Would you join me at James 3:13.  We are going on in our study of the letter of James - James teaching on what real faith looks like in the real time drama of our lives.  James - in chapter 1 - taught us that real faith in the real time of our lives produces real stability in our lives.  In chapter 2 James taught that real faith in real time produces real love.

This morning we are coming to a new section of James’ letter and this theme:  Real faith in real time produces real humility.

Please read with me verse 13:  Who is wise and understanding among you?  By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom.

James begins with ONE QUESTION:  Who is wise and understanding among you?

Let’s be honest.  Its just us here.  Most of us - unless we’ve got some deeper issues to deal with - most of us would probably answer that question by saying, “I am.”  We may qualify our answer depending on who we think might be listening.  Or, because we don’t want to sound too arrogant - even to ourselves.  We might say something like, “Well, I’m not the wisest person in the world or the most understanding.  But, I’m not a dweeb either.  I do have some smarts.”

James’ question may even sound kinda silly.  Pretty obvious answer.

Similar question.  Remember the game show?  Who wants to be a millionaire?  Show of hands?  Pretty much everyone.

Hard part - of course is... is answering the questions.  Very few contestants actually win. 

Which is the second part of verse 13:  Who is wise and understanding among you?  By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom.  That’s the “Ya but prove it” part.

Point being:  Beyond what we may think of ourselves - or what we might want others to think about us - how do you know you really are wise and understanding?

James writes that good conduct is a huge qualifier.  Which is one of James’ underlying themes in this letter.  Right?  Actions speak louder than… words.

Good Conduct is huge.  Works - actions - lifestyle - how we live out what we say we believe - living wise and understanding - is way more significant that saying we are wise and understanding.

What is good conduct?  James tells us that good conduct is having works in the meekness of wisdom.

What does James means by the meekness of wisdom?

Jesus - in His Sermon on the Mount said what?  “Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth.”  (Matthew 5:5)

The old joke is that the meek will inherit the earth if that’s okay with everyone.  The meek are doormats.  They just sort of lay there and let the world wipe their feet all over them as the world marches on to bigger and better things. 

Our society is not too high on meekness.  Have you ever been driving and had to wait while someone just meanders along crossing the street looking at you like you’re a jerk for just encroaching upon their sacred lives?  People don’t seem to care unless something affects their little world.

We live in a world filled with people demanding respect.  Pro athletes who yearly get paid more than billions of people will earn in a lifetime - demanding the right to have more.  A misspoken comment leads to a lawsuit.  An argument between kids leads to gunshots after school.  Husbands and wives and kids who have marked off their territory at home.  Everywhere we go people are on edge - responding with unrestrained defensiveness that no one can ever, to any degree step into their space without paying a price for it.  Our society tells us to demand our rights.  The meek get run over.

We rebel against meekness.  We think of ourselves as courageous and strong - self-sufficient.  Meekness sounds too much like surrender - capitulation.

Warren Wiersbe nailed it when he said, “Meekness is not weakness.  It is power under control.” (1)

The greatest example of meekness is what?  Jesus on the cross.  Right?

We sing the Graham Kendrick song “Meekness and Majesty”

Meekness and majesty, manhood and deity, in perfect harmony, the man who is God.  Lord of eternity dwells in humanity…  To death on a cross suffering to give us life…  and as they crucify prays, “Father forgive.” (2)

Jesus said, “No one can take my life from me.  I sacrifice it voluntarily.  For I have the authority to lay it down when I want to and also to take it up again.  For this is what my Father has commanded.”  (John 10:18 TNLT)

Imagine Jesus at the crucifixion, “This is so not worth it.  I am way out of here.”  One thought and poof.  No more soldiers.  No more cross.  No more nothing.  Including us.  That’s power.  The prerogative of the sovereignty of God. 

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus is saying that those who’ve figured out life are those who understand who God is and who they are before God.  The meek recognize their desperation for God’s grace and mercy and forgiveness and provision for their lives.  Admitting our weakness and need - our desperation for God takes real strength.

Beyond recognition and admission - meekness before God means giving up ourselves to God - obedience - whatever He may demand of us - even physical death - horribly.

James says that wise and understanding good conduct shows up in the meekness of wisdom.

Back in James chapter 1 - at verse 5 - James instructed us to go to God for wisdom.  Remember this?  In the real time drama of our lives we need to go to God for the wisdom we need to move through all that.

