James 3:13-19 Part Two- Who Is Wise And Understanding Among You?
Review: Two weeks ago we considered James 3:13 where James asks a question, “Who is wise and understanding among you?” We discovered that in the book of James there are 25 questions. This was not the first question that James asked, nor will it be the last, but it proved to be an important question.
In chapter 1 we were not asked any questions. Instead, like a good teacher and instructor, James simply taught these believers God’s Word and exhorted them to apply God’s wisdom in every area of their lives.
As we came to James 2 we discovered that the tone of this letter changed very quickly. In that chapter James began by confronting a particular sin by asking 10 questions. These questions were meant to convict the conscience and bring about repentance. The first eight questions were used to poke, prod, persuade, and then prompt these believers to respond with godly wisdom and understanding. Then at the end of chapter 2 James asks the last two questions to encourage these believers to consider two godly examples of people who displayed their faith through their actions: Abraham and Rahab.
As we came to James 3 we discovered that James had used all of these questions to give his students a test. As a result of this test there were only a few who had passed. The majority of those who took this test did not pass; therefore, James said, “My brothers, not many of you should be teachers…”. (3:1) Not many of you should presume to know God’s wisdom or think that you understand how to apply the grace of God to your life.
After this, James encourages every believer to bridle their tongue. Consider the dramatic way that James describes the tongue in James 3:5b-6, “How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! And the tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell.” James says in James 3:8, “...no human can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.”
James picks the hardest area of a Christian’s life to display God’s sanctifying grace: the tongue. James says that they should start learning how to apply God’s wisdom and understanding in that area of their life and see how the grace of God can transform even the tongue. In doing this James is removing any self-confidence or any selfish ambition that would lead them to think that they can save and sanctify themselves apart from looking to Christ, receiving the grace of God, and depending upon the sanctifying work of the Spirit.
Therefore, every Christian should say with David as they walk out their sanctification, “Blessed is the man who makes the LORD his trust, who does not turn to the proud, to those who go astray after a lie!” (Psalm 40:4)
When David speaks of waiting patiently and trusting in the LORD he is not thinking that this means that he is to be idle. No, this means that…
David delighted in the LORD and in His Word. (36:3)
David refused to fret and be anxious while he looked to the LORD. (37:8-9)
David determined to know God’s ways and he was determined to do them. (37:34)
David did not seek his own wisdom and answers but looked to God. (38:15)
David kept his attention on God for help and deliverance. (40:17)
James is writing to many who were claiming that they were wise and understanding. Therefore, James tells us how to recognize those who really are wise and understanding and who know how to apply the grace of God to their lives. James says, “Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.” (3:13-18)
Every day the students at Veritas Christi Classical Academy go through a morning liturgy. The children begin by confessing that it is God’s greatest desire that they should love Him with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength. Then the kids confess that this day will be full of opportunities to display their love for God.
The Headmaster then asks, “Do you now possess the needed strength to perfectly accomplish such holy requirements?” The kids then answer, “We do not. We are weak and inconsistent, and often buffeted by fear and pride and selfishness.”
Question: Do you see the similarity of these things with what James speaks of in our text today?
After confessing these things the kids say, “But being impoverished and ill-equipped as we are, we will look to the grace of God and to the sanctifying work of the Spirit to accomplish His purposes in and through us this day, as we, in grateful response, seek to choose that which pleases Him.” Then the kids turn to the Word of God for wisdom and prayer to receive the grace needed for that day.
When I listen to the kids do this I am a bit envious of them because I need a daily reminder of these things! Similarly, as we come to James 3:13-18 we discover that James is like the Headmaster of a Christian school and he asks, “Who is wise and understanding among you?”
After posing this question James reminds us that every day we are given countless opportunities to respond with wisdom and understanding. We can respond to these opportunities in one of two ways.
