I want you to think about some of the changes that you have experienced in your lifetime.
How many of you grew up in the home where there was one telephone that sat on a shelf in a hallway like that you see on the screen or on a table?
It was attached to the wall by a wire. How many of you remember that pretty well? A lot of people do.
Well, now we have a phone that we put in our pocket or on our side.
We carry it everywhere we go. Quite a change, isn't it?
Who grew up in a home with one TV? Something like that.
You got three channels. You had to get up and go and turn the knob to change the channel.
Well, now we've got all forms of TV. Satellite, cable, U-verse.
More channels we could even imagine.
You can change them, record, pause, do all kinds of things from a remote or even your smartphone.
Who had a computer with dial-up internet connection that sounded like this?
Seems like an eternity, didn't it?
Now we've got instant, silent connections.
All these advances in technology that we have experienced
reveal how God has created human beings with highly developed intellectual capacities.
Tremendous intelligence human beings have.
And we're just compelled, aren't we, to constantly try to discover and develop new things, new technologies.
You know, if you just look at the history of the world,
the human race has continuously gotten smarter all the way through.
Even to today.
But smarter doesn't always mean wiser, does it?
In fact, the smartest people know that just that intellectual ability is not enough.
They need to know how to do something, do the right thing with that knowledge.
And so smart people understand the need for wisdom.
But when you start talking about wisdom, that brings up its own problem.
Because there's more than one kind of wisdom that we, even as Christians, possess and use.
We've been looking at it now for the last two weeks in James chapter 3.
He has pointed out the basic two kinds of wisdom that we all use.
Look at it.
Earthly human wisdom in James chapter 3, verses 14 through 16.
He contrasts that with heavenly or God-given wisdom in verse 13 and then in verses 17 through 18.
Last week, we looked at earthly wisdom and defined it like this.
Man's ability to discern and judge correctly as to what he thinks is true or right.
Earthly wisdom, earthly wisdom, human wisdom, whatever you want to call it,
is a wisdom that we have as a result of being created in the image of God.
Now, we're fallen creatures.
Our God-given abilities have been corrupted by the entrance of sin into the world.
But we still have this basic common wisdom that can be very helpful at times.
But human wisdom or earthly wisdom will always be limited.
Always limited.
It will often create or lead to problems.
And it will sometimes result in evil things being done.
James describes that.
James chapter 3, in verse 15 in particular,
this earthly kind of wisdom, this human wisdom that just comes to us naturally.
He says, for where jealousy, let me back up in verse 15.
This is not the wisdom that comes down from above.
It's not God-given wisdom.
It's not heavenly wisdom.
But it's earthly, unspiritual, demonic.
Now, we see evidence all around us today of how human intelligence and earthly wisdom combined
do not automatically make life better.
You think about the advances in technology.
You think about what we have available to us today.
But don't most families have less personal interaction at home than at any time in history?
I mean, isn't it true there are more times than you care to admit that one person is in one room doing one thing,
or maybe everybody can see one another, but you've got your head down in that tablet or phone or TV.
Most communities today are more divided than they've ever been.
There's not this sense of neighborliness, of people coming together, knowing one another, helping one another.
And then most of the world, most of the world feels less safe today.
And we're always on alert for possible terrorist activity.
If you think about it in these terms, earthly human wisdom alone has not made our lives better,
nor will it in the future.
We need, we desperately need God's presence in our lives, in our homes, in this community, in this world.
We need God-given wisdom to be able to look at life and figure things out from God's perspective,
how He intends things to work, how He intends life to work,
in the way that will bring true glory to Himself and will be meaningful and purposeful for us.
I want us today to look back at James chapter 3 and move forward now in verses 17 and 18
and see what will happen, see what our lives will look like when we seek and apply God-given wisdom.
Now I want you to understand as we go through this,
and next week we're going to go in and start our study of Proverbs,
the Bible's big book of wisdom.
The Bible does not try to actually define wisdom.
It'll say a lot of things about wisdom,
but what you really find is that the Bible describes wisdom.
The Bible describes what it looks like in our lives.
That's what James talked about how earthly wisdom, what it looks like in our lives.
He said in one of those verses, verse 14, in verse 14 about it,
you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts.
He goes on to talk about there'll be disorder in every vile or evil practice because of that.