Proverbs 9:10 says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of - what?  wisdom.”

Fear is understanding that God is greater - Almighty - sovereign - worthy our respect - our honor - the surrender of our will - the giving up of our lives to.  He is the source of wisdom and I am not.

We’ve got tons of knowledge today.  The guesstimate is that by 2020 human knowledge will be doubling every 72 hours - exponential growth in knowledge.  We have immense knowledge today that we didn’t have just a few years back.  What we lack is wisdom to apply knowledge to our lives. 

Real wisdom is seeing life from God’s perspective.  The knowledge of God - meaning what God knows - wisdom is the application of God’s knowledge to the circumstances of our lives. 

Which is why James writes, “If you lack wisdom, ask God.”  God is the go to God of wisdom.  If you lack wisdom.  And we do.  Ask God.  He’s the source.  True wisdom only comes from God.

Let’s be careful.  In the real time drama of our lives wisdom is not God telling us why we’re going through the drama.  Like somehow we’d understand all that anyway.  Or our telling God what He should do about our drama and then getting upset because He hasn’t.

Wisdom is the application of God’s knowledge to the circumstances of our lives - the learned skill of living life God’s way - living life according to God’s perspective of life - learning to wait for His timing and His working and then following Him through all that.  That’s meekness guided by Godly wisdom.

The Greek word for meekness was used to describe a horse that had been broken and trained to submit to a bridle.  That ought to take us down a notch.  But thinking about that it kinda makes sense.  Here’s a horse - powerful not weak - hooked up to a bridle - strength submitted to appropriate authority.

Which is a picture of how our lives need to be - not out of resignation - just kind of giving up - but by deliberate choice - placing our lives under the authority of God.  That’s the kind of real faith in real time that James is writing about.

Charles Kingsley - an Anglican pastor back in the 1800’s - Kingsley put it this way:  “I do not want merely to possess faith; I want a faith that possess me.” (3)

Psalm 37 - which is the Psalm that Jesus is probably quoting in the Sermon on the Mount - Psalm 37 is all about strength and meekness.  It deals with trusting God to be God and not trying to do His job.  The meek - for example - the meek are not to repay evil for evil but to rely on God for justice.  The meek are not to fret but to let God provide for their heart’s desires rather than using our own whit, wisdom, and working to manipulate people and circumstances.

Do you hear faith in that?  Trusting God even if we think we’ve got it covered?  Realizing that we don’t.  Trusting God when we have no clue what comes next.  Trusting Him because He is loving and gracious and merciful and forgiving and just and almighty and sovereign - and He in His timing and perfect way has already worked all this out. 

John Own - a church leader - theologian - in the 1600’s - John Owen said this:  “We have no power from God unless we live in the persuasion that we have none of our own.” (4)

D.L. Moody’s famous statement:  “Moses spent forty years thinking he was somebody; then he spent forty years on the backside of the desert realizing he was nobody; finally, he spent the last forty years of his life learning what God can do with a nobody!” (5)

Meekness is our personal surrender - humility - willing choice to live according to God’s wisdom not ours.  To set aside our prerogatives - our will - our pride - our self - to live following God through life.  That choice will be evidenced - God working in us and through us - in how we conduct ourselves in life.

Who is wise and understanding among you?  By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom.

In the real time drama of life there are two possible answers to James’ question.  Coming to verses 14 to 18 - James is going to give us a description of each of those two possible answers.
 

The point being that these two answers are definitive.  Meaning regardless of how we say we’ve answered the question - or how we’d like to think we’ve answered the question - these answers are unbiased - clear - and honesty about where the real source of wisdom is in our lives.  Whether or not we’re really living with a heart level attitude of true meekness before God and others.

TWO ANSWERS which demonstrate how we’ve answered the question. 

Answer number one is with Wisdom From Below.

Let’s read what James writes in verses 14 to 16:  But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth.  This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.  For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.

There are three parts to this answer that we need to unpack.

First - starting in verse 14 - James gives us two DESCRIPTIONS of wisdom from below.  Both are focused - on the heart level - both are focused on self - me, myself, and I.

Jealousy in Greek is the word for zealous - “zealousy” - a fanatical zeal for what promotes me.  Bitter meaning this isn’t good.

Selfish ambition is a self seeking attitude.  What they have I want.  I deserve.  I’m entitled to.  And I really don’t give a rip about who I have to climb over to get it.

