Types of Wisdom – Part 1

James 3:13-16

No one can live without wisdom. (At home/work/school/ministry /business/family/walk with God). No one wants to be called stupid or be known as a fool. In the first part of James, we are told how to obtain wisdom.

James 1:5 “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.”

Notice how James puts “wisdom and understanding” together in vs. 13. Wisdom is a moral insight and skill in the practical issues of life. Understanding refers to intellectual perception and scientific acumen.

Now wisdom and knowledge are not the same things. A wise person will be knowledgeable, but a knowledgeable person is not necessarily wise. Knowledge passes the seminary course, but wisdom walks with God. You can build a house with expertise, but it takes wisdom to build a home. Knowledge can construct a Titanic, but wisdom will avoid the icebergs.

Vs. 13 – Wisdom is not something we should assume that we have. Even among Christians, not all are wise. James says, let the wise man show it, or prove it or demonstrate it. Wisdom can be shown in two ways.

1. By what we say “Out of a good conversation.” They are carefully chosen, well thought out, “pro-active” speech. The tongue is contained in a cage of teeth and lips, and yet it escapes. Intelligence cannot keep a lock on that cage, but true wisdom can. A mouth full of praise results from a mind filled with purity.
2. By what we do: Wisdom is not measured by degrees but by deeds. It is not a matter of acquiring truth in lectures but applying truth in life. Actions speak louder than words. Oh, your walk talks and your talk talks, but your walk talks louder than your talk talks.

We have two types of wisdom: Heavenly and Earthly. Only one could be described as true wisdom.

James first deals with earthly wisdom and then goes on to present true or heavenly wisdom. The focus today is on worldly (Earthly) wisdom. Next week we shall consider divine (Heavenly) wisdom.

EARTHLY WISDOM Vs. 14 – 16

The world is full of it. Politics/Business/Entertainment/Economics /Environmentalism etc. It even creeps into the church. Rom 1:22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools. More than “in the world,” this wisdom can creep into the church. If we are going to avoid it, then we must know how to identify it.

A. The Evidence of Earthly Wisdom vs. 14

1. Bitter envying: It is a sin of covetousness. Envy is the resentful and even hateful dislike of the good fortune or blessing of another. It breaks the tenth commandment and goes contrary to James 2:8 If ye fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself, ye do well.
2. Strife: Selfish ambition. Comes from a Greek word meaning “to spin wool,” indicating the seeking of professional gain. Ambition is useful only when it promotes the well-being of others rather than self.
3. Self-deception: To boast about such attitudes and carryings-on is to deny the truth. Every time these people open their mouths to give vent to their feelings, they deceive themselves. Self-deception is the worst kind of deception.

B. The Progression of Earthly Wisdom vs. 15

In this verse, James lists a series of three adjectives that have a descending order. Each one in the order makes the underworld nature of this wisdom clearer.

• Earthly: This wisdom is bound to this earth. It stands in contrast to that which God originates in Heaven. Nothing is transcending or of any lasting value in earthly wisdom. Just like everything else material, it is subject to corruption and decay.

Jesus said in Matt. 24:35 “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.”

2 Peter 3:10-11 “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness.”

The Libraries, Universities, Governments, and every fountain of this world’s wisdom will get destroyed. It will not last. Revelation chapter 18 describes the utter destruction of this world’s (Religious, Political, Economic) system in a day.

• Sensual: It is fleshly and unspiritual. Earthly wisdom has no understanding of spiritual concepts. 1 Cor 2:14 “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”
• Devilish: You cannot explain the wisdom of the world as merely human. It is human plus something, and that is why non-Christian religions are successful. They are supernatural but from beneath. 1 Tim 4:1 “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils.” As James said earlier, the person following earthly wisdom is living a lie. That lie finds its true origin with the Father of the lie, Satan himself. Verse 6 tells us that “the tongue is set on fire of hell…” demons can influence those thoughts. When the devil speaks the lie, it is terrible. When he uses the word to perpetuate the lie, it is worse. But when the church members become his instruments to spread devilish wisdom, it is the worst of all situations.

C. The Result of Earthly Wisdom vs. 16

A moment ago, we discussed the evidence of earthly wisdom. Where these things exist, there will also be devastating results. One thing leads inevitably to the next in a sequence of cause and effect.

• Confusion: Where you have bitter envying there, you will find confusion and disorder. 1 Cor 14:33 “For God is not the author of confusion, but peace, as in all churches of the saints.” You can be sure it is not of God! Anarchy goes hand-in-hand with confusion. Anarchist does what is right in their eyes. Authority is questioned, disobeyed, and disdained. The church becomes ineffective and disorganized as a result.
• Every evil work: Where you have strife there, you will find every evil work. Ambition is good until it becomes self-centered, then it degenerates into a “get ahead at all costs” attitude. Step on as many heads as possible as you climb the ladder of success. 1 Tim 6:10, “For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”