Evening Service, 20 September 2009
HEAVENLY WISDOM (James 3:13-17)
We have already seen James in 1:5 put a high premium upon wisdom as that which is essential for all Christians, and for the absence of which no Christian has any valid excuse. Its source is in God who freely and ungrudgingly extends it to His children in response to their prayers.
Here James reinforces this by stressing that wisdom is the necessary link between tongue and life in this world.
James speaks of “wisdom and understanding” indicating that they are related but separate realities.
Understanding refers to attaining knowledge – both of the Word and the world. We are to learn, to be thinkers, to give serious thought and discover the knowledge we need to know. Wisdom is not basically having understanding, yet understanding enables a greater exercise of wisdom. There is no excuse for ignorance, nor for laziness and careless preparation, for letting TV do our thinking for us. Peter tells us to “gird up the loins of your mind” (1 Peter 1:13), which has the idea of putting the corners of garment in the loin belt so that you could get down to serious activity. Christians are to be people committed to understanding. This is why education has always had a priority with Christians; education in general, but especially in the things of God as revealed in His Word. We cannot expect wisdom apart from growing in “the grace and knowledge of the Lord” (2 Peter 3:18).
But understanding of itself is not sufficient. It is possible to have great knowledge without wisdom – “Great men are not always wise” (Job 32:9). This is why James puts the greater emphasis on wisdom. So what is wisdom?
Wisdom is understood as ‘skilfully applying knowledge to the matter of practical living’ (MacArthur). At its heart, it is being God-orientated in our thinking and living out understanding in real-life situations. As we read for example in Ps 111:10 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom”. John Blanchard makes this striking observation about wisdom as defined in the Bible: ‘As far as l can discover, nowhere in the Bible … is wisdom used to describe an unbeliever’. We might add that they are often designated as “fools” – the very opposite of being wise (eg, Ps. 14:1).
Until your life is God-orientated, you may be intelligent but you certainly aren’t wise. The wisdom of this world is defective for this reason. It denies any relationship with yet alone existence of God. That’s like a blind man walking through a room denying or being indifferent to the existence of furniture. The inevitable result is catastrophe, and it is not far away. And that is what we see around us in this present world, isn’t it?
Motyer observes, ‘It is those who live closely to God who can see more clearly into things and know just how to manage life’s varied circumstances’.
Now as Christians we should be the first to acknowledge that truth. So James throws out the challenge to the church – v.13a. In so doing it is clear that James expects to find wise people in the church. But James is also aware that there is a need to test our claims to having wisdom. And that even those with heavenly wisdom at times act or speak with a pseudo-wisdom, a reality we need to be alert to. It sounds so good, but its fruit evidences it was not from God at all.
He was very much aware of the reality that Paul speaks of in 1 Corinthians 6:5 where he writes “I say this to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you, not even one, who will be able to judge between his brethren?” This was a church that claimed to itself such a high opinion as a result of the multiplicity of gifts of the Spirit, yet Paul was ashamed for them. Why? Because there was a lack of true wisdom. They were claiming to be wise but in everything they saw as wisdom, Paul saw the opposite.
1. SHOW OUT
In v.13 James calls us to show the evidence that we have wisdom. It is as if James is saying, ‘Do you claim to have this wisdom? Then let me see the evidence. I can hear your words; I want to see your works.’
True wisdom shows itself in two ways, according to James:
Throughout your life – “his works” characterising a life of “good conduct”.
In other words, we are called away from that type of Christianity so current today which is marked by occasional good works which really only look so good because the rest of their life is generally carnal.
It is not now and then, but continually, repeatedly, characteristically. This is not to be what has been euphemistically called ‘spiritual measles’ – wisdom only shown in spots. True wisdom will pervade the whole life – it is not something we show off, but show out!
Through your manner – “in the meekness of wisdom”
Our manner is not to be aggressive or self-serving. In other words wisdom is something we have to show out not shout out.
“meekness” is a self-denying gentleness, the opposite of arrogance and self-promotion, and is used only in the context of a relationship, either with God or man.
The greatest example of course is Jesus Himself as Peter points out in 1 Peter 2:21-23! He trusted to Him who judges righteously. That is meekness! It is not in self-defence mode or privately or publicly self-justifying, at any hint of opposition, not even at its outright intensity. It gets on with living and doing as God wills, leaving the outcome to Him, including any vindication. As such then it is an expression of confidence in one’s relationship with God and even others. It has been described as ‘a conviction rooted in the conviction of the overruling sovereignty of God’.
In all our attitudes and relationships with others at work, in the home, in Christian activity – as you respond to those who rub you up the wrong way just as you talk to someone about Jesus Christ we must show and exercise wisdom with meekness.
