The True Test of Biblical Wisdom

Transcript

GRM 723
2/25/2001
The True Test of Biblical Wisdom
James 3:13-18
Gil Rugh

We'll look into the book of James chapter 3 on the matter of biblical wisdom and what characterizes us when we are people who have true biblical wisdom and understanding. This is an area that is a concern to James the author of this epistle, the half-brother of the Lord. He is writing to Jews. James opened up in chapter 1 verse 1 where James identified as a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus and he's writing to the twelve tribes of the dispersion. They were dispersed abroad. We speak about the dispersion. It becomes a technical term really for the Jews scattered throughout the world. James is writing to Jewish believers who have been scattered in the various places in the world. The same audience that Peter writes to in his first and second epistles. In chapter 1 of James verse 5 James said, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God who gives to all men generously and without reproach and it will be given him," but you must ask in faith. You cannot come to God wondering whether God can or will do what He has promised. But you must come in full confidence that God is a God who honors His word and functions consistently with His character.

James has been burdened that his readers understand that the true saving faith, a living faith, produces a changed life, produces good works if you will in a life. In chapter 2 verse 17 he said, "Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself." In other words, a true saving faith, a living faith, produces action in the life. It's not just something that takes place within but that true faith in the heart and mind evidences itself in the way we live in all that we do. That was his burden when he said in chapter 1 verse 22 that we were to be “doers of the Word and not hearers only.” Those who are only hearers delude themselves. They are self-deceived. They think because they hear the Word of God that that makes them acceptable to God. God looks for those who hear His Word and in faith receive that Word and thus put it into practice.

We get over to chapter 3 and James deals with the area of the tongue in the first part of chapter 3 as one clear evidence that we have a living faith. How we use our tongues. Because this is the hardest to control. Yet a true living faith is bringing even the tongue under control. The tongue reveals our heart. Jesus said in Matthew 12, “that it is out of the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks.” James drew attention to this very fact in verses 11 and 12 as we come to the end of that focus on the tongue. "Does a fountain send out from the same opening both fresh and bitter water. Can a fig tree, my brethren, produce olives, a vine tree produce figs. Neither can saltwater produce fresh." In other words, what is within your heart is what is coming out of your mouth. It doesn't speak well of what takes place in many churches where there is a constant undercurrent of things being said of the use of the tongue that is contrary to what God says characterizes those who have a living faith. Something is wrong. Same picture that Jesus used in Matthew 7 with the tree. You know you can tell the tree by its fruit. Good trees produce good fruit. Bad trees produce bad fruit. That's James point in verses 11 and 12. Just stop and think about what is happening to your tongue, brethren. You're claiming a relationship with the living God, you're claiming faith in Him, and yet from your tongues is coming those things which is not consistent with those who have a godly character and a transformed heart. Something is wrong. Things don't add up so to speak.

Now he's going to move on to talk about the matter of wisdom, biblical wisdom and understanding. What he's really going to say is the true test of genuine, godly wisdom is your conduct. You know again we are always starting with what is going on on the inside, but the argument that James has is what is going on on the outside does reveal what is going on on the inside. If you're claiming to have something going on on the inside that God has really done a work in your life and yet what is visible on the outside is not consistent with that, something's wrong. Because genuine faith, true submission to God, manifests itself in obedience.

Verse 13 he'll give a general opening exhortation on this matter and then he's going to demonstrate the sharp contrast between the wisdom of the world and the wisdom which is from God. Earthly wisdom and heavenly wisdom. This goes beyond just factual knowledge, and we are talking about a wisdom, knowledge that has entered the heart and mind in such a way that it has reshaped us and that knowledge and understanding is being applied to the way that we live our lives, the things that we are doing.

The first nine chapters of Proverbs would be a good background for what James is talking about here. If you read through those first nine chapters, some of you have studied those recently in Wednesday night Bible Study, you'll have some greater appreciation of the kind of wisdom that James is talking about.

