Two Kinds of Wisdom (Part 1)
James 3:13-16
Preached by Pastor Tony Miano
Pico Canyon Community Church
May 13, 2001
Introduction: We find the following story in the Old Testament book of 1 Kings. King David, probably the greatest king who ever lived on the earth, had just died. His son, Solomon, who served beside his father in the last years of his life, was now the sole ruler of the nation of Israel. “In Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream at night; and God said, ‘Ask what you wish me to give you.’”
“Then Solomon said, ‘You have shown great lovingkindness to Your servant David my father, according as he walked before You in truth and righteousness and uprightness of heart toward You; and You have reserved for him this great lovingkindness, that You have given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day.’”
“Now, O Lord my God, You have made Your servant king in place of my father David, yet I am but a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in. Your servant is in the midst of Your people which You have chosen, a great people who are too many to be numbered or counted. So give Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people to discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?”
“It was pleasing in the sight of the Lord that Solomon had asked this thing” (I Kings 3:5-10).
God was so pleased with Solomon’s request for wisdom that He granted his request and gave him many things for which Solomon didn’t ask. Solomon will forever be recognized as ruling one of the wealthiest kingdoms the world has ever seen. During the forty years that Solomon ruled Israel, his wisdom was tried. His wisdom was true. And his wisdom was, sadly, treacherous as well.
Wisdom was a very important topic to the Old Testament writers and, therefore, obviously important to God who inspired the text. In fact, there are five books in the Old Testament that are classified as wisdom literature—Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Song of Solomon, and Ecclesiastes. Solomon partially or exclusively wrote four of the five books—Palms, Proverbs, Song of Solomon, and Ecclesiastes. “In the Old Testament, the words wisdom and wise appear some three hundred times, a hundred of those times in Proverbs alone” (MacArthur, p. 164).
The Bible teaches that there are two kinds of wisdom—that which is from above, and that which is from below, that which is human in nature and that which is given to man by God. Over the next two weeks we are going to finish our study of James 3. As we do that, we’re going to take a close look at these two kinds of wisdom. In the process, we will see James describe wisdom that is tried (vv. 13), wisdom that is treacherous (vv. 14-16), and wisdom that is true (vv. 17-18). This morning we’re going to study verses 13-16. But let’s begin by reading James 3:13-18.
A Wisdom That Is Tried
Again, in verse thirteen, James shows us what it looks like to try or test wisdom. James begins verse thirteen with the question, “Who among you is wise and understanding” (3:13a)? There are those who misinterpret this verse as a question to teachers only. The personal way in which the question is worded tells us that James is talking to all of his readers. Although James probably still has in mind the problem of false and inadequate teaching in the church, what he is about to say is written to be applicable to every reader, every believer.
We shouldn’t construe James’ question to be an accusation that there wasn’t anyone reading his letter that was truly wise and understanding. James isn’t being sarcastic here. James wants those in the church, whether they are teachers, leaders, or members, who claim to have superior knowledge, to identify themselves.
James’ question is a rhetorical one. He is asking his readers the question in such a way that he is expecting a “yes” answer, with maybe a hint of hesitancy, maybe one like this. “Yes, there are those among us who have the wisdom and understanding of a teacher. At least we think so.”
It will be helpful to us in trying to understand the true meaning of James’ question if we have a biblical understanding of two important words—“wise” and “understanding.” Although the two words are closely related, there is a shade of difference that is important. As we’ve seen so many times already in James’ writing, he chooses a combination of words in verse thirteen seen nowhere else in the New Testament.
The word “wise” is best understood as being knowledgeable of things “human and divine, and their causes” (Thomas, p. L30). The Jews recognized wisdom to be an attribute of God. So a person who is wise is thoughtful and has a good grasp of things. Their wisdom is practical and moral because it is based on their knowledge of the character of God.
The Greek word for “understanding,” found nowhere else in the New Testament, carries with it a similar meaning at a base level. However, the word adds something to the idea of simply being wise. An understanding person is one who not only knows their field or area of study; they also know how to apply that knowledge to real-life situations. A person who understands has knowledge that goes beyond academics. An understanding person is one that is an expert in their field. Their technical knowledge, coupled with their life experience, is what makes a person understanding.
