James 3:13-18

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.

Wisdom can take on many different appearances based on its source.  What seems wise to a believer will likely seem foolish to an unbeliever.  God is the ultimate source of true wisdom because He alone is all-knowing.  James gives us some clear indications about the way wisdom from God looks in contrast to that which comes from the enemy.

CHRISTIAN WISDOM IS HUMBLE: Believers should live amongst each other being guided by a wisdom that comes from the Lord.  We have the Spirit of God, the Scriptures, and the fellowship of the body of Christ. These sources of wisdom should be a great asset to help us work and serve one another in a spirit of humility. There should be a sense of meekness in the way that we work together and live according to wisdom.  Meekness is not weakness but is a strength that is under the control of the Spirit of God.  We should have the ability to live well with one another, appreciating each other, and helping each other to become more like Christ.

DEMONIC WISDOM IS AMBITIOUS: The cooperation of Christian wisdom is contrasted by the competitive nature of the wisdom of the world, the flesh and the devil.  Bitterness, jealousy, and ambition are all the result of a self-centered way of living that seeks to promote oneself at the expense of others around us.  When others might hurt us, we hold it against them and refuse to forgive.  When others are successful, we don’t rejoice with them but become envious of their achievements and usually look for way to discredit them.  We go to great lengths to promote ourselves.  This kind of self-centered living is demonic in nature and will always lead to despair.  A life that pursues pleasure and self as it’s highest goal will degrade into all kinds of sinful and vile practices.

GODLY WISDOM IS RIGHTEOUS: God’s wisdom will stand in stark contrast to worldly wisdom.  It is described as pure, peaceable, gentle, reasonable, merciful, fruitful, impartial and sincere.  Since God is holy, the wisdom He imparts will always be pure.  God calls us to live in fellowship with one another and empowers us by His Spirit to be gentle and kind in our relationships.  Our decisions and conversations will be rational and considerate of the thoughts and feelings of others.  We will serve each other and help one another to be productive.  We will treat one another with equity and have pure motives in all we do.  Our lives and our relationships will be marked by righteousness and peace.  This life of deep love for one another is the mark of true godly wisdom.

APPLICATION: Demonstrate and develop humility in our lives as we seek to grow in conformity with Christ. Beware of the earthly and demonic way of this world and understand that it will be our natural tendency.  Learn to live a life of sacrificial love for one another that seeks to serve and promote peace within the body of Christ.

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