Be Wise in the Wisdom of God

Introduction

Good morning! It brings me great joy for the fellowship we share in the Lord and that we’ve been given the privilege to come together to worship our Great God. May God grant us His wisdom as we deep dive into His Word, and may we apply the faith He has given us to exercise His wisdom.

Welcome back to our series on James. Let's recall what we learned at the beginning of this month about the powerful influence of our tongue, despite its small size.

James provided us with three illustrations of the tongue.

1. He likened the tongue to a kindling fire capable of destroying the world like an uncontrollable wildfire.

2. He emphasized that unlike animals, the tongue cannot be controlled.

3. He also highlighted the duplicitous nature of the tongue, noting that unlike a spring that only brings either fresh or salt water, or a tree that produces its own kind of fruit, the tongue is capable and yet unnatural of both blessing and cursing.

The tongue reveals our true sinful nature; it proudly boasts of its ability to simultaneously bless and curse man, who is made in God’s image. This uncontrollable, uncontainable, none conforming, restless evil and poisonous nature of the tongue is uniqueand not found elsewhere in creation.

This morning, our study focuses on God’s redemptive guidance against the dominion of our tongue, as revealed in His wisdom. Let me reiterate: it's a guide because it requires us to live out this wisdom by faith in our lives as part of our sanctification.

Please open your Bibles with me to James 3:13-18 and put your favourite bookmark in it. Let us all stand together and read God’s Word together.

Prayer

Most gracious Heavenly Father,

We give you all the honour and glory, recognizing that your authority, power, and dominion reflect your immeasurable and inexhaustible wisdom.

Father, we ask you to cleanse our hearts and minds from all wickedness and sin. Please forgive us and have mercy upon us, for we are prone to stray, prone to forget your words, prone to disobey you, and prone to rely on our sinful and corrupted wisdom.

Thank you for inviting us to come into your presence, where we can bring our joys, blessings, pains, and tests. We are grateful for the opportunity to seek your wisdom, which we often fail to draw upon and which is sufficient to guide and sanctify our lives.

Father, please be with us as we gather around your word. Grant us understanding hearts and clarity in your words. May your words convict and change our hearts, and may we be moved to pursue a life of holiness.

May we eagerly consume and absorb your words, finding nourishment and strength to face testing and trials.

All honour and glory rightfully belong to you, Father.

We pray this in the mighty name of our Savior,

Amen.

Be Wise in the Wisdom of God

Propositional Statement

Our aim this morning is to learn from God’s word that we must apply our faith in seeking and asking for God’s wisdom. This enables us to discern sin approaching when we face testing and trials, and to have the solution ready by pursuing God’s wisdom rather than relying on our deceitful and duplicitous tongue.

Here are the three points that we would be unpacking from this passage:

· Wisdom with Meekness v13

· Wisdom not from Above v14-16

· Wisdom in Righteousness v17-18

In chapter 3, verses 1 to 12, James addresses the desire of the Jewish Christians who wish to become masters of words or teachers. He warns them of the dangers of the tongue and provides three illustrations on how such a small thing can control a big thing.

Notice how James starts with just a simple but small bit on a horse’s bridle that can control a large horse. Then he goes bigger. He illustrates how a very small rudder or helm can control a large ship driven by fierce winds. Then he goes even bigger. He illustrates how a tongue, a small member of our body, is like a spark that can quickly turn into a wildfire, capable of dominating and destroying even the world.

In this passage of verses 13 to 18, James not only adjusts his approach to explaining why the tongue is dangerous, dominating, and volatile, but he also changed his audience’s attention and the subject.

1 Wisdom with Meekness v13

James 3:13

13 Who is a wiseman and endued with knowledge among you? Let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.

Do you see what James is doing here? He shifts from the depravity of man’s wisdom as revealed in his words and from faith without works, to God’s wisdom as revealed in God’s faithfuless.

Here in verse 13, James shifts from his analogy of the tongue by posing another rhetorical question. At the same time, he challenges the Jewish Christians regarding their qualifications as teachers.

Take a look at the beginning of verse 13: "Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you?"

Why did James ask this question?

The reason for his question is because he is following up on a previous objection.

James 2:18

18 Yea, a man (among the Jewish Christian) may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works:

James responded to this objection by saying, shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.