A good example of the relationship between wisdom and understanding is seen in the relationship between a rookie officer and the training officer. For instance, when a deputy sheriff sits in a radio car for the first time, as a trainee, he or she has already gone through a very intensive, nineteen-week academy and has spent as much as 4-6 years working in the county jail system.
By the time a deputy gets to patrol he or she has acquired a great deal of knowledge about the job, far more than the average citizen. The deputy who has graduated from the academy and has worked the jail system for any length of time knows the penal code inside and out, knows the important policies and procedures of the department, and knows why having this knowledge is important. They also come out of the jails with a good, working knowledge of the way the criminal mind functions and why people do the things that they do.
But when a deputy sheriff that is new to patrol sits in the front passenger seat of a radio car, if they’re smart, is aware of the fact that their knowledge, the wisdom they’ve acquired through years of study and observation, pales in comparison to that of the person sitting in the driver’s seat. The trainee, if their attitude is right and if they’ve taken any time at all to prepare for patrol, sees the training officer as one whom, like themselves, has a significant amount of knowledge about the job. But they also see that the difference, and the difference is great, between themselves and the training officer is found in the level of experience the two bring to the table.
Whereas the trainee is knowledgeable about the job, the training officer is an expert in the field. The reason the training officer can be considered an expert is because he or she has the ability to take the knowledge they possess and use it to make good judgments, sometimes in split seconds, based on years of practical application and insight. A good training officer is wise and understanding.
After setting the stage and drawing those who profess to be wise and understanding out into the open with his question, James puts their profession to the test. James remains consistent in what he expects from his readers. In the second half of chapter two, James expected those who professed to have a genuine faith to show the reality of that faith through their good works, through the way they lived their lives. In similar fashion, James expects those who profess to be wise and understanding to prove it through what they do. James writes, “Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom” (3:13b).
The wording here in the Greek is that of a very strong and emphatic command. James is not simply requesting those who profess to be wise to exhibit that wisdom. James, in no uncertain terms, is demanding a response. The command is so strong that James is calling for a “once and for all” kind of action. For James, the issue, like so much of what James writes, is just too important to gloss over.
There were teachers and others in the church that were claiming to be wise and understanding while directing people to shun the poor, and teaching them to look at the way they talked about their faith to be sufficient evidence of their faith. These same people were also very quick to acknowledge themselves as teachers and leaders. James could probably see the church heading in the same direction that so many errant or false churches are heading today, because they follow leadership that are not really teachers of the Word of God.
God’s Word doesn’t specifically require a formal, theological education for pastors, elders, and teachers. But any church or organization that looks upon such instruction with disdain, or looks at such instruction as some kind of impediment to genuine and practical ministry, runs the risk of raising up pastors and teachers who will one day lead their flocks away from the teaching of God’s Word, to whatever pragmatic methodology is popular at the time.
Some would call this move away from teaching as being “culturally relevant.” I would call it a mistake. There is nothing more relevant to the needs of our society than what God’s Word has to teach our society—our need to repent of our sins and our need for the Savior. Our society, now more than ever before, needs more churches committed to teaching the Word of God.
James insists that wisdom and understanding, which is tried and true, is exhibited through a person’s good conduct. Remember, true wisdom is based on one’s knowledge of God’s character. It’s also important that we don’t forget what James has taught up to this point. Genuine faith is not a result of our good behavior. Just the opposite is true.
I don’t want anyone to misunderstand what James is saying. He’s not giving anyone an opportunity to tout his or her own perceived goodness. Without genuine faith, it is not possible to know the character of God. And unless one knows the character of God, they will not truly be wise and understanding. They may think themselves wise in their own estimation, but not in God’s estimation.
What does James mean by good conduct? The Greek word James uses for “conduct” can also be translated as “life.” The word can be used in either a good or bad sense. Paul uses the same word in Galatians 1:13. Paul wrote, “For you have heard of my former manner of life in Judaism, how I used to persecute the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it.” Here, Paul uses the word to describe the way his life was before Christ saved him from his sin.
The apostle Peter uses the word several times. In 1 Peter 2:12 he uses it to speak of excellent behavior. Peter wrote, “Keep your behavior excellent [or have good conduct] among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation.”
The point James is making is that “it is our acts of obedience to God, [not to impress ourselves or other men], performed consistently day after day, that make up the ‘good conduct’ of the wise person” (Moo, p. 170). James uses the word “good” in the sense of that which is noble, praiseworthy, and even attractive. And the deeds we do should reflect that God-honoring, good and noble conduct.