What he is going to do in verse 13 is challenge his readers with a question. "Who among you is wise and understanding." What he's really saying is I want you to consider carefully whether you are what you claim to be. Even in the Church today we can often deteriorate to the point that we think it's wrong to question anybody. Now he's going to deal with the matter of judging others in chapter 4. But we do have a responsibility to be evaluating ourselves and there is a standard of the Word of God set down for the evaluating of one another. But his challenge to them is for them to examine themselves carefully because there's things going on among those that James is writing to that are disturbing. The practice is not lining up with the claims. So, he keeps reminding them of the conflict here.

"Who among you is wise?" That word "wisdom," wise had to do with applying the knowledge that you have, putting it into practice so to speak. The Jews understood this to be the ability to perceive what the right action was to be in light of the knowledge that you had. It goes beyond just acquiring knowledge.

I've shared with you before; I like to read. If we buy something, an appliance or anything like that, I always get out the booklet and read everything it says. I have a computer. I've read the book, and I don't have the foggiest idea what to do with it. But I could talk about it because I remember a lot of what I've read. But the fact is, put that knowledge into practice forget it. I don't have the foggiest idea what's going on or what's it about. You know that difference, that disconnect, between having acquired some facts and a true biblical knowledge which manifests itself in biblical wisdom. That understanding involves being able to put into practice to use properly what you have learned.

"Who among you is wise and understanding?" He's using these words basically in a synonymous way. The word "understanding" here "upistomon." We get the English word "epistemology from it, dealing with series and understanding relating to knowledge and so on. This word may have a little bit more of a tilt of the intellectual side. But basically, what he's talking about, if you have genuine wisdom, genuine understanding, then here's what will happen. We read a little bit earlier in Proverbs, true wisdom centers in God. In Proverbs 9 we're told that the beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord. James is writing to those who claim to have this relationship with the Lord.

Well, here is what is to happen. "Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom." Let him show. Do you see where we've gone. Wisdom and understanding, something that takes place in our hearts and minds in the inner person, but any of you who are wise and have understanding, you are to show that wisdom and understanding. That's not something that remains hidden and cloaked within me. If you are truly wise, if you have true understanding, then it is to be shown. It is to be demonstrated. This is the proof of true wisdom, true understanding. Let him show by his good behavior, his good behavior. This is not the ability to pass a test, to give the right answers to certain questions. We'd say a person knows a lot about the Bible but somehow his life does not conform to that knowledge. He doesn't have genuine biblical wisdom and understanding. He has a collection of facts that he has stored up. But we are to show, manifest, by our good behavior. Good behavior is that behavior, which is excellent, noble, beautiful, proper. Show your wisdom by your works. Very simple. That's what James is saying. If you have wisdom and understanding, then show it by your works, your behavior, your conduct.

This true genuine wisdom and understanding contrast to the world. You know knowledge puffs up, love edifies. Paul wrote to the Corinthians. True biblical wisdom and understanding is humbling, not exalted. Because at the beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord, a proper reverence and awe of Him. That puts me in my proper place, in proper perspective. Isn't it true, the more you grow in your relationship with the Lord, the more you grow to truly understand the wonder of His holiness and purity and so on, the more aware you are of your unworthiness, the more amazed you are that God accepts you as His child and invites you into the glory of His presence. That magnifies what? How wonderful the Savior we have is that could make this all possible. If I'm truly growing in wisdom and understanding, these truths are permeating my life and shaping my conduct and my behavior.

"So let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom." Gentleness - a good translation. It's a word that's often translated "meekness" or "humility." The concept of this word is not some kind of passive weakness, a resigned giving in. The opposite of this word would be arrogance, self-assertion. It shows itself when a person can manifest patient submissiveness even in the face of wrong, when they are perhaps being treated unfairly. There was a gentleness, Christ being the great example as the One who is meek and gentle in spirit.