We will either display our love for God through our good works with meekness of wisdom. (13) If this is the case we will display in increasing measure 10 godly and gracious virtues. (17-18)
Or we will be display the fruits of worldly wisdom, selfish-ambition, and bitter jealousy. If this is the case our lives will be full of disorder and every vile practice. (14,16)
Therefore, this passage is a great text for us to read each day and to pray through, and then apply Godly wisdom and understanding in all situations throughout the day. (James 1:5-8)
Question: If it is a wise thing for the kids at VCCA to admit each day that they are weak, inconsistent, and often buffeted by fear, pride, and selfishness and that they need to depend upon the GRACE of God? If it is wise, should we be surprised if these sins are present in all of our lives as well and respond by confessing these sins, looking to Chris, receiving God’s grace, and look to the sanctifying work of the Spirit?
Sins are not outgrown through some natural and inevitable process. No, if these sins are not addressed in a wise and understanding way they will grow and produce disorder and many vile practices. (James 1:13-15)
If a person, or a congregation, knows the danger of sin they will daily address them by growing in wisdom and understanding and through the process of sanctification they will produce new gracious virtues will be things like: purity, peacefulness, gentleness, reasonableness, mercifulness, impartialness, sincerity, and righteousness.
Question: When you read our text today did you recognize any bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your life?
Thomas Watson knew that these sins were in every Christians. I say this because one day he stood before his congregation and said, “In the ‘best of saints’ there is something which needs mortifying…”.
Question: I wonder if Mr. Watson had any particular sins in mind that the ‘best of saints’ needed to address?
The sins that Mr. Watson speaks of are similar to the sins that James speaks about in our text. He says, “In the best of saints there is something which needs mortifying- much pride, envy, and passion…There is always something which needs mortifying. Hence, Paul did beat down his body by prayer, watching, and fasting.”
Three Observations Regarding Mr. Watson’s Words...
First Observation: Notice that Mr. Watson does not simply say that in the ‘best of saints’ there is only a little pride, a little envy, or just a few passions. No, he says that in the ‘best of saints’ there is ‘much pride, much envy, and many sinful passions’ that need to be put to death.
Second Observation: When Mr. Watson addresses these sins that are found in the ‘best of saints’ he uses the Apostle Paul as an example to consider. (Much like James used Abraham and Rahab as examples in 2:23-26) You cannot find a better saint than the apostle Paul. It was the apostle Paul who once wrote, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 11:1) If the apostle Paul had to take these sins seriously throughout his life are we not expected to do the same? (Philippians 3:12-17)
Third Observation: How does Mr. Watson say that Paul confronted these sins? He says that Paul ‘...beat down his body by prayer, watching, and fasting.’ Paul prayed, and applied the Word of God wisely to his life, and denied the passions of his body while nourishing his spirit through every available Means of Grace.
James knew that there is no sin which can be outgrown or moved away from through any natural process. Therefore, if we are to mortify sins we must be look to Jesus, seek God’s grace, and depend upon the sanctifying work of the Spirit. (2 Corinthians 12:9)
Observation / Question to Consider: “I wonder if James intended that the question, ‘Who among you is wise and understanding?’, to be asked of ourselves daily like the kids do at VCCA?”
We all know some people who walked in wisdom and understanding at one point in their life but since that time they abandoned it and become fools. (Proverbs 23:23) We all know how easy it is to be wise and understanding in some things but be utterly blind and ignorant of God’s wisdom in other areas of our life.
Illustration / Question: If James were to meet one of the elders from his church at lunch he might ask them, “Are you wise and understanding today? Yesterday I found you to be wise and understanding but are you again today? Have you been in the Word and in Prayer?”
If the elder said that he had not been then James might put a little honey from the table in his mouth and quote Proverbs 24:13-14, “Eat honey, for it is good, and the dripping of the honeycomb are sweet to your taste. Know that wisdom is such to your soul; if you find it, there will be a future, and your hope will not be cut off.”
