James (W. 7) - James 3:13-18

Worldly Wisdom?

James does a great job, you will notice, consistently showing the two pathways a person can walk.

Path of life or path of death.

Tamed vs. Untamed tongue.

Being a doer vs. not doing.

James has laid out the contrast of real/authentic faith and unauthentic/fake faith. He has revealed how drastic the line really is.

Opening illustration about the origin of the Nobel Peace Prize. ??

I recently had a “lemon” of a car.

Driving home one day, I cranked the car and legitimately every light on the dash came on.

Alfred Nobel, a Swedish physicist, created dynamite. His intentions were awesome when he created dynamite. He wanted to create an explosive that could move rock to build roads and get things out of the way to build buildings. He wanted to create a force that was powerful and that would make life better. The problem is that people took his creation and used it for destructive purposes - to kill people and to make war. So depressed was Mr. Nobel that his good invention was being used in a wrong, destructive way, he took $9 million, put it in an account, and began to aware people for promoting peace. We call it the Nobel Peace Prize. What motivated him was the fact that what he intended for good was being used for wrong. He wanted to award those who were doing what his intentions were. When these people get the award, they become internaitonally known as Nobel peace prize winners. They are called by that name because they make peace instead of making war. God is looking for some Nobel Peace Prize winners - some people that use what God has given them with good intentions instead of a self-serving agenda. Are you using what God has given you to serve others or serve yourself? Are you using wisdom in a false way in order for you to gain or are you using true wisdom in order to make peace?

What James is getting at in James 3:13-18 is the difference between true and false wisdom. Again, it’s a contrast between authentic faith and fake faith.

As we look at the passage this morning, my encouragement to you is to allow the Lord to speak to you, take inventory of your heart, and search whether or not your the way you walk in wisdom is true or false.

What does your actions say about your wisdom? What does your wisdom say about your faith?

Y’all stand with me as we read God’s Word.

James 3:13–18 ESV

13 Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. 15 This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. 17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. 18 And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

Godly wisdom is evidence of authentic faith.

Before we get into our outline, there’s a question I would like for us to answer. What is wisdom?

“Wisdom is truth applied in specific situations for godly ends.” - Ligoneer

Practicing and living out what you believe.

Proverbs 1:7 ESV

7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.

James says, “Who is wise?”

We all operate in a type of wisdom.

We all operate with a certain type of truth applied through our actions.

Here James uses the word “sophos” which was the technical term among the Jews for the teacher, the scribe, or the Rabbi. Sure, this passage speaks directly to those who lead BUT… But, this passage is for everyone. Okay? Don’t miss this!

We can all answer and apply this to our lives.

Here, James lays out for us, we can judge whether or not a person really is wise or understanding.

LET HIM SHOW HIS WORKS IN THE MEEKNESS OF WISDOM.

Not, “In the talent of wisdom.” Or “in the flesh of his wisdom.” It’s with “the meekness of wisdom.”

This text highlights for us that there are two kinds of wisdom:

Our outline today is going to essentially be a mirror, where we compare False and True wisdom and look at:

What’s in your heart. Motive

Where that type of wisdom originates from. Origin

Production.

1. False Wisdom

False wisdom is rooted in me, myself, and I.

It’s all about me.

It’s about my preferences, my goals, my desires, my glory.

James 3:14–16 ESV

14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. 15 This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.

How do I know if I have false wisdom?

a. The Motives behind False Wisdom

False Wisdom has Two Friends

Bitter Jealousy

Bitter envy

Let’s think about this for a moment.

This is the type of envy that shows up when you’ve gone past the point of wanting what someone else has.

Selfish Ambition

If these two things are in your hearts and demonstrated in your actions, stop lying to yourself. You don’t have true wisdom. That’s a false type of wisdom that will only

If these two attributes are in your heart, James says, “Don’t boast and deny the truth.” In other words, “You do not have Godly wisdom! God doesn’t reign in a heart ruined by envy.

