HOW ‘TRUE WISDOM’ BEHAVES
Posted by Pastor Greg Allen on July 3, 2024 under AM Bible Study |
AM Bible Study Group: July 3, 2024 from James 3:13-18
Theme: Wisdom from God is shown, not through the impressive words it displays. but through the peaceable behavior it exhibits.
(All Scripture is taken from The New King James Version, unless otherwise indicated).
All of James 3 is about the use of our tongue. And that includes the last few verses. After writing extensively about the dangers of the tongue in verses 1-12, Pastor James says this in verses 13-18:
Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace (James 3:13-18).
The use of the tongue is still in view. But in this passage, the focus is on how our use of the tongue proves whether or not we’re truly wise in God’s eyes.
* * * * * * * * * * *
Think of how James begins this passage. He asks, “Who is wise and understanding among you?” And of course, many would be tempted—inwardly, if not outwardly—to raise their hand. That’s a temptation that’s reflected in the first verse of this chapter; where James warns, “My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment.” We ought not to rush too quickly into the role of being a teacher; nor should we be too quick to raise our hand and say that we are ‘wise’ and ‘understanding’.
From the world’s standpoint, ‘wisdom’ and ‘understanding’ demonstrate themselves primarily through the clever use of the tongue. The wise person is the one who can come up with the ‘clever put-down’ or the ‘snappy answer’ or the ‘witty retort’. The world tends to admire someone who can put someone else ‘in their place’ by their cunning remarks—the speaker who can leave their opponent humiliated—the person against whom no one would dare go against in a volley of words. The world tends to think that such a person is truly ‘wise’ because of what they say.
But consider our Lord. He’s the one we should look to for the example of what it means to be ‘wise’. No one was ever wiser than He. And we’re told in Matthew 11:28-30 that He said;
“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30).
His wisdom was characterized by meekness and lowliness. The apostle Paul himself sought to follow the pattern of our Lord in his own teaching ministry. In 1 Corinthians 2:1-5, he told the Corinthian believers;
And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God (1 Corinthians 2:1-5).
He even told the Corinthian Christians, in 2 Corinthians 10:1, that he pleaded with them “by the meekness and gentleness of Christ”. What a contrast this presents to us! Many of those who boast of the wisdom of this world sell themselves as ‘wise’; but the manner of their wisdom is anything but ‘meek’ or ‘gentle’ or ‘humble’. Such displays of ‘worldly wisdom’ are often very divisive and hurtful. And sadly, many such displays are found within the church and among those who claim to be Jesus’ followers.
Pastor James, in this passage, taught that there is a form of wisdom that comes from above. And if we would be followers of Jesus as we should, then we’ll seek to display that true wisdom in a way that Jesus demonstrated it. As James shows us, wisdom from God is shown, not through the impressive words it displays. but through the peaceable behavior it exhibits.
* * * * * * * * * *
Notice first, then, that James urges us to …
1. EXAMINE WHAT TYPE OF WISDOM WE EXHIBIT (vv. 13-14).
The type of wisdom we have isn’t known merely by the words, but rather by the conduct. He asks, “Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth.” Here, he shows us that the claim to true wisdom can only be proven by good behavior, and through deeds done in the gentleness of wisdom. The good conduct of true wisdom reveals that its source is God Himself. But worldly displays of wisdom—far from being proven by words—instead show themselves by the wicked attitudes of a sinful heart that they expose.
Jesus once said that “those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies” (Matthew 15:18-19). And so, people who behave in such divisive ways should not be arrogant and lie about the truth of their situation. The ‘wisdom’ they display is shown not to be from God because of what it produces. Instead, it’s from a sinful source; and therefore is badly misnamed when it gets called ‘wisdom’.
Many a church has been split and destroyed by people whose ‘wisdom’ was characterized by bitter envy and self-seeking. Whatever else one may say about such a person’s intentions, the end result of their form of wisdom—bringing about as it does at the end of a church’s ministry, the damage of its witness, the disillusionment and bitterness of new Christians, and the alienation of believers from one another—could hardly be called a product of ‘wisdom’ and ‘understanding’. Only a true fool would work to produce such things. As James says, the person who is truly ‘wise and understanding’—with wisdom from God—will “ show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom”.
Having then described the worldly form of wisdom as coming from ‘bitter envy and self-seeking’, James then went on to teach us to …
2. RECOGNIZE THE DESTRUCTIVE QUALITIES OF WORLDLY WISDOM
(vv. 15-16).
In speaking of the very destructive form of worldly wisdom, James went on to say in verses 15-16, “This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there.” And notice that a chief characteristic of this kind of wisdom is the evil quality of its behavior:
- It’s evil in terms of its motive. James said that it comes from someone who has ‘bitter jealousy’; that is, an unrighteous zeal in resentment toward others. And it comes from someone who has ‘selfish ambition’—that is, the desire to be thought of as ‘right’ only to gratify their own pride.
