James: Heavenly Wisdom
George Hicks
James • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 7 viewsWe should pursue Godly wisdom rather than human wisdom.
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This morning, we’re going to continue our study in the book of James. We’ve learned a lot about testing our faith to see if it’s genuine saving faith. James has taught us about faith that is tested through trials and temptations. He told us about faith that can’t be separated from works. Last week we learned about faith that allows us to tame the tongue. This morning, we’re going to learn what James has to say about wisdom. What exactly is wisdom? It’s more than just knowing things. Wisdom is about developing the skills we need to understand and live a successful life. Godly wisdom teaches us to live a successful life according to God’s standards.
I don’t think any of us want to make stupid mistakes! We all want to make the best decisions we can in life. We want the best for ourselves, our family, our church, and our nation. The Bible confirms how important wisdom is for our lives. In the Old Testament book of Proverbs, we are encouraged to seek after wisdom.
13 Happy is a man who finds wisdom and who acquires understanding, 14 for she is more profitable than silver, and her revenue is better than gold. 15 She is more precious than jewels; nothing you desire can equal her. 16 Long life is in her right hand; in her left, riches and honor. 17 Her ways are pleasant, and all her paths, peaceful. 18 She is a tree of life to those who embrace her, and those who hold on to her are happy.
7 Wisdom is supreme—so get wisdom. And whatever else you get, get understanding. 8 Cherish her, and she will exalt you; if you embrace her, she will honor you. 9 She will place a garland of favor on your head; she will give you a crown of beauty.”
We’re also told in the New Testament to walk with wisdom.
15 Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk—not as unwise people but as wise—16 making the most of the time, because the days are evil. 17 So don’t be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.
We’re going to look at James 3:13-18 where we see there are two types of wisdom (heavenly and worldly) and we need to be careful about which one we follow.
13 Who among you is wise and understanding? By his good conduct he should show that his works are done in the gentleness that comes from wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter envy and selfish ambition in your heart, don’t boast and deny the truth. 15 Such wisdom does not come down from above but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where there is envy and selfish ambition, there is disorder and every evil practice. 17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peace-loving, gentle, compliant, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without pretense. 18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who cultivate peace.
13 Who among you is wise and understanding? By his good conduct he should show that his works are done in the gentleness that comes from wisdom.
James starts in verse 13 by asking who is wise and understanding. It sounds like he’s using two words to say the same thing, but each of the original Greek words mean something a little different. The word that’s translated “wise” means to carefully apply knowledge to your life. The word translated “understanding” means a special knowledge like a highly skilled tradesman or professional.
James says if you think you have wisdom and understanding, then you should show it with the way you live. Just like his teaching earlier in the book that we prove our faith with our works, James says the things we do prove if we have godly wisdom.
Verse 14 says the desire for worldly wisdom is driven by bitter envy and selfish ambition.
14 But if you have bitter envy and selfish ambition in your heart, don’t boast and deny the truth.
A person with bitter envy or jealousy doesn’t care about anyone else. They only think about themselves and are harsh, sharp, cutting, and destructive. Their desire for wisdom comes from selfish ambition that tries to grab power no matter what it takes. James warns the person trying to gain worldly wisdom for those reasons not to boast or be arrogant. James shares the reason they shouldn’t be arrogant in the next verse.
15 Such wisdom does not come down from above but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.
Worldly wisdom isn’t from God. James says it’s earthly which means it’s all around us. It comes from so called experts, gurus, TikTok influencers, YouTube videos, Facebook friends, self help books, and sadly even some preachers. There are so many ways we can be influenced by worldly wisdom. Most of us have a smart phone connected to an almost limitless source of worldly wisdom.
How many times have you caught yourself mindlessly scrolling through social media? For some of us, it’s the first thing we look at when we wake up and the last thing we look at before we go to bed. Have you stopped to think about the agenda of the people and companies that serve up that endless stream of worldly wisdom? I can assure you it isn’t for your own good. People are so easily manipulated by powerful forces that have studied human psychology and know how to keep you glued to your screen.
James also says worldly wisdom is unspiritual. Your translation might say sensual. In other words, it appeals to our senses, our emotions, and our passions. It’s wisdom according to what feels right. It tells you to follow your heart and do whatever makes you happy. Everyone is free to find their own truth that doesn’t force them to obey God or change to meet His standards.
Maybe the most shocking description James uses for wordly wisdom is demonic. It comes straight from the pit of hell. Do you remember last week when James said the tongue is a fire lit from hell? Worldly wisdom comes from the same place. Satan has always promised wisdom that is better than God’s word. He tempted Adam and Eve with worldly wisdom that he said would make them like God.
4 “No! You will certainly not die,” the serpent said to the woman. 5 “In fact, God knows that when you eat it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
There are many lies from Satan that the world accepts as wisdom but there are some that are especially popular in this day and age. Many in our world have bought into the lie that our gender is fluid and we can be whatever we want to be. God made man and woman, but wordly wisdom says we don’t have to accept His creation. We can be like God and change our body, our gender, and our identity.
Worldly wisdom says we don’t have to respect the boundaries that God placed on sex only between a husband and a wife. Teenagers and young adults compare body counts that represents the number of people they’ve slept with. And when casual sex leads to a pregnancy, worldly wisdom tells a woman it’s her body and her choice to have an abortion.
Worldly wisdom is in every part of our culture including what we teach our children. Ideas that seem innocent enough teach our children to rely on themselves and not on God. Think about all the children’s books and movies that say you can become whatever your heart desires, you have all that you need within you to accomplish anything, and all you need to do is reach deep down inside to find the best version of you.
