"The Test of True Wisdom" Pt. 2
James: Faith that Works • Sermon • Submitted
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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.
But if you have bitter envy and selfish ambition in your heart, don’t boast and deny the truth.
Such wisdom does not come down from above but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.
For where there is envy and selfish ambition, there is disorder and every evil practice.
But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peace-loving, gentle, compliant, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without pretense.
And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who cultivate peace.
Our passage begins with a question: (v.13a)
James also provides the ANSWER: (v.13b)
· The WAY/END (or the HOW) is “…good conduct”
· The GOAL is to “…show that his works,”which connects back to the theme of demonstrating true faith through one’s works (2:14-26)!
· The MEANS/END (the WHY) is “…in the gentleness that comes from wisdom.”
Although, this may seem a complex way to state this, the result is that there can be NO DOUBT as to the meaning of James in this passage!
IN THE remaining verses of our passage (vv.14-18), James provides a CONTRAST between EARTHLY wisdom and HEAVENLY wisdom, looking at the operation, origin, and outcomes of both:
I. WORLDLY WISDOM! – (3:14-16)
I. WORLDLY WISDOM! – (3:14-16)
A. The OPERATION of Worldly Wisdom – (v.14)
A. The OPERATION of Worldly Wisdom – (v.14)
Four characteristics of worldly wisdom (NOTICE also the progression): 1) “…bitter envy” 2) “…selfish ambition” 3) Arrogance – “…don’t boast” and 4) Deceit – “…and deny the truth.”
B. The ORIGIN of Worldly Wisdom – (v.15) – “…earthly, unspiritual, demonic.”
B. The ORIGIN of Worldly Wisdom – (v.15) – “…earthly, unspiritual, demonic.”
C. The OUTCOME of Worldly Wisdom – (v.16)
C. The OUTCOME of Worldly Wisdom – (v.16)
II. HEAVENLY WISDOM! – (3:17-18)
II. HEAVENLY WISDOM! – (3:17-18)
A. The ORIGIN of Heavenly Wisdom – (v.17a) – “But the wisdom from above…”
A. The ORIGIN of Heavenly Wisdom – (v.17a) – “But the wisdom from above…”
James uses a present tense participle to make his point: “Wisdom is coming from above…”
It’s not a onetime allotment—it is a steady flow from God to His children! – (James 1:5, 17)
B. The OPERATION of Heavenly Wisdom – (v.17b)
B. The OPERATION of Heavenly Wisdom – (v.17b)
The characteristics of heavenly wisdom are equally clear:
1. “…is first pure”
1. “…is first pure”
(James 4:8) – “…cleanse your hands […] purify your hears…”
There are no hidden motives in God’s wisdom. It is transparent and clean!
Purity is also connected to God’s holiness; because God is holy, the wisdom from above is pure!
In other words, since God is the source, the wisdom from above is also like God—pure!
2. “…then peace-loving”
2. “…then peace-loving”
True peace is always an outgrowth of purity; and the absence of purity will always be accompanied by the absence of peace!
Abundant peace belongs to those who love your instruction; nothing makes them stumble.
You will keep the mind that is dependent on you in perfect peace, for it is trusting in you.
Trust in the Lord forever, because in the Lord, the Lord himself, is an everlasting rock!
But the wicked are like the storm-tossed sea, for it cannot be still, and its water churns up mire and muck.
There is no peace for the wicked,” says my God.
It is a peace based on holiness, not on compromise! God never has “peace at any price.”
The peace of a church is NOT more important than the purity of the church. Peace must be the result of purity!
The result of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quiet confidence forever.
Then my people will dwell in a peaceful place, in safe and secure dwellings.
3. “…gentle”
3. “…gentle”
Matthew Arnold likes to call this, “sweet reasonableness.”
Warren Wiersbe – “It carries the meaning of moderation without compromise, gentleness without weakness. […] Carl Sandburg described Abraham Lincoln as a man of “velvet steel.” That is a good description of gentleness.”
4. “…compliant (ESV, open to reason)”
4. “…compliant (ESV, open to reason)”
Another translation of this word is, “Yielding to persuasion.”
God’s wisdom makes the believer agreeable and easy to live with and work with.
Whereas the world’s wisdom makes a person hard and stubborn, the person using God’s wisdom is willing to listen—to hear all sides of an issue before deciding.
It is wisdom from above that enables one to disagree without being disagreeable! – (James 1:19)
5. “…full of mercy”
5. “…full of mercy”
If grace is receiving what I do not deserve, then mercy is not receiving what I do deserve!
Mercy then is intrinsic to forgiveness. And notice it’s not just a little mercy, but “full of mercy!”
6. “…full of […] good fruits”
6. “…full of […] good fruits”
Wiersbe – “People who are faithful are fruitful. God’s wisdom does not make a life empty; it makes it full.”
Jesus said it this way...
Remain in me, and I in you. Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, neither can you unless you remain in me.
I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without me.
My Father is glorified by this: that you produce much fruit and prove to be my disciples.
7. “…unwavering”
7. “…unwavering”
The idea is that there is no wavering—no fear. There’s a decisiveness to a person who lives by God’s wisdom. He or she trusts in the Word of God!
Abundant peace belongs to those who love your instruction; nothing makes them stumble.
8. “…without pretense.”
8. “…without pretense.”
The contrast to the hypocrite (the Greek word meaning, “actor”) is one who is genuine!
The words of Christ are relevant to this understanding of wisdom from above...
“Again, you have heard that it was said to our ancestors, You must not break your oath, but you must keep your oaths to the Lord.
But I tell you, don’t take an oath at all: either by heaven, because it is God’s throne;
or by the earth, because it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, because it is the city of the great King.
Do not swear by your head, because you cannot make a single hair white or black.
But let your ‘yes’ mean ‘yes,’ and your ‘no’ mean ‘no.’ Anything more than this is from the evil one.
C. The OUTCOME of Heavenly Wisdom – (v.18)
C. The OUTCOME of Heavenly Wisdom – (v.18)
A consistent theme of James is origin determines outcome, which is another way of saying, “the root determines the fruit.”
Warren Wiersbe: “The Christian life is a life of sowing and reaping. For that matter, every life is a life of sowing and reaping, and we reap just what we sow. The Christian who obeys God’s wisdom sows righteousness, not sin, and peace, not war. The life we live enables the Lord to bring righteousness and peace into the lives of others.”
What we are is what we live, and what we live is what we sow. What we sow determines what we will reap!
A CLOSING THOUGHT: (v.18b) – “…those who cultivate peace.”It’s not enough to simply have peace; do you grow peace in those around you?