James 3:13-18
Notes
Transcript
James 3:13-18
James 3:13-18
Good morning Church! Very excited about our continued study in the book of James this morning. I feel like I need to apologize up front, because I know that some of you guys have got this down, and we could probably cover this little book in just a couple of messages. But, what is happening is I start out with great big optimistic plans and then as I begin going through the next section, that section of the Scripture begins to go through me. As it does, it examines me and as much as I’ve wanted to move on ahead, the Lord has told me, no you need to slow down here and let my Word have it’s way in YOU. That I wouldn’t just be a hearer of the Word, or even a knower, or under-stander of the Word, but the Lord has said here’s what I’m talking about, and now I want to see this in you.
So that has kept me from plowing ahead, or covering multiple issues. I mentioned that some compare the book of James to the Proverbs as describe it as a bunch of disjointed instructions to us. And this book is full of instructions. For every verse in James there is half as many imperative commands. I disagree completely however that it is disjointed.
When we began this journey I mentioned the emphasis that James places on faith and works or faith with works, but if I had to summarize this book, it would be something to the effect of “This is what a real Christian looks like.” There is nothing in the book of James that supports the kind of questions we often hear from seekers…Can I become a Christian and still do this or still do that? The religion James describes is one that requires that we all can say as he says, James 1:1
1 James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad: Greetings.
That Jesus would be the boss and we would be the servant. That He would instruct, that He would direct, and if our ways ever conflict with His ways, we yield. James basically says a real Christian is all in, and anything else, just isn’t real, it isn’t a real faith. That all sounds good, now this is a little embarrassing to admit, but there have been times in my life that I have struggled to discern, found it hard to know…if this was God leading me, or me leading me...
How can we know? How can we know if the great new business idea we have is a revelation from the Lord, or some weird combination of bad pepperoni mixed with a little bit of greed, jealously, or covetousness? How can we know if she’s the one? If he’s the one? The bible tells us the heart is a deceiver, but there is so much in the bible about wisdom. James tells us that there are two types of wisdom. Earthly wisdom, or the wisdom of the world, and there is Heavenly wisdom that comes from God. So how do we get that? Remember he hinted at this in the first chapter...
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.
Well, I guess that‘s a bit more than a hint, it’s an instruction manual. If you want this, do that. There are several examples of wisdom in the bible. The Scriptures tell us Jesus is both the power of God and the wisdom of God. All the more reason to seek after Jesus. In another spot it says that in Him are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. We read about Daniel, Jacob and Joseph, men like David. Deborah was a Judge, there was the wise woman of Tekoa from 2 Samuel chapter 14, and the wise woman of Abel that we read about in 2 Samuel chapter 20.
But the best example we have of asking for wisdom, like James tells us to is found in the life of Solomon. Let’s look at it together in 1 Kings chapter 3.
1 Now Solomon made a treaty with Pharaoh king of Egypt, and married Pharaoh’s daughter; then he brought her to the City of David until he had finished building his own house, and the house of the Lord, and the wall all around Jerusalem.
2 Meanwhile the people sacrificed at the high places, because there was no house built for the name of the Lord until those days.
3 And Solomon loved the Lord, walking in the statutes of his father David, except that he sacrificed and burned incense at the high places.
4 Now the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the great high place: Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on that altar.
5 At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, “Ask! What shall I give you?”
6 And Solomon said: “You have shown great mercy to Your servant David my father, because he walked before You in truth, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with You; You have continued this great kindness for him, and You have given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day.
7 Now, O Lord my God, You have made Your servant king instead of my father David, but I am a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in.
8 And Your servant is in the midst of Your people whom You have chosen, a great people, too numerous to be numbered or counted.
9 Therefore give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?”
10 The speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing.
11 Then God said to him: “Because you have asked this thing, and have not asked long life for yourself, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have asked the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern justice,
12 behold, I have done according to your words; see, I have given you a wise and understanding heart, so that there has not been anyone like you before you, nor shall any like you arise after you.
13 And I have also given you what you have not asked: both riches and honor, so that there shall not be anyone like you among the kings all your days.
Solomon asked for wisdom and God opened the vault. Giving him far beyond what he asked for.
