James Heavenly Wisdom
Two Kinds of Wisdom
13Who is wise and
understanding among you?
Let him ( who? wise & understanding)
show it (how?)
by his good life,
by deeds done
in the humility
that comes from wisdom.
14But if you (who? Worldly wisdom) harbor
bitter envy and
selfish ambition in your hearts,
do not (what?)
boast about it or
deny the truth.
15Such "wisdom" ( where from?)
does not come down from heaven but is (what?)
earthly,
unspiritual,
of the devil.
16For where you have envy and selfish ambition, ( worldly “wisdom”)
there you find ( what?)
disorder and
every evil practice.
17But the wisdom ( where?)
that comes from heaven is ( what?)
first of all pure; then
peace-loving,
considerate,
submissive,
full of mercy and
good fruit,
impartial and
sincere.
18Peacemakers who
sow in peace raise ( what? )
a harvest of righteousness.
!!!!! Two Kinds of Wisdom ( James 3: 13-18)
13Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. 14But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. 15Such "wisdom" does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. 16For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.
17But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. 18Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.
Ice Breaker Question:
1. Think of a person you know who has real wisdom. In what ways is that wisdom evident in his or her life?
This is a ice breaker question. There is no model answer. Generally, we will admire someone who makes wise decision in life. Most of us will chose someone who is healthy, wealthy, pretty, capable, successful, spiritual giant, a martyr, etc. Billionaires , actors and actress, public figures etc may succeed using worldly wisdom and using materialistic definition of success. They may or may not take a drug overdose and end as failure. Some of us will think along the lines of Godly wisdom, someone who is a peacemaker, who raise a harvest of righteousness.
2. What is linked with wisdom in verse 13? What should be done with this knowledge?
Understanding. OIn the New Testament wisdom is different from knowledge. Wisdom is knowledge obeyed and applied. You must have both, and they are interdependent, but here is the only place in the New Testament where you find wisdom and understanding joined together. James is evidently describing a man of some Christian maturity, who not only applies the knowledge of God and his salvation to his daily life, but this man understands himself and his own heart, he understands men and women, and he understands the world. You remember there were " men of Issachar, who understood the times and knew what Israel should do" (I Chron. 12:32). What a gift to the church ! Let them show it !
3. What does James mean by living a “ good life”?
Greek meaning of good –beautiful, handsome, excellent, eminent, choice, surpassing, precious, useful, suitable, commendable, admirable
- beautiful to look at, shapely, magnificent
- good, excellent in its nature and characteristics, and therefore well adapted to its ends
i. genuine, approved
ii. precious
iii. joined to names of men designated by their office, competent, able, such as one ought to be
iv. praiseworthy, noble
- beautiful by reason of purity of heart and life, and hence praiseworthy i. morally good, noble
- honourable, conferring honour #. affecting the mind agreeably, comforting and confirming
NAS Word Usage - Total: 100 beautiful 1, better 5, better* 2, commendable manner 1, excellent 1, fair 1, fine 2, good 79, high 1, honest 1, honorable 1, right thing 1, sound 1, treasure* 1, what is right 2
- Greek meaning of behavior - manner of life, conduct, behaviour, deportment NAS Word Usage - Total: 13 behavior 6, conduct 4, manner of life 2, way of life 1
James says, "by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom" (v.13). People of wisdom and understanding show it primarily by their lives. The 'good life' means for the world today possessions, prosperity and pleasure. You had it in Carlsberg beer commercial. The men are fishing together one warm evening; someone is frying the trout they have caught; they open cans of lager and sit back on the river bank and one of them says, "It doesn't get much better than this." The good life is fishing with your mates. There is no harm in fishing with your friends. Small boys enjoy it. The harm is thinking that that is what it's all about. The good life is far richer and more rewarding. It is the life of goodness. It consists of not being evil, and of cleaving to what is good. It is not defined in terms of leisure activities and nights with the boys, but a father who is always there for his children, a mother who denies herself to feed, clothe, wash and keep a home for her family. You see it in a wife caring for her husband who has got into such a state of senility that he no longer can say her name. The good life ! You see it in such "deeds done" - not in admiring them and talking about them, but actually doing them in our lives.
These deeds must also be done in a particular way, "in the humility that comes from wisdom" (v.13). Humility was a despised grace to the Greeks. They judged it to be an utterly servile posture, and even today how few role models are men of humility. But every Christian is to be characterized by this grace, and it is to be genuine meekness.. Here is a man who has taken Jesus' warnings about Pharisaic religion to heart. Those ostentatious people prayed standing up, and on street corners, and when they fasted they put white ash powder on their faces so that others knew, and when they gave to the poor they fairly rattled their donations into the great receptacles in the temple so that everyone could hear. There are people today who let the world know how hard life is for them, but what 'good' they are bravely doing. James says that the wise Christian shows he is living the good life "by deeds done in ... humility." The Lord Jesus tells us that our giving is to be wrought in utter secrecy so that even our own right hand does not know what the left hand is doing. The good works that come from wisdom are done in humility.