Back in chapter 1 of James verse 21. James says this is to be the attitude with which we receive the Word of God. "Therefore, putting aside all filthiness, all the remains of wickedness, in humility." There's our word. In gentleness. "Receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls. But prove yourselves doers of the word." We are to show in our deeds the gentleness of wisdom. This is one of the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:23. It is to characterize us as believers in all that we do. That doesn't mean that we are again walking around with this passive, resigned attitude to whatever comes because remember Jesus the One who is the embodiment of gentleness as the One who made the scourge and drove the money changers out of the temple, who could speak and call the religious leaders of His day open stinking graves in Matthew 23. This is a person who has gentleness of Spirit. That doesn't mean that there isn't a firmness about this person and conviction and at times even the righteous indignation and anger.

Look at Ephesians 4 in verse 1 Paul writes to the Ephesians that "they are to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called." Then Ephesians 4:2, "With all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing forbearance to one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." You see the context of the kind of words that are used with this word: humility, patience, forbearance, gentleness. You get something of the flavor of the word that's used in the context there of the unity, the proper use of my wisdom and knowledge, my understanding. It does not cause me to be puffed up, which what? Begins to create division because I see myself as better than someone else, as more significant, more important. Then frustration builds, why? Because I don't think I'm appreciated enough. It's hard to put up with your weaknesses when I'm so strong. These kinds of attitudes create conflict and James is very concerned about that and he's going to move in to this kind of area back in James chapter 3.

Now what he's going to do beginning with verse 14 is show the situation that exists when you don't have the gentleness of wisdom. The behavior is not manifesting true biblical wisdom and understanding. And so, gentleness of wisdom is lacking. Verse 14, "But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth. This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural demonic." If you have bitter jealousy in your heart. Some would translate this harsh zeal, bitter zeal, a harsh zeal. The word is often used for zeal or jealousy. The idea is that bitter determination to have your own way. When your mind is set to have your own way, bitterness does come. There's a bitterness that you can't have it. Isn't it interesting. Now James is writing here to brethren. Something is wrong among these believers. If you have bitter jealousy, then you don't have heavenly wisdom and understanding.

Selfish ambition - the idea is of a self-seeking attitude. The goal is to gain advantage and prestige for yourself. A person who has acquired knowledge generally speaking, facts, maybe knows much about the Bible but something is wrong. There is not a gentleness of wisdom that is manifest in the life. Rather there's bitter jealousy, selfish ambition. A word that is sometimes translated disputes.

Turn to II Corinthians 12. Paul's concern for the Corinthians. So, you see this appears repeatedly in the various letters of the New Testament. James is writing about it. We saw Paul addressing the issue in writing to the Ephesians. Here he addresses the Corinthians and says in II Corinthians 12:20, "For I am afraid that perhaps when I come, I may find you to be not what I wish and may be found by you not to be what you wish; that perhaps there may be strife, jealousy, angry tempers, disputes." There's our word. Translated selfish ambition in James. Same basic Greek word. Disputes, slanders, gossip, arrogance, disturbances. Do you see the kind of context that this word is used in? We saw where the word "gentleness" was used in the context of patience and humility and forbearance. But you put this word "selfish ambition" or disputes, you have it in the context of other words: angry tempers, jealousy, strife, slanders, gossips, arrogance, disturbances. You see the flavor of the word. This self-centeredness creates division and conflict. Because if I see myself as most important, more significant, more knowledgeable than we are going to have conflict. Because naturally you are not going to honor me as much as I deserve. You are not going to give me the recognition that I should have. You are not going to treat me with the respect and recognition that I should have and on it goes and we don't put it out that way. We find other things to pick at but here you have church after church having to be rebuked and challenged on these very things. It's one of the works of the flesh in Galatians 5:20. It’s translated as "disputes" there as well. The same word.

Back in James 3. "If you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart." So, you note this is where it starts. It's manifesting itself in behavior. But what is happening. Well out of the heart come the issues of life. In Mark 7 Jesus said it's out of the heart that comes all kinds of sinful activity. The real problem is you don't have heavenly wisdom and understanding in your heart. You don't have the gentleness of wisdom in your heart. Rather there's bitter jealousy in the heart. There's selfish ambition in the heart. That bubbles out. That manifests itself in the conflicts and divisions and disturbances as Paul referred to in writing to the Corinthians. What happens is you have a heart that centers on self and that will manifest itself. That will become evident in behavior and in conduct.