The world bombards our children with sin and wickedness while parents ignore what they’re watching, browsing, and listening to. Our schools indoctrinate children with worldly wisdom that leads them away from God and their family. And our responsibility to lead our children away from worldly wisdom doesn’t stop when they get older. They are just as vulnerable and even more so in high school and college. The responsibility to teach our children how to avoid worldly wisdom starts at home and is reinforced by the church.
You might be thinking there’s no way you can be influenced by demonic wisdom, but we need to be extremely careful about what we absorb into our heart and mind. Satan tries to influence us through what we watch, what we browse on the internet, the music we listen to, and the books we read. Satan is the father of lies and he’s very good at what he does. He is always working to turn us away from God and to destroy our lives.
Satan also deceives Christians through false teachers that twist Scripture and leading them to believe all kinds of lies. Paul warned the church at Corinth about false teachers among them.
3 But I fear that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your minds may be seduced from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ. 4 For if a person comes and preaches another Jesus, whom we did not preach, or you receive a different spirit, which you had not received, or a different gospel, which you had not accepted, you put up with it splendidly!
13 For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder! For Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. 15 So it is no great surprise if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will be according to their works.
A prime example of false teachers are those that promote the health and wealth gospel like Joel Osteen and Creflo Dollar. They teach that you have to prove your faith through positive thoughts, declaring your blessing by speaking them (name it and claim it), and giving money to their ministries. They say that doing those things will bring good health, money, and happiness to your life.
We have to be on guard for subtle ways Satan deceives us through worldly wisdom. The only way to do that is to seek godly wisdom every day. Spend time in prayer and ask God to give you the wisdom you need. Study God’s word so you will know if someone is leading you astray. Compare everything you hear to Scripture, including my sermons! Don’t take someone’s word for it, but search the Bible for confirmation that they are telling the truth.
In verse 16, James says that the consequences of a person who seeks worldly wisdom out of envy and selfish ambition are disorder and sin.
16 For where there is envy and selfish ambition, there is disorder and every evil practice.
A person that is jealous and selfish causes instability in their life and for those around them. They are in a constant state of confusion and turmoil. Instead of making wise decisions that bring peace, they stumble through life like a wrecking ball leaving pain and suffering behind them. James doesn’t list all the bad things a person driven by envy and selfishness can do. Instead, he says that every evil thing will be in their life.
Instead of seeking wisdom from the world, we should want heavenly wisdom from God. James says in verse 17 that heavenly wisdom is from above and brings good things into our life.
17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peace-loving, gentle, compliant, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without pretense.
We’ve seen how easily we can be influenced by wisdom from the world because it’s all around us. So how do we get heavenly wisdom from God? Remember back in chapter 1, James said we should ask God for wisdom and that every good and perfect gift comes from him.
5 Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God—who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly—and it will be given to him.
First, we have to have a right relationship with God. If you haven’t asked God to forgive your sins and committed your life to following Jesus, you won’t have access to the wisdom from God. After deciding to follow Jesus, we must spend time with Him in prayer and reading His word. We have to turn away from all the sources of worldly wisdom and turn to the Lord.
The benefits of following godly wisdom are wonderful. James lists several qualities of godly wisdom. First of all, it’s pure. The word translated pure comes from the same word that’s also translated holy. Wisdom from God teaches us to live a pure, holy life. We won’t be perfect until we get to heaven, but we can ask God to forgive us when we fail.
7 Purify me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
James lists other characteristics of godly wisdom in verse 17.
17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peace-loving, gentle, compliant, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without pretense.
He says it’s peace loving. Wise people don’t cause conflict because of their selfishness. They are peacemakers because they’re humble and look after the interests of others.
3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves. 4 Everyone should look not to his own interests, but rather to the interests of others.
3 making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
A person with godly wisdom is gentle and patient with others instead of getting upset even if they know they’re right.
24 The Lord’s servant must not quarrel, but must be gentle to everyone, able to teach, and patient, 25 instructing his opponents with gentleness. Perhaps God will grant them repentance leading them to the knowledge of the truth.
James says godly wisdom leads a person to be compliant or reasonable. They are teachable and not stubborn. The word was used to describe a man who was willing to submit to military discipline and willing to do whatever was demanded of him. They are willing to compromise on issues that are matters of opinion, but never compromise on the truth.
Godly wisdom is full of mercy and forgiveness. We should be merciful because God showed mercy to us when we don’t deserve it. We should be willing to forgive those that have done wrong to us because God forgave us.
Godly wisdom is full of good fruits which is another way of saying good works. James is reminding us that the things we do are a reflection of the faith we have.
14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but does not have works? Can such faith save him?
Godly wisdom is unwavering. The word in the original language means not divided or uncertain. Some translations use impartial and it’s a reminder that we shouldn’t show favoritism.
Lastly, godly wisdom is without pretense or in other words it’s sincere. Someone with godly wisdom isn’t a hypocrite.
James wraps up this section with verse 18.
18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who cultivate peace.
James is saying there is a connection between godly wisdom, righteousness, and peace. It’s a word picture of planting fruit that produces seeds that are planted again. Godly wisdom creates a cycle of right living and peace that can’t come from worldly wisdom.
So what do we do with this passage? How does it apply to us today? There are a few key takeaways. We should examine our motives for gaining wisdom.
Are you learning how to live from the world because you’re selfish and jealous of other people’s success?
Or are you searching for godly wisdom because you want to live a life pleasing to God?
Are you aware of the ways Satan deceives us through worldly wisdom that is all around us?
Are you willing to put down your phone and remove the distractions in your life so you can gain godly wisdom? What will you do this week to seek godly wisdom?
Does you life reflect the characteristics of godly wisdom: pure, peace loving, gentle, compliant, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, authentic?
Are we willing to seek godly wisdom so that we make decisions at Enterprise Baptist Church that are in the center of God’s will?