If you keep reading his story, about his power and his riches it is truly amazing, but look at what the bible tells us about his wisdom in 1 Kings chapter 4
29 And God gave Solomon wisdom and exceedingly great understanding, and largeness of heart like the sand on the seashore.
30 Thus Solomon’s wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the men of the East and all the wisdom of Egypt.
31 For he was wiser than all men—than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, Chalcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol; and his fame was in all the surrounding nations.
32 He spoke three thousand proverbs, and his songs were one thousand and five.
33 Also he spoke of trees, from the cedar tree of Lebanon even to the hyssop that springs out of the wall; he spoke also of animals, of birds, of creeping things, and of fish.
34 And men of all nations, from all the kings of the earth who had heard of his wisdom, came to hear the wisdom of Solomon.
Take note, that when the Lord describes it, He says He gave Solomon a wise and understanding heart.
With that background....let’s pray.
James begins this section, chapter 3, verse 13 with this.
13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom.
If you recall, this chapter began speaking about teachers. Hopefully, our teachers would fit this definition, but I’ll remind you that James isn’t just writing to teachers. He’s writing to Christians. In his immediate circumstances, Jewish Christians, but by extension he is writing to all of us. Especially, those of us who lack wisdom and have asked God for some.
Have you ever thought about the ways that we measure, evaluate, or even judge wisdom? Somehow I think we relate it to power and prestige. Maybe it’s by what letters someone has before or after their name. Such as a doctor of medicine or a doctor of philosophy, although I’ve met plenty of both kinds that I wasn’t impressed with. We might equate someone’s wisdom by how many followers or students of whatever their selling are hanging around.
It shouldn’t really surprise us, that James says, wisdom is seen in our works. What we do, and how we conduct ourselves. Letters don’t matter, degrees aren’t the formula, James is telling us that there is a difference between knowledge and wisdom. Knowledge is simply the accumulation of raw facts. Wisdom in the eyes of the world is knowing what to do with knowledge, or that application of knowledge. Real wisdom is the ability to see those raw facts, to see people, to see situations, to see things as God sees them, that is real knowledge.
And James is saying the one that is wise will live in such a way that it is observable. He goes on, and for me, this is supper helpful, but he goes on to tell us what real wisdom does not look like. I say it’s helpful, because I don’t know if you’ve ever noticed how often a set of instructions, or maybe a policy and procedure manual can seem so clear when you read it, so helpful, until you have a situation that just doesn’t fit.
Now I’ve had plenty of people point out to me what wisdom from above looks like. I’ve done it with several of you. Telling you that I use the last part of this chapter as a filter to help me make decisions and to know what the wise thing to do is in the eyes of God. This is why the full counsel of God is so important. Because we can read things like this…wisdom from above is first pure…then peaceable…and convince ourselves that our dumb decision was God’s fault…so James first tells us, this is what Godly wisdom doesn’t look like. So he gives us both pans of the scale…to truly measure things by. Verse 14...
Check it out…James 3:14
14 But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth.
OK this is part of what convinced me that James is not just a dog-pile of separate non-connected nuggets. If we approach the book in that way, then we look at the end of this chapter as a decoder ring. Here are my choices, where do they fit on this chart. But if we understand that this book is all about “This is what a real deal Christian looks like…then we understand that faith isn’t just a mental decision, but it manifests itself in action. True belief makes us want to do stuff for Jesus! Chapter 3 begins with the warning that not everyone should become teachers because there is a stricter judgement.
He goes on to say what the real Christian should sound like. Because his speech should reflect his changed heart. And then verse 13 brings us back that a wise man or woman will live a life that reflects that. So, I’ve come to change my perspective on this passage a little bit. It is more than just a decoder ring, or a check list to help us discern wisdom.
Building upon what James has been saying, if we have a real saving faith, our lives are going to scream that testimony out of every area of our lives. This chapter tells us that the tongue is a fire, that it can’t be tamed by a man, that the tongue is the megaphone of the heart. That if anyone doesn’t stumble in word then he or she is a perfect man. How many of them have there been? One! The God-Man, Jesus Christ. So our only hope of ever caging our tongue, I think last week I said a heart transplant. Right? No longer being lead by our flesh, but letting Jesus change our heart and us being fully surrendered to the Person of the Holy Spirit. In our lives that should look like...love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. If that is in our hearts, our tongues work differently.