"If you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and lie against the truth." Do not be arrogant. Means to boast or glory over something. The deceptive thing about sin--and James talked about sin in chapter 1 and the danger of being led astray and turned aside by our own lusts into sins - to become diluted. Here's a person who has bitter jealousy, selfish ambition in their heart, and they are arrogant. We don't say well the real problem I'm having is my own self-centeredness, my own bitter jealousy. No, I have to find something wrong in you and then I'm proud. Why? Because I'm the real spiritual giant here. If only the others could see it like I do and understand that I'm a spiritual giant. Don't be arrogant and lie against the truth. The truth here would be a reference to the Word of God. He talked about that in chapter 1 verse 18 and talked about it in chapter 5 verse 19. When you lie against the truth, you're lying against the Word of God. So that bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, you have to be proud and glory in yourself as a spiritual person. That's a lie against the truth of God.

"This wisdom is not that which comes down from above." Now he's already made the point that true wisdom comes from God. Back in James chapter 1 verse 5 we read, "If anyone lacks wisdom, let him ask of God." Down in verse 17 of chapter 1 we are reminded that every good and perfect gift comes down from God and there is no variation in Him. He is consistently the same. This wisdom which lacks true humility, gentleness of wisdom, characterized by jealousy and selfishness doesn't come from God. But James says it comes and he lists three sources. They are overlapping. They complement one another, if I can use that word. They are earthly, natural, demonic. You note there is nothing of heaven in it. There is nothing of God in it. It is devoid of the beauty of God's character and the power of His Spirit.

Earthly - it's tied to this earth, the things associated with this earth. Paul in writing to the Corinthians contrasted the wisdom of God with the wisdom of the world. When the world by its wisdom knew not God. In that context in I Corinthians 1 and the first part of chapter 2 so it's an earthly wisdom. It's not wisdom that comes from God. It's natural wisdom. This word "natural," we get the word psychology, "soulish," from this word. It's used five times in the New Testament, this particular adjective and it's always used in opposition of that which is spiritual, I Corinthians 2:14. It's used twice in I Corinthians 15:44 and it's used in Jude 19. It's used of the man apart from the work of God in the life, the natural man, the soulish man, the man who does not have the Spirit of God working in his life. This is the kind of wisdom that is devoid of the work of God in a life. This is a sharp rebuke. Something is wrong. People claiming to belong to Jesus Christ, claiming to have faith in Christ. Back in chapter 2 verse 1 James had said, "My brethren, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism." So, he's writing to those who are claiming to have a faith in the glorious Lord, but manifesting a wisdom that is earthly and natural that does not have the presence of God manifesting the working in the life. It's demonic. It is demonic. That's the kind of wisdom it is. It is a wisdom produced by the demon world. Back to verse 6 of chapter 3 concerning the tongue. At the end of verse 6 James says the tongue is set on fire by hell, gehenna. Now here you see a wisdom that comes from the Devil.

You know this becomes so ugly and so divisive in the church. You know the Devil is an expert in Scripture. What did he do with the temptation of Christ in Matthew 4. Does battle with him in Scripture. Here is what the Scripture says. Understand just because people know a lot about the Bible, the Devil can quote the Bible. The Devil can quote from parts of the Bible that you and I can't quote from. He knows it that well. But we all know he's not saved. We need to be careful. We have people who run around and spout Scripture in our churches, but they don't manifest true biblical wisdom and understanding and the gentleness of wisdom. In their handling of the Scripture . . . This is what James is concerned about. Remember he is writing to those who claim to have a faith in our glorious Lord. He's writing about their relationships and dealings with one another. He's not talking about how the world exists out here among themselves. He's writing about an inconsistency that's existing among the believers and in the churches that he's writing to. A wisdom that is earthly, natural and demonic is being passed off as godliness. What it does is divide and fracture the people of God, create divisions and dissensions. Paul will have to remind the Corinthians of what? The Devil disguises his servants as angels of light. Just like he disguises himself. These are serious matters.

