13 Who
is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good
conversation his works with meekness of wisdom. 14 But if ye have bitter
envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. 15 This
wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. 16 For
where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. 17 But
the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy
to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without
hypocrisy. 18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that
make peace. (James
3:13-18)
We are counseled throughout Holy Scripture to get wisdom, but what kind
of wisdom should we aspire to acquire? Wisdom is the principal thing;
therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding. "Exalt
her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honour, when thou dost
embrace her. She shall give to thine head an ornament of grace: a crown of
glory shall she deliver to thee." (Prov 4:7-9) There is a
worldly wisdom which is focused on greed and lust, but there is the greater and
enduring wisdom that is based on those riches that are stored in the banks and
storehouses of heaven. In today's text , James gives us a distinction between
these two types of wisdom. Our place in Christ depends on which wisdom we value
and acquire. The wisdom we claim is the determinate of our walk. "See
then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the
time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but
understanding what the will of the Lord is." (Eph 5:15-17) At
summary, there is no true wisdom apart from that which comes from above. All
other so-called wisdom of the world is a false light that invites a smothering
doom. 13 "Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among
you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom."
A truly wise man is endued with knowledge - true knowledge - and is humble. His
conversation is wholesome and sincere. There is a characteristic attitude that
defines the earthly source of the world's wisdom: 14 "But if
ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not
against the truth." Such behavior is evidence of an adherence
to earthly wisdom and a disdain for Holy wisdom.
What is the origin of these two types of wisdom? Let us take Earthly Wisdom
first: it's origin is "not from above" but earthly. 15 "This
wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish."
Our modern world 'staggers as a drunk man' because she lacks Godly wisdom. Even
the church has become sterile and impotent for the lack of wisdom from above.
The heavenly knowledge that provides the basis of wisdom for Holy living. Even
the church is dwindling as a beggar in our day for lack of real Bible knowledge
and wisdom. The Lord is rejecting their false worship and weak-kneed testimony.
"My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast
rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to
me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy
children." (Hosea 4:6) Earthly wisdom is not only not wholesome,
but it is devilish as well. In fact, the wisdom of the
world is foolishness: "Where is the wise? where is the
scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the
wisdom of this world?" (1 Cor 1:20) Wise Men followed a Divine and
Heavenly Light (Star) of wisdom to find the Baby Jesus. Today, that light has
faded in our minds so that we no longer seek that Wise Light to find our
blessed Savior. Worldly wisdom is precisely the kind propagated by Satanic
forces. It leads to a following of the sensuous desires - abandoning spouse and
family in preference to a sensual thrill. A greater fulfillment of that thrill
will be found in the fires of Hell.
The Author of Heavenly wisdom is not a God of confusion. "For God is
not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints."
(1 Cor 14:33) Please note the cardinal marks of earthly wisdom in contrast to
that of peace: 16 "For where envying and strife is, there is
confusion and every evil work." It is no stretch of the
imagination to note that Eve envied the knowledge of God when she allowed
herself to be beguiled by the serpent. Partaking of the forbidden tree was
promised to make her as wise and full of knowledge as God. "For God
doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and
ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil." (Gen 3:5) Confusion
is the fruit of envy and strife. This is NOT of God.
What of Heavenly Wisdom? What is it's source and fruits? How comes this wisdom?
17 "But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then
peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits,
without partiality, and without hypocrisy." It is nearly
impossible to expand upon the attributes of heavenly wisdom listed in the
preceding verse. Such wisdom is, first of all, PURE. It is Holy and righteous.
It is true to the will of its Author - God. It does not compromise truth for
peace. It creates a 'peace' of the heart and soul, and it comes a gently as the
Dew of the Spring morning. Such wisdom does not evade the seeker, but stands
eagerly at the ready to satisfy the seeker's enthusiasm. It is full of
love that engenders mercy and good works toward the needy. It is not
pretentious, and does not make distinction between rich and poor, Asian or
African, male or female. This is the true liberation for which mankind hungers,
not the false flags of political correctness so characteristic of the wisdom of
the world. How comes this Wisdom? "If any of you lack wisdom, let
him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it
shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that
wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not
that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double minded man
is unstable in all his ways." (James 1:5-8) Wisdom is the fruit of
sound knowledge of God found abundantly in His Word. We do not go to a hardware
store to buy groceries. If we desire wholesome wisdom, we must go to the Author
and source of Holy Wisdom - God Almighty.
The PEACE that Heavenly Wisdom grants is an uncompromising adherence to truth.
It strives for PEACE, but does not advocate peace at all costs: "If
it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men."
(Romans 12:18) Unfortunately, it is not ALWAYS possible to live at peace with
all men for many are devoted to wickedness and evil which they seek to impose
on the saints of God. This Heavenly Wisdom is centered on LOVE as its source of
inspiration. "But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him
in all things, which is the head, even Christ:" (Eph 4:15)
We love Jesus because He first loved us. As we grow, more and more, in love; we
become more and more like the progenitor of that love. All of our speaking
should be based on that genuine love: "And the servant of the Lord
must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, In meekness
instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them
repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;" (2
Tim 2:24-25)
We must act with deference to others in matters of personal opinion, but not in
matters of truth. This is real wisdom. "Him that is weak in the
faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations. " (Romans
14:1) True wisdom is always merciful to others at personal sacrifice to self.
"For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no
mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment." (James 2:13) Mercy
is the executive arm of love. Without love, no sacrifice will suffice: "For
I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt
offerings." (Hosea 6:6) Love and Wisdom are the stair-steps to
Heaven. Our fruits will make us known to man and God. It is not enough to
KNOW wisdom, but to ACT upon that knowledge: "But be ye doers of the
word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves." (James
1:22) Remember, our teacher James tells us that "faith without works
is dead." (James 2:26)
Note that true wisdom demonstrates no partiality. We are counseled in James
2:1-13 to avoid partial treatment to a person who comes into our home, or place
of worship, who wears precious jewelry or apparel. Wealth has NEVER been
a measure of character and is often evidence of the opposite.
We need to view our depravity through the clear lens of the Holy Bible. We are,
or were, the same woman who came to Jacobs Well during the heat of the day; we
are, or were, that same women taken, red-handed, in adultery; we are, or were,
that same David who committed adultery AND murder with a single thought; we
are, or were, that same Eve who walked where she should not have, stopped where
it was unwise to linger, and listened to the voice that she should have shunned
thereby falling into temptation and ruin. We all have been thus - deny it if
you please. We see our great want and need in the pages of God's Holy Word. We
also find the solution to our demise in Jesus Christ and His righteousness of
which the whole Word speaks from cover to cover.
Do you, friend, have that Wisdom that comes from God?
