Heavenly & Worldly Wisdom

Good morning family, I pray you had a blessed week! This morning we are going to be turning to the third chapter of the book of James. Our topic today is wisdom…the difference between heavenly wisdom and worldly wisdom. I don’t know about you, but my desire is to become wise! Except, what kind of wisdom are we talking about? How many of us know, there are many different types of wisdom! For example, if I desired to build a rocket engine, I would need to learn and become wise about advanced mathematics and aeronautics. It is the fruit of that wisdom that will allow me to build a rocket engine. Another example, if it were my desire to design a new car, I would need to become wise in a myriad of fields, related to design and automobiles…the fruit of that wisdom would allow me to design a new car.

Similar to that, the wisdom from above bears heavenly fruit; but the same is true with worldly wisdom.

Lastly, before we read our passage, a couple of good things to remember, as we examine our passage is that the book of James was written to Jews, who had put their faith in Christ. In the technical sense, James is considered an epistle, or a letter, similar to those of the apostle Paul. However, unlike most of Paul’s letters (or epistles), James is not writing to a specific person or a specific church. The book of James (written by the brother of Jesus) is more like (what we would call) an “open letter” to the early Jewish converts to Christianity. Additionally, James can almost be looked at as a series of small sermons, all packaged together, into one book.

James 3: 13-18 (NASB)

13 Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth. 15 This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic. 16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing. 17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peace-loving, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial, free of hypocrisy. 18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

I. Heavenly Wisdom vs Worldly Wisdom

These few passages in the book of James does a great job of outlining the type of wisdom that we (as followers of Christ) should be seeking after, but it also tell us the type of fruit that results in that wisdom. In fact, the Lexham Bible Dictionary defines wisdom as the:

The Lexham Bible Dictionary Wisdom

practical skills associated with understanding and living a successful life

On the flip side, these passages also detail the wisdom that is born from our own ability, or worse, from the very enemy of our souls. Let’s look at the character qualities and the resulting fruit of both worldly wisdom, and heavenly wisdom.

Here we go:

James opens up by asking a question of the audience…

“Who among you is wise?” That’s quite the loaded question! I’m not sure I would raise my hand on that one! I learned long ago, whenever a teacher or professor poses a question like that…you do not respond!

In all honesty though, James is asking a rhetorical question, one that is not meant to be answered. He then says…listen, if you think you are wise, then your life ought to line up with the character of Christ. Your behavior, thoughts and actions should be marked by gentleness. Then, starting in vs. 14, James begins to first address worldly wisdom.

A. Character Qualities of Worldly Wisdom (vs. 14-15)

14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth. 15 This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic.

Taking into account our definition of wisdom: “the practical skills associated with understanding and living a successful life,” it’s pretty clear that these do not line up. James lists 2 types of worldly wisdom:

1. Jealousy

Jealousy is nasty! Even the “big 10” talk about the dangers of jealousy/covetousness…i.e., wanting what others have.

Exodus 20:17

““You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife or his male servant or his female servant or his ox or his donkey or anything that belongs to your neighbor.””

Obviously, here in the US, there isn’t too much ox covetousness…however, the same probably can’t be said for the “neighbor’s wife,” but that is a different sermon for a different day! Point being, God is not pleased when we are jealous. When we long for something that is not ours. For those of you who might be saying to yourselves...”but that’s the O.T.,” I’ve got some bad news.

Romans 7:7

“What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? May it never be! On the contrary, I would not have come to know sin except through the Law; for I would not have known about coveting if the Law had not said, “You shall not covet.””

Paul reaffirms this idea in the N.T. Here in Romans Ch. 7, Paul is addressing the O.T. law (like the 10 commandments). In fact, all but 1 of the 10 commandments are reaffirmed in the N.T., throughout the various passages. You will have to do some research to find out which one is not reaffirmed.

2. Selfishness

Referred to as “selfish ambition.”