This is the type of bitter envy that:

Hopes a person (1) doesn’t receive something good AND (2) loses it all.

The type that can’t celebrate a good thing happening to someone.

You see a friend on social media have a big life moment, and you can’t like the post, can’t comment anything good, and even wish that it didn’t happen for them.

But they don’t deserve it, Hayden! You don’t understand. They don’t deserve the gifts, reward, promotion, marriage, that house, that truck, that… child.

When you operate with this type of wisdom, you’re essentially saying, “Sovereign, All-knowing God of the universe, You got this wrong.”

As right as you may believe you are with that thinking, you’re wrong.

b. The Source of False Wisdom

James 3:15 ESV

15 This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.

James 3:16 ESV

16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.

Earthly

Of the flesh.

Unspiritual

Not from God

Demonic

Satanic in nature.

These three description words are similar to what John said in 1 John 2:15-17 about where temptations come from.

1 John 2:15–17 ESV

15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. 17 And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.

This description was also used frequently in the early church to describe the opposite of Christianity.

Ezekiel 28:14–18 ESV

14 You were an anointed guardian cherub. I placed you; you were on the holy mountain of God; in the midst of the stones of fire you walked. 15 You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created, till unrighteousness was found in you. 16 In the abundance of your trade you were filled with violence in your midst, and you sinned; so I cast you as a profane thing from the mountain of God, and I destroyed you, O guardian cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. 17 Your heart was proud because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor. I cast you to the ground; I exposed you before kings, to feast their eyes on you. 18 By the multitude of your iniquities, in the unrighteousness of your trade you profaned your sanctuaries; so I brought fire out from your midst; it consumed you, and I turned you to ashes on the earth in the sight of all who saw you.

Isaiah 14:12–17 ESV

12 “How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn! How you are cut down to the ground, you who laid the nations low! 13 You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God I will set my throne on high; I will sit on the mount of assembly in the far reaches of the north; 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’ 15 But you are brought down to Sheol, to the far reaches of the pit. 16 Those who see you will stare at you and ponder over you: ‘Is this the man who made the earth tremble, who shook kingdoms, 17 who made the world like a desert and overthrew its cities, who did not let his prisoners go home?’

Where did James say this originated from?

Lucifer while he was in heaven.

c. The Product of False Wisdom

disorder and every vile practice.

Maybe you’re still not sure if you’re operating in false wisdom. How about ask yourself these questions:

Based on my actions, does it cause unity in my house or dysfunction?

Based on my wisdom, the way I walk in what I believe, does it lead to

2. True Wisdom

James 3:17–18 ESV

17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. 18 And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

“Godly wisdom is an upside down life. It’s foolishness to the world. It’s counter-cultural.” - Teaching Team

a. The Motives of True Wisdom

James said this in James 3:15.

James 3:15 ESV

15 This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.

The motives of true wisdom, however, are the opposite:

James 3:17 ESV

17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.

Pure.

b. The Source of True Wisdom

From above.

The awesome thing about true wisdom is that this describes Jesus.

Who is pure?

Who makes peace?

Who is gentle?

Jesus.

To operate in true wisdom is to surrender and be yielded to the Person of True Wisdom - Jesus.

Proverbs 1:7 ESV

7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.

It begins when we fear the Lord.

Do you fear the Lord?

It is First pure.

c. What does Godly Wisdom Produce?

Peaceable

Also, Peace Loving

Gentle

Open to Reason

Compliant

Full of Mercy and Good Fruits

Impartial and Sincere

Unwavering and without pretense.

Wisdom produces the opposite of the the sin of impartiality.

A harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

“by those who cultivate peace.”

Closing.

Remind everyone of the Nobel Peace Prize. Do you use your life in the way you were designed to operate?

Are we living how the Creator intended us to live?

If so, our lives should be marked with peace, and the rest of the list in verses 17-18.

If not, today is the day we need to make that right.