- September 1, 2020
To all the saints of Grace Baptist Church of Dallas, Oregon
Greetings to you in the wise and strong name of Jesus our Lord!
We live in an information age where at any given moment we have information and news coming at us from every direction. I find that this is often a distraction from what is really important. But of course, all the breaking news is insistent on our attention and curiosity demands that we give some attention to it. But I wonder if this is really wise? The Bible says, “Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones,” Proverbs 3:7-8. But does an onslaught of information make a person wise? And what is wisdom? Is it just having a lot of information stored away in your memory banks? And what does the Bible say about wisdom. Is biblical wisdom any different from everyday worldly wisdom? And what is the outcome of worldly wisdom verses godly wisdom? There is a lot to think about and sometimes it makes my head hurtJ
Let’s go to a passage that speaks about wisdom, found in James 3:13-18. Listen to how God explains this in His word:
“13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. 14 But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. 15 Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. 17 But 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. 18 Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.”
James, the brother of Jesus, poses an interesting question: “Who is wise and understanding among you?” In that day, there were several who were vying for teaching positions in the church. In fact, in James 3:1 we see, “not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. There was a desire to be seen as a teacher, and of course there is some coveted status for that—but James says be careful, because with the position also comes some accountability and judgment. So this is not just about what you know? Though knowing truth is important. This is about the right use of what you know and the right fruit of what you know. In other words, does your life also stand up to scrutiny? In an Eastern mindset—a person only really knew what they lived out—showing their knowing was also accompanied by their going. It gets to the works of faith, and not just faith alone as James wrote earlier. Faith without works is dead—just as knowledge without action is foolishness.
So James urges these would be teachers to let their lives show what they know by three things. 1. Their wisdom is to be displayed by their good life. This is a life that is characterized by goodness, not simply plastered over with an exterior niceness. No façade here. Deep down in a person’s heart, there should be goodness. Goodness is a fruit of the Spirit which is the character quality of being good, acting virtuously and with generosity. God says this is wise . 2. Wisdom is shown by deeds done in humility. This is not the grandstanding good deeds that the Pharisees did in order to be seen of men. Jesus says those who do that have received their reward in full already. Humility doesn’t insist on the limelight, but rather it performs its deeds in the dark where no one can see. Their joy comes from the deed done in humility and not from the reward of those watching. 3. Their life is to be informed by wisdom. I want to suggest that the wise are those who take their cues from Him who is truly wise, Jesus Christ. In 1 Corinthians 1:30 we read that “[Christ] has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness, and redemption.” So a person who is truly has an authentic life.
But now verse 14 reminds us of Jesus’ words, and that it is out of a man’s heart where we are made unclean. That is where we need to get right with God. We may look all nice and pretty on the outside, but if inside we are harboring all kinds of ugly thoughts and ambitions we are really denying the truth. Harboring bitter envy means that we are giving a place for this envy. We sanction it all call it right—for whatever reason. We want what someone else has because we think we are entitled or better than them. Selfish ambition has to do with self-promotion. I will get ahead of others by hook or by crook. It is the striving for “Who’s the greatest in the kingdom syndrome” that the disciples argued over. It is selfish because it doesn’t take into account other people or even what God intends for us. James says, “Don’t boast about the truth or deny it.” Simply accept the truth as God reveals it to us. That way we can embrace the truth and turn from the lies that so often hide in our hearts. That is wisdom.
Speaking of worldly wisdom, (characterized in verse 14), we are told that that is really unspiritual and demonic. Why? Because it is a wisdom that focuses our attention away from God and places it on ourselves. So that we think that we know better that God; that we can discern right and wrong better than God; and that we can save ourselves and provide for ourselves better than God. In a sense we seek to replace God with ourselves and with our finite wisdom of how to do things. Of course it doesn’t help when we live in a world that is saturated in this kind of thinking. The world system, our flesh, and the devil truly are our enemies; and they all work in tandem to sabotage our walk with the Savior.
Verse 16 simply makes an application to let us know how to spot worldly wisdom. Simply look for envy and selfish ambition. Those things emanating from the hearts and minds of men and women tells us that that is where we can look for every kind of spiritual disorder and evil practice. This is all around us. Both inside and outside of churches. James is addressing this practice within the church. It still happens today. This is not wise in God’s eyes. Why? Because this does not help the church, or the Kingdom of God in the world. It is sad and foolish because nothing good will come of it.