Which is all around us in the world.  Sadly - we sometimes even see in the church.  On the radio - at concerts - conferences - the world of academia - people pushing themselves.  Jealous of what others have.  Wanting recognition for themselves.

Even us - sometimes we can look at what others have - their stuff or position or employment or family life or standing in the church or community and we can feel an attitude inside us that’s jealous - resentful - self-focused.  Why do they have what I want?  What I should rightfully have? 

Life being about us is a denial of God’s sovereignty and grace.  Sovereignty in that what God chooses to give others is good.  Whatever we have or don’t have is about God - not us.  Resources - ability - whatever - life is about God.  And grace meaning that our very relationship with God is about God.  Salvation is about God.  All glory goes to God.  Who are we?

As soon as what we have and who we are is about us - glorifying ourselves - we are in serious serious trouble.

James warns us - if that’s what’s going on your heart - don’t boast about it.  Don’t be arrogant about it.  In reality you’re being false to the truth.  We’re lying about what’s really true.

God’s absolute standard of truth in the Bible doesn’t change because we choose to interpret it based on what we’d like it to say.  Truth is truth - despite what’s being said today outside and inside the church.  Relative truth isn’t absolute truth.  What God says is true will always be true. 

Lying about the truth means we set ourselves up as the declarers of truth - not God.  That’s heart level arrogance - boasting.

Those who’s wisdom comes from below will try to change truth - to declare as true what they say is normal and right - to try and tilt truth in favor of their beliefs or lifestyles.  To justify how we choose to live based on our own bitter jealousies and selfish ambitions.  

In verse 15 James comes to the SOURCE of wisdom from below.

First, its earthy - meaning of the earth. 

The Greek word is “epigeios” - meaning of the earth.  The word for earth in all that is “geias” or gaias.  In Greek mythology “Gaia” was who?  The Mother Goddess - the birth mother of earth and the universe and the heavenly gods.  The Roman equivalent is Terra - good old Terra Mater.  Think “worshiping the mother goddess” and “wicca” - witchcraft - and being one with nature.  Good old “mother earth.”

The Gaia hypothesis - which became popular several years back - is about the earth being a biosphere - the inter-relationship of living things - our maintaining the earth as a fit place for life.  Does that sound familiar?

Let’s be careful.  If we believe that the Genesis account of creation is an historical fact - and we do.  If we believe Genesis is historical - meaning as it relates here - that God created Adam and Eve and gave them as one of their purposes to rule over and care for God’s creation - then we as Christians ought to be huge on taking care of the environment.

But - let’s be careful - worshiping the earth - or seeing it without seeing behind it our creator - is something hugely different.

What James is getting at is a world system that is the source of its own worship.  Think horizontal.  How the world measures success and achievement and truth and what motivates us.  All of that being devoid of God.

Second, its unspiritual.  The Greek word is related to our word psyche - meaning this has a whole to do with what goes on in our own mind not our soul.  The source of this wisdom is our own thoughts and attitudes and interests and pursuits.  There’s nothing here related to the work of God within us.

Third source - its demonic - meaning its influenced by what’s coming out of Hell.  This all gets Satan’s stamp of approval.  

Are we together?  From below meaning by character and source this has nothing to do with God.

Then James gives us the RESULTS of wisdom from below.

Verse 16:  For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.

“Disorder” means... disorder.  Confusion - chaos - disharmony - antagonism.    What is the total opposite of what God desires for us.  We don’t have to look very far to see what James is writing about.

“Every vile practice” means empty - worthless - life without meaning and purpose.  Pointless.  Which is what life is when we set ourselves up in the place of God.  Whatever we may achieve in life really is kinda pointless.

Faced with our own mortality - if we take God out of the picture - if the end of life is death then life really is pretty pointless.  Either were going to give up and kill ourselves.  We’re all going to die anyway so why prolong the agony.  Or, we can try to ignore reality and just sort of make the best of things.  Don’t bother me with the details.  Or, we can try to grab all the gusto we can.

Which is what James is getting at here.  Grab it while you can cause it ain’t gonna last forever.  Climb over whoever you want.  Get yours. 

Which is a wisdom that comes out of the pit of hell and is very comfortable with the world’s view of life.

The results of living that way are seen around us.  Take a look around - at our society - at how people are dealing with life - and ask the question:  “So, how’s that going for you?”

Answer:  “Not well.”

