James 3:13-18
Two Types of Wisdom
13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. 14 But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. 15 Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.
17 But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. 18 Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.
There is Great Wisdom in the Gospels...Preacher Charles Spurgeon said this about the gospel..."There is a power in God's gospel beyond all description."...He adds this about wisdom..."Wisdom is the right use of knowledge...To know is not to be wise...Many men know a great deal, and are all the greater fools for it...There is no fool so great a fool as a knowing fool...But to know how to use knowledge is to have wisdom."...Spurgeon adds: "Jesus satisfies the most elevated intellect when He is believingly received, but apart from Him the mind of the regenerate discovers no rest..."The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge."..."A good understanding have all they that do His commandments."...
James, Jesus' brother, tells us that: "If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you."...This is one of the Bible verses about wisdom and guidance that remind us of the importance of asking God to show us His views, His perspective and His standards...James is telling us that wisdom goes beyond earthly thinking, so we learn that the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding...For by God our days will be multiplied, and the years of our lives will be added to...
James understood wisdom and the wisdom of God...James writes about the two types of Wisdom...His verses highlights the contrast between the two different kinds of wisdom...There is an earthly wisdom and a heavenly, gospel-type wisdom...The earthly type of wisdom is characterized by envy, selfish ambition, boasting, and a disregard for truth (verses 14-15)...It leads to disorder and evil practices (verse 16)...The Heavenly Wisdom is much better...This type of wisdom is pure, peace-loving, considerate, humble, merciful, impartial, sincere, kind, and promotes peacemaking (verse 17)...Heavenly wisdom leads to a harvest of righteousness (verse 18)...The good life starts in our acts which are done in humility that comes from heavenly wisdom...
James emphasizes that true wisdom isn't just about knowledge or in one being able to speak well in front of others...It's about living a good life that reflects these qualities of the gospel wisdom (verse 13)...He emphasizes that the inner character matters...The passage warns against hypocrisy...Boasting about wisdom while harboring envy and selfish ambition exposes a lack of genuine wisdom (verses 14-15)...
The Heavenly Type of Wisdom Brings Positive Outcomes in our lives...These verses paints a positive picture of the fruit borne by heavenly wisdom...This wise fruit leads to peace, good relationships, consideration, impartiality, sincerity, and ultimately, righteousness to all neighbors (verses 17-18)...
James is urging believers to pursue the wisdom that comes from God, which is characterized by good character, humility, and a desire for peace...He warns against mistaking those who use worldly cleverness and cunningness and believe they are wise....This kind of personal knowledge earthly knowledge is not wisdom at all...These people are not thinking of our Holy Father, but of earthly pursuits...
The Source of Wisdom is linked to God, while earthly wisdom is seen as stemming from negative human desires, material things, and pleasures...This belief can be applied to various aspects of life, encouraging us to live with humility, kindness, and a desire for peace in our relationships and communities...When we focus on inner transformation and loving others, our lives are better...James is calling for a transformation not just in outward actions but also in our hearts and our personal motivations...James' message is a reminder that true wisdom goes beyond intellectual knowledge...It's about living a life that reflects God's character and contributes to a more peaceful and just world...