Illustration: One time at our District Conference I got to hear the theologian Wayne Grudem. Mr. Grudem was one of the people who helped develop the ESV study bible. Mr. Grudem told about how there was a time when he gathered with the other contributors to work on the study bible and they were all so busy. Because of this he began to neglect his personal devotions. Mr. Grudem testified that within a few days he noticed that he was struggling with many more sins than normal. He realized that he was not seeking daily wisdom and understanding. Mr. Grudem confessed his sin to those he hurt and repented before God and began to make his devotional time a priority over all these other things.
James has asked, “Who is wise and understanding among you?”
The word “wise” has to do with a wisdom that fears God and is being very careful to reverently think through all things according to the Word of God. (Job 28:28; Psalm 111:10; Ecclesiastes 12:13)
The word “understanding” refers to a biblical knowledge that has been very well learned and applied to ones life at a high level. A wise individual has become skilled concerning the Word of righteousness and that person has learned to distinguish the will of God and discerning between good and evil. (Hebrews 5:11-6:2)
Those people who do not go daily to the Word of God and prayer will inevitably be characterized by a worldly wisdom which produces pride, arrogance, disorder, and every vile thing.
James describes it this way, “But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.”(14-16)
That word ‘bitter’ refers to acting or speaking out of a harsh disposition. Note: This disposition is the opposite of someone who has a meek and gentle disposition which is spoken of in verse 13. When the Gospel and the grace of God is being neglected people begin to bite and devour each other (Galatians 5:15).
The adjective ‘bitter’ is modifying ‘jealousy’. Therefore, there are people who claim they are right with God but they are not looking to God and His grace so this results in them becoming bitter, hateful, and jealous of other people. (Psalm 40:14-15)
James also describes them as having a wisdom of this world which promotes ‘selfish ambition’. When the Gospel is rightly understood and received looks away from oneself and others and these individuals will look to the LORD. (Psalm 40:16-17) When the gospel is not being understood and rightly applied to ones life it promotes an inordinate amount of attention and preoccupation with oneself and one’s own personal ambitions. This person does not fulfill the Royal Law of seeking to love the LORD or to love God’s people. These are prideful people who have gone after a lie. (Psalm 40:4)
The first thing that such a person needs to do when they see these sins is to no longer boast in a manner that is false to the truth. Instead, they are to repent, believe the Word of God, and respond accordingly in wisdom and understanding.
Bitter jealousy and selfish ambition are the fruit that is produced by the wisdom of this world. Such a person is still prone to live according to their old nature and not according to their new nature that they have received through faith in Christ. James says...
This wisdom is earthly. (3:15a) These individuals are not focused on God’s Word, but on the world. Earthly wisdom leaves out God. It is not interested in what is heavenly. It is wisdom that is from this world and is totally and completely restricted to this world. (Such a person neglects Paul’s words to the Colossians 2&3 to think upon heavenly things where Christ is seated at the right hand of the Father.)
This wisdom is natural. (3:15b) The word natural is often used in the Bible as the opposite of spiritual. This is the kind of wisdom that is humanistic and natural apart from God. These people may sit in church and hear many sermons but they are motivated by the same objectives as the lost world around them. In their pride they claim to be spiritual- but their thoughts are natural and very common to this fallen world. (1 Corinthians 2:6-16)
This wisdom is demonic. (3:15c) There is a demon-inspired wisdom that is promoted and propagated among these people. Their tongues speak of a wisdom that is demonic. These are people who go to church regularly, but they are not controlled by the Holy Spirit, but by a wisdom that is of Satan.
Dave Rowan has been speaking a lot about this type of wisdom in his jail ministry. God says follow my plan and as your Creator I know what is best for you. Satan says, “You do what feels good to you and what you want to do no matter what the consequences are to you or anyone else.”
