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one originates from Heaven above and the other is an earthly unspiritual wisdom.
Texts: James 3: 13-18 (NIV)
13Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by
deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. 14But if you harbor bitter envy
and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. 15Such
wisdom does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil.
16For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every
evil practice.
17But 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.
18Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.
James 3:13-18 (The Message)
Do you want to be counted wise, to build a reputation for wisdom?
Heres what you do: Live well, live wisely, live humbly.
Its the way you live, not the way you talk, that counts.
Mean-spirited ambition isnt wisdom. Boasting that you are wise isnt wisdom.
Twisting the truth to make yourselves sound wise isnt wisdom. Its the furthest
thing from wisdomits animal cunning, devilish conniving. Whenever youre trying
to look better than others or get the better of others, things fall apart and everyone
ends up at the others throats.
Real wisdom, Gods wisdom, begins with a holy life and is characterized by getting
along with others. It is gentle and reasonable, overflowing with mercy and blessings,
not hot one day and cold the next, not two-faced. You can develop a healthy, robust
community that lives right with God and enjoy its results only if you do the hard
work of getting along with each other, treating each other with dignity and honor.
Introduction:
Many today are in the pursuit of wisdom. They desire to be able to make right
decisions that will affect their lives in a positive manner. They understand the key
ingredient to have in their lives is this thing called wisdom. Wisdom is the ability to
look at a situation and pick the correct way to handle it and therefore be in the
position to reap the rewards of that wise decision.
But James tells us there is a problem with which wisdom you listen to and adhere to.
Do you listen to wisdom from above which originates with God. He most likely
thought of the Scripture in Proverbs 1:7 which reveals that the beginning of wisdom
starts with the fear of the Lord.
Bill Hybels has this to say about how to attain true Biblical wisdom:
Do you want to begin the process of acquiring something that is worth much more
than gold? You start by obtaining the knowledge that is most central to the deepest
human needs, the knowledge that there is a God who is powerful and personal and
head over heels in love with each and everyone of us, a God who has extended to
us, through Jesus Christ his Son, the hand of forgiveness and grace. He says, Come
on, take that hand, and Ill help you make your life work. That is where we start.
(24).
The other wisdom active in this world is the thought process generated by this world
and influenced by the forces from below. This unspiritual wisdom leads to disorder
and every evil practice. In other words those who live according to this wisdom or
belief system will be in disarray and will be following the path of destruction. Its
path leads directly to the pit of Hell.
To make sure we are being influenced by the right kind of wisdom we need to go to
school and discover what wisdom is controlling our lives. The best way to do this is
to study the Scriptures and see what the School of Wisdom has to say about these
two opposing mind sets.
So we need to explore another Book in the Bible called Proverbs a book that paints a
clear picture of the two types of wisdom. One breeds people who are called wise the
other breeds people who are called fools. One produces a life filled with eternal
blessing the other breeds a life filled with everlasting curses. One will set you free
the other will put you into bondage. One will give your life ultimate satisfaction the
other will bring discontentment and lifelessness.
Bill Hybels observes this about the book of Proverbs:
What is wisdom? Wisdom is what is true and right combined with good judgment.
Other words that fit under the umbrella of the Biblical concept of wisdom are
discerning, judicious, prudent, and sensible. Not very glamorous words perhaps, but
words you can build a life on.
The first nine chapters of Proverbs form an introduction to the remaining twenty-two
chapters of the book and present the central message of Proverbs, which is this:
pursue wisdom. The introduction is written in the warm tones of a fatherly voice
giving instructions to his sons and eloquently building a case for the lifelong pursuit
of wisdom.
"Listen, my sons, to a fathers instruction; pay attention. Do not forsake my
teaching, get wisdom, get understanding, Do not forsake wisdom, Wisdom is
supreme; therefore get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding.
Accept what I say, I guide you in the way of wisdom"(16,17).
Proverbs opens up telling us that wisdom is the key to a successful life and we need
to make sure we pursue it with our whole heart. So lets look back at what James has
to say about wisdom from above and wisdom from below.
T.S. - So lets explore these two types and wisdom and do a parallel comparison of
these two lifestyles and see which one we should live by. Look with me in the book
The link in wisdom is to have this spiritual connection. No link- no wisdom- no linkno spiritual insight to make right decisions.
T.S. The two wisdoms do determine the condition of your heart and this heart will
influence your belief system.
II. How the two wisdoms will affect a persons belief system?
a. The second comparison made by James is that wisdom from above acknowledges
the truth and wisdom from below denies the truth and entangles people in the web
of deception.
i. The heart which is controlled by the wisdom from above will submit to the truth
that God is God. That he has created absolutes in this world to protect us and bless
us with in this life.
1. Truth says,"I follow the ways of God. He knows best, I dont"
2. Truth is an Old Testament term which denotes a reality that is solid, binding,
unwavering, real, authentic, and firm. This truth is what the purpose of life is about.
3. Its not a fantasy but a reality. And Dannys famous saying applies here, "When
reality and fantasy meet reality always wins!"
4. Truth in the New Testament implies a reality that is proven by the facts of history,
by experience, by archaeology, by life itself, by the life of Jesus, by Gods
involvement in this world.
5. Truth is defined as the real state of affairs this is to be the normal way to live
according to truth not the deceptive way of fantasy.
6. This truth is one that can rely on the fact that that which is true and is in control
and will prevail in the end. The truth will unmask the deception of the minds of the
ones who have rejected the truth of the reality of why we exist.