Earthly, natural and demonic. This parallels what John wrote in I John 2. Three problem areas for the believer, what? The world, the flesh and the Devil. The world, its wisdom is earthly. The flesh, it's natural, man apart from the Spirit of God. The Devil, it's demonic. What you have here is the world, the flesh, the devil. That's the kind of wisdom we're talking about that has bitter jealousy, selfish ambition in the heart. He goes on verse 16, "For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist." Now note this. "There is disorder and every evil thing." Disorder, means disorder, disturbance, trouble, instability. A self-centered person creates turmoil around him. What happens in your family? With the children? You've got toys or something. He wants it. He wants it now. He wants it his way. What do you have in the family? Conflict, turmoil, trouble. What do you have in the church when you have this kind of person? Conflict, turmoil, trouble, division, a battle taking place, disorder.

"Every evil thing." There is disorder and every evil thing. The word "evil thing" translation of a word that means "worthless, bad, evil base." Let me read you what one writer says. "Instead of bringing people together it drives them apart. Instead of producing fellowship it produces a disruption in personal relationships. It is a sobering thing to remember that the wisdom that the man possesses is a devilish rather than divine and that such a man is engaged on Satan's work and not on God's work. Here's he's writing to those who claim to have faith in our glorious Lord.

Here he tells us. What is the evidence of a wisdom that is not from above but is earthly, natural and demonic? When there is disorder and all kinds of evil things that go with that. It's a manifestation that the heart is not right. What ought to cover it up. Well, this is the problem. The problem goes back to the heart. Are basic truths and doctrines of the Word of God being denied, abandoned? Are we dealing with a matter of clear open sin that must be dealt with? In all these things we have an undercurrent that's going on. The division and the strife come from the world and what happens is the church often gets infiltrated by those who do not have the Spirit. They might have much knowledge about the Bible. The quote I just read you from was from a man who’s written a commentary, I believe, on every book of the New Testament. By his own testimony and his own autobiography, he died, he was not a regenerate man. He was a man who did not believe that Jesus Christ was truly God. He did not believe that there would be men and women lost because they did not believe in Him. But he had a wealth and wonder of factual knowledge about the Bible, but he lacked the Spirit of God in his life. We need to be very careful in our handling of these matters. We don't want to draw just firmly as James does. James just draws it right down the middle and says here is what it is. This kind of person is over here. We want to say, oh, boy, I know when they say this . . . and all of a sudden, we want to blur the line. You know we want to smudge it. Just like our kids do. What happens when you intervene because one of them has been found to be acting in a selfish, self-centered way. They've got all kinds of reasons for doing that. It was their brother and sister's fault. On and on it goes. How often do your children turn around and say, "Well, the reason I did is because I'm selfish and selfish and self-centered and I wanted it for myself." No, it's never that clear. Let's smudge the line here. What do we do in the church? Do they come forward and say I'm causing a problem in division because I'm a self-centered person and I have bitter jealousy in my heart. No, no. We have smudged the line here. We make ourselves look other than what we are revealed to be.

But verse 17. What James is going to do now is draw the contrast with true heavenly wisdom, the wisdom that comes down from above. In verse 15 he told you about the wisdom that did not come down from above. The earthly, natural, demonic. But now verse 17, "The wisdom from above," the wisdom that comes from God, the wisdom that God has given to those who ask Him as we saw in James 1:5. The wisdom is a result of the Holy Spirit working in the life of a truly regenerate person. The wisdom from above is first pure. This is not just sexually pure, but it means free from all corruption and defilement, free from the corruption of selfishness and self-centeredness. Free from that determination to have your own way. It's a pure wisdom not contaminated by self and the arrogance of self-centered behavior.

