Sermon Tone Analysis

In chapter 3 of James he is addressing an issue that is so widespread it should strike a cord with everyone.

It’s the issue of speech.

In verse 13 he transitions from verbal speech to the heart of speech.

His point in simple from is that a person who accesses heavenly wisdom will have a much different dialogue than someone who relies on earthly wisdom.

There is a clear dividing line between earthly and heavenly wisdom that must be understood by a believer.

And for those who haven’t yet put their trust in Christ, this might be a new concept.

Bear with us today!

But, in order to please God and pursue righteousness (right relationship before God), we must understand this difference in earthly and heavenly wisdom.

Josh Schroeder went over the concept of wisdom in his last sermon, but what is wisdom?

Wisdom is not defined like the title of today’s message, you have to be “wicked smaht”.

Wisdom is applied knowledge.

See knowledge is having facts, info, or skill received through training and experience but wisdom, that is superior knowledge.

There is skill in using knowledge.

You could have a good education and received a ton of knowledge and by the world’s standards be considered “wicked smaht” but you may not be able to apply any of it to the real world.

You might have absolutely no education but have more wisdom than a top honors college student, but your character is filled with shrewdness and cynicism.

See, a wise person first recognizes God’s greatness, holiness and majesty and starts there before opening their mouths.

As we will discuss in a minute, there has to be a humbleness and thankfulness before God in order to see our inability and rely on Him first and foremost.

This humility will then result in a platform to understand heavenly wisdom, which only comes from God.

But there is another type of wisdom that distracts.

For every good that God gives to man there is a counterfeit from Satan.

UNDERSTANDING THE COUNTERFEIT

So, Satan’;s brand of wisdom is “earthly”.

In simplest form a person can not fully understand heavenly or true wisdom unless they have first submitted their lives to Christ, because once someone does that they receive the Holy Spirit which guides in the first steps of gaining true wisdom.

An important thing to understand when we talk about earthly wisdom is thta it comes from Satan, not God.

SIGNS OF AN UNWISE PERSON

So here are the signs that James gives us that an unwise person displays.

Bitter jealousy

Selfish ambition (3:14)

We start there diagnosing an unwise person but then we begin to see their characteristics more closely, especially as they talk and interact.

James says you’ll know an unwise person also by their arrogance, they’ll be dishonest (almost always intentionally), they will be very worldly, they’ll come off as “authentic” but really James says their life and path they leave behind is often disorder and every evil.

These people will come off as superior, self-sufficient, they often abandon God’s morality and authority and their philosophies and practices will look very much like the world’s which is opposite of God’s Word.

We have to look no further than king Solomon, king David’s son who was said to be the wisest person who ever lived.

King Solomon shows us what both sides look like.’

Solomon served God for a long time but he also turned from Him.

Solomons kingdom, though once flourishing was eventually divided up underneath him.

Here some of Solomon’s last writings.

Solomon knew from experience where earthly wisdom leads a person compared to heavenly wisdom.

James transitions in verse 17 to what heavenly wisdom looks like.

He says:

So we can draw from this and understand what the signs are of a wise person are.

SIGNS OF A WISE PERSON

PURE

The wise person’s character would include striving for purity which, to James is the first requirement.

Because of God’s mercy and grace toward us we can be pure in heart if we invite Jesus as Savior and master in our lives and live for Him.

We devoted a whole sermon to this when we went through the Sermon on the mount.

We can not truly follow and live close to God’s heart when we emmerse ourselve in a world of impurities.

Being pure in heart is to come before God, abandoning the world’s ideologies, and to allow Him to cleanse us of any ulterior motives and our selfishness.

Then we are pure enough to see God as Matthew 5:8 says.

PEACEABLE (PEACE-LOVING)

The next sign would be that we are peaceable people.

This does not say perfect people.

And it doesn’t say passive people.

But a peaceable person would be someone who first has received Christ as Savior and has been purified of sin and their relationship between God is mended.

And because of this vertical relationship is set right between the person and God, their horizontal relationships between other men and women make more sense and contain more purpose.

True wisdom produces right relationships.

Arrogant wisdom separates people, cruel wisdom takes delight in hurting others with clever cutting words and a depraved wisdom seduces people away from the loyalty to God.

But true wisdom and being peaceable toward God and others draws people together.

Jesus said it this way:

GENTLE (CONSIDERATE)

The next sign of a wise person would be that they are gentle.

This word gentle is said to be very hard to translate from greek but in simplest form it is basically to give grace before judgement to all people.

This means that a person would go the extra mile with someone, even though the other person most likely never deserved it.

This wise person would be willing to forgive, no matter the circumstances.

Now, you’re saying- yea right!

That sounds impossible!

And you’re right, it is if we rely on ourselves for this kind of will power.

You’re also picturing that person in your mind right now who you don’t want to forgive or give grace to, aren’t you? ;)

Well, be rest assured that if we rely on our own to do this, it won’t happen.

Jesus was the only person to perfect this.

He substituted justice with mercy on our behalf.

Justice demanded death and hell for all but Jesus took that on and His sacrifice provided eternal redemption.

So to be gentle or considerate of others is to know how to forgive, even when strict justice gives a perfect right to condemn.

REASONABLE (SUBMISSIVE)

Absolute obedience would mark the next sign of a wise person.

Absolute obedience to the will of God.

And you might say, that’s impossible.

Well, if you’ve put your trust in Christ you’ve already taken the hardest step.

Being obedient to the will of God is a daily task for the believer and it’s a must to be wise in God’s sight.

In order to do this we need to let go of the things that are contrary to God’s Word and allow God full control in our lives.

Being reasonable is also being someone who is teachable and realizes they don’t have it all figured out.

The Holy Spirit has been allowed by the individual to hold this persons heart and soften it.

Abraham had a falling out with Lot but he did not try to go to war but instead work through the situation for what would be best for all involved.

Being reasonable and submissive before God is answering God’s voice when He calls.

It is being willing to listen and skilled in knowing when wisely to yield to His voice.

MERCIFUL AND GOOD FRUITS

Someone who is wise would also be someone who is merciful.

Mercy is action and true wisdom is mercy expressing itself in Christlike action on behalf of others.

Mercy is looking on a guilty person with compassion, even though they probably deserve punishment.

Or mercy is showing pity on someone, even if they brought their circumstances on themselves.

Mercy is not emotion, but action.

As parents we have this choice daily.

We daily choose how we’ll parent our kids and often we go to the extreme of being a helicopter parent rather then pick our battles.

We can choose to nit pick everything our kids do and punish them severely for it, or we can choose to show mercy as the situation presents itself.

There is a delicate balance to this but God would always want us to choose mercy when we are able to.

For sure he would want us to show love.

Linked with mercy is good fruits.

I have noticed this when we discipline one of our kids in particular.

Once we’ve given a punishment that was not as harsh as what they should’ve got they know it and because of it all of a sudden become your best friend who wants to help you, with everything.

Producing good fruit as a Christian is talked about so much in the Bible.

But in general, someone who has been shown mercy will most likely want to pay it back by showing mercy to others through their good deeds.