Walking through James (8)
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Wisdom that pleases God...
Wisdom that pleases God...
Tonight, I want to share about wisdom. Did you know that there are two kinds of wisdom. One that pleases God and one that does not.
We’re going to look at these, but I hope that we will spend most of our time on the kind of wisdom that pleases God.
Let’s start by reading our Scripture:
13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.
14 But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth.
15 Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.
16 For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.
17 But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.
18 Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.
I came across this quote from Tim Enns. He said, “Worldly wisdom says you need a plan even when God calls! Godly wisdom says the planning is done if God Calls!” (SC)
James starts our passage by asking a question:
Who is wise and understanding among you?
Who is wise and understanding among you?
I’m sure that we all make assumptions of people that we think are wise. Our definitions can sometimes get confused with people that are book smart.
When I was in High School, I was in the same class as some really smart people. Sonia and Ken were in a class of their own. They had high 90’s in most of their classes, and if I remember correctly, they even graduated with 100% in a subject.
I don’t know about you, but that can be a little intimidating. In both cases, they didn’t flaunt their intelligence.
God has a standard for wisdom that is far different from the world that we live in, and we’re going to see what James had to say about each.
In verse 13, James introduces what wisdom should be like and then he later explains what godly wisdom is like.
If we are wise, there is a way to prove it.
It’s not by showing how smart we are. It’s not even by showing how talented we are.
If that’s not how we show our wisdom, how can we show it?
Let’s read verse 13 in the NLT.
13 If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom.
Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. The way that we live will show the wisdom that God gives. With wisdom comes humility. It doesn’t make others feel less than, so that we can feel better about ourselves. False humility gives us a low self-image of ourselves. True humility is an honest view of what God thinks of us.
Wisdom involves attitude and action. When we have godly wisdom, it is more than knowing what to do in a situation, but it is actually acting upon the wisdom that God gives us.
What’s worldly wisdom like?
What’s worldly wisdom like?
14 But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your heart, don’t cover up the truth with boasting and lying.
15 For jealousy and selfishness are not God’s kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic.
16 For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind.
As we look at worldly wisdom, James is talking to Christians, Christ followers. He isn’t talking about people that are in the world living according to the standards of the world.
Romans 8 talks about being carnally minded or earthly minded. As Christians, we need to follow the lead of the Holy Spirit.
As a church, there are rules that have been put in place by our governments. An example of this is Revenue Canada. As a church we can’t just do what we want financially, there are laws to follow.
That being said, we can’t run our church or live our lives living according to human wisdom or earthly standards. We might live in a dog eat dog world, but as a church and as a christian, we are called to love our neighbours as we love ourselves.
I don’t believe that God is pleased when we treat other christians like competitors or opponents.
This is what James is alluding to when he bitter jealousy and selfish ambition. Do we rejoice when others rejoice, or do we hurt inside when we see others succeeding. Personally, I need to keep my attitude in check when I have worked hard and see someone else succeed.
When it comes to churches, I’m reminded of F.B. Meyers who pastored in London at the same time as Charles Spurgeon and Martyn Lloyd Jones. He struggled as he saw Spurgeon and Lloyd Jones’s church growing as his seemed to struggle. God spoke to his heart and told him to pray that God would fill these churches, and when they were full, God would give him the overflow.
Wisdom was something that was very important to the Greeks. God is not calling us to resist education and shy away from the ability to apply what we know, but we must not be proud in our own estimation.
7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil.
3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves,
4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.
What is the root of wisdom that is selfish and destructive?
15 Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.
This past week, I took a short trip out to Lloydminster. I took my cousin and her daughter. My cousin is a very intelligent person and her daughter where she went to visit is too. Their relationship has been broken, and it seemed to break even farther because of this trip. At some point in time words have been spoken that have caused offense. Our flesh or human wisdom would say that the other person doesn’t deserve grace. They don’t deserve mercy. They don’t even deserve to be forgiven. This way of thinking is worldly. Reconciliation cannot take place until there is godly wisdom that will bring peace.
As Christians, we can’t live on the basis of whether or not someone is worthy of our forgiveness. If God did that to us, we would all deserve to perish in our sins.
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
All jealousy and selfish ambition cause is disorder and evil of every kind. Selfishness is what causes sin. It’s us thinking about ourselves.
Let’s take a few minutes and look at
Godly wisdom
Godly wisdom
17 But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere.
18 And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness.
Life Application New Testament Commentary (Wisdom from Heaven / 3:13–18)
The wisdom that comes from heaven is … pure. To be fruitful for God, we must have moral and spiritual integrity. (God’s wisdom doesn’t look for a break at someone else’s expense. It prefers and honors others above ourselves)
8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
It is also peace loving. This is peace that goes beyond inner peace; it is opposed to strife. It is peace between people, and between people and God. It must be peace that affects the community. Christians must not only prefer peace, but they should also seek to spread it. (Have you ever tried to be a peacekeeper? I believe that it was in the 1960’s Lester B Pearson put legislation in place that made Canada a country of peacekeepers. Sometimes we might misunderstand what this means.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
Sometimes we shy away from conflict because we are afraid of hurting someone’s feelings. We don’t stand up for what is right and fail to deal with something when it is small. Later it blows up in our faces. Even Canadian soldiers on peace-keeping missions carry guns. Let’s do what God calls us to do and be peacemakers.
It is gentle at all times. This is the opposite of self-seeking. It does not demand its own right. To be gentle is to make allowances for others, to temper justice with mercy. It is the kind of treatment that we would like to receive from others.
This wisdom is also willing to yield to others.
Heavenly wisdom is reasonable, flexible—willing to listen and to change. Just as good soldiers willingly follow orders from their superiors, people with heavenly wisdom willingly follow God’s orders and respond to his correction.
This wisdom is also full of mercy and good deeds.
God’s wisdom is full of God’s gracious forgiveness. And his love leads to practical action, helping and serving others. We should be willing to forgive even when the problems we are facing are someone else’s fault…but Pastor Dave, it’s not my fault.
Here’s a math problem. If my brother offends me or sins against me. Should I forgive him seven times.
Here’s Jesus response:
21 Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?”
22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.
God’s wisdom shows no partiality, meaning single-minded and free from prejudice toward people and without double-mindedness toward God (1:5–8). Finally, it is always sincere, meaning “unhypocritical.” God’s wisdom makes people genuine. This means that we aren’t counterfeit but we are the real deal.
What’s the result of godly wisdom?
18 And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness.
If we are peacemakers, we will reap a harvest that pleases God.
Let’s pray.
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