A. Two Virtues of Wisdom
1. Wisdom is Good
Now, there are two virtues of wisdom. It is good, and it is gentle. That’s what James says. First of all it is good—out of a good behavior. You see, if you have wisdom—real wisdom—it will show in your life in practical goodness. You’ll be like the Lord Jesus who went about doing good. And, it’s not so much a matter of your mind—how clever you are—it’s a matter of your life—how good you are. James is not interested in your words. James is interested in your works, and so James says, “If you have wisdom, then you show it first of all, by a good life.” It is good.
2. Wisdom is Gentle
And, then he says, “You show it by a gentle life.” It is gentle. Look again in verse 13: “…with meekness of wisdom” (James 3:13). That means with a gentle spirit.
Now, if you have arrogant wisdom, and call it true wisdom, the wisdom that you have is as phony as a three-dollar bill. The Lord came to make you a wise man, not a wise guy. And, there are a lot of people who don’t have meekness.
Now, this word meekness is a very interesting word, and it literally comes from the word that means level—mecca—and when a man is meek, that doesn’t mean he’s going around look, thinking lowly of himself all of the time, that isn’t what it means. What some people call meekness, I just call poor posture. Meekness is an ability, a sweet evenness about life. When a man is meek, he doesn’t have to look up to anybody because he knows he—by the grace of God—has been made a royal blueblood. But, he doesn’t have to look down on anybody. And, when a man is meek he can look everybody straight in the eye. He doesn’t have to look down upon the poor, or look up to the rich. He doesn’t have to look down upon the ignorant. He doesn’t have to look up to the educated. He is a man that is a gentle man. True wisdom is both good and gentle.
Now, James, in order to make his point—contrast the virtues of true wisdom with the vices of devilish wisdom, so let’s go on. We’re still under the heading the virtues of wisdom, but James being the good teacher that he is always gives us a negative lesson. And, so he describes the virtues of wisdom positively in verse 13, and then negatively in verses 14 and 15: “But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish” (James 3:14–15).
B. Three Things About Devilish Wisdom
1. The Revelation of it
Now, James speaks of devilish wisdom, as over against divine wisdom, so you can understand what divine wisdom is. And, he says three things about this devilish wisdom. First of all, he speaks of the revelation of it. You want to know whether you have it or not? He says that it is revealed by bitter envying and strife in your hearts.
Now, this word “bitter envying and strife” literally means jealously and selfish ambition. That’s what the word strife means, selfish ambition. James is saying, “If you have jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, then you’re not wise.” Is there someone you’re envious of? Someone you’re jealous of? Somebody that you wish to get ahead of? Then you’re not a wise man. That’s what James says.
Now, this is the revelation of it. And, evidently there were those in the church who were fighting to be first. There were those who were trying to be the headmaster of the church that James is speaking to. And, they were getting into fights and wrangling, and many of these teachers were boasting about their wisdom. Hmm.
Sam Jones used to say, “When dogs fight over bones it’s a sign that bones are scarce.” And, when men fight over religion it’s a sign of the same thing. Now, religion is scarce, and when you find people who have bitter envying and strife in their hearts, I don’t care how much of a Bible they claim to know, they’re not wise.
2. The Roots of it
And, so James speaks of the revelation of it. Jealousy and selfish ambition, then he speaks of the roots of it. And, he says this wisdom doesn’t come from above.
a. It is Earthly
Notice verse 15: “This wisdom descendeth not from above, but”—first of all, it—“is earthly…” (James 3:15). Now, there are a lot of people—some of them worm their way into churches, and are leaders in the church, but they want to run the church like they would run the business corporation. God deliver us from having those kind of men on our finance committee, those kind of people on our committees, those kind of people on our church staff, or in our deacons.
You know, some churches get a man, he’s a business executive over here, or he’s a
financier over here, or he’s this over here, and they say that’s a very smart man. Look how shrewdly he’s run his business. We need him in our church. Well, my dear friend, if he’s not filled with heavenly wisdom, he’ll wreck and ruin any church that he tries to lead. There is a worldly wisdom—an earthly wisdom—and this church, or any church, cannot be run on those principles.
First of all, he’s earthly, I’m not saying that we ought not to have good business in our church administration, we ought. But, oh, our values and the way that we look at things are so vastly different—they are heavenly and not earthly. But, how many people have wrecked and ruined churches with earthly wisdom.
b. It is Sensual
And, so James, as he speaks of the roots of it, says first of all that it’s earthly, and then he says it is sensual. Look again in chapter 15, or chapter 3 and verse 15: “This wisdom descendeth not from above but it is earthly and sensual” (James 3:15).
