The Wisdom of a Believing Heart

James 1:5-8

I had to smile when I came across a statement by Spurgeon on wisdom. He said: “Wisdom is the right use of knowledge. To know is not to be wise. Many men know a great deal and are all the greater fools for it. There is no fool so great as a knowing fool. But to know how to use knowledge is to have wisdom.” That is so true. There are none so foolish as those who think they’re too smart to need wisdom.

I think one of the first steps toward wisdom is the recognition that we don’t have it. Then comes the acknowledgement that we need it; and that leads to the godly quest to obtain it. Proverbs 9:10 affirms, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” But what if we have already come to God and wisdom is something we lack? Or to ask the question more broadly, what if God’s people lack any good thing that only He can give? This is one of the tests that all believers will face at some point in this life.

James is writing to an audience of primarily Jewish Christians. They are scattered as exiles and they’re going through some tough persecution. He has just told them in verse 4 to let patience have its perfect work, that they may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. When James speaks of “lacking nothing” he means in terms of Christian maturity. And the very next verse raises the issue of wisdom, which is something we may lack even as we grow in Christian maturity. So if you lack wisdom or any other good thing that comes from God, these verses are going to give you insight on how to obtain the virtues that only God can give. Let’s look at James 1:5-8. In honor of God and His Word, let’s stand for the reading of these verses.

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. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. [NKJV]

[Prayer] In these practical verses, James is teaching believers something that God provides, something that God requires, and something that God withholds. First, the provision…

I. God provides abundant wisdom to all who ask of Him (5).

Since James is writing to Christians about how to face the trials of life, the subject of wisdom is very relevant. We need wisdom to know how to live faithfully when trials and temptations enter our lives. Wisdom is vital if we hope to progress in the Christian life. Only wisdom can enable us to apply the Scriptures to our lives correctly. When trials do come and we begin to suffer, wisdom reminds us that God is in complete control of even the most difficult circumstances in our lives. When we know this, we won’t be so quick to question His goodness or His work of purification through our trials.

Wisdom is the ability to apply God’s truth to life so that we can please God and live in accordance with His word. Whenever we don’t know what to do, we’re facing a trial. For example, we may ask, should I take this job, should I marry this person, should I move to this city, and so forth. That lack of wisdom becomes a trial for us when we want to please God with our decisions. God uses such trials to refine our faith; to cast out our fears and to remove our doubts.

So if you lack wisdom, James says “ask God who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” The words “ask God” are not personal advice from James; it’s a divine command. It translates an imperative verb, so it’s not optional to ask God, it’s mandatory. When you’re facing a trial with a lack of wisdom, your heavenly Father commands you to go to Him in prayer to ask Him for it. If a tested believer is not driven to the Lord in prayer and you seek worldly counsel and find other coping mechanisms, the Lord is likely to intensify the test to wean you from earthly dependence. God’s tests are designed to train His children to run to Him for all they lack. James is making a strong appeal to the believer’s prayer life.

Now when you come to God asking for the wisdom you need to please Him during a trial, do you suppose He’ll give you an insufficient amount of wisdom—just enough to torment you? There are times when an insufficient amount of wisdom is far worse than total ignorance. Those who have no knowledge of a problem may at least be afforded the serenity of ignorance. But the greatest trial would be to know the seriousness of a problem and to know that the answer is available, but not having enough wisdom to make the right decision. But James says God is not that way with us. He gives to all liberally. In this context, the word means generously and unconditionally with singleness of heart. This is the way God gives to His children.

“And without reproach” – which means without reprimanding or scolding; God will not belittle us when we come to Him for help. The Lord will never cast even the slightest reproach on a child of His who comes seeking wisdom in a time of trouble or testing. But you must ask Him for it. And the Word says, “It will be given to [you]”. But there’s a caveat. Second…

II. God requires (and provides) believing faith without doubt (6).

Verse six says: “But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.” In this context, faith is linked with belief while doubting is linked with unbelief. The doubting here is a particular kind of doubting. It doesn’t mean that we never have doubts in the progress of our faith. But this kind of doubting is rooted in a lack of confidence in God and His ability to rule your life. So this doubting is really unbelief.