Earthly human wisdom can be seen.
That's all there is in our lives in those kinds of ways.
Well now let's look at verse 17,
the kinds of things that will be true about our life when we are seeking and using God's wisdom.
Verse 17,
With the wisdom from above,
heavenly wisdom,
God-given wisdom,
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.
The first characteristic of God-given wisdom
is also the first priority that James gives here.
It's purity,
or he uses the word just pure here in the ESV.
But the wisdom from above is first pure.
It means it's undefiled,
it's clean.
The person who lives according to God's wisdom,
they'll demonstrate it by the morally pure life that they live,
that they demonstrate in their character just who they are,
and in the things that they do.
Such purity,
such purity,
as James is describing here,
will free us from the bitter jealousy and selfish ambition
that will come,
that often comes,
when we just do our best to figure things out with our earthly wisdom.
Now,
the purity that James is talking about
can only be experienced in the life of a person
who has a right relationship with God.
If you're not a Christian,
you're not going to be able to
have this God-given wisdom
that enables you to live this clean and morally pure life
until you acknowledge that
you're not right with God,
turn from your sin,
and put your faith and trust in Jesus Christ
for your salvation.
But when you do that,
God will forgive you,
He will cleanse you,
He will make you His child,
and He will give you His wisdom
if you'll ask for it,
if you'll seek it,
and be willing to use it.
But James is writing to Christians,
and that's what the majority of us are in here this morning.
So what we need to think about is this.
As a Christian,
there's a lot of times when I don't live the pure life
that Jesus expects me to live,
calls me to live as His follower.
We all know we have impure desires at times.
We have temptations to say things and do things
that are just the opposite of this moral purity.
And we give in to those desires more often than we want,
don't we?
Than we would like to admit.
We give in to those temptations.
And we need to acknowledge that.
And we also need to understand that
when there is such moral impurity in us,
about us,
it hinders our fellowship with God.
The Spirit of God is grieved by such in our lives,
by such thoughts that we dwell on and then act on.
And the Spirit of God,
who indwells every Christian,
when this is true about us,
He'll make us uneasy about ourselves.
He'll convict us of that sin.
He'll cause us to not be able to rest easy with it,
to be comfortable, to be happy in it.
Because it's His job to call us to the point of being miserable,
being guilty,
so that we will confess that sin,
turn from it,
be forgiven,
and experience a new cleansing.
The book of 1 John, chapter 1, verse 9,
talks about this.
This is a verse of Scripture that all of us need to know,
need to utilize a lot.
If we confess our sins,
He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins,
and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
You know, if you came in here this morning,
and there is in your life things that you know don't please God,
it may even fall under the category of moral filth.
Maybe things that you're just,
just the attitude that you have,
the fantasies you entertain,
or it could just be the language that you're using.
If you came in this way,
and the Spirit of God is really convicting you of it now.
I mean, you know it's wrong,
and you're tired of doing this,
being this way,
dishonoring God,
and probably some people in your life.
If you will honestly confess your sin,
agree with God about it,
ask Him to help you to stop it,
to turn from it.
He will forgive you.
He'll cleanse that filth.
He will give you a fresh start this morning.
You.
No matter what it is,
God will forgive you,
cleanse you,
and restore you to fellowship with Him
if you will come to Him this way.
Once we have been purified by the Lord Jesus Christ,
the Holy Spirit will work in us
to give us desires
to maintain a pure heart,
a pure mind,
so that we can live in right fellowship with God
and in right relationships with other people.
So just think,
am I demonstrating that
I have and use God-given wisdom
by the not morally perfect,
but by the purity
that I desire
and the purity that I seek to maintain
just on a daily basis?
Look at the next characteristic
of someone who lives
according to God's wisdom.
Peaceable.
Some translations say peace-loving,
but it's describing someone
who does more than just loves peace.
It's describing someone
who wants to be,
seeks to be a peacemaker.
That means they try to preserve peace
where it already exists,
and it also means they work for peace.
For it does not.
They try to bring it about.
James is not describing someone
who has this attitude,
well, I'm just sort of going to close my eyes.
I'm not going to notice things.
I'm not going to say anything.
I'm just going to sort of go along to get along
so there will be peace.
That's not what he has in mind at all.