James ends the test of wisdom with the words, “in the gentleness of wisdom.” The word “gentleness” can also be translated as “humility” or “meekness.” James is putting his emphasis on the humility of the one who professes to be wise. Sadly, words like humility, gentleness, and meekness are wrongly associated with weakness in today’s culture. In no way is James saying that those who are truly wise are weak.
A wisdom that is tried or tested is one that is strong through its humility. Jesus certainly was not weak. But listen to His words in Matthew 11:29. “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Jesus, in the Sermon on the Mount, encouraged his followers to make this attitude their own. In Matthew 5:5 we read, “Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.”
Wisdom is seen through the gentleness of a person. An example of this is a person who is in control, regardless of the situation. This is especially important to the life and health of the church, where there is always the danger of church members’ pride or self-assessed wisdom creating dissension within the church body.
Wisdom, if it is godly wisdom, will pass the humility test. In his commentary on this last phrase in verse thirteen, theologian Douglas Moo wrote, “This Christian meekness, or humility, comes from understanding our position as sinful creatures in relationship to the glorious and majestic God. It recognizes how unable we are in and of ourselves to achieve spiritual fulfillment or to chart our own course in the world. And this humility before God should translate into humility toward others” (Moo, p. 170).
A Wisdom That Is Treacherous
James begins verse fourteen with the word “but.” In this case, the word means that James is about to make a contrast with what he just described. He goes directly to describing what wisdom looks like when it lacks the humility he just talked about. And this kind of wisdom can be described as a wisdom that is treacherous.
James writes, “But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart.” James’ use of the word “if” in this sentence tells us that what James is about to describe is something that he assumed to be true among some of those in the church who claimed to be wise and understanding. His assumption was that some who claimed to be teachers in the church had bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in their hearts.
The first of the two characteristics of treacherous wisdom that James uses to make his point is “bitter jealousy.” We can draw fairly accurate meanings of these words, by what we see on the surface.
Certainly we can think of times when we have either seen these words in action, or when we have been the person putting them to use. Who among us has not been bitter some time in our life? Or who among us hasn’t been jealous about the gifts, talents, or possessions of others? Be very careful if you’re thinking of raising your hand. This building is not equipped with a lightning rod.
Beyond the obvious meaning of these words, however, is an underlying definition that applies directly to members of the Christian church. The Greek word for “bitter,” pikros, which James used to describe salty water in verse eleven, has several related meanings. The word also means, “sharp, pointed, and harsh.” Anyone of these accurately helps to convey what James is saying here.
We see the word “bitter” used in conjunction with jealousy, which is translated from the Greek word zelos. From this word, we also get the English word “zealous.” The word “zealous is found throughout Scripture as a negative term. But it can also be used in a positive sense.
After Jesus cleansed the temple by overturning the tables of the moneychangers, his disciples remembered the words of Psalm 69:9. We see the verse quoted in John 2:17. “His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for Your house will consume me.”
Paul wrote in his second letter to the Corinthian church that he was comforted by Titus’ report about how the Corinthians felt a positive sense of zeal toward Paul. 2 Corinthians 7:7b says, “As [Titus] reported to us your longing, your mourning, your zeal for me.”
In the same letter, Paul defends his apostleship before his readers. In doing so, Paul uses the same Greek word when he writes, “For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy” (2 Corinthians 11:2a).
Considering the context of the passage, and the audience James is writing to—believers that are dealing with the issue of false teaching or poor leadership within the church, we can look at the words “bitter jealousy” to mean “harsh zeal.” In this verse, James uses the word “jealousy” or “zeal” in a negative sense.
I was once a person who had a harsh zeal when it came to my faith in Christ, and this is what it looked like. In fact, I shared this Wednesday night during our Shepherd group Bible study. When I came to faith in Christ, I was fired up. I had found salvation in the Lord, and I didn’t have to rely on the prayers of anyone else. I didn’t have to confess to a man in order to receive forgiveness from God. There was freedom in knowing I couldn’t earn heaven.
I was on fire and I couldn’t wait to tell people how blessed I was and how screwed up they were. I was very zealous about my newfound faith in Christ. Now, there isn’t necessarily anything wrong with being zealous about our faith in Christ, unless that zeal becomes bitter or harsh. As a new believer, I was harsh in my stance for the biblical Christian faith. Looking back on those early days of my Christian walk, I can see how others might have perceived that I looked down on them if they didn’t believe the way I did.
