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Get the Right Wisdom

 

James 3:13-18 – “Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom. 

But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. 

This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. 

For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. 

But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. 

And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.” 

Wisdom is the right use of knowledge for the glory of the Lord. But there are two sources of wisdom: from above (this is God’s wisdom) and from below (this is the world’s wisdom). It is important that you know the difference.

The wisdom of this world leads to envy, strife, confusion, and sin. Wherever people follow this wisdom, there is trouble. It is earthy (the world), the sensual, (the flesh), and devilish, (the devil) – and these are the three great enemies of the Christian.

But God’s wisdom, which comes from above, always brings peace and joy. Instead of leading to fights, it leads to the peaceable fruit of righteousness. The Christian who lives by God’s wisdom is a peacemaker, not a peace breaker.

But this is not “peace at any price.” In verse 17 James makes it clear that God’s wisdom is first pure, then peaceable. God always deals with sin before He gives peace. The reason the world has never enjoyed lasting peace is because people will not deal with sin. “Peace at any price!” is the world’s slogan. “Whitewash all the sin!” This is not wisdom; it is the height of folly.

Before there can be peace in your life, your home, your job, and your church, there must be purity; and this purity comes when you submit to the wisdom of the Lord, the Word of God. “And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance forever” (Isaiah 32:17).