In 1 Kings 3, King Solomon talked to God in a dream. He
called out to God saying that he was just a little child and did not know how
to go out or come in as he ruled a people that were too many to be numbered. He
asked God for one thing, “an understanding heart to judge [God’s] people to
discern between good and evil.” It was pleasing in the sight of the Lord
because Solomon asked for discernment and wisdom to understand justice when he
could have asked for a long life or riches. God gave abundantly to King
Solomon, giving him not only a wise and discerning heart but also riches and
honor. King Solomon even used this wisdom to discern what was true when two
woman came to him the next day arguing over whose child was living after one
had rolled over on her’s, killing it and stealing the other woman’s. God’s
wisdom was in Solomon as he decided to cut the child in half to determine it’s
true mother.
James 1:5 says “But
if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and
without reproach, and it will be given to him.” James continues with this by
saying one must ask in faith without doubting, as King Solomon did and as God
clearly gave him.
Wisdom from the earth and wisdom from God are both shown by the
behavior and actions of a person. Wisdom from God is demonstrated by gentleness
of deeds which is first pure. Purity of wisdom comes from a person who is
drawing near to God, who is being cleansed by the spirit continually. Wisdom
from God is next peaceable, meaning there is peace coming from the truth. If
the wisdom does not bring peace because it is not backed by the truths of God
then it is not from God. This does not mean that wisdom coming from God will
always be easy to hear or say, Wisdom that convicts of sin should rattle a
person. But that the wisdom is still able to be gentle, reasonable and full of
mercy because it flows from God. Wisdom should be full of Mercy and good fruits
meaning the wisdom of God is productive and compassionate, bringing about a
growth in people, even when it requires a hard change of direction.
Often in my life when torn between a decision I first seek
the council of believers around me, and when I feel torn between the different
pieces of advice I go to God asking for wisdom and discernment. God’s wisdom is
not clouded by the ways of the world, and He promises to always give wisdom
when I ask in faith without doubting. So often I come to God doubting I will
ever get crystal clear discernment and therefore come to His feet doubtful and already
discouraged.
Wisdom from the earth can be discerned because it is the
opposite of gentleness of deeds. Jealousy and selfish ambition will allow lies
to be warped and twisted against the truth. When the truth is stretched in this
way it brings about arrogance because the wisdom is no longer from God but from
man. Colossians 2:8 says “see to it that no one takes you captive through
philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to
the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.” The words ‘take you captive’ show that wisdom
of this world can somehow grab hold of us if we are not discerning and always
searching to be sure it is not going against the truths of God. James does not even say that we can be fooled
into believing the empty deception according to the elementary principles of
the world, but instead suggests that a heart of bitter jealously that is self
centered will steer me against the truth. James makes this seem like an inward
battle against the wisdom of God and the truths I may let myself believe
because of a heart issue. I can see how this is possible in my life when I
think about my perfectionist nature. I can tell myself any lie I want to
because I am always looking to challenge myself, learn more, and honestly ‘do
better next time.’ I so easily take something that could be used for good in my
walk with Christ and warp it into a selfish ambition that feeds myself lies.
Lies against the real truth. Just the few weeks here I can tell how my
perfectionist nature can really wreck a servant heart because it is self
focused and really distracts from the desires of God. This is not something
that is going to be ‘fixed’ overnight because it was such a part of my life in
school, college, and useful in some regards in the teaching profession. Meditating
on this reality in my life by confessing it daily to God and being hold
accountable by people around me are going to be some important first steps
because when the heart has been feed lies for so long it is not easy for it to
immediately discern the truths of God from those of selfish ambition.