I can understand people thinking that way, because I did look down on them. In my zeal to share my Christian faith, I alienated anyone who didn’t agree with me by responding harshly to his or her rejection of the gospel.
D. Edmond Hiebert put it well when he wrote, “Religious zeal or ‘enthusiasm’ for God and truth is a commendable attitude, but the subtleties of sinful human nature can readily pervert it into bitter antagonism against those who do not express their adherence to God and His truth in the same way we do” (Hiebert, p. 206). We do a disservice to Christ and to His gospel when we distort the message through our offensive behavior. 1 Corinthians 1:18 says, “For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” It’s one thing to offend someone with the truth of God’s Word. It’s something else entirely when we offend people with our behavior. One is biblical. The other is sinful.
I want to be very clear at this point. James is not calling for an arbitrary acceptance of people from other faiths and beliefs, as brothers and sisters. He is addressing the issue, not unlike he did with the issue of favoritism toward the rich, the issue of looking down on others who don’t look or think like his readers.
It seems—let me rephrase that—there is a move afoot within the Christian church to look at other religions, other faiths that do not hold to the essential truths of biblical Christianity, as brothers and sisters in the Lord.
Leaders in the Christian faith are calling for Christians to overlook the differences we have with other religions, even if they deny the deity of Christ, the Trinity, the sufficiency of Scripture, or that we are saved by the grace of God alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.
This push for ecumenical relationships with other religions is contrary to Scripture. We should not desert the truth of the gospel in order to foster relationships with those who follow a different gospel. When the church does this, when the church sets aside its willingness to discern between truth and error, the message is that we are more willing to please men than to please God.
Listen to the words of the apostle Paul, to the believers in the area of Galatia. “I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed!”
“As we said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed! For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ” (Galatians 1:6-10).
In verse 14, James’ concern was not that the early church was embracing false religions, churches, and teachers. His focus, his concern was that there were those within the church that were treating others, believer and unbeliever alike, with bitter jealousy, with harsh zeal.
Scripture doesn’t call for us to set aside the truth in order to reach out to those who follow a different gospel, in order to establish relationships with those outside the faith. What we are to set aside is any kind of harshness or bitterness we may feel toward those we are trying to reach with gospel.
There needs to be a balance. There needs to be more wisdom in the church. There is a need for balance between always maintaining the integrity of our message, while doing so without looking at everyone outside the church as the enemy. If we treat those of other faiths, unbelievers, with harshness, out of our zeal to guard the truth, or if we set aside the truth in order to foster a spirit of acceptance toward unbelievers, will we ever actually reach them with the truth of the gospel? Those of you who know me well know that I am not one to sit on the fence when it comes to issues involving the church. But I think what we’re talking about here is a case where it is unhealthy to be too extreme on either side of the fence.
It will do us well to remember that, as believers, we have been called by God to go and make disciples of every nation (cf. Matthew 28:19). If we look at those who do not believe, as we do, who do not look to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, as enemies, will we ever truly reach out to them with the gospel?
We should not look at unbelievers as enemies, but as a mission field. Each religion, group, or point of view represents a mission field in need of workers, in need of believers that are willing to bring these people the truth of the gospel.
When we set aside the differences and assume we have more in common with other faiths than we do, or when we allow a “holier than thou” attitude to cause us to look at others with a harsh zeal, we miss an untold number of opportunities to work the harvest and see the Lord bring others into the kingdom.
This idea of a harsh, religious zeal is closely related to a second characteristic of treacherous wisdom. It’s selfish ambition. “Selfish ambition” is translated from a single Greek word. In secular Greek literature, it often referred to someone who sought political office by any means, scrupulous or otherwise. It’s a word we can certainly use to describe much of the political climate in our own country today.
Prior to the New Testament, the only known use of the word was by none other than Aristotle. He used it in reference to political factions whose only concern was their own agendas. It’s likely that James had this meaning in mind when he wrote his letter. We’ve already seen that there were those in the church who played favorites. So it’s reasonable to conclude, and James also assumed, that there were those who used what they thought of as wisdom and understanding to cause bitter disputes and contentions within the church. Those who operated this way were not interested in helping the church, but in using their unbiblical form of wisdom for their own gratification, no matter who they hurt.