James tells us that wherever a person is guided by this kind of wisdom the fruit of this will be disorder and all kinds of vile and evil things. (16) In our day we see so much disorder and vile things. Yet, are people willing to come to God in prayer and to His Word to find healing? Or will they continue to seek after other earthly, unspiritual, and demonic things? The church is the pillar and foundation of truth and we dare not compromise the truth of God when the forces of earthly, unspiritual, and demonic wisdom seek to influence us. (1 Timothy 3:15; Proverbs 25:26) Instead, we continually take away the dross that remains in our thinking so that the LORD has material for a vessel that is given for noble purposes. (Proverbs 25:4; 2 Timothy 2:20-22)
Our text gives us a great promise that if we will seek God’s wisdom and understanding the fruit that will be produced will be that will be very different than what it has been. The fruit that is seen in a wise’ and ‘understanding’ person is found in their ‘good conduct’ and in their ‘works done in the meekness of wisdom’.
The adjective ‘good’ refers to doing good outward things. One who is wise is one who does things that are right and honorable and promote the good of others.
As they do these things they are done with ‘gentleness and meekness’. Wise people are not loud, domineering, and pushy. Wise people do good things quietly and meekly. (1 Thessalonians 4:11; Mt. 6:1-4)
Those who are wise and understanding will see God’s grace produce ten different virtues that are mentioned in our text. James says, “But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.” (James 3:17-18)
The grace/wise believer will be pure. (3:17a) This believer will be striving for a blameless life that is free of stain and blemish. It certainly will not mix itself with that which is earthly, un-spiritual or demonic. Purity is a part of God’s character and the grace-filled believer will want this in their character. James 4:8- “Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”
The grace/wise believer will be peaceable. (3:17b) The wise believer is not some combatant that is always looking for some fight because he has selfishly ambitions and is jealous.
The grace/wise believer will be gentle. (3:17c) This is just the opposite of being hard and harsh. Grace wisdom is lenient, not rigid. Grace leaders don’t abuse their power, they are gentle and meek.
The grace/wise believer will be reasonable. (3:17d) This does not mean that a wise person does not have convictions or is gullible. What this means is that a wise person is teachable and is open to being taught the Word of God. A wise person knows when he is hearing truth. Unwise people are close-minded to the truth. They are set in their ways and are not reasonable. (Acts 7:54,57) They are prideful and easily are convinced of the lies of earthly, un-spiritual and demonic lies. (Psalm 40:4)
The grace/wise believer will be full of mercy. (3:17e) The wise believer is not just merciful, but is full of mercy. One who is growing in grace realizes more and more the grace of God in his own life. Wise people realize the wonder of the mercy of God to them. They understand that God in His mercy reached out to them when they were helpless and hopeless and rescued them. Therefore, a wise person ministers that way to others in need. (Psalm 40:11- “As for you, O LORD, you will not restrain your mercy from me; your steadfast love and your faithfulness will ever preserve me.”)
The grace/wise believer will produce good fruit. (3:17f) The wise person is interested in producing good fruit. The adjective “good” and it speaks of something that really benefits others and in what is best for them. This ‘goodness’ is kind and attractive. The noun ‘fruits’ is plural. Those who are wise are involved in doing all kinds of good things for people. They radiate it from the inside-out.
The grace/wise believer will be impartial and unwavering. (3:17g) The wise believer is not a double-minded, uncertain and unstable person. (James 4:8)
The grace/wise believer will not be hypocritical. (3:17h) A wise person is not a hypocrite, he is the real, sincere, genuine, authentic.
The grace/wise believer will produce righteous fruit. (3:18a) Wise people are always interested in bearing fruit for God. The fruit will line up with the Word of God. Righteous fruit is always produced through those who have the true wisdom of God.
The grace/wise believer will promote peace. (3:18b) A wise person is a peace promoter and he associates with those of like mind. Peacemakers produce a righteous atmosphere.
Application:
Application: My friends, let me leave you with one question that I would like for you to ask yourself each day, “Have I chosen to be wise and understanding today?”
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