If you have grown up in church, there is a good chance that somewhere along the way, you have heard this phrase, “Be in the world, but not of the world.” And depending on what church you grew up in, that could mean all kinds of things…but let’s be honest, sometimes that idea is what turns Christians weirdos. But rightly understood and applied, it’s the idea that there is a tension that every Christian has to manage. The practical reality that we are living among the citizens of this Earth, but we are not to value what godless culture values. And the reason we should not do that, is because Scripture teaches that a Christians true citizenship is in heaven. If someone came up to you today and said, “You look like a pilgrim.” Or, “You look like an alien.” My guess is that may not be incredibly encouraging.
But in a spiritual sense, that is exactly what we are according to the Bible. We are pilgrims passing through on our way to heaven. We are aliens and strangers here because heaven is our true home. So, while we are living a real life in a real world, we cannot attach ourselves to all that it offers. And one of the ways citizens of heaven should distinguish themselves from non-citizens, is how we think about and pursue wisdom. Turn with me to James 3 as we continue our series through the book of James called Faith & Works.
We have been teaching that the book of James is really a series of tests about the genuineness of our conversion. Today he is going to test us on where a true follow of Christ goes to wisdom. And let me share this – this is really where the rubber meets the road. If you claim to be a follower of Jesus Christ, who the Bible says is the “wisdom of God,” and yet the wisdom of Scripture does not drive your day-to-day decisions, you need to ask some hard questions regarding your relationship with Jesus. Paul said it in Romans 12:2: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind.” The reason our minds need renewed, is because our way of thinking about things is flawed.
Our thinking and our wisdom, has been damaged by the fall. One of the things that Jesus came to redeem, is our flawed thinking. And when we allow him to do that, there will be a separation of values, beliefs, motivations, and life application that exists in the people of God. Simply put, part of being a true Christian, is desiring to think like one. And the tension is that our pride tells us, we have all the wisdom that we need. Our way of viewing things and valuing things is the right way. So, let’s see what James teaches us regarding two ways to live….
James 3:13-18
Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. 15 This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. 17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. 18 And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
What James does here is he paints a vivid picture and gives very stark contrasts regarding what it looks like to receive and apply godly wisdom versus receiving and applying earthly wisdom. And the difference between the two couldn’t be any bigger. The way this plays out in a person’s life begins with Who and What at person worships and extends to how they make every decision they make. This plays out in the reality that what God’s people believe is true, the world believes is false and what the world deems as valuable, God’s people view as worthless.
Pastor Sam Storms says “The world and the Church tell two entirely different and utterly contrary stories about the nature of reality, the meaning of life, what truth and goodness may be found, and what the ultimate destiny of mankind will be.”
And Pastor James says amen to that as he paints a very clear picture and he starts off by asking us a very simple, but important question to answer in verse thirteen when he asks, “Who is wise and understanding among you?” Without thinking too deeply about it, just your gut reaction, what type of person do you think of when you think of a wise person? Would we go to the people with silver hair first this morning? Sometimes experience and age CAN produce wisdom…but not always. That’s why we say, “there is no fool like an old fool.”
We all know people who lived their entire lives in foolish ways. They never learned. Would you go to the person with the highest education level? Maybe a person with multiple advanced degrees? While education CAN facilitate wisdom, it’s not the same thing. I would argue that Steve Jobs was a brilliant mind but lacked wisdom when it came to what really matters – relationship with God and others.
Here is what wisdom actually is: it’s the ability to judge correctly and to follow the best course of action, based on knowledge and understanding. Wisdom is about taking all of our experiences, all of our knowledge, all the advice we’ve ever received through reading and listening, and THEN applying that knowledge in the everyday decisions of life. Simply put, wisdom is knowledge applied. THAT is the wise person. It’s not the person who knows their Bible…it’s the person who lives out the truths that they have learned. Wisdom is a lifestyle. And James is going to paint a picture of two different lifestyles that play out primarily because they have two different sources.
The first truth we see from James is that…
1. THE FOOL DOESN’T CONSULT GOD IN THEIR CHOICES – vs 14, 15b, 16
There are so many parallels between this passage and the entire book of Proverbs. The book of Proverbs is a contrast between the life of wisdom and a life of foolishness. And James is going to provide some characteristics of both in this passage and what I especially love, is that he identifies the source of foolish living. Look at verse 15. “This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.”
In digging into the meaning of verse 15, here is what one commentary describes earthly, natural, demonic wisdom as… “it is limited to the present, material world of time and space. By definition, it is restricted to things that man can theorize, discover, and accomplish by himself. It has no place for God or the things of God. It has no place for spiritual truth or illumination. It is a closed system of man’s own making and choosing under satanic prompting. As James has just noted, this wisdom is motivated by pride, selfish ambition, arrogance, self-centeredness, self-interest, and self-aggrandizement. It spawns a society whose watchwords are “Do your own thing,” “Have it your way,” and “Look out for number one.” It pervades philosophy, education, politics, economics, sociology, psychology, and every other dimension and aspect of contemporary human life.”