So, James is further elaborating on this objection that a man can have faith without works or a man can have works without faith. And he does so by asking this question in chapter 3:13.

"Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you?"

This rhetorical question serves as a challenge, prompting the Jewish Christians to self-examine and present their credentials or testimony to James.

Do you aspire to become a master of words, a teacher? Show me your resume, your credentials and detail your qualifications and experience.

It's as if James is posting a job advertisement, seeking individuals with two specific qualities: a man with wisdom and experience, and a man who is well-educated and an expert in his field.

Why does James prioritize these two qualifications?

1. He is disqualifying themfrom being teachers because they cannot prove their work reflects the faith they claim to have (James 2:18).

2. He is warning them from assuming the role of a master of words or teacher (James 3:1).

James is saying here that they lack skills, experience, qualifications, and the qualities necessary to be a teacher.

And as we learned from our previous message, being a master of words requires a contained, controlled, and conformed tongue. James argues that none of them possess such mastery, and none of them can attain it unless they apply their faith by asking God for wisdom(faith in action) and they depend on God for that wisdom to be applied in their speech (wisdom reflecting faith in action).

Now, please take note of this, beloved. Is James looking for a “perfect” Christian teacher? No, because he himself, as a teacher, is not perfect. He included himself in the qualifications of a teacher in verses 1 and 2, where he says:

“My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation. For in many things we offend all.”

James did not exclude himself because he is a disciple of Christ. James knows the great responsibility of teaching and he knows that he is included to receive a strict judgement from God. Talk about a job evaluation, right?

James is defining a Christian teacher who displays a sanctified life—one that is continually changing, transforming, and renewing to become more like Christ. James is obeying his Lord’s command to “make disciples.”

It's a life that continually hates, sorrows over, and grieves sinful acts, leading to repentance.

It’s a life that continues to pursue holiness and righteousness, resulting in sanctification.

It’s a life that recognizes it will be judged according to the law of liberty.

How can you exhibit joy in trials when you demonstrate no works with your faith?

It’s like attending a job interview, and the recruitment officer asks, “Noel, show me how you will fix this computer if this error occurs?" If I arrogantly respond with, "Trust me, I can handle it," what would the recruiter say?

"Next candidate!" and my resume is in the bin.

Just as the proof of my skills depends on my experiences as an IT professional, the proof of my faith depends on my experiences as a Christian. And if I have no applied wisdom of God through faith, what kind of faith am I claiming to have but as James says, “of no value”?

Loved ones, what kind of faith are you claiming to have? While we all appreciate the fellowship we share and your presence here today, why are you here? And if you're supposed to be here today but are instead watching online, why are you worshiping at home?

Are you fulfilling an obligation? Are you just trying to comply and check a box on your to-do list?

Did your husband or wife persuade you to get out of bed and come to church? Or perhaps your children encouraged you to attend?

If you're here simply to avoid feeling guilty about missing church, please listen carefully. If our presence here today is not motivated by the application of our faith and the wisdom God has given us, loved ones, we must examine our motives.

Our motives for coming to church should not solely be to satisfy our hearts or find peace of mind. When we gather together, we are not doing anyone, especially God, a favour.

Instead, our purpose for being here is to submit ourselves to God’s word in direct obedience, to worship Him in spirit and in truth, and to be nourished by His word. As we are fed by the truth of God’s word, the sustenance and strength we find should guide our lives. This should be our motive.

We also notice in this verse that James shifted from critiquing their speech for not meeting his qualifications to evaluating their wisdom and knowledge for teaching. He listed two criteria in his job selection.

His first criteria are: "Who is a wise man?”

The term "wise" refers to someone who understands not just the theory but, more importantly, applies it in their life. However, James is not seeking merely an experienced or intelligent individual. He is specifically searching for someone whose wisdom is grounded in reverence for God.

His second criteria are "Who is a man endued with knowledge?"

The phrase “endued with knowledge” refers more to practical intelligence, indicating that they effectively apply their knowledge, becoming experts and skilled in their field.

And then at the end of that question, he specified where he is looking for these qualities, “among you,” meaning he is asking if any of the Jewish Christians possess them because the objection came from one of them.

So, these two selected criteria of being wise and knowledgeable reflect someone’s inner character and spiritual maturity.

How would they answer this question?

Upon learning that the tongue cannot be controlled, contained and none conforming, how would you answer this question?