7. Truth with all its wisdom brings power and knowledge and that spiritual power
and knowledge produce life and that life reflects a light that points back to what is
True for life.
ii. A heart that is controlled by wisdom from below is a life that has been deceived.
1. They have the inability to see their deception and therefore they reject the reality
of truth. Because to them truth is false its a lie. In their unspiritual condition they
cannot determine that their condition is being influenced by a wisdom from below
which says, "Reject the ways of God thats not truth. Truth is living fro yourself for
you own selfish gain. You live for you and only for you. Focus on self thats real,
thats what life is about! YOU-YOU-YOU!"
2. As a result of rejecting the truth they embrace the philosophy of self. Life revolves
around what they want to do! What they want!
a. This distorted self mindset then gives way to selfish ambition and envy of others.
I no longer look at people to see how I can help. I look at them to see what I can
take or gain personally from them for my pursuit of happiness in life.
T.S. The two wisdoms not only affect the condition of your heart and influence your
belief system but this belief system will impact either positively or negatively your
lifestyle.
f. Impartial which is an unwavering quality - Its the ability of being calm in the
storms, being stable in turmoil, etc. The ability to be steady, operating according to
settled absolutes.
i. This person is settled upon those Biblical values and beliefs by which he or she
intends to chart his or her life.
ii. Romans 12: 9-21: Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.
10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above
yourselves. 11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the
Lord. 12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13 Share with Gods
people who are in need. Practice hospitality. 14 Bless those who persecute you;
bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who
mourn. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to
associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. 17 Do not repay anyone
evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. 18 If it is
possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 Do not take
revenge, my friends, but leave room for Gods wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to
avenge; I will repay," says the Lord. 20 On the contrary: "If your enemy is hungry,
feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap
burning coals on his head." 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with
good.
g. A lack of hypocrisy or sincerity- This is the quality of being real, not plastic, not
phony.
i. They will have a life where priorities are in the right order.
ii. The life being directed by wisdom from below will have a life that is in disarray.
1. They will not see the necessity of spiritual order in their lives.
2. They will concentrate all their time on the pursuit of self.
3. Its also expressed in "Win at all costs", "I will have the last word", Its all about
me!
4. They will pursue pleasure over sacrifice for others.
a. Luke 12:15 Watch out! he said to his crowd of listeners. Be on your guard
against all kinds of greed; a man s life does not consist in the abundance of his
possessions
5. They will be controlled by impulses that race across their minds. Hybels thoughts
on the lack of wisdom in impulse buying.
a. "If anything in the Bible has been proven true, it is that the foolish gratification of
impulses will lead to a sick society, We see impulse buying, which leads to
indebtedness and financial ruin" (22,23).
b. "Is God talking to you about money matters now? Have you been careless with
your little? Have you taken it lightly and frittered it away? Have you been careless
with your much? Remember that your money matters to God, to your children, to
the poor and to the ministry of the church" (46).
6. Their lifestyle will be based on "wisdom from below" which will have an earthly
mindset which will cause mayhem and disarray.
a. James speaks here in 3:15 that "wisdom from below" is a value system that is
"earthly", "Unspiritual", and "devilish."
i. Earthly is a word designated to mean standards of this earthly realm.
1. This mind set is one that is based on the value of: "Lets do it to them before they
3. This wisdom will show us what we need to be doing with our lives.
vi. When we allow the wisdom from below to direct our lives our lifestyle will be
filled no satisfying vision for life:
1. People will drive after goals and when they are reached realize that they are
meaningless.
2. They then look back at their life and say it was not worth it.
a. Jesus story of the rich man and Lazarus reveal this principle.
T.S. Wisdom from above starts with a relationship with the Lord. This relationship
affects the condition of the heart which in turn them impacts our belief system. This
belief system then decides the type of lifestyle we live.
Conclusion:
Knowledge can be memorized,
Wisdom must think things through.
Wisdom is the something that enables us to use knowledge rightly.
Wisdom resists group pressures, thinks for itself, and uses Gods insights to live
and make decisions.
Wisdom from above sees things through Gods eyes and starts with purity of the
heart and ends with purity in a persons lifestyle.
We need to listen to His wisdom and not the wisdom from below.
Remember Wisdom from above looks like this:
It counts the cost and lives for the future
It lives within its means
It follows the path of right living
It focus on relationships first with God then with others.
It puts first things first.
It knows to give to the Lord what belongs to the Lord.
It says no to impulses
It chooses to lose to self and allows God to be in control
It lives a life of peace and harmony
It chooses to serve and to be a doer of the Word of God
It says,"No Pride!"
It always presses on toward the goal of eternity
It produces a life filled with good fruit
It knows when to stop, walk and pray before speaking
It understands that faith + works = Success in life
Remember Wisdom from Below looks like this:
It has a heart that is filled with the influences of the dark side
It is a life that if filled with self centeredness and selfish ambition
It seeks whom it may consume
It seeks to focus on material possessions
It desires to walk over others to get its own way. It has a belief system that lives by
animal instincts
It has a belief system that has not spiritual insight in it.
It lives for evil purposes
It has a lifestyle filled with mayhem and disarray
It has a life filled with deception and distortion.
It has a life filled with no deep relationships
It has a life filled with bitterness
It has a life not worth living
We need to discern today which wisdom has taken root in our lives. The truth is we
are adhering to one or the other.
We need to determine today if we are going to allow wisdom from above to direct
our life or if we are going to let wisdom from below direct our life.
One brings satisfaction and blessing and a life in order the other brings disarray to
our life and curses. The choice is up to you! Which one will have you life?