MAKING YOUR LIFE
USEFUL
Be Wise Enough to
Pursue God’s Wisdom
James 3:13-18
Jerry Collins
SCC
v
How
does wisdom apply to the control of my tongue?
v
What
kind of wisdom does the world display?
v
What
kind of wisdom is from heaven?
Every follower of Jesus Christ should be deeply concerned
that he/she live a wise life. If you
have a dead faith—a faith not vital and alive because it does not translate
into real works of living obedience—or if you have a mouth out of control (both
previous arguments), wisdom is missing in your life and wisdom is something you
need to have. So, James brings his argument to the subject of wisdom. He
does so in vs 13 with a rhetorical question for
effect that he will answer himself. Wisdom will keep you out of a lot of trouble, heartache, deception, misunderstanding, and
rivalry. It will also help you live a productive life worth living and
enjoying.
WISDOM EXPRESSES
ITSELF IN OUR BEHAVIOR AND CONDUCT
The demand for
wisdom: But who among you is wise and understanding?
Who is it, really, that has a corner on the market of wisdom? Notice two key
concepts of the person he is describing. 1) Wise
describes one who has ‘skill’. 2) Understanding
describes one who has perception and acumen. Putting these together James is
describing someone who has the skill to
live life with the perception of how life usually works. Wisdom is having a
firm grasp of the obvious—a skill for recognizing life’s regular patterns. The
wise man knows what to expect and he has understanding because he thinks in
terms of the regular things of life. Wisdom is about bringing our chaos to
order, our randomness to regularity, our confusion to
understanding. It prevents us from being gullible and naïve and becomes the
foundation for maturity. We can obtain wisdom only when we see life as it
really is. So there is a demand James says for wisdom in life.
The Demonstration of
wisdom: And how
is wisdom expressed? Those who are wise show it by good behavior or conduct
13b. This is the original show and tell—that is, wisdom is measured by your
conduct or the application of understanding to your life. Just because we know
the correct thing to do does not mean we will always do the correct thing—example of Solomon who did not follow his
own wisdom. So it is not a matter of acquiring information but applying
reality to my life and doing so in the gentleness
of wisdom. Wisdom does not get your life tied up in knots. There is a
meekness and humility associated with wisdom. It is not bombastic, arrogant,
belligerent, or ambitious. Wisdom does not allow your life to get bent out of
shape. So wisdom expresses itself in your conduct and behavior. But James warns
us that wisdom will fail us if we are unable to distinguish between worldly and
godly wisdom.
WORLD’S WISDOM
EXPRESSES DESTRUCTIVE CONDUCT 14-16
Worldly wisdom has serious problems: (1) It is wisdom
devoid of the insight fro the written Word of God. It is like the scientist of
the middle ages who concluded the world was flat and life spontaneously
generated itself from nonliving matter. These were not simple-minded people but
people uninformed of the truth. (2) It is wisdom that is Satan/demon inspired
and Paul says it will increase in the later days (1 Tim. 4:1). (3) The worldly-wise
have not confessed their sin as sin and it is sin that causes foolishness (Rom
WW is competitive 14
The WW selfishly
compete for prominence—bitter jealousy
(zealous jealousy) and selfish ambition (rivalry) seeking my own profit at
the expense of yours. This is motivated from one’s heart it is not just a
passing whim. This kind of drive is nothing to be boasting about since it
denies the truth—that is, it turns truth inside out and makes truth serve you
and your interests by twisting it to your advantage. Actually, pretending to
serve the truth, you compete with it and that is what WW does (evolution &
creation, Jesus, Muhammed, Buddha, Mary;
homosexuality and heterosexuality).
WW is earthly and demonic 15 This competitive spirit reveals the origin of this
wisdom as earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. It is not the kind of wisdom that comes from above—that is, it does not
have a heavenly origin. Self-promotion and ambitious advancement is the mere
product of human desire. It is also inspired and encouraged by the spirits
which serve Satan—it is demonic in nature. WW
is destructive by nature 16 Godly wisdom teaches that you get your profit
from God. Earthly wisdom, though, says you get your at the expense of others.
This is why WW brings along jealousy and selfish ambition. Where you see that
is where you have WW. And along with rivalry comes disorder—confusion and
turmoil—and then makes possible what before you thought unthinkable—every evil thing. WW passionately
pursues it’s own self-interest and determines to do so
at any expense. (Picture).
GODLY WISDOM IS FREE
TO PROMOTE RIGHTEOUSNESS
In sharp contrast to WW is a wisdom from above vs 17. There is a different
kind and quality of wisdom available to us.
Heavenly wisdom is
pure 17 This
wisdom is free from the moral contamination of envy and self-seeking. It is clean
and holy. As such, it has certain characteristics reveled in our conduct (1) It
is peaceable or peace-loving. There is an absence of self-promotion that
attempts to gain at your expense. That is simply absent. Peace is a
prerequisite to a righteous life. You cannot attain righteousness without it.
(2) It is gentle—considerate, willing to yield rather than complain about one’s
position. This wisdom does not rigidly insist on its own way. Gentleness is
possible because you cease to clamor for your own way as the world’s wisdom
promotes in marriage, family, marketplace or in ministry relationships. (3) It
is reasonable—easy to be approached and compliant. (4) It is full of mercy
which James has already promoted in our relationships to one another. (5) It is
good fruits—expressed in worthy and beneficial deeds that make tangible
difference. (6) It is without hypocrisy—cp. To vs 14
does not use truth for own selfish advantage knowing God’s truth is unwavering
not shifting for my advantage.
Heavenly wisdom
promotes righteousness 18 The principle of life is that whatever we sow that is what we reap
(Gal 6). A peacemaker is one who demonstrates heavenly wisdom and is like a sower in a field. His behavior—his seed—has the ultimate fruit in righteousness. This righteousness
is experienced in an atmosphere of peace when the peacemaker has done his work
of sowing. This peace-promoting righteousness is possible because we are free
from competing with others for anything. Godly wisdom teaches that we get our
profit from God alone.
1.
Don’t pursue knowledge. Pursue wisdom that puts knowledge to use in godly way.
2.
Don’t attempt to promote yourself or you will do so at other’s expense. WW
3.
Seek peaceable solutions wherever you can. This is the seed of a righteous
life.