The goal of peacemaking,
or being peaceable,
is not to live like the old man
who celebrated his 50th wedding anniversary,
and when asked what was the key to his success,
he explained it like this.
He said,
when we got married,
my wife and I made this agreement.
When she was bothered about anything,
she could just speak up,
tell me about it,
say what was on her mind,
not hold anything in.
And then,
when I was upset about something,
I would take a long walk.
And as the man talked,
he paused,
and he said,
I suppose you contribute our happy marriage
to the fact that I have largely led
an outdoor life.
Now, I just read that little story,
but I honestly know a couple.
That was the way they made it
50-something years.
She vented,
she ranted and raved
about everything
that was on her mind and heart.
And he hunted and fished
and played golf
and did a lot of things
to keep him outside
and away from her.
That was not the ideal marriage.
That was not truly
him being a peacemaker.
He was a conflict avoider.
Now, there are times
when we all need to take a walk.
Close your mouth,
take a walk.
It's not good,
it's not healthy
for us to seek fights.
And if you enjoy a conflict,
something's wrong with you.
I mean, you're not normal
if you just like
a good fight with people.
Our goal should always be
to do what Paul told
the Roman Christians.
Two different statements.
Look at it in Romans 12.
If possible,
so far as it depends on you,
live peaceably with all.
Notice the first two words there,
if possible.
It's not always possible.
Some people won't let you
live peaceably with them.
But if possible,
as far as it depends on you,
live peaceably with all people.
Maintain peace.
Work for peace
where it's not there.
And then the second thing
he says is in Romans 14,
so then let us pursue
what makes for peace
and for mutual upbuilding.
Paul is saying there,
you be proactive.
You be a peacemaker.
You do the kind of things
that will actually
bring about peace.
and mutually benefit,
build up one another.
Now,
let's think another way
that James is not
talking about.
He's not writing about a peace
that depends on
walking away
from every conflict.
Christian peacemakers.
We're supposed to
know the truth
and stand for it.
We're supposed to
know what's right
and defend
that which is right.
We ought to be people
who are
concerned about
justice prevailing.
peace prevailing.
But just as importantly now,
we need to pursue
the truth,
speak the truth
in love.
We need to
do what we can
to bring about peace
in the right kind of way,
the most positive
kind of way.
So let's just look now,
think about
our own lives.
In situations
that
exist
where there's
conflict,
let's say,
in your home.
Sometimes there's
conflict at home.
Sometimes there's
conflict at work.
Sometimes there may be
conflict at church.
Sometimes there's
conflict among
your friends at school.
When you
step into
a situation
where there is
conflict,
what do you
bring to the table?
What do you do
by your presence,
by your words?
Do you make
things worse?
Do you add
fuel to the flames
of hostility
by the things
you say,
the way you act?
Or
does your arrival
just bring a sense
of calm?
Do your words
soothe?
Do your words
tear down
walls
instead of
reinforcing them?
Do you have
a calming
influence?
Do you try
to have a calming
influence
that seeks
a peaceful
resolution
based on
what's right
now,
based on
what will
be
just
fair,
if you want
to use
the word,
for everybody
involved?
Now,
the answer,
whatever answer
you give,
reveals the
kind of wisdom
that you operate
under in those
kind of circumstances.
You're not
really that wise
if you're just
always making
things worse.
You're operating
according to just
earthly human
wisdom,
unspiritual,
maybe even
demonic at
times.
But if you
are someone
that you
think and
you speak
and you act
in a way
trying to
bring about
peace and
calm and
unity,
then you know
you're a
Christian
with the
Spirit of God
helping you
to exercise
true
godly
wisdom.
You need
to thank
God for
that
and keep
on that.
Another
characteristic of
a person who
lives according
to God's
wisdom is
according to
the ESV
in this verse
is gentle
or
considerate.
It's
describing a
person who
knows
when and
how
to make
allowances
for others
when you
could be
just
and just
do the
right thing
but sometimes
there's a
need
to show
mercy.
I'm not
saying to
approve
what's wrong
but to
show mercy,
to show
grace.
Aren't you
glad that
God didn't
always give
you what
you deserve?
That God's
not always
just making
us reap
what we sow.
God shows
me and
I'm sure
you'd have
to say
He shows
you a lot
a whole lot
of grace
and mercy
on a regular
basis.
And we
need to
be like
God in
that, be
godly like
that and
do the
same thing.