As he calls us to show it, he also utters a warning:
2. WATCH OUT
Be careful of counterfeits – v.14-16. Here James,
Delineates its character as “earthly”, this worldly, as “minds set on earthly things” (Phil 3:19). It may be the ‘wisdom’ that comes out of our universities and parliaments, it may be the ‘home-spun’ wisdom that underpins much of one’s national or family culture). It is also “sensual” – here the idea is that of unspiritual or natural over against spiritual; of being driven by lusts and passion instead of by the Holy Spirit. But in tracing such wisdom back to its ultimate roots, it is “demonic”. It is lies from the father of lies!
This type of wisdom is so clearly seen in the utterance of Peter in Mark 8:32-33. Here he showed wisdom when in a spirit of concern he counselled Jesus not to go the way of the cross. Jesus rightly attributed this wisdom to Satan! It ignored God’s redemptive purposes, and was concerned with sensual comfort and security.
Describes its motives as “bitter envying and self-seeking in the heart”
As a wise pastor James never tires of warning us about our motives – here he reminds us again that it is possible to do even religious things from the wrong motives (cf 2:4 and 4:3).
When you decide what is the wise course of action, what is it that drives that decision? With pseudo-wisdom two things stand out as its ‘genetic’ markers:
“Bitter envying” is a desire to humiliate, degrade, get even; to rather see something was not done at all if you couldn’t do it or if someone else might actually be better able to do it. And so your whole decision-making and influence bearing on others is flavoured by this.
“Self-seeking” is a natural partner and speaks of being driven by selfish ambition: Are you speaking, acting, even manipulating others because of your desire to get somewhere in the church? at work? in that social club? Is your enthusiasm, interest, drive merely a cover-up for selfish ambition? If these are in you, stop claiming your wisdom to be from God! It’s of the world and the devil.
How much false and evil counsel the world has had to suffer because of these two motivations!
Declares its results in v.16
There will be arguments and disputes within the church. Sin will continue to abound. False wisdom stirred up by false motives will result in false actions, in all manner of evil. How often do we hear, ‘But I thought I was doing the right thing’? Let us watch out against this type of wisdom.
James is not repudiating knowledge which we see even in unbelievers. He is saying ‘Don’t be too impressed by the world’s wisdom. Ask what kind of fruit it is producing in the lives of those who you think have it. Are they at peace? Do they have a genuine inner joy? What is their life-style like? Then also ask, what has their advice done to other people?’ The tragedy of ‘the wisdom of Dr Spock’ occurs again and again in this world that rejects authority yet ever looks for someone to tell it what to do – so long as it leaves the true God out.
“Confusion” is the result, as Prov 14:12 reminds us, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” Death is the ultimate confusion, the confusion of utter and irreversible dissolution. And with it is found “every evil thing” – literally ‘every worthless or vile work – they may not be intrinsically evil, but they are worthless.
3. WORK OUT
Have you noticed that in describing heavenly wisdom in v.17 as we should expect to see it, James uses a particular style of word?
I was intrigued by the insight of Alec Motyer who pointed out that James does not give us a list of verbs (commands to do this or that), nor does he use nouns (specifying items of good conduct). What he has given us here is a list of adverbs, which are words about the sort of people we are to be whatever we do.
It begins with purity. Heavenly wisdom is essentially concerned with purity, a fact further stressed by its priority in the list, that it is pure – that is, it is free of contamination, being both unadulterated and undiluted; it’s the original. And at the same time its key evidence is purity – in self and as the objective of what you seek to lead others into.
Yet though it begins with this quality, a common characteristic of lists in the NT is that the first mentioned is a moderating item, that is all those that follow in some way impact back on it, are descriptive of what it looks like. So though the others are important in their own right, what this indicates is that this is what heavenly or pure wisdom will look like in our relationships, and therefore it help us see whether this is the wisdom that we have.
So then we see that it is also peaceable – ie., peace-loving and peace-making. Here let us note that the exercise of wisdom is with a desire for reconciliation and the promotion of a healthy relationship with God and others. This is not a tranquillised state so that you don’t feel the issues of life, but peace in the issues of life arising from a knowledge of and walking with God. This then flows out in relation to others. It is working to settle the differences and restore friendship.
It is “gentle”. A good paraphrase would be ‘ready to make allowances’; it means seeing the best in other people. Having the right to condemn, you forgive, are generous. Paired with this is “willing to yield” – open to reason, to another’s view. True wisdom considers others and their point of view.
It is also “full of mercy and good fruits” – exhibiting a genuine concern for the welfare of others. The wisdom of the world cries out ‘It’s his own fault.’ Though such a person may be at fault, true wisdom however shows mercy nonetheless and seeks for opportunities to bring help rather than use that as an excuse to mock let alone remove oneself from that person and their plight.
And it is “without partiality and without hypocrisy” – it is consistent regardless of the person or situation which it faces. You can depend on this person to say the same, he is warmly open to all, he is real.
Now ALL of these things ought to appear in the Christian’s life. This is how heavenly wisdom will work out in our lives.
Will you now face the challenge of v.13a? As you do so, remember James 1:5.