Transcript Slide 1

Presentation 12
The Structure of the Book
Introduction and Trials in the Christian Life (1: 1-8)
Happiness in our Circumstances(1: 9-11)
Trial, Temptation and Gift (1: 12-18)
Hindrances to Fruitfulness(1: 19-21)
Doers and Hearers (1: 22-25)
True Religion (1: 26-27)
Favouritism (2: 1-7)
The Royal Law (2: 8-12a)
Showing Mercy (2.12b-13]
Faith and Works (2:14-26)
Teachers and the Tongue (3: 1-12)
True and False Wisdom, (3: 13-17)
Peacemakers (3: 18)
Defeat Through Lack of Submission(4: 1-6)
Victory Through Submission(4: 7—10)
Judging One Another (4: 11-12)
Boasting of Tomorrow (4: 13-17)
The Misuse of Wealth(5: 1-6)
The Need of Patience (5: 7-12)
Appropriate Responses (5:13-16)
Restoring the Wanderer (5:17-20)
Introduction
What does the word ‘wisdom’ suggest
to you? Many make the common
mistake of assuming that the more
knowledge a person has, the wiser he
is. Wisdom is much more than
knowledge. It is a practical word and
describes the ability to use knowledge
and apply it for our benefit and the
benefit of others.
James knows that if you want to make a
man wise then you do not tickle his
intellect nor cram the filing cabinet of
his mind full of information!
However, when a man’s knowledge of
himself and of God begins to shape his
life and govern his behaviour, then as
far as James in concerned that man is in
the process of becoming a wise man.
Two Competing Wisdoms
James introduces his subject by pointing out
that there are two competing wisdoms in the
market place trying to gain our attention.
Each one like a massive planet is attempting
to bring us under its gravitational pull and
into its orbit of influence. Both profess to
have our best interests at heart.
The claim of one is genuine. The claim of the
other is false. These two wisdoms come from
quite different sources, one is heavenly, the
other is earthly, one is concerned with our
spiritual wellbeing, the other is not, one
comes from God the other from Satan. One
addresses the spiritual vacuum in our lives
the other appeals to our selfish appetite.
Two Competing Wisdoms
This tug of war was very vividly pictured in the children’s chorus :
“I met Jesus at the crossroads, where the two ways meet,
Satan too was standing there and he said come this way,
Lots and lots of pleasures I will give to you this day,
But I said ‘No’ there’s Jesus here, just see what he offers me,
Down here my sins forgiven, up there a home in heaven,
Praise God that’s the way for me”.
Do you see the tug of war that James is unpacking in these verses?
Many do not treat this contest as seriously as they ought?
The Fruit of Worldly Wisdom
It is quite easy to tell which of the two
wisdoms we allow to influence our lives. For
they produce quite different results in our
behaviour.
First notice that the major appeal of worldly
wisdom is addressed to man’s selfcentredness. Worldly wisdom encourages
man’s great self-obsession. It says, ‘Put
yourself first in every circumstance of life’.
And in order to illustrate this pattern of
behaviour James selects three
characteristics. The first of these in v14 is
that of ‘bitter envy’. James is describing the
kind of jealousy, which can’t bear anyone
else’s popularity or success. Indeed given
the opportunity, it will do anything to
humiliate and degrade others regardless of
who gets hurt in the process.
The Fruit of Worldly Wisdom
The story is told of an envious man who
with his great rival was called before his
ruler. The ruler offered to grant one
wish to the men but with this condition,
the one who chose would get exactly
what he asked for, while his fellow
would get twice as much.
The envious man was commanded to
choose but was immediately in a
quandary. He wanted to choose
something great for himself, but he
realised that if he did so the other
would get twice as much.
He thought for a moment and then
asked that one of his eyes be put out.
Bitter envy takes all the joy, happiness
and contentment out of living.
The Fruit of Worldly Wisdom
A second characteristic of worldly wisdom is
‘selfish ambition’ v14. The background to
the word James uses here is political. It was
the word used to describe someone willing
to do anything, say anything, lobby anyone
to get himself elected to office or to
advance his cause.
What was the thrust of Satan’s temptation
of Jesus in the wilderness? [ Matt 4v1-11]
“There is an easier way to gain a following
and build a kingdom that the road to the
cross. Why choose the cross when you can
get what you came for by another means?
Come abuse your miraculous powers, throw
yourself down from the temple and the
crowds will flock in support of you when
they see that you descend to the ground
unharmed”.
The Fruit of Worldly Wisdom
“Or what about simply fall down and
worshipping me and I will give you all
the kingdoms of the earth’.
That is worldly wisdom. And how
easily we can fall prey to its subtle
charms. In the work of God it is
possible to be seen to be very active
and to be engaged in all sorts of
projects and yet this work can be
done sometimes even unconsciously
to boost our ego and feed our selfish
ambitions.
The carnal drive for dominance in any
situation can often be mistaken for
the commendable drive of
enthusiasm.
The Fruit of Worldly Wisdom
The final characteristic of worldly
wisdom that James points out in v14 is
‘the denial of the truth’. In other words
turning the truth of God into a lie.