James asks:  “Who is wise and understanding?”  To the degree that our answer is coming from someplace down here - influenced by down here or below - we’re going to see that wisdom reflected in our conduct - how we’re living life and the results.

James’ answer number two - whether or not we’re really living with a heart level attitude of true meekness before God and others - James’ second answer comes is verses 17 and 18:

Answer number two is Wisdom From Above.

Let’s read these two verses together:  But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.  And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

Notice the DESCRIPTION of wisdom from above.

Wisdom from above is “first pure” - “first” meaning more that just this is the first item on the list.  First means purity is first in order of importance.  Ultimately all of James’ description deals with the heart.  But first, “pure” is the heart level starting point.

Jesus - in the Sermon on the Mount - Jesus taught:   Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”  (Matthew 5:8)

A boy and a girl look at each other and love passes between them.  They see each other - not only with their eyes - but with their hearts. 

Even when Jesus was dealing with the outer issues of people’s lives - healing them - feeding them - when Jesus looked at people he saw their hearts.  Not the outside stuff that we tend to focus on.  But the core of who they were.  Their feelings and desires and thoughts and passions.  Their will.  Even where they were spiritually in their relationship with God.

A pure heart is a heart that’s 100% sold out to God.  Not 50% - not 70% - not 90% - but 100%.

God wants to work in our hearts - to deal with us at the core of who we are.  To purify us - cleanse us.  The pure in heart are those who are willing to allow God to examine their hearts - to remove anything there that’s not of Him.  So that nothing clouds our vision of God.  Nothing hinders our relationship with Him. 

As we surrender to God - God is going to produce that kind of purity in our hearts - in our response to God and life.  A purity at the heart level that’s essential for us to help us see God at work in every area of our lives - what leads to the rest of James’ description.

Then “peaceable” - meaning in contrast to climbing over people regardless of the destruction we leave behind - God given wisdom produces peaceful relationships.  Instead of arguing and defending ourselves - anger.  As we surrender to God - God is going to use us to bring His peace into the circumstances of our lives.

Then “gentle.”  Gentle means… gentle.  Considerate.  Fair. 

Jesus again.  Jesus said a lot of good stuff.  Didn’t He?  Jesus said this:  “But I say to you, do not resist the one who is evil.  If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also, and if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well.  And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.  Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.”  (Matthew 5:39-42)   

Do you remember the Klingon proverb “Revenge is a dish that is best served - what? cold”?  Revenge - vengeance - with all the bitterness and anger and malice possible.  Given the opportunity to retaliate most people will over-retaliate - overdo the response.  “Your ox gored my goat.  I will kill your whole family.”

The point Jesus is making - with these four examples - cheeks and tunics and miles and begging - Jesus’ point has to do with yielding our rights.  Our normal tendency when wronged is to demand justice - and maybe a little more.  Well, maybe a lot more.  Payback.  Welcome to our lawsuit happy society.

Jesus’ yielding is the kind of gentleness in conduct that James is writing about.  When we surrender ourselves to God’s wisdom - God’s approach to our drama - we’re going to respond to what’s done to us way different than the wisdom coming out of the world.

Next is “open to reason” - which has the idea of teachable.  The opposite of “My way or the highway.”  Somebody who’s flexible - open to change.  When God really does get control of our hearts He changes us - softens us.  When we surrender to God to do life God’s way we don’t need to cling on to our way - our understanding of things.  God may actually hear God speaking to us through someone else.

Then “full of mercy and good fruits.”  Mercy means not getting what we deserve.  Right?  Holding back on decking someone even though they really really deserve it.  Good fruits has to do with what that mercy produces.  Meaning blessing - healing - restoration - coming along side someone to encourage them towards God - rather than decking them.

Next:  “impartial” - which in Greek has the idea of “unwavering.”  Being a person of fixed morals and principles - never compromising on the truth of God’s word.

Which is not legalism.  Legalism is demanding that others live by our standards and understanding of God’s word.

“Impartial” means that the authority we live our lives under is the authority of God’s word - the Bible - not the shifting standards and religions and philosophies of the world.

Which is related to James’ final description:  “sincere” - meaning without hypocrisy.  Meaning what you see is… what you get.  No masks - no double talk - no posing. 

Point being:  If we’re living our lives under the authority of God’s unchanging word - His word is going to breed consistency of behavior in our lives and confidence in who we are in Christ so that we don’t need to hide.  We don’t need to try and adapt who we are to our current peer group or the current thinking of the day. 