Are you wise and full of understanding?

Because if we carefully study it, this question will lead a person to declare and reveal their heart, in other words, it’s an entrapment question.

Our response would be an embarrassing, "No, I'm not."

Nobody wants to readily admit that they are an immature fool. But if they do raise their hand to say, “I am a wise man endued with knowledge,” James would reject such a claim because wisdom is not displayed through self-endorsement or self-declaration but through real tangible experiences. Faith and works are inseparable.

Yet, we encounter self-professed Christians who claim to be saved. They proudly declare, "I accepted Christ and walked the aisle when the Pastor invited people to come forward."

However, we do not see any evidence of the faith that saves.

And loved ones, church attendance is not the measurement of spiritual maturity and lack of church attendance shows there’s no spiritual maturity.

While some may attend church regularly, they often lack the desire to grow spiritually in their knowledge of Christ. They show no inclination to read and study God’s word or to pray for communion and fellowship with God daily.

It seems as though attending church on Sunday is sufficient, and there is no need to engage with God throughout the rest of the week.

Instead, they prioritize their own lives, desires, spouses, children, work, and friends over God.

Or they claim to love God, but they do not serve and worship Him. They are not found in church to join other believers in worship, nor are they willing to participate and serve in church ministries.

My loved ones, what kind of faith is this but a worthless faith?

Are you here this morning, confident that your faith is genuine because the faith you claim to have reflects your genuine desire to grow spiritually mature in Christ?

What did James say in the middle of verse 13? “let him shew out of 1) a good conversation 2) his works 3) with meekness of wisdom.”

James gave an imperative command to Jewish Christians, urging them to show the evidence of their wisdom and understanding. But how should they demonstrate this? James outlined three aspects of a Christian's life where wisdom and understanding should be apparent (look at the end of verse 13). So beloved, let us all focus here on James’s exhortation.

Let him show his:

1. Good conversation: A Christian's lifestyle should unmistakably reflect their faithfulness to God. Their behaviour should embody their faith in Christ, showcasing their status as redeemed followers of God.

2. Works: A Christian's testimony should manifest in everything he is involved with. At home with his family. In marriage, they should aim to be exemplary spouses, reflecting God's love for the church as His bride. Additionally, as parents, they should aspire to be exemplary mothers or fathers, mirroring God's love for His people as His adopted children. In the workplace, where they strive to excel as employees or bosses. In every endeavour, every deed, every work that they do, the fruit of the Spirit should be evident daily in their life.

3. Meekness of wisdom: James emphasizes that wisdom is evidenced by meekness. This entails willingly submitting to God's sovereign controlrather than allowing one’s tongue or their own lust to dictate that wisdom.

As a child, I was fascinated when I heard the story of King Solomon at Sunday School.

In 1 Kings 3:5-14, Solomon, the newly appointed king of Israel, was visited by God in a dream at Gibeon. God offered Solomon anything he desired. Instead of asking for wealth or power, Solomon humbly requested wisdom to govern God's people justly. Pleased with Solomon's selfless request, God granted him not only wisdom but also riches and honour.

I imagined how incredible and life-changing it would be if God came to me in a dream and asked me what I wanted. I could ask for anything.

However, despite Solomon being considered the wisest man who ever lived, he only applied his wisdom as a king who ruled and judged his people. He experienced earthly and fleshly great fame and success because of his wisdom.

But he failed miserably spiritually, as he did not exhibit good behaviour, works, and meekness in his wisdom (Scripture Ref: 1 Kings 11).

And like Solomon, we too often fail miserably because we do not demonstrate this wisdom in our behaviour, our actions, and our attitudes.

We are good in boasting about our saving faith. Yet, that faith is not apparent in our behaviour and interactions with others, it is not evident in our deeds and works. Instead of being humble in wisdom, we rely on and boast about our own wisdom.

My dear ones, let us be wise with meekness through our good conversation and work.

2 Wisdom not from above v14-16

James 3:14-16

14 But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.

15 This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.

16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.

In this passage, James redirects the focus of the Jewish Christians, warning them against attitudes that oppose the wisdom he discussed and described in verse 13.

He begins verse 14 with, “But if you have bitter envying and strife in your hearts,”

It's worth noting that the Greek word for envy, "zelos," is related to "zeal," in English. And in Filipino, we say "selos" to mean jealousy.