Here's an
example of
what James
is talking
about this
kind of
gentleness.
Dr.
William
Trumbull
was an
English
statesman.
One day
he was
riding on a
train,
traveling a
distance.
He had
his own
little
compartment.
His seat
was here
and there
was a seat
across from
him facing
him.
And a
rough looking
character that
was obviously
under the
influence came
in his little
compartment and
sat out in
that seat right
in front of
him face
to face.
And the
man when he
sat down he
pulled out a
bottle and he
offered Trumbull
a drink.
Well Trumbull
just responded
calmly, no
thank you, I
don't drink.
Well the man
took a drink
himself, put the
bottle up, but
over the next
hour he pulled
that bottle out
several times and
each time he
offered Trumbull
a drink and
each time Trumbull
just calmly,
matter of factly
gave that same
response, no
thank you, I
don't drink.
Well finally it
made the man
mad and he
just looked at
Trumbull and he
said I guess you
think I'm just a
nothing but just a
drunk and you
think you're a
whole lot better
than me.
And Trumbull
again just so
calm and cool
Trumbull replied
on the contrary, I
think you're a
very generous
man.
And the person
who observed
this said that
that old man, it
just melted him.
His hostility went
away.
He quit drinking.
He started talking
to Trumbull,
talking about
himself and his
life and why
he was in the
situation he was
in and Trumbull
listened and took
him seriously.
And as they
traveled together
Trumbull who was
a Christian actually
shared the gospel
with this man who
did put his faith
in Jesus by the
end of the trip.
Now, a smart
person or a
worldly wise
person would
have figured out
a way to get
that obnoxious
drunk out of
their compartment.
And let's just be
honest.
If you were there,
if I was there,
first thought
through my mind
is how can I get
rid of him without
having a fight?
How can I get him
out of here?
I didn't pay this
money.
I don't want to be
on this trip.
Well, the drunk
in front of me
wanting me to
drink with him.
How do we, I'm
going to find
somebody to get
him out.
That's the normal
thing.
That's the smart
thing.
That's the earthly
only wisdom way
to do it.
God.
But this man,
Trumbull,
he was a godly
man with godly
wisdom who
didn't treat that
man like the man
deserved,
but treated him
as someone like
himself created in
the image of God,
treated him with
respect,
treated him with
gentleness,
and it had the
best outcome.
We need to look at
our lives and just
see if there's godly
wisdom coming out
in not always giving
somebody what they
deserve, not always
standing upon our own
rights, but showing
grace and being
gentle because we
are God's children
and we want to
love like he
loves.
The next one talks
about being open to
reason.
This is the opposite
of being stubborn.
The NIV translates
it as submissive.
It describes a person
who is open to
reason and willing
to be persuaded
differently than
what he or she
originally thought.
During the Civil
War, Abraham
Lincoln issued a
command to
transfer a certain
army regiment from
one place to
another.
Well, when his
secretary of war,
Edwin Stanton,
received the order,
he refused to carry
it out and he said
that Lincoln was a
fool.
Well, when Lincoln
was told this, he
replied, if Stanton
said I was a fool,
then I must be, for
he is nearly always
right.
I'll see for
myself.
And he got together
with Stanton and as
they talked about it,
he realized that he
was totally wrong, that
Stanton was right and
he withdrew the order.
Now, if we have a
conversation and you
tell me I'm a fool, I'll
just be honest with you,
most days I'm going to
bow up.
I'm not going to take
it well.
I'll call you a fool
too for calling me a
fool.
Well, what James is
saying is a person
with godly wisdom is
going to think, going
to consider what they
hear.
It could be truthful,
it could not be.
And we're not going to
be so defensive and
think that we can never
be wrong.
as you just do what you
do on a daily, weekly
basis, do you see signs
of godly wisdom in your
life?
Because you see this
quality of being
reasonable, being willing
to be corrected, willing
to change.
the next one.
Full of mercy and good
fruits.
A person who lives
according to god's
wisdom, it'll be seen
because they're full of
mercy and good fruits.
Now, mercy is a
compassionate attitude,
and good fruits are the
actions that flow from
it.
living according to god's
wisdom in this kind of
way means that when you
see a situation and you
have pity on somebody,
your heart goes out to
someone.
