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It's such a relief to look at the signs of real spiritual wisdom.
Meekness (v. 13). Meekness is not a sign of weakness; it is strength that is kept in check. The humble person does not put themselves first. The Greek word was used to describe a horse that had been broken so that it could be controlled. The humble person only wants to please God and not people. Meekness is a fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:23); it cannot be made by people. Some people mistake false humility for meekness, but it is not real. James 3:13 uses an intriguing phrase, "meekness of wisdom." The word "meekness" describes the right use of power, while wisdom guides the right use of knowledge. They fit together. A truly wise person will show that they are a child of God in their daily life (behavior means "conversation"). Attitude and behavior are inseparable. Purity (v. 17a). "First pure" shows how important holiness is. God is holy, so the wisdom that comes from above is also pure. This word means "free from sin and defilement." James used it again in James 4:8, where he said, "purify your hearts," or "make your hearts chaste." God's wisdom makes life pure. The wisdom of man can lead to sin. There is a spiritual purity that leads to a pure relationship with the Lord (2 Cor. 11:3), and there is a worldliness that makes the person a spiritual adulterer (James 4:4). Peace (v. 17b). James 4:1–2 says that man's wisdom leads to war, competition, and rivalry. God's wisdom, on the other hand, leads to peace. It is a holy peace, not a peace that comes from giving in. God never says, "peace at any cost." The church's purity is more important than its peace. There will be peace in the church if it is pure and dedicated to God. Although Isaiah 32:17 was not historically written to the church, the trust holds when it says, "And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever." The church can never be at peace if it hides sins and acts like they aren't there. Man's wisdom says, "Cover up sin!" "Keep things together!" God's wisdom says, "Tell the truth about your sins, and My peace will keep things together!" Gentleness (v. 17c). One writer calls this "sweet reasonableness." It means being moderate without giving in and being gentle without being weak. The gentle person avoids starting fights on purpose and avoids lying to keep the peace. Carl Sandburg called Abraham Lincoln a "man of velvet steel." This is a good way to describe gentleness. Compliance (v. 17d). God's wisdom makes people who believe in Him easy to get along with and work with. A person may be hard and stubborn due to their wisdom. The compliant person is open to hearing all sides of a story, but he won't change his mind about what he believes. He can disagree without being rude. He is "quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger" (James 1:19). A lot of people think that being stubborn means being sure of something and needing things to go their way. When God's wisdom is at work, people are willing to listen, think, pray, and do what God tells them to do. Another way to say this word is "giving in to persuasion." Mercy (v. 17e). Being "full" of something means being "controlled by" it. Mercy guides the person who follows God's wisdom. "Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful" (Luke 6:36). God gives us what we don't deserve because He is gracious, and He does this because He is merciful. He doesn't necessarily give us what we want. The parable of the good Samaritan (Luke 10:25–37) tells us what mercy means. It was kind of the Samaritan to help a Jewish stranger. The only thing he could get out of it was the blessing that comes from doing God's will, and the victim couldn't pay him back. That is compassion. Fruitfulness (v. 17f). Faithful people bear fruit. God's wisdom doesn't leave a life empty; it fills it up. The Spirit bears fruit for God's glory (see John 15:1–16). The lawyer in Luke 10:25–37 was open to talking about being a good neighbor, but he didn't want to be one and help someone else. God's wisdom is useful; it changes lives and leads to good works that honor God. Decisiveness (v. 17g). The word means having one mind and is the opposite of "wavering" (James 1:6). When you rely on the world's wisdom, people push you to change your mind or see things from a different angle. You don't have to hesitate when you have God's wisdom; you can be sure and not be afraid. Wisdom from above gives you strength from above. Honesty (v. 17h). In Greek, the word that is translated as "hypocrite" in our New Testament means "one who wears a mask, an actor." When people are wise, they might not be honest or real. When God's wisdom is at work, people are honest and open, as in "speaking the truth in love" (Eph. 4:15). James says that wherever you see God's people pretending and hiding, you can be sure that the wisdom of this world is guiding their work. God hates "religious politics." "Faith is living without plotting and conniving." God's wisdom works very differently from the wisdom of this world. Church officers and leaders would benefit from reflecting on their lives and ministries in accordance with James's writings. Although the local church is an organism, it is also an organization, but it can't rely on the "Madison Avenue" techniques that work for businesses. God's thoughts and ways are much higher than ours! "Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God." (1 Cor. 2:12).
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Spiritual,"Difference in Operations (3:13–14, 17)
The wisdom that comes from God works in a different way than the wisdom that comes from "earthly, sensual, and devilish" sources. Because they come from very different places, they must work in very different ways. What are the signs of false wisdom? Envying (v. 14a). This word means being selfishly ambitious and eager. It goes along with James 3:1, where James told them not to be overly desirous of spiritual positions. The world says, "Make yourself known." You might be better than the other candidates. The squeaky wheel gets the grease. It's sad to say that God's people do a lot of selfish, carnal promotion. The apostles even fought about who was the best in the kingdom. When you believe you play the part of "Mr. Spiritual," it's easy to let your ego take control. The Pharisees used their religious activities to get people to praise them (Matt. 6:1–18). We should be very interested in the Lord's things, but we must ensure our motives are pure. The wisdom of this world elevates humanity and diminishes God's glory. Paul talked about the wisdom of God and the wisdom of this world in 1 Corinthians 1:17ff. He also talked about why God does what He does: "That no flesh should glory in His presence" (1 Cor. 1:29). He finished the section with the warning, "He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord" (1 Cor. 1:31). Is our love for the Lord spiritual or physical? Do we feel pleased when other people do well, or do we secretly envy and criticize them? Are we happy or sad when someone else fails? When worldly wisdom infiltrates the church, it leads to excessive promotion of the flesh and glorification of humanity. Be careful! Strife (v. 14b). This word means "party spirit." The Greeks used it to talk about a politician who was going door-to-door to get votes. "Get all the support you can!" says the world's wisdom. "Ask the people in the church if they are with you or against you!" This attitude of wanting to be better than others only causes problems and fights in the church. “Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than [more important than] themselves” (Phil. 2:3). Bragging "glory not" (v. 14c). Pride loves to brag, and nothing is more proud than men's wisdom. There is a way to tell people about blessings that gives God the glory, and there is also a way that gives men the praise. It is sad to see groups of God's people who admire each other. When Paul boasted about his ministry in 2 Corinthians 10, he made sure to give God the credit. We shouldn't even consider putting ourselves in the same group as people who write their testimonials or comparing ourselves to them. Of course, these individuals are merely measuring themselves by their standards or by comparing themselves to others within their group, which does not provide an accurate picture and certainly does not glorify God (see 2 Cor. 10:12). When God's wisdom is at work, you feel humble and want God to get all the praise. You don't want to compare yourself to other Christians because you only see Christ, and compared to Him, we all have a long way to go! Lying (v. 14d). "Don't lie about the truth." It's not hard to understand the order James gives in verse 14. First, there is selfish ambition that causes people to be competitive and have party spirit. To "win the election," we have to brag, and bragging usually means lying! The Lord reads a man's life in his heart, not in his press releases. "Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God." (1 Cor. 4:5). [Tomorrow we will look at the signs of true wisdom.] |
AuthorBible study is crucial for spiritual growth, understanding God and His plan, gaining wisdom for daily life, finding joy and purpose, and building your faith. As you daily engage with Scripture, may God's word equip you to live a godly life and come to a greater place of serving others. Archivestexts
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