21 Apr Recap | James | Authentic Wisdom
This past week, Bill White taught on James 3:13-4:3.
In this passage, James challenges believers to walk in wisdom and to recognize leadership that does the same. He contrasts true, heavenly wisdom with false, earthly wisdom. They may seem similar on the exterior, but they can be easily distinguished by the fruit that they bear.
To begin this teaching, James poses a difficult question: “Who is wise and understanding among you?” (James 3:13 ESV). Though this question and the following text certainly apply to us today, it is likely that James was writing these things to the early church with a specific audience in mind. The church was a new, rapidly growing organization, and it provided many opportunities for individuals to advance and gain influence. James uses the rest of the passage to provide criteria both for discerning good and bad leaders and for examining our own spiritual lives for the presence of wisdom.
If a person would answer that he does possess wisdom and understanding, he will prove it through his good deeds, displaying “the meekness of wisdom” (James 3:13 ESV). This wisdom will not merely be intellectual or theoretical knowledge, but it will be revealed in the believer’s life by good works done in meekness – that is, by strength and confidence restrained by humility. Often, our culture confuses energy and enthusiasm with power and wisdom, but zeal has no real power if it is not checked by humility and guided by wisdom.
After describing true wisdom, James contrasts it with bitter jealousy and selfish ambition (James 3:14). This type of attitude is deceptive both to the self as well as to others, and people seek to hide it by “boasting and lying” (James 3:14 NLT). James condemns this type of wisdom, claiming that it is “earthly, unspiritual, demonic” (James 3:15 NLT). It is characteristic of our fallen world and evil hearts, and it seeks to rebel against God. He encourages those who live with this attitude not to hide it, but to be open about it in order to move towards repentance.
This type of earthly attitude produces results that are much different than those produced by true wisdom. Instead of good deeds done in meekness, earthly wisdom produces “disorder and evil of every kind” (James 3:16). Bad leadership can be detected by its fruits, and an organization with foolish leaders will be full of chaos. Where ambition and jealousy run rampant, there will be no peace or harmony, but only disorder.
After characterizing worldly wisdom, James returns to the rightness of heavenly wisdom. He lists its attributes, claiming that “the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere” (James 3:17 NLT). Heavenly wisdom is characterized by all of these good and beneficial things. As was stated previously in v. 13, true wisdom is revealed in good works and in humility. James concludes the passage by saying, “Those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness” (James 3:18 NLT). People who live according to the wisdom from above will be characterized by peace, alignment, and harmony. Their own lives, as well as the organizations and individuals that they influence, will be blessed by Shalom.
Following his contrast between earthly and heavenly wisdom, James poses a second question: “What is causing quarrels and fights among you?” (James 4:1 NLT). He answers that these conflicts come from the evil desires within us. These desires, coupled with jealousy of others and selfish ambitions, lead to unhealthy conflicts. Instead of trying to satisfy these desires in a wholesome way, we attempt to get what we want by scheming, fighting, and stealing. All of this is foolish, however, because the only healthy way to receive what we desire is to “ask God for it” (James 4:2 NLT). We are too self-reliant to do so, trusting in our own schemes and efforts rather than asking God to provide the things we need.
Finally, James says, even if we do ask God, we do not receive what we want because we ask with impure motives. We only want pleasure; we do not want to actually follow God’s commands or live in alignment with His heavenly wisdom.
Both of these questions, as well as the commentary that James gives on them, are extremely challenging for our lives. If we find ourselves convicted of living in accordance with earthly wisdom, we should not hide or seek to deceive others (James 3:14). Instead, we should be honest with ourselves, with God, and with others. We need to allow the Scriptures to work on our hearts and expose our sin and then embrace these revelations rather than hide them.
It may seem terrifying to admit our sin to ourselves and to God, but these fears are misplaced. The wisdom from above is not merely propositional or intellectual; God did not just reveal theoretical answers to us in the Bible. Instead, the wisdom from above took on flesh in the person of Christ, and God’s wisdom was made manifest to us on earth. He endured the suffering and death brought about by earthly wisdom, and paid the price to rescue us from this and lead us to salvation. The heavenly wisdom embodied in Christ should not lead us to fear or condemnation but to the acceptance of God’s love, grace, and mercy on broken sinners.
-Alexander Batson