"Bitter envy" describes a deep-seated resentment rooted in sinful desires. It reflects discontent, rivalry, and a lack of trust in God's provision. Such jealousy is harmful to Christian unity, fostering conflict rather than edification.

This attitude embodies these sinful traits:

• An intense possessiveness, leading to divisiveness away from God.

• Self-inflicted deceit, manifesting as harsh suspicion against God.

• Rejection of truth, undermining confidence, trust, and faith towards God.

So instead of trusting in God's wisdom, James rebukes the Jewish Christians of being overly possessive of their workless faith, that they are deceiving themselves as they rejects God’s wisdom.

The word “strife” means selfish ambition. This refers to an attitude or motivation driven by self-centred desires for personal gain, recognition, or advancement. It reflects a heart that prioritizes one's own interests above the welfare of others and the glory of God.

This selfish ambition can manifest in various ways, such as seeking positions of authority or influence for the sake of personal prestige, pursuing success at the expense of ethical principles, or engaging in manipulative tactics to achieve one's goals.

In essence, it stands in opposition to the humility, servanthood, and sacrificial love modelled by Jesus Christ and encouraged throughout the New Testament.

So, loved ones, do you understand that bitter envy and strife contradict and oppose good behaviour, deeds, and meekness? Bitter envy and strife are not good qualifications to be a master of words and should not be characteristics of a Christian.

And where does James identify bitter jealousy and selfish ambition reside? “In the heart.”

Our motivations are always rooted in what resides within our hearts.

And when bitter jealousy and selfish ambition resides in our heart, we have supplanted and overthrown God.

James rebukes the Jewish Christians because of this evident sin.

Look at the end of verse 14: “glory not, and lie not against the truth.”

James says, don’t be so arrogant that you forget the divine wisdom of God. Don’t be arrogant to the extent that the saving faith you received is no longer present in your life.

A self-professed, self-centred, self-deceived, selfish, and arrogant Christian is not fit to become a teacher, let alone evidence of a saved person. This faith is fraudulent.

James says, lie not against the truth because self-professed, self-centred, self-deception, selfish and arrogant wisdom oppose and contradicts the gospel of Christ. This form of Christianity is fake.

What is the cause of our salvation?

James 1:18

18 Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

God, by His own will, saved us through the truth of His word. Therefore, this arrogant and lying wisdom is in direct contradiction to God's wisdom.

Loved ones, if you want to discern whether you are truly saved, James asserts that if your heart is characterized by arrogance, lies, self-professed, self-centeredness, self-deception, and selfishness, any claim you make to salvation is proven false. Such characteristics reveal that you are living a lie and are not truly saved.

And to prove his point, James defines the source of this bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in James 3:15, have a look.

15 This wisdom (of bitter envy and strife) descendeth not from above, but (the wisdom of bitter envy and strife) is earthly, sensual, devilish.

In contrast, James defines what originates from God who is from above in James 1:17, stating:

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change."

Bitter jealousy and selfish ambition are neither good nor perfect gifts. Such wisdom does not align with the character of God, who James describes as the Father of lights. God, who remains unchanging and consistent, cannot bestow wisdom that contradicts His holiness and righteousness. Such wisdom opposes His faithfulness and truthfulness.

And revisiting James’s illustration from our previous message, unlike our tongue, which is duplicitous, deceitful, and dominating, God is immutable. That’s why I said in the previous message, being able to bless and curse with our lips should bother us. We cannot blame God when we commit sin against Him because God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man. (James 1:13)

James then exhorts them where this wisdom of bitter jealousy and selfish ambition comes from at the end of verse 15. He listed three sources: “but (this wisdom of bitter envy and strife) is earthly, sensual, devilish.”

Bitter jealousy and selfish ambition are earthly; they do not originate from heaven, where God resides. This indicates that envy and strife are not just inferior but worldly. They are part of the system of sin of this world. They are restricted only in this world. There’s no bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in Heaven.

Bitter jealousy and selfish ambition are sensual. This does not refer to the gross lust of the flesh but rather to their lack of spirituality; they are physical and worldly. This natural wisdom is opposed to spiritual wisdom, as the wisdom of man opposes the supernatural wisdom of God. Natural wisdom is limited by human nature, whereas spiritual wisdom is from an infinite and omniscient God.