In other words, the foolish person values their opinion over God’s! They reject the idea that pride on the inside or the devil on the outside is influencing their choices or limiting their wisdom. Their reject the Bible truth from Jeremiah 17:9 that tells us that we have wicked hearts that deceive us. And when a person has that mindset, there is little desire to consult the Bible. There is little desire to seek wisdom in prayer. There is little desire to spend time with Jesus with the promise that He can transform the affections of our hearts. And let me tell you what that often sounds like from a professing Christian, “I know what the Bible says, but…” A non-Christian doesn’t reference the Bible, a Christian living foolishly never filters their opinions or choices through Scripture. They profess to be Christians but live like practical atheists.
Now, do you remember earlier when we said wisdom is a lifestyle? Guess what, so is foolishness. If you are listening, say Amen. One of the most challenging aspects of a fool, is that they are blind to their foolishness. The good news is that James paints a picture of the characteristics a person who likes wisdom. Look at verse 14: But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. Let me put that in plain English – if your life is dominated by bitter jealously and selfishness, quit lying to yourself (be false to the truth). You are not getting your wisdom for living from God. We all fight bitterness, jealousy, enviousness and selfishness. That’s why we say that Jesus not only came to rescue us from hell, but from ourselves.
But the foolish person has a lifestyle that is dominated by those things. They live their life always comparing yourself to others. They are always frustrated by how that another person has made a name for themselves, or accumulated some level of wealth or esteem or better friend groups.
Side note – if your life is dominated by envy and James says that every good and perfect gift comes from God, then you are not mad at your friend, you are mad at God and taking it out on your friend. Just a little truth bomb there to encourage you! And James even paints a picture of how those heart things play out in your real life in verse 16. Look at what it says: “For where jealously and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every evil practice.” The word “and” is in that verse because it is separating two truths – disorder and every evil practice. So, let me make it as plain as I can. A person who does not go to God for wisdom on a consistent basis, will have a life dominated by instability and sin.
And do you know what the foolish person says? “I just can’t seem to catch a break. I have the worst luck.” Or, when the consequences of their sin, or evil practice using the language of verse 16, catches up with them, they will often say, “God’s never done anything to help me.” Now, in our fallen world, can a person do the right things and still experience suffering through no fault of their own? Absolutely. That’s one of the consequences of the fall. But here is what he is getting at – if you are the only common denominator in all the dysfunction in your life, it might be you!
If you have gotten fired from every job – it might not be four horrible bosses in a row. If every relationship you have ends in disaster, it might be your unwise choices to get into those relationships. If you can’t get along with people, it’s most likely you. Here’s what James is saying in this passage. If your life is chaotic or dominated by sin (vs 16), if your heart is dominated by things like jealousy and selfishness, (vs 14), then you are clearly not getting your wisdom from God (vs 15). And churches can even get caught up in this by thinking that somehow our effective strategies or leadership acumen can produce spiritual fruit when what really empowers the church is prayer and the Word of God. Nothing wrong with being organized by good strategy, but it does not energize in the economy of God.
I told you earlier that there is so much parallel between the book of Proverbs and this passage in James. Let me list off a few more traits of the foolish person who lives by their own counsel.
• A fool is stubborn – the word translated fool 49 times in Proverbs is the word “kesil” and it literally means “thickness.” They are thick headed and stubborn. No one can tell them anything so they keep making the same mistakes. Proverbs 12:15, “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man is he who listens.”
• A fool is quick to fight – Proverbs 18:6, “A fool’s lips bring strife, and his mouth calls for blows.” Proverbs 20:3, “Keeping away from strife is an honor for a man, but any fool will quarrel.”
• A fool has loose lips – Proverbs 14:3, “In the mouth of a fool is a rod of pride, but the lips of the wise will preserve them.” Proverbs 10:9, “When there are many words, transgression is unavoidable, but he who restrains his lips is wise.” Proverbs 17:28, “Even a fool is counted wise when he holds his peace; when he shuts his lips, he is considered perceptive.”
We could keep going, but I think James is clear and Proverbs confirms that wisdom is a lifestyle and so is foolishness and the lifestyle of a fool is one who never consults God. He allows his own pride, his own deceitful heart and the enemy to capture his thoughts which in turn drives his life. James call this wisdom from below and shows us that there is no wisdom at all in living that way.
So, just in case someone might be deceived into thinking we are rocket scientists, here is the next truth…
2. A WISE PERSON CONSISTENTLY CONSULTS GOD – vs 13b, 15a, 17, 18
You probably could have guessed that one! Usually what the Bible is getting at when it talks about things being “from above” or from “on high” is a reference to God. GOD is their source for wise living. This is the person who has set their mind on the things above (to quote Scripture). So, what does that person’s life look like? Let’s let the Bible speak for itself.
He says in verse 13 that a person with godly wisdom should have a life of “good conduct.” You can’t claim to be wise and have a consistent trail of bad decisions in your wake. A person with good conduct obeys God and has a life of good works. We talked about this a few weeks ago. That our good works stem from a relationship with Jesus. So a person walking in godly wisdom lives a life above reproach and they are happy to do so.