Now, this word sensual literally is a word that means soulish or natural. First Corinthians chapter 2, verse 14 uses the word this way, “But the natural man…”—the sensual man, the soulish man, it’s all the same word—“…not the things of the Spirit of God… neither can he know them…” (1 Corinthians 2:14). Jude spoke of men who are sensual as “having not the Spirit” (Jude 1:19), in Jude chapter 19. He’s not talking about a person who is sensuous. He’s not talking about a person who is erotic or sexy. That’s not what he’s talking about. He’s talking about a person who is sensual—that is a
person who lives by the senses, by his natural instincts—and he thinks that his common sense is God-given wisdom. He doesn’t know the difference.
Let me tell you how a soulish man thinks—how a sensual man thinks. The soul is made up of mind, emotion, and will and here’s how that man thinks. His mind says, “I think I ought to do such and such a thing.” His emotion says, “I feel like doing it.” His will says, “I’ll do it.” And, that’s the way he does it. He operates that way.
c. It is Devilish
James speaks of the roots of this devilish wisdom as coming first of all from the earth, it is earthy, or earthly. Secondly, as coming from the soul, it is sensual. And thirdly as coming from the devil, it is devilish, it is demonic. It comes from the devil himself. I believe that the devil attends many church business meetings, and there’s some man there in tune with the devil. And, when the church is discussing something, the devil leans over and whispers in that man’s ear and says, “I’ll tell you something I think would be pretty smart for this church to do.” And, the man stands up and says, “I move we do thus and such a thing.” And, the wisdom that he has may be very cunning, but it is devilish.
Now, notice James is warning church people—he’s not talking to those outside the church—and he says, “This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual,
devilish” (James 3:15). What he’s talking about is the world, the flesh, and the devil. Did you notice that? That’s where he says this wisdom comes from. You’d be surprised how much of this kind of wisdom is paraded in the average church, the average committee, the average business meeting, as people are trying to carry on the work of Almighty God.
I was reading a news article that I clipped out of one of our state papers, and it tells about a minister who dressed up as the devil, went to church, and caused an uproar. This was in Erwin, North Carolina. His name—maybe some of you know this man— Floyd Turlington, pastor of Porter’s Chapel Church in Erwin. Anybody here from Irwin? You know Mr. Turlington? Well, he thought it would be a good idea—maybe a little reverse psychology—he put on a devil’s suit and went to church on Sunday morning. Got him a pitchfork and a placard, and marched up and down the front of the church and said, “Don’t attend this church”—trying a little reverse psychology.
But this article goes on to say that when people came by they didn’t know what was happening. And, they saw it, they got alarmed, little children started to cry, adults got nervous, someone called the police, the sheriff came out there and arrested the minister. That’s what the article says. They have a law in North Carolina that if you’re over 16, you can’t go around with a mask on. You know, the Ku Klux Klan and other things, and that’s what the laws against. And, they arrested this man, and when they took the mask off, the minister was underneath.
Well, let me tell you something that frightens me more than a minister wearing a devil’s suit, and it’s a devil wearing a minister’s suit. And, you know that happens more times than people realize. The Bible says that, “It is no wonder, for Satan himself is transformed as an angel of light” (2 Corinthians 11:14). But, he does a better job of camouflaging himself, and it is amazing how many times Mr. Satan himself comes to church, and speaks in church, and this wisdom descendeth not from above but is earthly, sensual and devilish.
3. The Results of it
Now, James speaks of the revelation of it. Strife and bitter envying, he speaks of the roots of it, and then he speaks of the results of it. I want you to go on and notice here in verse 16: “For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work” (James 3:16). Have you ever been in a church where things were just confusion, where there’s no peace, no joy, ho happiness, no victory, no hallelujahs, no souls getting saved, just confusion. It is because people have tried to do the work of God in the energy of the flesh, and they have used earthly, devilish, sensual wisdom rather than divine wisdom.
And, so James very practically speaks to us of the value of wisdom, then he speaks to us of the virtues of wisdom. And, he is saying real wisdom, godly wisdom, wisdom that is from above, is good and it is gentle. And, whatever you claim to have, if it doesn’t make you good, and if it doesn’t make you gentle, you haven’t got Godly wisdom.
III. The Victory of Wisdom
Now, the third thing I want you to notice is the victory of this wisdom, and true wisdom. Look here in verse 17: “But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace” (James 3:17–18). Here’s the victory of wisdom.