Bitter jealousy and selfish ambition are devilish or demonic, meaning they are inspired by the devil. Remember what James says about the tongue—it is continually set on fire by hell. Demons know and understand the truth of God, yet despite this wisdom, they rebel against God and inspire humanity to oppose Him.

Just as an illustration, let’s go to Matthew 16:21-23:

Matthew 16:21–23

21 From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.

22 Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee.

23 But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.

Jesus revealed to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem, suffer, be killed, and rise again. In response, Peter rebuked Jesus, saying such things should not happen to him.

Imagine rebuking the Lord? My loved ones, we too are guilty of this whenever we brush off God’s wisdom.

Jesus, turning to Peter, rebuked him, saying, "Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men."

Loved ones, that’s us, right there. We would rather satisfy our selfish desires than embrace the things of God.

Christ rebuked Peter because his response and rebuke to the Lord were inspired by the demonic. Peter's words, suggesting that Jesus should not suffer or be killed, were influenced by Satan, prompting Christ to call Peter Satan and rebuke him, saying, "Get thee behind me."

When we sin against God by indulging in bitter envy and selfish ambitions, we are demonically inspired. Thus, Christ rebuked Peter with the words "Get thee behind me, Satan."

"Get thee behind me" is a figurative expression meaning "depart from me" or "get out of my sight." In this context, Jesus is rejecting Peter's suggestion and commanding him to stop opposing God's plan for His suffering and death.

Are these the words we want to hear from our Lord? Do we want God to call us Satan because of our arrogance, lies, self-professed, self-centeredness, self-deception, and selfishness?

Father, please forgive and have mercy upon us.

Loved ones, have you ever experienced bitter envy and strife in your heart? Have you failed to exhibit God’s wisdom in your behaviour, conversation, work, deeds, meekness, and gentleness?

In all honesty, our answer would be yes.

James exhorts the Jewish Christians that this wisdom of bitter envy and strife is not from above and he concludes this point by providing a reason. Look at James 3:16.

James 3:16

“16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.”

James explains that the reason for the presence of confusion—indicating disorder, instability, insurrection, or sedition—and every evil work—referring to evil practices, vile deeds, or all forms of evil—arises from envying and strife.

James is making no exception here for those who seek self-glory or personal prestige. He warns that if their motive for becoming masters of words is driven by personal gain, then this wisdom is characterized by bitter jealousy and selfish ambition. Such wisdom is earthly, unspiritual, and inspired by demons.

Take note of the word "confusion" in verse 16. James uses the same Greek word that appears in chapter 1:8 and chapter 3:8.

In James 1:8, it says:

"A double-minded man is unstablein all his ways."

And in James 3:8, it states:

"But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison."

In chapter 3 verse 16, this Greek word for "confusion" goes beyond inconsistency or restlessness; it carries the connotation of lawlessness or anarchy.

Paul says the same thing to the churches of Corinth when he was exhorting them to have an orderly worship.

1 Corinthians 14:33

33 For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.

In 1 Corinthians 14, Paul instructs the Corinthians on the orderly use of spiritual gifts in their gatherings. He emphasizes edification and highlights that God desires peace and order, not confusion, within the church. This underscores the importance of using spiritual gifts responsibly to edify and unify the body of Christ.

Returning to our main text, James 3:16, the term "confusion" can be better understood as sedition or insurrection which is what Paul means in 1 Corinthians 14:33, that God is not the author of confusion.

The KJV translators chose the word "confusion" because it signifies "utter chaos," which not only damages the church's reputation in the eyes of the world but also undermines its ability to minister effectively to its own members.

In other words, the church doesn’t just explode; it implodes, ruining its testimony in the eyes of the world and losing credibility with its members.

When a man pastors a church using worldly tactics, philosophy, and values, seeking only to boost his own ego, status, and prestige, then that man has essentially handed the keys of the church to Satan himself.

Please listen carefully, my beloved. Let us be wise by removing this wisdom of bitter jealousy and selfish ambition from within us. Let us not trust the wisdom that is not from above, but instead, let us apply the wisdom found in verses 17 and 18.

3 Wisdom in Righteousness v17-18

James 3:17–18

17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.

18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.

Finally, in this part of the passage, James returns to his original thought from verse 13 to define what true wisdom is. He asks in verse 13:

James 3:13

“13 Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you?”

