Difference in Origins (3:15, 17a)

Where to Find Wisdom (James 3:13-18)

Jewish people thought wisdom was very important. They understood that it wasn't enough to know things; you also needed to know how to use that knowledge correctly. We all know people who are very smart, maybe even geniuses, but they don't seem to be able to do even the simplest things in life. They can program computers, but they can't run their lives! "Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom:" (Prov. 4:7).
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James kept telling the people in the meeting who wanted to be teachers of the Word (James 3:1). You can't just stand in front of people and say things; you have to have something to say. This is where spiritual wisdom comes in. Knowledge helps us break things down, but wisdom helps us put things back together and connect God's truth to our daily lives. We've all heard preachers and teachers say many good things, but they don't always get to the heart of God's message or connect truth to our daily lives. This is the kind of "knowledge without wisdom" that James was talking about. He was comparing true wisdom and fake wisdom from three different perspectives.

Difference in Origins (3:15, 17a)

Real wisdom comes from above, while fake wisdom comes from below. There is a "heavenly wisdom" that comes from God and a "man-made wisdom" that does not come from God. Everything that isn't from God will fail, no matter how well it seems.

There are many examples in the Bible of how foolish man's wisdom is. It seemed like a good idea to build the Tower of Babel, but it didn't work out and caused a lot of trouble (Gen. 11:1–9). When famine hit Canaan, it seemed like a good idea for Abraham to go to Egypt, but the results were different (Gen. 12:10–20). King Saul thought it was a good idea to give young David his own armor for the fight against Goliath, but God had other plans (1 Sam. 17:38ff.). The disciples thought it was a good idea to send the large group away to find their food, but Jesus fed them with a few loaves and fishes. The Roman "experts" in Acts 27 thought it was a good idea to leave port and sail to Rome, even though Paul disagreed. The storm that followed showed that Paul's advice was better than theirs. They lived to regret it, but they did live!

Where does man's wisdom come from? "This wisdom does not come from above; it is earthly, sensual, and devilish" (James 3:15). The believer has three foes: the world, the flesh, and the devil (Eph. 2:1–3). The words "earthly," "sensual," and "devilish" suggest these enemies.

There is a "wisdom of this world" (1 Cor. 1:20–21). Don't mix what you know with what you know about the world. We all benefit from the world's knowledge, but there's little wisdom. Man finds out the secrets of the universe, but he doesn't know what to do with them. Everything he finds or comes up with seems to work against him. Henry David Thoreau warned us over a hundred years ago that we had "improved means to unimproved ends."

The world, in its wisdom, does not know God and does not accept the gospel of God. "For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness" (1 Cor. 1:18). Anyone who loves the wisdom of this world should read the first two chapters of 1 Corinthians and see how much Paul had to say about God's wisdom and man's wisdom. God thinks that man's wisdom is foolish (1 Cor. 1:20), and man thinks that God's wisdom is foolish (1 Cor. 2:14). Reason comes from man's wisdom, while revelation comes from God's wisdom. The wisdom of man will come to nothing (1 Cor. 1:19), but the wisdom of God will last forever.

The world has lost its wisdom because it has turned away from God. Every bit of knowledge that man gains only makes the problems worse. "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; and the knowledge of the holy is understanding" (Prov. 9:10). "Before their eyes, there is no fear of God" (Rom. 3:18).

But this fake wisdom comes from somewhere else: it is "sensual," which means it is "natural." The Greek word is psukikos, which comes from the Greek word psuke, which means "life" or "soul." It is where we get the word "psychology" in English. In 1 Corinthians 2:14; 15:44, 46, psukikos means "natural," which is the opposite of "spiritual." It is translated as "sensual" in Jude 19. The central concept appears to be the fallen nature of humanity in contrast to the new nature bestowed by God. Earthly wisdom originates from human nature and is entirely independent of the Spirit of God.

This earthly "wisdom that is from below" and is also demonic. From Genesis 3, where Satan tricked Eve, all the way through the Bible, there is a "wisdom of Satan" that works against the "wisdom of God." Satan deceived Eve into believing she would resemble God. He said that the tree would give her wisdom. People have believed Satan's lies and tried to make themselves gods ever since that happened (Rom. 1:18–25). Satan is crafty; he is the old snake! If you don't understand the wisdom of God, you will become confused by it.

Then James talked about a "wisdom that is from above" (James 3:17) instead of the "wisdom that is earthly, sensual, and devilish." "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above" (James 1:17). The Christian looks to heaven for everything he needs. His citizenship is in heaven (Phil. 3:20), just like his Father's (Matt. 6:9). He has treasures in heaven, not on earth (Matt. 6:19ff.). He was born from above (John 3:1–7) when he put his faith in Jesus Christ. The believer's home and hope are both in heaven (John 14:1–6). He focuses his love and attention on things that are above, not on things that are on earth (Col. 3:1–4).

What is the wisdom of a Christian? Does he look to the ideas of this world? No! To start, Jesus (1 Cor. 1:24, 30) says that Christ is our wisdom. Colossians 2:3 says that "all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge" are hidden in Jesus Christ. The first step to becoming truly wise is to accept Jesus Christ as your Savior.

We also get wisdom from the Word of God. “Keep therefore and do them [God's commands]; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations . . ." (Deut. 4:5–6). The Bible can teach us how to be "wise unto salvation" (2 Tim. 3:15).

James 1:5 says that we can get wisdom by praying in faith. "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God." The Holy Spirit of God is "the Spirit of wisdom and revelation" (Eph. 1:17). When we trust the Word and pray, He leads us down the wisest paths.

God is the source of real spiritual wisdom. Getting your wisdom from anywhere else is asking for trouble. You don't need the world's false wisdom, which serves the flesh and does the devil's work. God is the source of your wisdom!