A. It Overcomes Sin
There’s six things that this wisdom overcomes. First of all, it overcomes sin. It overcomes sin. Look again in this verse, “the wisdom that is from above is first pure…” (James 3:17). You see if you’ve got this wisdom in your life it’s going to deal with sin. It’s going to show you that sin is stupid, and you’re going to want to be pure in the sight of a righteous and Holy God. Impurity is not wise.
B. It Overcomes Strife
But, not only does it overcome sin, it overcomes strife. Look again in this verse. It says, “the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable…” (James 3:17) — peaceable. You know, I know some folks who claim to be wise—and they even claim to be wise with the Bible—but they use the Bible as a club rather than a sword. And, their olive branch is launched from a catapult. They are censorious, cantankerous, vituperative, they live to fight—well, they fight to live—and they’re always claiming to be defenders of the faith.
I want a church that is unapologetically fundamental and conservative, but I don’t want a fighting mean, nasty spirit in our church. Wisdom, wisdom is peaceable, peaceable. And, God help us that even when we deal with someone that we disagree with, that we might remember that if he’s an unsaved man, that we’re arguing with a lost man, and who ought to scold a blind man for not being able to see. If he’s a saved man, we need to remember that he’s our brother. And, that one day we’ll spend eternity with him. And, we wound him, we wound ourselves.
And, the third thing we need to remember is that when we’re in controversy with anybody, the unsaved world is listening. Somebody said, “Never argue with a fool. Those standing around might not be able to tell who’s who.”
C. It Overcomes Stubbornness
All right now, listen, this wisdom is peaceable. It overcomes sin, it overcomes strife, it overcomes stubbornness. Go on to look. It says here it is “…gentle, and easy to be entreated…” (James 3:17). When a man is wise he has convictions, but his convictions are about The Word of God. But, he’s not rigid and inflexible about many things that really don’t matter.
Do you know what the word gentle means? It’s a combination of two words which mean into and fitting, and you put it together and it means the ability to fit into, to adapt, to be gentle, in things that don’t really make a difference. Let me give you an illustration of that.
One time Abraham Lincoln was sitting at dinner with some very elegant people, but there was one man there who was not so elegant, and didn’t have such good manners. And, that man took his coffee and poured it into his cup, blew on it, and drank it out of a saucer—rather, poured the coffee into the saucer and drank out of the saucer. Of course, some of the ladies at the table were aghast, but when Lincoln saw what happened he took his coffee, poured it into the saucer, and for the rest of the evening he also drank his coffee out of the saucer. Now, that to me was a gentle man. There was a man who knew how to adapt. There was a man who was willing to fit into a situation.
D. It Overcomes Selfishness
You see, wisdom overcomes sin, wisdom overcomes strife, wisdom overcomes stubbornness. Wisdom overcomes selfishness. Go on and look as we think about the victory of wisdom. It says here that it is “full of mercy and good fruits…” (James 3:17). That is, real wisdom is not always thinking of itself, it’s thinking of others. It is merciful to other people. There is no life so empty as a self-centered life, and there is no life so centered as a self-emptied life. Is your life empty, or is it centered on the Lord Jesus Christ?
E. It Overcomes Snobbishness
True wisdom overcomes selfishness, and then wisdom overcomes snobbishness. Look again in verse 17: “…without partiality…” (James 3:17). Now, you remember what partiality is? James has already told us about partiality. You remember the strange case of the highfalutin usher that we talked about a while back, where we looked down on some people, and pay special deference to other people. Real wisdom doesn’t do that.
F. It Overcomes Shame
When a man is really wise, he can look through the façade and see that every man is someone for whom Jesus died. A wise person is that way. And, so wisdom overcomes sin. It overcomes strife. It overcomes stubbornness. It overcomes selfishness. It overcomes snobbishness. And, then finally it overcomes shame. The last thing in verse 17: “…and without hypocrisy” (James 3:17).
Conclusion
Oh, how James hates hypocrisy. People who say, but they don’t show. And, James says, “You show me your faith without your works, you hypocrite, and I’ll show you my faith by my works. You show me your wisdom by your words, I’ll show you my wisdom by my life.” And, what is the result of the victory of wisdom? Well, it’s peace, when there’s a victory, there’s peace. Look in verse 18. “And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace” (James 3:18). A wise man is a peacemaker. The war is over and wisdom has won the peace. Let’s bow together in prayer.