Someone who is impartial and sincere is always seeking to bring God’s truth into the circumstances of life regardless of what others may think of us.

Pulling all that together - James’ description - what wisdom from above looks like coming from the heart.

Purity at the heart level comes - as we acknowledge and act on our desperation for God.  As we live with real faith in real time - trusting Him - surrendering ourselves to Him - God transforms us from the heart out.  God shows us where we’re hanging on to ourselves and where we need to trust Him and that He is trustable.  We learn what it means to live obedient to the authority of God’s word.   

Living with that meekness of wisdom - following God through life - God will lead us to let go of our self focused behavior and to become instruments of all of what James describes here and more.  We become God’s instruments of peace and gentleness and mercy and truth in the real time drama of where we live our lives.

James tells us the SOURCE of this wisdom is from above - meaning... God.

The RESULTS come in verse 18:  a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

The kind of peace James is writing about here is in contrast to the chaos and destruction and purposeless disorder than comes when we’re left to our own wisdom.  This peace is relational.  Peace with one another.  In our community.  In the church.  In our homes.  Way better than ongoing drama.  Yes?

The kind of peace James is writing about takes time.  Between sowing and harvesting there’s a lot of growing and tending and watering and weeding that takes place.  We sow in hope of the harvest.  But the issues of life and heart take time.  Good outcomes take time.

Which develops humility within us as we learn to trust God.   The results James writes about mean waiting on God’s timing and God’s working - following His wisdom for how we do life - not ours.  God will bring a righteous harvest at the time of His choosing.

Which is the bottom line here - peace is dependent on God.  Peacemakers sowing peace produce a harvest of righteousness.  Righteousness - living rightly with God - is a God thing.  Not a you or me thing.

Real faith in real time produces real humility.  What God does as we surrender to the work of the Holy Spirit within us.  Learning to live trusting the God who is trust worthy and Who produces results that are infinitely better than what we would produce left to our own wisdom and understanding.

Processing what James writes and thinking through where we go from here when we go out there - let me briefly share a question that Chuck Swindoll asks as he writes about these verses.

Imagine yourself sitting in the center of a small art gallery.  The brightly lit room appears empty except for two contrasting portraits on opposite walls.  On the one side hangs the portrait of an arrogant, worldly, devilish fellow, featured on a dark backdrop that stirs emotions of anger and envy.  A scraggly beard and mustache veil his features, and a large hat casts a shadow over his shifty eyes.  He leaves chaos and destruction in his wake as he advances, unflinching, toward the pursuit of his goals, driven by jealousy and ambition.  The caption beneath the portrait reads:  “The Unwise,” painted by “Self.”

The portrait on the facing wall couldn’t be more different.  That man sports a gentle demeanor, his posture relaxed and his expression serene.  His eyes feel inviting and his hands appear ready for service.  Behind him people follow, eager to hear his words and mimic his actions.  Children celebrate his arrival, delighted to see what gifts he might bring.  Clearly respected, he shows no signs of pride, and in his path are joy, peace, and prosperity.  Below this portrait the caption says:  “The Wise,” painted by “The Spirit of God.”

Hear the question:  In light of the contrasting pictures of the wise and the unwise in James 3:13-18, with which portrait do you align? (6)  

Take a moment and honestly answer that question.  Got an answer?

Last question:  Would those who know you best answer for you the same way?

Want some good news?

We are not wise by our own making but by the work of God within us.

Which means - whatever the portrait - or shades of one or the other - it is never too late to be meek and humble ourselves before God.  Because if we will - He will - by His Spirit do His work in us and through us.

_________________________

1. Sited in 1001 Unforgettable Quotes about God, Faith, & The Bible - #615, Ron Rhodes,  Harvest House Publishers, 2011

2. Graham Kendrick, © 1986, Thankyou Music

3. Sited in 1001 Unforgettable Quotes about God, Faith, & The Bible - #344, Ron Rhodes,  Harvest House Publishers, 2011

4. Ibid #977

5. Ibid #537

6. Charles R. Swindoll, Insights on James, 1 and 2 Peter - Zondervan, 2010, page 84

Additional series reference:  Charles R. Swindoll, Insights on James, 1 and 2 Peter - Zondervan, 2010

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®  (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.  Used by permission.  All rights reserved.