If you are a parent, then you know just how natural selfishness is to human nature. A child does not have to be taught how to be selfish; from the very moment of birth, it is all about them. Of course, part of this is how a baby lets mom know when they are hungry. Pretty soon though, that turns into not wanting to share their toys and if not corrected, those selfish tendencies can cause that person and those around them a lot of pain. This is why the Bible speaks so strongly against this attitude.

Philippians 2:3

“Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves;”

Hebrews–Revelation Comment

James here describes a prideful inner desire to promote oneself or one’s personal concerns without reference to God or the genuine needs of others. James’s words serve as an audit of the heart, inviting repentance from sin and renewed reliance on Christ’s righteousness.

Both selfishness and jealousy are and have always been widespread in society. They, most definitely, are not the type of wisdom that comes from our Heavenly Father.

Now, as we are moving forward, James begins to describe the result or the fruit of the aforementioned worldly wisdom.

B. Fruit of Worldly Wisdom (vs.16)

16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing.

When a person is full of jealousy and selfishness, James lays out 2 resulting fruits:

1. Disorder

When we experience disorder in our lives, everything seems chaotic and out of sorts. Disorder is the opposite of what God would have for

us. In fact, in the very beginning, before God spoke order into the universe, disorder and chaos reigned supreme. When jealousy and selfishness are driving us, we can expect our lives to be difficult and out of order. Imagine if God did not come along and speak order into that chaos and disorder? We would not be here today, that is for sure.

I’ve found that when things in my life are out of order, it causes me to worry. Imagine that your boss told you to write up a report and present it to a crowd of potential customers. So, you write the report and all is good, until it is time to present the report…but your office is a mess and you have no idea where you put it…oh, and the copier is down. That might cause some panic...

Well, similar to that when our lives are marked by disorder and chaos, often times, the result can be anxiousness or fear.

Psalm 94:19

“When my anxious thoughts multiply within me, Your consolations delight my soul.”

2. Evil Pervades

James says that there is disorder and “every evil thing.” This means that the fruit of worldly wisdom produces pervasive evil…not a good thing for those who profess Christ.

In my 20’s I went through T.C. During the fall harvest season, one of my jobs was to load up on a bus (very early) every morning and head to an apple orchard. I was assigned to pick apples at the top of the trees. I would strap on my basket and grab my ladder, climbing up and down trees all day long…it was terrible! Anyway, part of my job was to inspect the apples, before putting them in my basket. Over time a person can get pretty good at this, especially when you know what you are looking for. What was I looking for? Why did I have to inspect the apples first? Well, before putting the apple in the basket, where it would now be in contact with other apples, we had to make sure that it was not infested or diseased. How can you tell if the fruit is rotten on the inside, from looking on the outside? Well, it’s pretty easy to the trained eye. You look for small holes in the exterior skin. If there were no holes, I put it in the basket. If there was a hole, I tossed it on the ground, as a set of workers (who worked on the ground would then come by and scoop them up for further inspection.

You see, the fruit of the apple was good, as long as nothing pierced the outside, but as soon as the skin was pierced…the fruit become rotten, and the apple rotted from the inside-out, not the other way around.

The wisdom of the world is always seeking to get inside out minds, seeking to corrupt us…and it usually happens from the inside out. What may just start out as a small compromise, can eventually turn into evil pervading our lives.

Thankfully, it’s not all bad news though. Just as God spoke order and life into the universe, He can do the same into our lives. Better than that though, how about we not get to that place. How about we seek and desire the wisdom from above, as described by James, as we finish up our passage today.

B. Character Qualities of Heavenly Wisdom (vs. 17)

17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peace-loving, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial, free of hypocrisy.

In God’s word, when a passage starts with the word “but” (with one T), this means: instead of or, in direct contrast to.