Wisdom that is earthly natural and demonic are contrasted
with the true wisdom that comes from above. Earthly speaks of truths that are
from rulers and leaders of our time. 1 Corinthians 2:6 explains that these so
called wisdom filled leaders I may look up to are “passing away.” What a great
reminder that the one who holds truth also holds time, is the author of all
things, and does not gain His wisdom from a particular time. God’s truths are
true now and always. 1 Corinthians 3:10 talks about the wise builder. A good
builder put’s his knowledge into action by beginning all buildings with a
strong and trustworthy foundation. How much more important for me to check the
foundation of knowledge from those I may gain knowledge. If it’s not supported
and built on top of God’s truths then it will surly “pass away” with time. James then goes on to explain another false
or ungodly wisdom that is natural or unspiritual. When Jude writes about
divisions in the church he warns of worldly-minded people, devoid of the
spirit. Again, this is a reminder that if the knowledge is not rooted in God
and His truths then it is dangerous and causing divisions among believers. The final type of wisdom that James lists in
verse 15 is that which is demonic or evil. 2 Thessalonians 2:9 reminds that the
activity of Satan may contain signs and false wonders. 1 Timothy writes that
the Spirit warns that some believers have fallen away from the faith by the
deceit of spirits and doctrines of demons. The teachings of Satan are even
described as “deep things” in Revelation 2. Our God is greater and is the
holder of all true wisdom, yet it is made clear how easy some can fall into
false teachings and how they can take captive of the hearts. After studying
this passing and the three types of wisdom that don’t come from above I realize
how important it is that I constantly discern the material I am feed in this
world. It’s important to always go back to scripture to have scripture reveal
other scripture not the other way around. It is so easy to take what a pastor
or a suggested book says as truth, but if it truly is wisdom from above then it
will check out as I dig deeper. My application is to actually go back through
sermon notes and dig deeper into some of their cross references. As we would
all hope, the information will probably check out to be true, but this is still
a great practice to develop as a student of the bible. To dig deeper into sermons
and teachings as a life practice.
~Kristin
James 3:17 - “But the wisdom from
above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of
mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.”
In verse 17 James
describes the wisdom from above, God's holy wisdom, as first pure.
When we seek wisdom from the Lord rather than the chaos of the world,
the effect will be to purify our souls, making us peaceable, gentle,
open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.
Paul speaks of this wisdom in 1 Cor 2:6-7, “Yet among the mature
we do impart wisdom, although it is not a wisdom of this age or of
the rulers of this age, who are doomed to pass away. But we impart a
secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages
for our glory.” This wisdom comes from the Holy Spirit, and with it
comes the fruits of the spirit as laid out in Galatians 5:22. As a
believer, my goal is always to become more Christ-like, which is the
Lord's will for my life as evidenced by John 12:26 where Jesus says,
“If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will
my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.”
This is the wisdom of the Lord, to follow after Christ. The world
calls it foolish, but “the wisdom of this world is folly with God”
(1 Cor 3:19). I will pray for wisdom from God in how to best serve
Him and how to best follow after Him in my life. In this I believe
the Lord will speak to me and give me direction for the coming years,
and my intention is to continue praying until the Lord does speak to
me, whether He gives a clear answer or just tells me to wait.
James 3:16 - “For where jealousy
and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile
practice.”
In verse 16 James explains that
disorder, or chaos, is the result of jealousy and selfish ambition in
the church. Furthermore, he says that there will be “every vile
practice”, suggesting that jealousy and selfishness are at the
heart of every evil that could befall a church. This makes sense in
light of verse 15 where James describes them as demonic, suggesting
that they're origin is in the powers of darkness. However, the
things of God are inherently in order, as it is one of God's
unchanging characteristics. Jeremiah 31:35 says, “Thus says the
Lord, who gives the sun for light by day and the fixed order of the
moon and the stars for light by night, who stirs up the sea so that
its waves roar—the Lord of hosts is his name...” The Lord wants
His church to have order also, Paul exhorts the Corinthian church in
1 Cor 14:40, “But all things should be done decently and in order.”
And he commends the church at Colossae in Col 2:5, “For though I am
absent in the body, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see
your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ.” I do
not believe it is a coincidence that the Colossians are both in good
order and firm in their faith in Christ. Yet James is warning the
church about the weak faith, shown in their selfishness, that will
result in disorder. I believe this serves as a warning to keep
Christ at the center of our ambitions. When I am distracted by the
world I am prone to jealousy, wanting more than what the Lord has
provided. This leads to me following my own selfish ambitions in
trying to obtain worthless possessions, or positions, rather than
focusing my efforts on glorifying God. I should humbly seek the Lord
by writing down a list of areas in my life where I am selfishly
motivated, and then take them before the Lord for forgiveness.
