Faith Seeks Heavenly Wisdom

Introduction: Think of working for the sole reason of personal gain. The only concern in doing the job is to collect the pay and get ahead. There are no long–range concerns for the company or the people it serves. The motive is selfish ambition.

That attitude prevails in this world. Such an attitude can and usually does lead to all kinds of conflicts and injuries. It is called by James “unspiritual wisdom.” Such wisdom is contrasted with the “wisdom from heaven” motivated by God’s grace, leading to unity, peace, and the common good.

The Nature of the Problem

Our text describes it as “Disorder and Every Vile Practice” in James 3:16; as “quarrels and fights” in James 4:1; as “friendship with the world” in James 4:4.

Both the OT reading and the Gospel reading provide real-life, specific instances of these things.

The Origin of the Problem

According to James 3:15, it is the devil — “This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, and demonic.”

According to James 4:1, it is the flesh — “What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you?”

According to James 4:4, it is the world — “You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.”

The Outcome of the Problem

It results in “disorder and every vile practice” (3:16).

It leads to “unfulfilled desires and frustration” as in James 4:2 — “You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel.”

It even corrupts good actions such as prayer as in James 4:3 — “You do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.”

Ultimately, our adultery divorces us from our Bridegroom — James 4:4 — “You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.”

The Solution of the Problem — “He Gives More Grace”

Its Nature — “Wisdom from above”, which is none other than Jesus Himself. Disorder and vile practices, quarrels and fights, and friendship with the world will always — 100% of the time — lead us away from Christ Jesus. So James reminds us that the solution to the nature of the problem is grace, Who happens to be Jesus — “He give more grace. Therefore it says, ‘God opposes the proud but give grace to the humble.”

Its Origin — The devil, the flesh, and the world will ALWAYS lead to destruction, but the solution is Jesus! GRACE!. God’s grace in Jesus is more than equal to any problem, regardless of its size. See Psalm 91 as an example of pure GRACE!

1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High

will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.

2 I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress,

my God, in whom I trust.”

3 For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler

and from the deadly pestilence.

4 He will cover you with his pinions,

and under his wings you will find refuge;

his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.

5 You will not fear the terror of the night,

nor the arrow that flies by day,

6 nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness,

nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.

7 A thousand may fall at your side,

ten thousand at your right hand,

but it will not come near you.

8 You will only look with your eyes

and see the recompense of the wicked.

9 Because you have made the Lord your dwelling place—

the Most High, who is my refuge—

10 no evil shall be allowed to befall you,

no plague come near your tent.

11 For he will command his angels concerning you

to guard you in all your ways.

12 On their hands they will bear you up,

lest you strike your foot against a stone.

13 You will tread on the lion and the adder;

the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot.

14 “Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him;

I will protect him, because he knows my name.

15 When he calls to me, I will answer him;

I will be with him in trouble;

I will rescue him and honor him.

16 With long life I will satisfy him

and show him my salvation.”

Its Outcome

Peace with God - James 4:6 — “But He gives more grace...”, and James 4:8 — “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.”

Peace with People - James 3:18 — “And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.”

Moved by the Holy Spirit, we Christians choose friendship with God over friendship with the world, knowing we cannot have it both ways. The Spirit is jealous of us, and gives us zeal to live for God according to heavenly wisdom (4:1–6).

There is a story about a farmer who was bothered by some crows pulling up his newly-planted corn. So he loaded his shotgun and crawled along a fence row, determined to shoot the dark marauders.

Now this farmer had a family pet, “sociable” parrot, who liked to make friends. Seeing the noisy crows in the field, the parrot flew over and joined them with good intentions just to be friendly. Seeing the crows but not the family pet, the farmer took careful aim and—BANG! When he climbed over the fence, he found his parrot with a wing broken, but still alive. He tenderly carried it home.

When his children met him, they saw their injured pet and tearfully asked, “What happened to Polly, Daddy?” Before he could answer, the parrot spoke up: “Bad company! Bad company!”—from Dennis J. DeHaan, “Windows on the Word” (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1984).

James warns that friendship with the world will always lead to many unanticipated problems, just as it did for that parrot. We too, influenced by the attitudes of unspiritual people, all too easily can get caught up in their actions and in the consequences of their deeds.

In contrast, humble, daily friendship with Jesus means the joy of experiencing grace in your life. The Holy Spirit graciously supplies the power to live a godly life of peace, love, and mercy.

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.