4. Define humility. Why is true wisdom humble?
Meekness. Greek meaning of gentleness (nasb strong) ? –mildness of disposition, gentleness of spirit, meekness
NAS Word Usage - Total: 11 consideration 1, gentleness 8, humility 1, meekness 1
In the year 117 a preacher called Ignatius who came from Antioch was condemned to death as a Christian. He was sent to Rome to be thrown to hungry wild animals. A squad of ten soldiers accompanied him on the long journey, and he wrote seven letters as he traveled. There is no trace of bitterness in one of them. The letters are full of gratitude for kindnesses received on the journey. His one concern was to be found in Christ. Those letters reflected the deeds Ignatius had always done "in the humility that comes from wisdom."
Why is true wisdom humble?
Ans “ comes from above?
5. What underlying motives does counterfeit wisdom produce? With what results ( v 14,15)
14But if you harbor
bitter envy and
selfish ambition in your hearts,
do not (what?)
boast about it or
deny the truth.
15Such "wisdom" ( referring to bitter envy and selfish ambition)
does not come down from heaven but is
earthly,
unspiritual,
of the devil.
6. In what ways might envy or selfish ambition be exhibited in relationship or in the church?
Criticism – gossip – back stabbing – case of island country club , 2 ladies competing to be ladies captain. We have poison letters, complains etc.
"you harbour bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts" (v.14). Think of King Saul hearing the crowd's cries of delight in David, "Saul has slain his thousands, but David his tens of thousands" and into the harbour of Saul's heart sailed the pirate crew Captain Bitter Envy and Chief Officer Selfish Ambition, and that is where they set up their base, and where the king gave them anchorage. But worse than that Saul paraded his bitterness to everyone. He threw a javelin at David trying to pin him to the wall. He hunted him across the wilderness as if he were a goat. They all could see what envy was being harboured in Saul's heart. His selfish ambition was to be the sole possessor of his people's hearts. He wanted their exclusive love and would brook no rivals.
Example of Leaders threatened by “juniors”.. “ If he wants to be in a position of leadership”
This older leader said "He'd better be careful, if he wants to be a leader, for whom he chooses to speak." Troubled by that phrase, "if he wants to be a leader ... if he wants to be a leader." What Christian wants to be a leader ? An ambitious Christian. The Saviour said that he came not as a ruler but a servant. The Christian thinks in terms of, "How does God want me to serve him and his people ?" The greatest among us is the servant of all.
7. In verse 15, what terms does James use to describe counterfeit wisdom? Restate these terms in your own words.
earthly,
unspiritual,
of the devil
own words – check other version of bible.
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This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic.
This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.
................................................................................
This wisdom descends not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.
................................................................................
This wisdom is not from heaven, but is of the earth and the flesh and the Evil One.
................................................................................
That kind of wisdom doesn't come from above. It belongs to this world. It is self-centered and demonic.
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That is not the wisdom which comes down from above: it belongs to earth, to the unspiritual nature, and to evil spirits.
i)James says, firstly, this envious attitude to others is "earthly" (v.15). In other words, the inspiration for your vaunted ambition is man. The standards, sources, and aims of an envying spirit all come from a fallen world. Why are so many men in business depressed ? Because all they have to live for, in one brief life, is this world. And from its godless system they have set standards for themselves and when they fail to attain them, but see others achieve them, they are depressed. Worldly ambition has messed them about.
ii] Then, secondly, there is the flesh; this envy is all so "unspiritual." You know that man is soul and also spirit. When the Bible talks of man's soul it thinks of man as made from the dust of the earth just like all the lesser creation, and that man's feelings and strategies and hungers and instincts are very similar to animals. Man is soul, and this is what this word 'unspiritual' is reflecting upon. It is found just four times in the New Testament and always negatively - the word is also translated 'sensual' or the 'natural man.'