James 3:15 - “This is not the
wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual,
demonic.”
In verse 15 James contrasts wisdom that
comes from God with the jealousy and selfish ambition mentioned
earlier in verse 14, calling it “earthly, unspiritual, demonic.”
I believe James is using the progression from bad to worse to
describe that which is not wisdom from God, similar to how he
describes the tongue in verses 5-6, as “...the tongue is a
fire...setting on fire the entire course of life...set on fire by
hell”. This fits well since the worldly tongue, or ungodly speech,
is usually the manifestation of jealousy and selfish ambition. In
contrast, “wisdom that comes down from above” is a great example
of a gift from God, about which James says in 1:17, “Every good
gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the
Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to
change.” If God has no variation in his character then we can be
sure His gifts will not be prone to change either. Therefore wisdom
that comes from God will always be true and constant in nature, while
the jealous ambitions of man are of the world (at best) and doomed to
failure. The application I draw from this is actually found later in
James, where is verse 6 he cites proverbs 3:34, saying, “God
opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” I must always
humble myself before the Lord and ask for wisdom, as anything I try
to accomplish on my own will surely fail, even if it succeeds. I
want to commit to going before the Lord in prayer before making
decisions, and not even necessarily big decisions, just decisions
that will impact my service to Him.
James 3:14 - “But if you have
bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and
be false to the truth.”
James contrasts the “meekness of
wisdom” in verse 13 with “bitter jealousy and selfish ambition”
in verse 14. The problems with slanderous speech described in the
previous verses of chapter 3 were causing division among the body of
believers, and James pins this problem on jealousy and selfishness in
the church. Such actions were named by Paul with the “desires of
the flesh” that are against the spirit in Galatians 5:20, where he
goes on to say “those who do such things will not inherit the
kingdom of God.” Such is the serious nature of these sins, and
James even goes on to say in verse 15 that this selfishness is
outright demonic. I think this is still often a problem today in the
church, as we now have another 2000 years of theological
interpretations to disagree on, which will readily cause dissension.
Keeping egos in check is never easy, and selfish ambition is still a
plague to every church, but proverbs 3:34 speaks about God that,
“Toward the scorners he is scornful, but to the humble he gives
favor.” It is my duty to the body of Christ to be humble and
follow the example laid out by Christ. In Matthew 11:29 Jesus says,
“Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and
lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”
James 3:13-17 “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.
James begins this passage with a
question, “who is wise and understanding among you?” This sets
the stage for an explanation on how to prove you are wise, and builds
a contrast with jealousy and selfish ambition. A wise man will show
meekness in his works, while the unwise will boast and be false to
the truth. Moreover he shows that wisdom is from God, where selfish
ambition is worldly, and even of the devil. Jealousy and selfish
ambition promote chaos and get worse from there, but wisdom from God
will be blameless, and because of this purity it will promote peace,
gentleness, reason, mercy, good fruits, impartiality and sincerity.
The verses previous to and following this passage deal mainly with
the dissension caused by slanderous speech and selfishness, so this
passage serves to contrast that reality with the meekness that they
should be showing towards one another. I think it will be easy to
find application for this teaching in my life, since I (like most
people) am prone to selfishness and often lack wisdom. I should pray
for wisdom, but often I do not, or otherwise I pray for wisdom on how
to fix some terrible mistake that I should have prayed for wisdom
before making.
~Jeremy