So, verse 17 opens up by saying, instead of seeking or in direct contrast to worldly wisdom, we should pursue the wisdom that comes from the Father. Of course, the perfect example of this type of wisdom is found in our savior. Jesus is the perfect picture of heavenly wisdom. He stands in direct contradiction to the wisdom of the world. James lists 3 character qualities of heavenly wisdom:

1. Gentle

True gentleness is cultivating a softness of heart toward others. It means that we care for others…this is the opposite of selfishness.

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.”

2. Forgiving

Heavenly wisdom means not holding onto offence and hurt. Who modeled this better than Christ himself? Christ taught forgiveness and lived as an example of His teaching. When Peter asked Jesus how many times he must forgive someone who has wronged him, Jesus replied:

Matthew 18:22

“Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.”

Of course, Jesus is not intending to give a set number. The intention behind this answer was to tell Peter that we must live a life of forgiveness, it must be a part of who we are. Forgiveness is not just an occasional act, it is how we live. We do not become easily offended.

3. Authentic

Authentic means that we are the same, regardless of our surroundings.

Jesus was the very picture of authenticity. He did not put on “airs” trying to impress those around Him. We can all be guilty of being inauthentic and acting one way at church, but another way at home. This is not born of heavenly wisdom.

Matthew 6:1

““Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.”

Jesus is talking about why we do what we do…Jesus uses the example of prayer and giving in this section of Matthew 6. A life marked by authenticity does not try to impress those around them. Not only that, but we keep our motives pure before the Lord!

C. The Fruit of Heavenly Wisdom (vs. 18)

James closes out by saying: (vs 18). The wisdom we receive from God and His word is not jealous or selfish. It does not result in disorder and evil. Rather, heavenly wisdom, marked by gentleness, forgiveness and authenticity results in:

18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

1. Peace

How many of us would enjoy some more peace in our lives? Well, I’ve got some good news for those of you who live out the character qualities of heavenly wisdom! Jesus offers us peace.

John 14:27

“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.”

In Jn. 14, Jesus is speaking with His disciples and is getting ready to face the torture of the cross. He lets the guys know what is about to happen. Naturally, they are not ready to hear this. We are offered that same peace, through the Holy Spirit. Despite trouble, God offers peace.

2. Righteousness

The word “righteousness” is kind of a “Christianesse” word. We in the church often say it, but in reality, I think we often forget what it actually means.

“the quality of being morally right or justifiable.”

Similar to that of forgiveness, righteousness is less about a specific action and more about the way you live. It is the quality of being right in the eyes of God, including our attitudes and actions. Righteousness is the fruit of gaining heavenly wisdom.

Like all heavenly wisdom, righteousness comes from knowing God’s word.

2 Timothy 3:16 “

All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;”

I suppose I’ll close by asking the question again: “Who among you is wise?” You know what? I still wouldn’t raise my hand!

In these few passages, in the 3rd chapter of the book of James, we are given some great wisdom. James tells us just how beneficial Heavenly wisdom can be in our day to day lives. He also makes is clear that the world also offers us its own wisdom. The question before us today is

What is it that you want in life? What kind of fruit do you seek? Do you seek of fruit of righteousness and peace or the fruit of disorder and chaos? If righteousness and peace if what you are after, then God’s word is your key to getting there! If disorder and chaos are your choice…then, if I were you, I would stay far away from scripture. I am trusting that we all desire the heavenly wisdom that James is referring to.

My challenge for all of us today is to

Inspect your own fruit:

Is your fruit the result of heavenly wisdom? If not,

2. Make way for new fruit

Clear out that bad fruit, repent if necessary and begin to pursue God’s word and God’s will for your life. By doing that, you will begin to grow and the result will be the fruit of peace and righteousness.

Of course, I would be remiss (when talking about fruit) to not close us out with the ultimate “fruit” passages. The great thing, whenever we are feeling that disorder in our lives, we can turn to God’s word for answers.

Galatians 5:22–23

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”

This right here is good fruit, the result of the heavenly wisdom that James is talking about!