James adds the phrase “in your heart” to show that the problem he saw in the church was not just one of practices, or even due to the immaturity of the church and its leadership. Their problem reflected a heart condition that was both harsh and selfish, and it exposed the wisdom they claimed to have as being from a source other than the Holy Spirit.
James tells his readers to deal with this heart issue that translates into a treacherous kind of wisdom, with a double command. “Do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth.” James is demanding that his readers cease and desist from activities that were happening at the time he wrote the letter.
The arrogance James is talking about refers to the kind that boasts about superiority—superiority in wisdom and understanding. There were those among whom James addressed that took pride and put confidence in what they thought was genuine wisdom from God.
What James is saying here agrees with the teaching of the prophet Jeremiah, whom James’ readers were certainly familiar with. Jeremiah spoke on behalf of the Lord when he wrote, “Thus says the Lord, ‘Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me’” (Jeremiah 9:23-24a).
What we see in verse fourteen with these two commands is cause and effect. The arrogance of some of James’ readers, regarding wisdom and understanding, caused them to lie about the truth of the gospel through their actions. If the kind of wisdom James’ readers were bragging about was the kind that saw unbelievers as enemies, or the kind that causes them to aspire to be teachers for no other reason than to see their names in lights, so to speak, then they were to stop claiming to be teachers of God’s Word because their actions were in total contradiction to the truth of the Word.
Remember again what James wrote in 1:17, “Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.” In 1:5, James indicates that God is the One who provides true and godly wisdom. Let’s keep these verses in mind as we look at James 3:15. James begins by saying, “This wisdom is not that which comes down from above.”
The treacherous wisdom James has described thus far is not that which can be considered one of those good and perfect gifts from God the Father. To make sure that there is no misunderstanding on the part of his readers as to what he is saying here, James uses three very descriptive words to emphasize his point that a treacherous wisdom, the kind of wisdom that lacks humility and is harsh, selfish, arrogant, and contrary to the gospel is not from God.
James first declares that a treacherous wisdom is “earthly.” In other words, this kind of wisdom is limited to the earthly realm. There is nothing about it that will last beyond this world. It’s not so much the fact that this wisdom is earthly that makes it bad. It’s when people claim that this kind of wisdom, which does not find its origin in heaven, is from God when it’s not.
James also describes the bad or treacherous form of wisdom as “natural.” The Greek word here is more literally translated as “unspiritual.” This kind of wisdom has nothing in it that is from the Holy Spirit. It is human in its nature. What we see James pointing out here is “that the activity of false teachers, this self-righteous name-calling, is [just] a façade that is the result of the very natural . . . and unspiritual desire for personal status and prestige” (Nystrom, p. 208).
Third, James describes a treacherous wisdom as being “demonic.” James uses an adjective in the Greek that is found nowhere else in the New Testament. Paul understood this kind of false wisdom. In his first letter to Timothy, Paul wrote, “But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron” (1 Timothy 4:1-2).
James is fully aware of the fact that there is a spirit realm. And in that realm there are demons—demons whose purpose it is to interfere with and harm the fellowship and union of the church. Demons accomplish this through the false teaching of arrogant men.
The last thing James teaches his readers about a treacherous wisdom is the resulting affect it has on those who are touched by it. In verse sixteen, James writes, “For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing.” James begins verse sixteen by reminding his readers about what false wisdom looks like. It is harsh and ambitious, causing strife within the body of Christ. James speaks in very broad terms in order to tell his readers that this kind of wisdom, which is not from God, cause many different bad results.
The Greek word James uses for “disorder” is the same word he used to describe the instability of a double-minded person in verse 1:8, and the restlessness of a double-speaking tongue in verse 3:8. Part of the result from relying on wisdom we think is from God, or worse, we claim to be from God, when it is little more than our own attempt to vent our bitter jealousy or promote our own agendas through selfish ambition, is chaos. Is there a better description than chaotic for a life marked by instability, restlessness, and disorder? “Instead of promoting harmony, this [so-called kind of] ‘wisdom’ causes disruption and unruliness; instead of creating closer fellowship among the members [of the church], it destroys it. Such’wisdom’ cannot be from God” (Hiebert, 209).