PUchikos ( natural ) (nasb strong )of or belonging to breath
- having the nature and characteristics of the breath
- the principal of animal life, which men have in common with the brutes
- governed by breath
- the sensuous nature with its subjection to appetite and passion
NAS Word Usage - Total: 6 natural 5, worldly-minded 1
Man is also spirit and so is transcendent, eternity is in his heart, and he can know God. But when man harbors unspiritual ambition and pomp and show then it is man’s soul who is paramount
iii] Then, thirdly, James says that this envy is "of the devil" (v.15). So the triad is complete. Lucifer is the most envious creature under the heavens. It was because of his envy that both he and man fell. His approach to Adam was to make our first parents envy the superior knowledge that God had, promising them they would know good and evil if they ate the forbidden fruit. The tree was to be desired to make one wise, but not as they had imagined. Their eyes were opened to know good without the power to do it, and to know evil without the power to resist it. The devil, since that time, fuels the fires of jealousy to cause man to fall into many sins.
8. What is the source of true wisdom (verse 17)?
“that comes from heaven”
9. What is the first and most essential quality of godly wisdom? How does this quality relate to the ones that follow?
first of all pure; then
peace-loving,
considerate,
submissive,
full of mercy and good fruit,
impartial and
sincere.
Let us look at these sevenfold graces:-
1. "first of all pure" There, in the place of priority, is purity. You can understand that can't you ? That purity is going to affect everything else. Think of pure water with nothing contaminating it at all. It affects all the food you cook with it. You want your baby to wash in pure water. You want no germs in it, no Nasties, no viruses, no amoebas, no Chernobyl radiation, no lead, just pure water. We are called to be as pure as God himself. You may be satisfied with 97% purity, or you think that 99% purity is very good. But would a wife be happy if one night in every hundred her husband did impure things ? Or what if one word of every hundred your children spoke was impure ? Or what if your accountant at work channeled one penny out of every hundred into his own account ? He was 99% pure in his service to the company. The Christian's first priority is to be pure in thought and word and deed. The whole ethos of the church is to keep that priority. It is to be pure in its fellowship, pure in its officers, pure in its worship, pure in its young people's meetings, pure in its music, pure in its sermons.
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is preparing a place for us and that he is going to take us unto himself that where he is there we may be also. And we, who have the hope of being there purify ourselves now as God is pure - "Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God" (Matt. 5:8).
2. "peace-loving" This grace begins in one's own life first of all. A Christian is someone who has come to see how enormous his offences are against a high and holy Lord, and that God has the right to put him in hell for what he has done against him, but in his mercy God has sent his own dear Son into the world, the Lord Jesus Christ. He has kept God commandments which we have failed to do, and he has done that on our behalf, and so fulfilled all righteousness. Then on the cross of Golgotha he has propitiated the wrath of a sin-hating God against all our transgressions so that God now can look upon us with love and delight because in Christ we are accepted. We have peace with God through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. Then we do everything to maintain that peace, never wanting to grieve or antagonise him by defiance and rebellion.
We maintain our own peace with God by submission to his will, and then in our own congregations we "endeavour to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace" (Ephs. 4:3). The Lord Jesus spoke of the blessedness of peacemakers. It means getting the log out of our own eyes before drawing attention to the speck in our brother's. It means overlooking minor offences, and not dwelling on unhappy incidents, not bringing them up again and using them against people. It means saying positive things about the person whom we've forgiven. It means listening patiently to others.
3. "considerate" A Christian knows how to make allowances for people, for the behaviour of novices and of children. A reformed drug addict came to church Then that morning he turned up in church, and sat in the back row and everything went smoothly until the benediction. The a man sitting with his wife two pews in front turned around and caught a glimpse of him, sitting self-consciously at the back. He turned to his wife and said in a stage-whisper, "Not the type of person we want in our church." That church member knew how Christians should appear, and was always decent and proper, but he could not make any allowances for other people who are invited to hear the gospel. We have to make allowances for the weak and try to understand the muddles people get themselves into. We have to be pure. and yet we have to be considerate too, and God will show you how, as you grow in wisdom.
4. "submissive" You know the wonderful AV translation of this word, "easy to be intreated." The word originally was a military term. The person easy to be intreated was the common soldier, who recognised the rights of the commander over him. When the orders were given he immediately submitted to him.
Let me put it like this: you may have talked to some religious people about the sovereignty of God, and you may have quoted verses to them such as, "he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world" (Ephs. 1:4), or John 15:16, "Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you" or Romans 9:16 "it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy" or Peter's words, "Elect according to the foreknowledge of God" (I Pet. 1:2). Then their response has been to say, "Yes, but the ultimate choice is ours not God's." Then, you have pointed other verses to them and shown them that if it hangs on our unaided choice we would never choose Christ. Then they have looked at you and said, "Even if you show me that in the Bible I could never believe it." What is that spirit ? It is the very opposite of what James is talking about here as the mark of wisdom and understanding, 'submission,' certainly to the Bible, because the Son of God submitted to it, and he has much more common sense and a better knowledge of God than any of us, but a willingness to listen to the youngest believer in whose life the Son of God is at work. So the way of wisdom is to be submissive.