Now let’s look at heavenly wisdom. We find that in verse 17. James lists 8 signs that characterize the fruit of heavenly wisdom. And when we see these things in people’s lives it is like a breath of fresh air. People aren’t put off by this kind of wisdom—they are drawn to it like a moth to a candle. So attractive! The first sign of heavenly wisdom is purity. This word indicates the importance of holiness. The idea here is that one is free from defilement. Man’s wisdom leads away from God and into sin. Godly wisdom leads us toward God and away from sin.
The second sign is that it is peace-loving. This is a peace based on holiness, and not on compromise. God doesn’t have a peace at any price; His peace is rooted in holiness. If you think about it, if there is purity—then you will find peace. Jesus was pure and without sin. He was also called the Prince of Peace. Isaiah 32:17 says that “The fruit of that righteousness will be peace; its effect will be quietness and confidence forever.”
The third sign is: considerate. This is sometimes called “sweet reasonableness.” It is gentleness without weakness. The considerate person doesn’t start fights, but neither doe he compromise the truth in order to keep the peace. He considers others first.
The fourth sign is submissive. God’s wisdom makes a believer agreeable and easy to live with and work with. Submission says, “I’m willing to do what God asks me to do.” He realizes that his life is not about being in charge—but that God is in charge and has commanded His people to submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Christ in love submitted to His Father’s will, and so should we.
The fifth sign is full of mercy. To be full of something means to be “controlled by it.” We know this is something heavenly because Jesus said, “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. In Micah 6:8 God tells us that He wants us to love mercy. Enjoy it. Delight in it. Be generous with mercy, because that is how God is with His mercy. It means giving others something that they don’t deserve. A tremendous illustration is Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan giving mercy to a despised Jew that was left for dead in a ditch. This too is wise from God’s viewpoint and it illustrates Jesus’ scandalous love and mercy toward sinners.
The sixth sign is that we would also be full of good fruit. It requires faithfulness to produce fruitfulness. Jesus said, “Remain in me and you will bear much fruit.” Since fruit is not produced overnight—it requires long term remaining. The Spirit of God produces fruit in our lives as we remain in Christ. And His fruit is delicious.
The seventh sign is impartial. This word suggests a singleness of mind and is opposite of wavering. It doesn’t have a divided stance so that we have one foot in the world and one foot in heaven. We don’t live with doubt. When you lean on worldly wisdom, you are pressured from one side and then another to change your mind or take a new viewpoint. But with God’s wisdom, you need not waver and you can do it without fear. Wisdom from above brings with it strength from above.
The eighth sign is sincere. When God’s wisdom is at work, there is openness and honesty. People aren’t pretending, play acting, hiding—if they are, then God’s wisdom is not directing their lives. Don’t you just love it when people are authentic? I think this is what Paul was referring to when he wrote, “Speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ,” Ephesians 4:15. God shows no favoritism—and therefore in Christ, we shouldn’t either.
Verse 18 sums it up. Those who abide in heavenly wisdom will sow a crop of peace. They will experience the peace of God and as they do; they will reap a crop of righteousness. As we share the fruit of God with others, they are fed and satisfied, and they in turn will bear fruit. Thus the life we live enables the Lord to bring righteousness and peace into the lives of others. This is the result of heavenly wisdom.
“A Shelter in the Time of Storm,” by Vernon J. Charlesworth
The Lord’s our rock, in Him we hide, A shelter in the time of storm;
Secure whatever ill betide, A shelter in the time of storm.
O Jesus is a rock in a weary land, A weary land, a weary land;
O Jesus is a rock in a weary land, A shelter in the time of storm.
A shade by day, defense by night, A shelter in the time of storm;
No fears alarm, no fears affright, A shelter in the time of storm.
O Jesus is a rock in a weary land, A weary land, a weary land;
O Jesus is a rock in a weary land, A shelter in the time of storm.
O Rock divine, O Refuge dear, A shelter in the time of storm.
Be Thou our helper ever near, A shelter in the time of storm.
O Jesus is a rock in a weary land, A weary land, a weary land;
O Jesus is a rock in a weary land, A shelter in the time of storm.
Benediction:
“To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy— to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.” Jude 1:24-25 (NIV2011)
Pastor Russ Hilsinger
Grace Baptist Church of Dallas, OR
P.S. James says that if you ask for wisdom, that God will give you wisdom generously to all and without finding fault. See James 1:5 And now you know what that wisdom looks like in a believer’s life. Blessings on you all.