James uses this rhetorical question as his launching pad to define where a man can find such wisdom and knowledge and to define what this wisdom is.

Where is this wisdom from?

James says at the beginning of verse 17:

17 But the wisdom that is from above...

Remember when James asked the Jewish Christians who among them is wise and endued with knowledge in verse 13? He knew that such criteria would never be found among men because those qualities are not found in this world. Only God is truly wise and endued with knowledge.

This wisdom is not from this world, in contrast to verse 15. It is not worldly, it is not natural, nor is it inspired by demons. This wisdom is worth searching for because this world cannot contain it; it is supernatural and is a good and perfect gift.

As James says at the beginning of verse 17, this wisdom is "first pure." Purity is the primary characteristic of this wisdom, meaning it will not betray or disappoint you. It is good and perfect, embodying righteousness and holiness. It is free from any stain or blemish and incapable of producing evil, let alone being stained or blemished by it.

Unlike the instability of a double-minded man or the untameable tongue that is restless, evil, and full of deadly poison, or where envy and strife bring confusion and every evil work, this absolutely pure wisdom that comes from the Father of lights doesn’t change, diminish, or wane; it is constant and faithful. This faithful, true, and pure wisdom is everything that the earthly wisdom of bitter jealousy and selfish ambition is not.

With purity being wisdom's primary definition, James encourages Jewish Christians that God's holiness will not and cannot be affected or altered when it dwells in God's children as they seek wisdom in faith.

James further elaborates on the nature of this wisdom beyond its purity.

He presents seven qualities that counter and oppose bitter jealousy and selfish ambition. Take a look at the middle of verse 17 to learn what this wisdom from above is.

· then peaceable,

· gentle,

· and easy to be intreated,

· full of mercy

· and (full of) good fruits,

· without partiality,

· and without hypocrisy.

These virtues are selfless, demonstrating a greater concern for the welfare of others rather than focusing on self-glory and prestige.

Let’s examine the qualities of pure wisdom by referencing the Lord’s Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5, the most famous sermon in the Bible. Keep your bookmark in James because we'll be referring back and forth between James 3 and Matthew 5.

1. James says, pure wisdom is peaceable.

The Lord says in His sermon on the Mount; the Beautitudes

Matthew 5:9

“Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.”

Peacemakers don’t start conflicts because it opposes selfishness. They promote peace.

They are involved in resolving conflicts, fostering reconciliation and promotes unity.

Loved ones, do we have this pure wisdom of peacemaker?

2. James says pure wisdom is gentle or meek which means they are considerate of others and lenient.

The Lord says in His Sermon on the Mount

Matthew 5:5

“5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.”

Matthew 5:10–11

“10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.”

This verse emphasizes the virtue of meekness or humility. Meekness involves a spirit of gentleness, submission to God's will, and a humble attitude towards others.

The meek will submit himself to persecution, insults, and false accusations for the Lord’s sake.

Meekness is not weakness but rather a strength under control, rooted in dependence on God's grace.

Loved ones, do we have this pure wisdom of gentleness?

3. James says pure wisdom is easy to be entreated or submissive. This quality means it’s open to reason, compliant and accommodating.

The Lord says in His Sermon on the Mount

Matthew 5:3

“3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

Poor in spirit means there’s no spiritual arrogance but submissive and compliant. This is a spirit that although he is correct and justified, he is willing to yield. The Lord who was unjustly accused, kept His silence, and yielded Himself to the cross.

Loved ones, do we have this pure wisdom of easy to be intreated?

4. James says pure wisdom is full of mercy.

The Lord says in

Matthew 5:7

“7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.”

Do you know what's disheartening among professing Christians? It's the spirit of cancel culture. Unfortunately, we see Christians on social media encouraging others to rid themselves of people who are negative, unkind, toxic, critical, judgmental, and disappointing—all these negative traits for the sake of self-affirmation and “mental health”.

A Christian who has experienced God's mercy should also show mercy. Christians can learn from the story of the servant forgiven by the king but unable to forgive his fellow servant, as recounted in Matthew 18:21-35.

Do we not realise my loved ones that these people are in our life because God ordained us to be in their life as the means to display God’s mercy?

5. James says pure wisdom is full of good fruits.

The Lord says in

Matthew 5:6

“6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.”