5. "full of mercy and good fruits" We can too often pass judgment of someone in trouble that, "It is his own fault. Story of Rachel Saint , her brother was killed by the Auca Indians in Ecuador, and also Elisabeth Elliot, whose husband Jim was killed in the same attack. Both the women organised support for themselves and went out to live amongst the Aucas and taught them and helped them in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. They were "full of mercy and good fruits." How otherwise can we be if we say that our Lord is Jesus Christ, and we serve him and try to be like him ? When they were laying him out on the cross and driving great nails through the palms of his hands he prayed for them that God might forgive them because of their ignorance. His death was predetermined, and they had no idea that they were killing God the Son veiled in flesh. He took that into consideration. Rachel Saint and Elisabeth Elliot knew that these Auca men were frightened of these five white men, and thought that they might be there to hurt or kill them. Let's take everything into consideration and show mercy, and have some fruit for them, and help them.
6. "impartial" To be impartial is to treat all fairly and alike. Wisdom and understanding shows itself in being impartial.
7. "sincere" That is, no show, no mask, no hypocrisy. You don't disguise your real aims and motives. Jesus looked at a man in the Temple wearing a mask, thanking God he was not like other men, because he prayed and fasted and so on. That was his mask. But there was another man in the temple who was utterly sickened with his mask - I mean, who was he fooling, and why ? That day he threw his mask away and with utter sincerity, terribly exposed and vulnerable, not daring to look up, he prayed, "God be merciful to me a sinner." That was the beginning of new life for him. He left that place a justified man in God's eyes, and the entire rest of his life consists in maintaining that sincerity. Whenever you find yourself to be making another mask - then you have to start all over again, and strip yourself of the mask, and get real and honest with God and with the rest of us. I mean, who are you fooling, and why ?
That is how the wisdom from heaven shows itself. So there are sevenfold graces of the wisdom that is from above. Where God is present, these graces will be seen. This is the mark of the blessing of God, that he is at work in a congregation. No amount of wit or struggle can produce them. They are the consequence of sheer vertical sovereign grace. Such wisdom is only 'from above.' Is this what we long for in ourselves, and in our church ? Is the end of all the organisation and financial involvement and missionary endeavors and meetings for prayer and Bible Study and with the young people ? No ! But That this wisdom from above should be found in us increasingly ? That is how we measure the success of any church. We are not in some numbers game. We must allow no criteria to affect our pursuit of this end, that this wisdom be found in our midst, increasingly. What if we were double our size but were a crowd of fools led by fools ? Don't lose your nerve. In other words, don't lose faith in the absolute centrality of this.
10. What attitudes toward others spring from holiness of character? In what specific situations can these attitudes be expressed?
Peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.
Specific situation ----- refer to question 10 above.
11. What is the end result of true wisdom ( verse 18)? Contrast this with the results of spurious wisdom in verse 16
18Peacemakers who
sow in peace raise ( what result? )
a harvest of righteousness.
Contrast with
16For where you have envy and selfish ambition, ( bad “wisdom”)
there you find ( what result?)
disorder and
every evil practice.
See the final promise that James appends to this great enterprise. He says, "Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness" (v.18). Let me stick to the interpretation which the NIV gives to these words. He is talking about the Christian life - the steady toil of parents raising their children to live like this: the work of mission: the printing of Christian literature: the training of men for the ministry: the weekly sermons. All this, James says, should be done by peacemakers. They practice what they preach. The atmosphere they create in their congregations is not at variance with the gospel of peace. They are not confrontational men looking for a fight on any issue. They are showing the beauty of this life of wisdom and understanding. The servant of the Lord must not strive but be gentle to all men. They are commending this way of life to their hearers. They are trying in every way to get it into their minds and hearts. "See how lovely it is," they cry, "because it is the life of Christ. This is how the Lord Jesus is and how he is determined to make us." All their lives these good sowers go forth to sow this seed of wisdom from heaven, sowing it in the hearts of any who will hear, and sowing it lovingly and peacefully. What happens ? What happens when you sow good seed ? You get a crop. You raise a harvest. Of course some seed falls by the wayside, and some only brings forth a temporary crop, but for the most part such seed, sown in peace, "raises a harvest of righteousness." You see it in such churches, and in families who go on and on producing fruit.
12. Do you recognize attitudes of jealousy and self-centeredness in yourself? How can you find true wisdom?