Hebrews 11:6 tells us: “Without faith it is impossible to please God, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” The word for doubting refers to someone who is divided within themselves; it is moral distrust of God, not the doubting of oneself.

“For he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.” The person who doubts God’s ability or willingness to provide this wisdom will never have internal peace. He will always be restless like the wind-tossed sea until He views Christ as his sovereign Savior. This person who doubts is an unbeliever who may think he’s a Christian. He may go to church and associate with other Christians, but his heart does not trust God because there’s no faith. Even when he prays, he doesn’t believe God can do anything for him or that He even hears the prayer. Keep in mind, we’re not saying that believers never experience times of doubting; we do. But this doubting in verse 6 refers to a lack of faith in the character of God. This person needs saving faith in Christ. The doubter may know facts about God, just as the demons know facts about God and they believe those facts, but such belief is not salvific. James later says to a questioner without working faith in 2:19 -- “You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and Tremble!” Part of the reason we know this double-minded doubter is really an unbeliever is found in verses 7 and 8.

“For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.” Here’s the third point…

III. God withholds His treasures from double-minded unbelievers (7-8).

Now “common grace” is God’s blessing to all creation; but the treasures of God can only be desired and received by faith. Remember the context. James is talking about having our request for wisdom granted by God. Godless people don’t desire wisdom (they may desire intelligence or other forms of natural sapience, but not true wisdom). So here’s a religious person without faith who doubts God’s willingness or ability to answer his request, and he prays a hypocritical prayer with a divided heart. James says: “Let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; (Pause right there; would God ever say that to one of His true children: “You will never receive anything from Me!”) No… to believers Christ says “Whatever you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive” (Mt. 21:22). So verse 7 doesn’t fit the description of a true believer.

Then look at verse 8. “He is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.” This is one of the most vivid descriptions in the book of James… a double-minded man. Here it means “wavering,” “lacking in faith,” especially in time of persecution when constancy and resolution in faith are called for. The word speaks of a person marked by irresolution where moral choices are concerned, which involves an indictment of that person’s character. He is controlled by doubting and hesitation; this person is consequently likely to wander further and further from the truth, which James addresses at the very end of the letter.

The double-minded unbeliever is referred to again in 4:8, where James says: “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” In this verse, the double-minded are called “sinners,” a term used only for unbelievers as a class of people.

Listen to comments by John MacArthur on the double-minded man:

Although he claims to be a believer, his action reveals he is an unbeliever. When he goes through a severe trial, he turns to human resources rather than… trusting the Lord for answers and for help. Or he becomes bitter and resentful and seeks no help at all. He does not renounce God, but he acts as if God doesn’t exist, doesn’t care, or isn’t capable of delivering him from trouble. He knows something of God’s Word and of God’s love, grace, and providence; but he refuses to avail himself of those divine resources.

The double-minded man is trying to serve two gods, which is impossible. Jesus said: “Either [you] will hate the one and love the other, or [you] will be devoted to one and despise the other” (Matt. 6:24).

When you’re facing a trial and you lack wisdom or any other godly virtue, here’s what God prescribes through James:

(1) Ask Him for it… that means pray to Him about it. Is this something that honors Him and draws you closer to Him? If so, then ask and He will give to you generously and without reproach.

(2) Ask in faith, without doubt. Belief is necessary to honor God. We can’t please God without faith. If you don’t really believe that God is willing to grant your request or if you think He’s incapable of granting it, don’t bother asking.

(3) If God has revealed in you an absence of faith this morning and you want to be able to ask for that which pleases God, then that means God is already working in your heart through His Word. Only God can make us want to please Him. So ask Him to fill you with His Spirit and to enable you to read His Word with believing eyes. Then your trial-worn heart can ask in faith for wisdom and God will generously grant your request without reproach. Put your trust for eternal life entirely in Jesus Christ (not in religion or churches; not in trinkets or traditions) and all the treasures of God are imputed your account. Then ask whatever you will in His name… with the wisdom of a believing heart.

Let’s pray…

Charles Kevin Grant