I think all of us will do well to take a close look at the decisions we’re making and hold them up to the light of the truth James is teaching us. Sometimes it’s very easy for us to convince ourselves that the choices we make are a result of the wisdom God has given us. Is it really?
I think we’re on pretty shaky ground when we convince ourselves and try to convince those around us that God is in our plans, that God approves of our actions, when the field of our lives is littered with the debris of instability, restlessness, and disorder. Our God is not a God of confusion. If you find yourself confused, if you find yourself vacillating between decisions or constantly justifying or rationalizing behavior, it is a mistake to say that the wisdom you are operating under is from God. What it really is, is a wisdom created in your own mind, devoid of the Holy Spirit, and fertile ground for the enemy to do his destructive work.
And that brings us to James’ second broad category. The result of a wisdom born out of jealousy and selfish ambition is that it leads to “every evil thing.” The Greek word translated here as “thing” is pragma. From this word we also get the English word “pragmatic” or “pragmatism.”
Although it is translated here as thing, we can find it used elsewhere to represent practices, works, and deeds. James combines this word with the word “evil.” This idea of evil carries with it the sense of “good-for-nothingness” (Trench, quoted in MacArthur, p. 176, and Hiebert, p. 210). It is the opposite of good. We should expect nothing truly good—good, that is, from God’s perspective—to come from a wisdom that has man’s pragmatic, meet the needs of the moment, “if it works today it must be from God” philosophy, as its driving force.
To be pragmatic is to come up with a practical solution to an issue. Pragmatism, in and of itself, isn’t necessarily and evil thing. Where the church errs, however, is when it makes the assumption that man’s practicality, even when it comes from within the church and from church leaders, automatically translates into heaven-sent wisdom from God.
How about each of us as individuals? We can be pretty pragmatic in our decision-making, cant’ we? We are constantly looking for practical solutions to life’s everyday problems and situations. We want practical solutions, so we tell ourselves, to issues that we face in our relationships—with our spouses, our children, our friends. We want practical solutions, so we tell ourselves, to issues that we face in the work place—decisions involving ethics and morality.
We say that we want God’s wisdom to make these critical life decisions, yet when God’s Word, which is pure wisdom from above, clearly tells us to restore a relationship and not destroy it, we refuse to follow the truth because, in our mind, it’s impractical. This situation is “different.” We say we want God’s wisdom, yet when God’s Word clearly tells us not to steal, lie, or cheat to get ahead in business, we refuse to follow the truth because, in our mind, it’s impractical. This situation is “different.”
Friends, the problem is not in the practicality of God’s Word. The problem is with our own minds. The problem is that when we find God’s Word to be impractical, it is because we are choosing to operate under wisdom from below, not from above.
What James is teaching here, as is the case with the rest of his letter, is so important. There are people in churches around the world this morning, maybe even here this morning that profess to have a saving faith in Jesus Christ. They also profess to be navigating through life by the power of God’s wisdom. If you are that person, do not take what James is saying lightly.
If you claim to be living by faith with wisdom and understanding that comes from God, but you are living a life that proudly boasts about this supposed wisdom, then you may want to rethink your claim. If the “wise” decisions you make have “what’s in it for me” as a criteria, you may want to reconsider where your wisdom really comes from and how genuine your faith is. The same is true if your life reflects a worldly, unspiritual, and self-serving attitude. You can call it faith if you want, but, as James rightly said, you are lying against the truth of the gospel and lying to yourself.
Next week we will study James’ definition of godly wisdom, that wisdom from above. But you don’t have to, and you shouldn’t, wait until then to begin living according to the truth of God’s Word and the genuine wisdom it contains. Even the strongest, most mature believer falls prey to earthly wisdom. None of us are immune.
If you think you’ve reached the point in your spiritual life where you need not concern yourself with the things James’ letter has taught us today, then that should be a clear sign for you that you’ve stopped living your life according to God’s wisdom and you’ve decided to strike out on your own. Having a better understanding of what the wrong kind of wisdom looks like and the chaos it can create in our lives should help us better recognize that kind of false wisdom and recognize those times when we try to disguise it as being from God.
Let each of us leave here this morning committed to trusting in God and the stability and security His wisdom provides. Proverbs 3:5-6 is a well-known passage of Scripture. It says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” These are very wise and practical words for us. But let us not forget the wise counsel and instruction of verse seven. “Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and turn away from evil.”
