James 3:13-18

13: Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom. 
14: But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth. 
15: This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic. 
16: For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing. 
17: But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. 
18: And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

*** 

Keeping in mind that our hearts produce our words, revealing our nature, and that our faith becomes evident and approved by our works—(our works reveal our faith, and our words reveal our heart)—keeping all that in mind, James asked who among them was wise and understanding? Who understood this? Whom did they consider to be wise among them? Then let his good works be done in the gentleness of wisdom.

James contrasted earthly “wisdom” and heavenly wisdom. The earthly wisdom, which some boasted in as if they were wise, is worldly wisdom. It’s based in bitter jealousy, competition, rivalry, selfish ambition. To be arrogant about possessing this type of wisdom is to lie against the truth. It is to oppose the truth. This world’s wisdom is not from God, its natural or sensual—its demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist there is disorder and every evil thing.

But the wisdom from above—the heavenly wisdom—is described here as first being pure. It’s not contaminated with any type of evil. It’s sanctified from all evil motivations and intent. It follows the holy God and His Law of Love. We must have this kind of pure wisdom from God before any attempt to interact in wisdom with others. Heavenly wisdom is peaceable, with others. Gentle, with others. Reasonable, with others.

One who possesses this wisdom is secure in his relationship with God and doesn’t need to be argumentative, or forceful toward others. These wise ones are listeners who hear and consider what others have to say. They are full of mercy—the mercy that triumphs over judgement and frees a person from judgement (James 2:13). They are full of good fruits because they are good trees—their heart is right with God (Matthew 12:35).

These ones are unwavering and without hypocrisy. They hold fast to the wisdom of God, not allowing themselves to be swayed off truth. They listen, hear, consider, and show mercy without compromising truth. They are not hypocritical. They are sincere. Their words of blessing align with their righteous heart. Righteousness is the full fruit of the seed which is sown in peace. The righteousness of those who sow peace will one day be evident. It’s sown by those who make peace—not those who sow chaos, disorder, or evil that comes from the jealousy and selfish ambition of worldly “wisdom.” These peacemakers are sons of God who sow peace through their words and actions.


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