Proverbs would again address this kind of wisdom as well. It's first pure. Then it's peaceable. You know what? The wisdom that God produces in a life produces peace among His people, not strife. Worldly wisdom brings what? Disorder, strife, conflict. Verse 16, "Disorder, every evil thing." We saw the context where Paul wrote to the Corinthians. But here this wisdom is peaceable. One writer wrote, "It means it never starts quarrels, strife, dissension, turbulence." Scripture puts strong emphasis on the children of God have peace within and in their relationships with one another. Ephesians 4 went on when we were reading that we are to keep the unity of the Spirit and the bond of peace. That is a result of the Spirit working in our hearts and lives and there are many references: John, Romans, Corinthians, Ephesians, Hebrews, Peter. That address this very matter of peace in the relationship among believers and the wisdom that comes from God again. True biblical wisdom and understanding when that is put to practice and that produces peace among believers. It's of great importance and James is going to come back to it when he concludes in verse 18.

But in verse 17 this wisdom from above is also gentle. Again, that willingness to yield. Not insisting on having to have my rights and so on. It's reasonable. This word overlaps with the preceding one gentle. Here the idea of a willingness to yield. You know, I don't have to have my way; there can be differences. That's why I say I come down. Is there a major doctrine of the words at stake here. Is there a clear issue of sin at stake here. Are we dealing with someone committing immorality? That is dealing with something that is clearly sin. I don't have to have my way. You know the board was talking about the building. They would talk about carpets and colors and so on. You know it's not going to be everybody's way. If one person's favorite color is red and another’s blue and another is green and another is yellow. Not everybody is going to get what they want. Somebody's going to walk in and say why did they put that on the floor. Whoever came up with that color? That's why we had the Board approve it. You hide behind the Board. Cause there's going to be somebody who'd say, "Ah, if they had asked me, I could have helped them a lot." But you know it doesn't have to be my way. So, what. So, if I don't like blue carpet, does that mean I can't learn the Word of God, putting my feet on blue carpet. I should use that as an occasion to attack someone. I think they made a bad decision and bla, bla, bla. You know for the Church it gets reduced to these kinds of things. Reasonable, willingness to yield. It's the opposite of being obstinate, disobedient.

Full of mercy. This is not just feelings of pity for someone. This is a person full of mercy who acts to move to meet needs and others. You see here is a person who is sensitive to others, who is concerned about others. When you are full of mercy what? You have that sense of what you can do for others. Self is not the focus. We serve a God whom the Scriptures says is rich in mercy, a God who is rich in mercy. Would we not expect that His children who partake of His nature, who have His seed abiding in them, manifest His character and we would be a people full of mercy.

Good fruits. You see what happens here is that what we are in our character is being manifest. If I have true biblical wisdom and understanding, then that is the beauty of God's character being produced in my life. This idea that we've come to accept that people can manifest the character of the Devil and his obstinacy, his divisiveness, but we say you know they claim to be believers. I can't judge their heart. No, but the Scripture can. The Scripture says you can tell the tree by its fruit. Nobody would say to me, "Look . . ." And I say, Look, that's an apple tree. How do you know? It's got apples on it. You can't judge what's in that tree. You say, where did you come from? Look, it has apples. I know what's in that tree and the things that make it an apple tree manifest the fact that it proves it's an apple. Well, somehow those simple illustrations used by Christ, used by James, we come to Christians, and they say I am a Christian. But they are producing fruit for the Devil. We think I can't judge their heart. Well, God has passed the judgment. I am just holding the mirror up and saying, See. I'm not judging that tree. I'm simply telling you it produces apples. That's how you tell it's an apple tree. If a person produces the works of the flesh, not the fruit of the Spirit, that reveals what they are. That's what James is doing, holding the mirror up so these people can see themselves. There are things in their lives that don't belong there. Then that's why the question, who among you is wise and understanding. It's time for some self-examination. Because obviously I can slip as a believer. I can become tolerant of things in my life - my grumbling, my divisiveness, my discontent. There are reasons for that. I come to a passage like this, and the mirror of the Word is held up, as James used that example. Beholding in the mirror of the Word. We don't want to be like the man who goes at his natural image in a mirror and goes away and forgets. That's what James is doing, holding up the mirror and saying what do you see.