- It’s evil in terms of its product. When it is present and active and on display, “confusion and every evil thing are there”. No matter what it may boast, it cannot produce “the righteousness of God” (James 1:19-20). It can never produce unity, edification, or good in any way. It can only cause harm. It’s an evil that’s only product is evil.
- It’s evil in terms of its source. It’s called ‘earthly’ because it’s a product of this fallen world’s values and goals. It’s called ‘sensual’ (literally ‘soulish’) to set it in contrast to the person who is ‘spiritual’. To say it’s ‘sensual’ wisdom is a way of saying that it’s a product of the fleshly nature. And finally—and most frighteningly—it’s called ‘demonic’ to show that it’s a form of ‘wisdom’ that follows the agenda of the devil. He’s the one who said,
“I will ascend into heaven,
I will exalt my throne above the stars of God;
I will also sit on the mount of the congregation
On the farthest sides of the north;
I will ascend above the heights of the clouds,
I will be like the Most High” (Isaiah 14:13-14).
- It’s evil in terms of its product. When it is present and active and on display, “confusion and every evil thing are there”. No matter what it may boast, it cannot produce “the righteousness of God” (James 1:19-20). It can never produce unity, or edification, or good in any way. It can only cause harm. It’s an evil that’s only product is evil.
The destructive qualities of worldly wisdom are what lead Pastor James to urge us to …
3. PURSUE THE CHRIST-LIKE QUALITIES OF WISDOM FROM ABOVE (vv. 17-18).
James went on to tell us in verse 17, “But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.” The completely different conduct that is displayed in true wisdom from God shows itself in eight specific qualities. And what a difference it would make if everyone in the church conducted themselves from the standpoint of this true form of wisdom!
- It’s first “pure”; that is, there’s nothing of ‘bitter jealousy’ or ‘selfish ambition in it. There’s no secret agenda in this wisdom. James says that it is “first pure”, because purity must be the first quality displayed in this form of wisdom; and then all the other characteristics of true wisdom must follow from it.
- Then, it’s “peaceable”; that is, it’s ‘peace-promoting’, or as it is in the New International Version, “peace-loving”.
- It’s also “gentle”; or “considerate”, or “forbearing”. It’s able to take it ‘patiently’ when treated unjustly; not lashing out, but rather being willing to leave the matter in God’s hands. It does as Paul says in Philippians 4:5; “Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.”
- It’s “reasonable”; or, as it has it in the NIV, “submissive”. This is the idea of our being easily persuaded and being willing to yield when we’re shown that we’re in the wrong. It may seem paradoxical; but true wisdom from above isn’t characterized by the ability to prove that we’re always right, but rather by the ability to be easily and graciously shown where we’re wrong.
- It’s “full of mercy”; that is, true wisdom doesn’t look down its nose toward those who are hurting because of their own foolishness, but is eager and willing to serve and help them.
- It’s full of “good fruits”; that is, it practices true compassion and actively meets the needs of others. It isn’t all ‘talk’; but rather, it actually brings about practical ‘good’.
- It’s “without partiality”; that is, it’s “unwavering”; or as it is in the NIV, it’s “impartial”. True wisdom will bend when it needs to; but it also knows when it must not bend. It acts from a clear-headed knowledge of what the essentials are, and it doesn’t ‘waver’ from them.
- It’s “without hypocrisy”; or, as it is in the NIV, it’s “sincere.” There’s no pretense in it. It doesn’t try to be what it isn’t. It doesn’t put on an artificial display in order to impress others.
In verse 18, James sums this all up by saying, “Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.” In these words, James uses a metaphor for true wisdom; saying that it’s comparable to a seed that is sown into the ground and that results in a particular fruit being produced. This reminds us that true wisdom from God—when put into practice—has an expected consequence. It anticipates that the specific kind of ‘produce’ that comes from true wisdom is “the fruit of righteousness”. It does what James says in 1:20 that the wrath of man cannot produce; that is, “the righteousness of God”.
But James makes it clear that this fruit is produced only when the seed is “sown in peace by those who make peace”. It cannot grow in the kind of atmosphere that ‘worldly wisdom’ produces—coming as it does from ‘envy and self-seeking’. It cannot grow in any other kind of atmosphere but in a peaceful relationship between believers in the household of faith. Those who possess true wisdom from God seek to grow the fruit of righteousness among God’s people in a way that keeps the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. That’s true wisdom!
* * * * * * * * * *
In looking over the qualities that James said characterize true wisdom, it’s hard not to notice that they’re very much like the qualities that the apostle Paul said characterize true love. In 1 Corinthians 13:4-8, Paul wrote;
Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails (1 Corinthians 13:4-8b).
James began by telling us, “Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom.” It seems that a possible way to test our claim to wisdom is not by asking how truly clever our words are, but rather by asking how truly motivated by love our actions are.
May God help us to increasingly pass such a ‘wisdom’ test!
AE
Add A Comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.