I think this section of his letter, James is answering the question in verse 13, who is wise among you? Those that demonstrate it in their lives. Those who’s works are done in the meekness of wisdom. Many teachers start out with meekness, but somewhere in there, once people start listening to what they say, or the crowds grow, often times pride slips it’s ugly head in there…So James tells us in verse 14, these guys should never be teachers.
Those that have bitter envy…those without wisdom have bitter envy, or angry jealousy towards the good things others have. Those that you are teaching are viewed more like opponents you are trying to defeat, that image bearers of God, you are trying to win to the truth. Beware of self seeking in their hearts. There is a greater desire for them to be known, their thoughts and opinions to be heard than for the truth of God to be heard.
Those that are like this should not boast with pride, true scholars are more aware of the things that they still do not know than they are of the things they do know...and they should not lie against the truth, they shouldn’t say they are wise or that they are a doer of the Word, because their life is a contradiction to that. They are pretenders that have accumulated some knowledge, but lack the fear of the Lord which is the beginning of wisdom.
15 This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic.
That sounds like more than just a little off doesn’t it. When Jesus was talking to the Pharisees, the religious leaders that had accumulated knowledge, but had no wisdom, he said.
44 You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.
Those that have bitter envy and self seeking in their hearts, not only speak of their own resources, but also those of hell, James says it is demonic. The result? He gives us in verse 16
16 For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there.
Take note here that it brings confusion, not clarity. It divides instead of unites. Ministry leaders beware of what the Word says here. Growth Group leaders beware of what the Word says here. If there is one in your group that has some knowledge, and there is envy or self seeking, or the fruit of their contributions disturbes unity, separates relationship, rather than build relationships. James says that is not of God, it’s of the Devil, and in those cases we need to guard the sheep.
So of you came to this church that way, or you were formerly a gossiper, or a slanderer…actually, this is a good place for a word study…that verse I just quoted John 8:44
44 You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.
You are of your father the devil…do you know what that word devil actually is in the Greek? Diabolos - meaning slanderous, backbiting, The Slanderer, The Devil, and injurious. So devil is not his name it is a character description of his works. So next time you have an envious, self seeking, divisive person hurting relationships in your ministry, just say to them, get behind me diabolos! I know I’ll regret saying that. Handle it in love, but I’m exhorting you to handle it, to do something about it, and if you need help, let myself or one of the elders know, and we will help you.
So what does real wisdom look like? Do we have time, or do I just need to have one of you guys or gals filled with wisdom to stand up? Well, let’s try it.
17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.
18 Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
The wise woman of Christ, the wise man of God is pure in their walk. They are surrendered to the Holy Spirit. They are in the Word, they begin their day with prayer, asking God to give them wisdom to see things as He sees things to make the choices that are honoring to Him. They are walking in the Spirit, not in the flesh, meaning that self control is on display in their life, they are being sanctified. Before the Lord they are walking in purity.
You guys that like to talk politics. Let me encourage you to use this as your voter guide. When you see a candidate that looks like this, you can know that their wisdom is from God, not earthly, sensual, and demonic. They are peaceable, as much as depends on them, they are a peacemaker that is at peace with all men. Most of what I see in politics today is the cause of great division in our country, and that is all part of the plan.
The wise woman or man of God that is not just a hearer, but a doer of the Word, is going to be gentle, not brash and abrasive - that’s not just a difference in personalities, it is evidence that someone is being led by the flesh and not the Spirit, their wisdom is not from God, stay away from it. Reject it.
They are willing to yield. If you find yourself stubborn, and rigid, or obstinate, ask God to give you His wisdom, because that is willing to listen to learn, and to yield where the Spirit directs you to yield. Real wisdom is full of mercy and good fruits, consistent with what James has been teaching us, it is without partiality and without hypocrisy.
There is so much division and strife in the world around us. We are a divided nation. It’s moving from a national scale to a local scale and our communities will soon be divided if we let it happen. James says if we are doers of the Word, not pretenders. If we are wise men and women, we will be peaceable. The Apostle Paul actually explains this way better than I can…lets look at two passages together. The first, is Ephesians
1 I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called,
2 with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love,
3 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;
7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
This is what James has been saying. Those that seek wisdom from God, and wait on God…will have the peace of God and their hearts and minds will be protected by Jesus.
Grace and Peace