This idea is helpfully illustrated in
Bunyan’s ‘Pilgrim’s Progress’. A character
called Mr Worldly Wiseman is
determined to prevent Pilgrim from
reaching the Celestial City. He ridicules
the Bible as a source of truth. He
dismisses God’s solution to man’s guilt
and sin’s penalty that is revealed in
scripture. He attempts to deflect Pilgrim
from the path that will lead him to the
cross of Christ. Instead he uses all his
power to try and point him in a
completely different direction.
The Fruit of Worldly Wisdom
This characteristic of worldly wisdom abounds today. When God by his Holy
Spirit works in men’s conscience to convince them of their need of salvation,
worldly wisdom creeps up and whispers, ‘You must stop reading your Bible,
or going to that church, or listening to that person speak they will only upset
you. Stop thinking about eternity and about the God you will face one day.
Instead go in this direction and you will find peace, happiness and
That is a denial of the truth and the
fulfilment”.
frightening thing is that it often suits men
and women to listen to such wisdom.
James tells us plainly that this wisdom is of
the devil and it sets in motion a law of
cause and effect cf. v16 it produces
‘disorder and every evil practice’. By
‘disorder’ James may well be referring to
the quarrels and divisions that can take
place within the church. God is never the
author of such disorder and confusion and
we must trace it to its source.
The Fruit of Worldly Wisdom
Secondly, worldly wisdom sets in
motion ‘every evil practice’. James
uses a rare Greek word here that
means ‘trivial or worthless’ so that the
thrust of what he is saying is that
whatever goal is achieved as a result
of worldly wisdom, it will turn out to
be worthless.
Jesus taught, ‘What will it profit a
man if he gains the whole world and
loses his soul’ [Matt 16.26].
A famous Hollywood film star has
written, ‘I did everything I did to get to
the top of the tree, and when I got to
the top I discovered that there was
nothing there.’ The trail left by worldly
wisdom is on the one hand destructive
and on the other disappointing.
The Fruit of Heavenly Wisdom
In contrast, heavenly wisdom produces, fullness
of life and richness of character and a gracious
personality. James describes this life as first of all
‘pure’ v17. Every other characteristic flows from
this source. It is therefore important to
understand what James means by pure. We are
immediately reminded of the beatitudes where
Jesus says; ‘Blessed are the pure in heart for
they shall see God’ [ Matt 5v8].
Purity here refers to a heart attitude towards
God. The heart is viewed as the centre of our
personality - the control-room of our outward
activity. The pure heart describes an undivided
love for God. If the mark of worldly wisdom is a
man’s obsession with himself then the great
mark of heavenly wisdom is an obsession with
God. A life that is yielded to God will display
various characteristics, James selects only three.
The Fruit of Heavenly Wisdom
First, the wise man is a peace-loving. That may sound a comfortable even
compromising word. It’s not. There is no thought here of peace at any price.
It’s not spineless apathy. It won’t sacrifice truth
or principle. It attempts to reconcile where false
wisdom tries to tear apart.
Let me illustrate this quality form church history.
In the 18Cth two prominent church leaders George
Whitefield and John Wesley were divided on matters
of theological importance. Writing to Wesley, Whitefield
stressed firmly and decisively his opposition to a point of
doctrine. But at the end of his letter he wrote:
“Nothing but a single regard for the honour of Christ has
forced this letter from me. I love and honour you for his sake
and when I come to judgement will thank you before men and angels, for
what you have, under God, done for my soul”.
What a beautiful peace-loving spirit he displayed and how different it is from
the bitter spirit shown by some towards those who disagree with them.
The Fruit of Heavenly Wisdom
Secondly, the wise man displays a ‘considerate or gentle’
spirit. The word ‘considerate’ carries the idea of looking for
the best in the worst of people and of being more willing to
forgive than condemn. He wants to make allowances for the
ignorance and weaknesses of others, knowing that he needs
to have allowances made for him by both God and man.
A well known Christian travelling by train sat across from
someone who smelled like a distillery. He was constantly
offered a drink from his bottle which he declined. At the end
of the journey the man with the bottle said ‘You must think
me a beast’. To which the Christian replied, ‘On the contrary I
think you are very generous’.
The Christian could easily have berated the man for being a
drunkard. His considerate response proved to be the catalyst
that brought the drunkard to faith!
The Fruit of Heavenly Wisdom
Thirdly, the wise man is ‘submissive - easy to be entreated’. This does not
mean he is easily manipulated or has no moral backbone. However, he
is open to reason and his sweet reasonableness
is the sign of his strength.
You see obstinate and unbending people are really
weaklings. The very vehemence and doggedness
with which they refuse to yield is often the measure
of their insecurity and uncertainty.
The wise man is willing to yield when principle
is not at stake. He will go as far as he can to
accommodate the viewpoint of others. Yes,
and to accept that he might be wrong!
Someone has said
‘Wise men change their minds,
fools never do’.
Conclusion
James holds before us two sources of
wisdom, each with its own particular
appeal. The one offers to cultivate our
self-centredness while the other
cultivates our submission to God.
Each produces quite different
characteristics in our lives. Each brings
with it its own long-term consequences.
The question James puts to each of us is,
‘Which wisdom will we allow to pull us
and keep us under its gravitational
influence?’ Will it be earthly or heavenly
wisdom? Which one will we listen to?