As a good tree bears good fruit, so should a Christian produce Christ-like works and deeds. As we discussed in our previous message, faith without works is dead, and faith and works are inseparable. A Christian should have a hunger and thirst for righteousness.

6. James says pure wisdom is without partiality.

James had expounded on this subject of impartiality in chapter 2

James 2:1

“My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.”

James 2:4

4 Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?

James 2:9

9 But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.

Loved ones, true and pure wisdom is impartial because God is impartial. He is constant, consistent, unwavering and faithful. To be partial is to oppose the faith, to become judges of evil thoughts, and to commit sin against God.

Loved ones, do we have this pure wisdom of impartiality?

7. And finally, James says pure wisdom is without hypocrisy. Of all the qualities of wisdom that James listed, hypocrisy has been the most condemned sin by Christ in His sermon. Let’s turn to these passages.

Matthew 6:2

“2 Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.”

Matthew 6:5

“5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.”

Matthew 6:16

“16 Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.”

Matthew 7:5

“5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.”

While the pure wisdom of impartiality addresses the heart and mind, the pure wisdom of sincerity or genuineness pertains to living a holy and righteous life.

I mentioned earlier the dangers of hypocrisy. It begins with doubt, as a double-minded man is unstable in his ways. It worsens with the illustration of an uncontrollable tongue that is restless, evil, and full of poison. It further deteriorates into sedition, lawlessness, and anarchy.

Loved ones, do we possess this pure wisdom of sincerity and genuineness?

These attributes collectively reflect the transformative work of the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer, producing a character that mirrors Christ's likeness and brings glory to God.

To conclude, we get to this final verse of chapter 3.

James 3:18

“18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.”

I want to draw your attention to the beginning of verse 18:

“18 And the fruit of righteousness...”

If we carefully examine this phrase alone, the word “fruit” suggests a time of harvest. However, look at the next line:

“...is ‘sown’ in peace”

This might seem confusing. How can a fruit be sown when it is typically picked from the tree during harvest?

In other translations, the word “fruit” is replaced with “seed” because we sow the seed of the fruit, not the fruit itself.

What does this mean? What does James mean by fruit or seed? James, like Paul who wrote about the fruit of the Spirit, is referring to the result of wisdom. This verse is James’s personal proverb.

When we harvest the fruit and use its seed to plant a new tree, we will soon harvest more fruit.

Paul speaks about the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22–23:

“22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”

“Against such there is no law” implies that we can continuously cultivate the fruit of the Spirit listed by Paul or practice the qualities of pure wisdom that James described in a cycle of planting, growing, and harvesting.

Do you understand what James is saying here? God’s wisdom, described by James as the fruit of righteousness—'first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy'—can be sown, planted, cared for, grown, and then harvested over and over again in peace.

We have this endless, abundant, and overflowing supply of peace that cannot be completely consumed.

In other words, Peacemakers who sow in peace would reap the fruit of righteousness. When we apply in our life, this pure wisdom that is of God, this work, this application, this cultivation will lead us to true peace.

My loved ones, let us be wise in righteousness so that we would reap peace.

Conclusion Application

Let me conclude by quoting Craig Blomberg and Mariam Kamell from their Exegetical commentary on the book of James.

This concept of peace goes far beyond a shallow avoidance of problems and uncomfortable issues. Neither will wisdom “pursue peace at the expense of purity. It will not compromise with sin to maintain peace. But even when fighting against sin, it hungers for peace, yearning to heal all divisions by its wise counsel.” In essence, peace is the ultimate goal of wisdom, and wisdom only reaches its fullest potential in the midst of peace.

Craig L. Blomberg and Mariam J. Kamell, James, vol. 16, Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2008), 177.

Prayer

Heavenly Father,

We are deeply grateful for your timeless truths of wisdom. Your words are inexhaustible, unlimited, abundant, and overflowing.

Father, having heard your words, may we now exercise and work out our faith, producing wisdom in our spiritual maturity. May this wisdom not only convict our hearts but also change our behaviour, be evident in our works, and may we demonstrate it with meekness.

Please, Father, do not let these words remain idle knowledge in our hearts; may the purity of your wisdom be evident in our lives.

We praise and thank you for your words.

We give you all the honour and glory.

We pray these things in Christ’s most precious name.

Amen.