Their life is not marked by joyless obedience, it’s marked by a righteous type of living that is attractive to others. James goes on to give some more descriptors. Look at verse 17: “But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.” Let’s look at those briefly:
Pure | This means that your life is morally blameless. There aren’t areas in your life where you would be embarrassed if others found out about. Now, this doesn’t mean you never sin, but it does mean that when you do, you’re quick to repent and ask God for help.
Peaceable | You’re what Jesus calls a “peacemaker.” You don’t walk around with clinched fists. You’re not looking for an argument. You’re not a combative person ready to engage in a verbal conflict. You’re more about reconciliation than argumentation.
Gentle and Open to Reason | You’re a humble person who doesn’t think too much of yourself. You’re meek, not weak. You have what I might call a restrained strength and patience. You don’t respond hastily, but gently. Like Jesus, who describes himself as “gentle and lowly.” No one would say Jesus was weak. We’d say he’s strong, yet gentle and restrained. The gentle person is known to say, “let’s talk about the situation and come to an agreement or better understanding.” They’re not stubborn.
Now, I think we all agree that no one hear wants to be a fool. Fools are blind to their foolishness, but hopefully, even when foolishness is exposed, they too want to repent of that and pursue God’s wisdom. And I am assuming you got up early today and yelled at your kids on the way here because you desire to know God’s wisdom. So here is the $64 million dollar question. “How Can We Get Wisdom?” I can’t say it any better than this article did that I came across, so let me give credit where credit is due to John Piper. I am going to take the liberty to give you the cliff notes.
First, desire wisdom with all your might. Proverbs 4:8: “Prize her highly and she will exalt you; she will honor you for your embrace.” These are not cheap words. To prize something and to embrace someone are signs of intense desire and love. Wisdom must be valuable for us. We must be willing to sell all in order to buy it: Seek it like silver, and search for it as for hidden treasure (Proverbs 2:4).
Second, since wisdom is found in the Word of God, we must apply ourselves in study and meditation to know the Word and do it. “The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.” (Psalm 19:7). Therefore, we must devote ourselves to know and understand the testimonies of the Lord. And here I commend not only faithful Bible study, but also regular reading of great books on theology and biblical interpretation, books that distill the wisdom of the greatest students of the word over the past 1900 years.
The third thing we should do to get wisdom is pray. Solomon was not born a wise man. He prayed for wisdom and God said, “Because you have asked this and have not asked for yourself long life or riches or the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, behold now I do according to your word” (1 Kings 3:11). And Daniel admitted that in himself he had no wisdom (Daniel 2:30), but he said, “To thee, O God of my fathers, I give thanks and praise, for thou hast given me wisdom and strength, and hast made known to me what we asked of thee” (2:23). And we have seen how Paul prayed that the churches might be given “spiritual wisdom” (Colossians 1:9) and that they might have “a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of God” (Ephesians 1:17). And finally, James puts it as clearly as we could wish: “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God” (James 1:5). The wisdom that leads to true and lasting happiness is not natural or inborn. It is supernatural. It is a gift of God. Therefore, if we would “get wisdom,” we must pray.
The fourth biblical instruction for how to get wisdom is to think frequently of your death. Or to put it another way, think of the shortness of this life and the infinite length of the next. Psalm 90:12 says, “So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.” There is scarcely any thought that will purge our priorities of vain and worldly perceptions like the thought of our imminent death.
It’s what we mean when we say that to live wisely is to live with an eternal perspective. Evaluate everything in your life, and I mean everything, in light of eternity.
Finally, there is one last, absolutely essential thing to do if you would “get wisdom:” you must come to Jesus. He said to the people of his day, “The queen of the south will arise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold something greater than Solomon is here” (Matthew 12:42). What an understatement. Greater than Solomon indeed! Solomon spoke God’s wisdom. Jesus IS the wisdom of God (1 Corinthians 1:24, 30). Others had spoken truth; he IS the truth. Others had pointed the way to life; he IS the way and the life (John 14:6).
Others had given promises, but “all the promises of God find their yes in him” (2 Corinthians 1:20). Others had offered God’s forgiveness; Jesus bought it by his death. Therefore, in him are “hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:3). To know and love and follow this Jesus is to own the treasure of ultimate and eternal happiness. Therefore, the command, “Get wisdom,” means first and foremost “Come to Jesus! Come to Jesus!” in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom.
And what the payoff for the pursuit of wisdom? Because let’s be honest, it’s a lot of hard work. The easiest thing is just to follow the natural drift of our hearts. To not fight against the current. Well, the answer to that question is where the answer to every spiritual question is – it’s in the text. Look at verse 18: “And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.” A harvest of righteousness. Righteousness is the quality of being right in the eyes of God. It’s the same idea as Proverbs 1:7 which says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” The fear of not being right in the eyes of God leads to a wise life and it also helps you avoid a lot of unnecessary heartache. Do you know what Proverbs says about the life of a person who does not care about being right in the eyes of God? Let me read it to you. Proverbs 13:15, “The way of the transgressor is hard.” And as your pastors, we don’t want that for you. But it all starts by coming to Jesus.