You do more than just say
or think, I feel sorry
for them.
You do more than even pray
for them.
You actually do something
to help them.
Think about how many
times you've run across
someone.
Maybe you knew them
real well, maybe you
didn't.
And there was, it was a
situation where they had
a need, there was
something that you could
have done, and as you
saw them, you really did
feel sorry for them.
Your heart went out to
them.
And you meant to do
something.
But you never did.
You never spoke up.
You never gave them any
money.
You never offered to
help.
You just had merciful
thoughts.
There was no good fruit.
James is telling us when
we are operating according
to godly wisdom, we'll
not just see needs.
We'll not just have a
compassionate heart.
We'll be moved to
actually do something
about it.
Final characteristic of
God's wisdom is, he
says, impartial.
Impartial and sincere.
Impartial here refers to
being consistent, really.
Being steady.
A person who is not
easily turned aside,
chooses a course of
action and sticks with
it.
Sincere here could be
translated without
hypocrisy.
impartial.
It's a reference to
being the real deal, to
being genuine.
The person who is
impartial and sincere
is the kind of person
who does not look
around to see who's
looking before they
act.
The person who acts
with impartiality and
sincerity is not
concerned with what the
majority thinks or what
the majority is doing.
The person who is truly
operating with godly
wisdom is going to do
what's right before God,
what's right for that
person, and then just deal
with whatever comes as a
result.
Deal with the fallout.
That's the kind of wisdom
that on a regular basis,
you operate according to.
Impartiality.
Sincerity.
James tells us that these
are characteristics of a
person who's living with
god-given wisdom, acting
on god-given wisdom.
And then he goes on in the
last verse, verse 18, to
talk about the results of
living this way.
Look at it again.
And a harvest of
righteousness is sown in
peace by those who make.
Peace.
Most commentators say this
is a proverbial saying.
Something that was well
known to the churches in
James' day.
Godly wisdom results in
righteousness as well as
peace.
The righteousness here
refers to right actions,
doing the right thing,
moral actions,
living according to God's
will.
You know, if we are
serious about living a
Christian life and asking
God to give us wisdom in
our various situations,
help us to know what to do,
help us to know why to do,
we'll be seeking to live our
lives in such a way that,
to the best of our knowledge,
we're doing what's right
before God and what's
right before people,
no matter what the
consequences may be.
James describes a person
with godly wisdom,
basically, as someone who is
interested in, committed to
living a life that they know
will please God.
And a person who lives this
way will be trying to live
in peace and harmony with
everybody else around them,
at least as far as it depends
on them.
Now, we've gone through this
passage, verses 13 through 18,
over three weeks now.
What have you learned about
yourself?
If you're here for the first
time, read verses 13 through 18,
and then think, do I just
on a regular basis, do I live
according to earthly human
wisdom?
Or do I live according to
heavenly God-given wisdom?
Which do you prefer?
That's a legitimate question
because James says in chapter
one, if you lack wisdom, all
you have to do is ask God.
James is talking about knowing
how to live in the midst of
life's hardships, difficulties.
He says, if you ask wisdom, ask
God.
Lack wisdom, ask God.
Look at it, James 1, verse 5,
first part of verse 6.
If any of you lacks wisdom,
let him ask God who gives
generously to all without
reproach.
And it will be given to him.
But let him ask in faith with
no doubting.
You know, what James is saying
here is not a one-time
request.
We need to make it a habit of
asking God to give us wisdom,
to be the kind of person we need
to be in our home, on our job,
at school, in this church, just
wherever it is that we go.
We need to ask God to give us
wisdom, to be able to see, to be
able to understand, to be able
to make decisions that would
please him, that would bring
glory to him, our ultimate goal
in life, but also would truly
help people, meet people's needs.
And in the process of doing this,
we'll be blessed.
I want to ask you this morning,
do you want to experience, be able
to use God's wisdom?
We'll ask you.
Scripture says he'll give it to us
and the results will be seen very
clearly in our lives.
Let's pray together.
Dear God, show us right now what we
should do in response to what you've
said to us.
That's what we desire, Father.
We've heard your word.
Help us now to obey it.
Show us what that means.
And in an attitude of prayer, you
listen to the Lord and you respond
to him.
If I could pray with you, help you,
I'll be here at the front for the
next few minutes.
Thank you.