Good fruits. Unwavering. No vacillation, no instability in this person. That's characteristic of God's work in a life. We talked about that in chapter 1. You can't be a doubled minded man. They are unwavering. Now there are people who seem that they are going to fall off the wagon at any moment. Well, they are just about to go over the edge. Well, now they’re back. They've pulled themselves . . . No, there they go again. They are people who just seem what? There they go. They are unwavering. They just stay with it. That's a characteristic of God at work in a life. You see this is going on within. The person who is constantly being tossed about you have to wonder what's going on within. God produces stability in the lives of his people. They are unwavering. They are without hypocrisy. There's genuineness, sincerity, honesty, no role playing here, no pretending, no trying to conform. What goes on in this whole area. You know you ask somebody and oh no, everything's fine. Then you find out that everything's not fine. What kind of hypocrisy do we have here? Should you not be able to talk to me and ask me if something is right, fine, OK. You say, oh, it's wonderful. You walk out the next day and you find out that what I said everything is not wonderful, it's terrible. You say what was wrong? He was playing the hypocrite. He was putting on a face that wasn't his. Playing a role.

Verse 18, "And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace." You see what James is burdened about here. He is burdened about peace among believers. He comes to this section before he moves on to talk about where quarrels and battles do come from further. "And the seed whose fruit is righteousness." That seed which will produce righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. So, you know what happens? Those who have genuine biblical wisdom and understanding have peace in their heart and they are peaceful. They are those who are promoting peace among God's people. They are not driven by bitter jealousy, selfish ambition. I hate to say it but our marriages, our churches are marred by the tragedy of the worldly, natural, demonic wisdom. It comes in an influences. Stop and say wait a minute, this ought not to be. This is wrong. Why do I have conflict in my marriage? Why do I have conflict with my wife? My husband? What's wrong? Lord, I'm Your child. Your peace is in my heart. I can't change them, but I can be what You want me to be. I can be doing by Your grace what would produce peace. Now it may be that we are dealing with an unbeliever, but I can't keep them from making war. What's wrong? You have two people claiming to be believers, but we can't make it. We can't do it together. No, sir. Wait a minute.

We are a church, and we are supposedly believers, and the Spirit of God is within us and He is producing His character if we belong to Him. We can't get along. You say something is wrong. We need to come back to James and say, let's open up this mirror of the Word and look in here to see whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. Let's back up. Maybe we are not dealing with the fruit of righteousness. Maybe we've got some counterfeit.

We examine our lives and we come back to verse 13, "Who among you is truly wise and understanding?" Here's what the evidence will be in your life. If this is not the evidence in your life but this is evidence in your life, then stop lying against the truth. You know what it is, he's calling them to come and face reality. God, all these years I've been a hypocrite. I've been lying against Your Word. Your Spirit is not at work in my life. I am a bitter, resentful person. I live in perpetual discontent. My contribution to the Body is to show what is always wrong. Wherever I am with the people around me, I do what I can to unsettle them. I just need to stop and say it's time to quit lying against the truth, being the hypocrite, playing a role. God make me what I must be by Your grace through faith in Christ. May our congregation and our lives together manifest true heavenly wisdom and understanding. Let's pray together.

Thank you, Lord, for Your grace. Thank you for a grace that is greater than our sin. Thank you for what You've done for us and to us in Christ. Lord, may we be hard on ourselves. May we look into this portion of the mirror of Your Word and examine ourselves very closely, not examine others, but examine ourselves to see if indeed the beauty of Your wisdom is what characterizes us and our behavior, our words, our conduct, our relationships manifest the gentleness of wisdom and it's producing peace in our relationships together. All that you might be honored as the great and wonderful God that You are who has redeemed us in Your Son Jesus Christ. In Your name we pray, amen.