EARTHLY WISDOM – James 3:15-16

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In my previous study on verse 14, James gave a warning to his readers at that time, and the warning applies to us today: “But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth.”

In verse 15, James gives a name to the kind of wisdom he has just described. He calls it “earthly wisdom”. This kind of wisdom does not “come down from above”. In other words, God does not give this kind of wisdom. James also uses two more words to describe this wisdom, and with each word the description seems to become worse and worse. Not only is it “earthly” wisdom (wisdom that does not come from God), but it is also “natural” wisdom. The Greek word suggests that this wisdom has to do with the body and the soul or emotions, but not with the spirit. So this wisdom James speaks of is not only not from God, it has nothing to do with God. When you think it can’t get any worse than that, it does. James goes on to say that this wisdom is demonic. Satan and his demons evidenced this kind of wisdom when they became filled with envy and rebelled against God. Therefore a person with this kind of wisdom is easily influenced by Satan.

Earthly wisdom is an end in itself. People strive for it so that they might boast about it, and so that others might tell them how wise or smart they are, and pass the word on to still others. On the other hand, godly wisdom is not an end in itself but a means to an end. King Solomon in the Old Testament is considered to be one of the wisest men who ever lived. Let’s take a look at how Solomon received that wisdom, and why he received such wisdom from God. In I Kings 3 we read that King Solomon loved the Lord and walked in obedience to Him. And while Solomon was at Gibeon, after he had offered sacrifices there on the altar, the Lord appeared to him in a dream and told him to ask for whatever he wanted. That’s quite an offer! In verses seven and eight of I Kings 3 Solomon says, “And now, O Lord my God, Thou hast made Thy servant King in place of my father David, yet I am but a little child; I do not know how to go out and come in. And Thy servant is in the midst of a people which Thou hast chosen, a great people who cannot be numbered or counted for multitude. So give Thy servant an understanding heart to judge Thy people to discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Thine.” God answered Solomon’s request and gave him far more than he asked for.

In contrast, we see in the Scriptures what human wisdom has acccomplished. It began with Adam and Eve’s removal from the Garden of Eden and the affects of their sin upon our world. Earthly wisdom has also resulted in wars, discrimination, poverty, and pollution of our environment to name a few. In our churches human wisdom has led to church fights, church splits, and churches closing their doors, among other issues.

In verse 16 James sums up the effects of earthly wisdom. He says, “For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing.” When Christians act in this way it also leaves a bad impression on others. As one Christian put it: “Self is spiritual BO!”

A prime example of jealousy and selfish ambition in the Bible is found in the OId Testament book of Esther. Haman the Agagite, in Esther, chapter 7, constructs a gallows on which he intends to hang Mordecai the Jew in order to satisfy his own selfish desires and demonstrate his power. However, his plan backfires! Queen Esther learns of his plot and intervenes. As a result, the king orders that Haman be hanged on the gallows he had built for Mordecai the Jew. Not only that but all of Haman’s ten sons are killed also. That’s a very high price to pay for his selfish motives and actions!

As in the case of Haman, pride and selfishness can have harmful or tragic side effects on innocent people. Let me give you another case in point. Other examples may come to your mind.

In the summer of 1986, two ships collided in the Black Sea, causing a tragic loss of life. The news of the disaster was further darkened, however, when an investigation revealed the cause of the accident, which hurled hundreds of passengers into the icy waters. The tragedy was not traced to some major problem like a breakdown in radar or thick fog. The blame was attributed to human stubbornness. Each captain was aware of the other ship’s presence. Both could have taken evasive action to avert the collision. But according to news reports, neither wanted to give way to the other. It seems that each was too proud to yield and make the first move. By the time they saw the error of their ways, it was too late.

There’s been a lot of talk about pride, envy, and boasting in this sermon so far. How about you? Does life seem unfair sometimes? Are others better off than yourself? Do others seem to get all the “lucky breaks” in life? Do others seem to get away with things that aren’t right? Are you tired of listening to all the boasting that’s being done by others? We’ve all had those thoughts and feelings before, haven’t we? I have! Even the psalmist expresses those feelings in Psalm 73:3. He says, “I envied the proud when I saw them prosper despite their wickedness”.

When this happens, we’ve lost our perspective and have begun to fall into the habit pattern of using “earthly wisdom”. God wants us to look at life from the perspective of eternity. If you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ; if you’ve repented of your sins and invited Him to reign as Lord in your life, then you’re going to spend eternity with Him in heaven and your joy will be unending. It doesn’t get any better than that!

Doesn’t our envy seem to be a waste of time in comparison to what’s already ours for eternity? Shouldn’t it be reminding us to pray for those who have this world’s wisdom and this world’s goods, yet will forfeit their souls? When envious thoughts begin to fill our minds, let’s spend time alone with God in His Word and in prayer, and ask Him to put things back into their proper perspective.

This section is still under construction. Thought you might like to see how it’s coming along. It’s still a “work in progress”, and so am I (and so are you)!

EXERCISE GODLY WISDOM – James 3:13

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INTRODUCTION:

Do you consider yourself to be a wise person? Do others consider you to be wise? What is wisdom? Is there more than one kind of wisdom? These questions are addressed in this passage of Scripture. Remember that this is a letter, written by the apostle James to Christian Jews who have been scattered throughout Asia because of the persecution by the Jews and by the Roman Emperor Nero. They have been separated from their Hebrew culture and the values of their forefathers, and are now being exposed to, and immersed in the Greek culture of their new environment. Because of this, one of the issues that James is addressing is the wrong understanding of, and application of wisdom.

According to the Scriptures, wisdom is one of the most desirable things in life. Proverbs 8:11 says, “For wisdom is better than rubies, and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it.” King Solomon wrote those words, and of all the people in the Old Testament, he ought to know!

Mankind has always wanted wisdom, hasn’t it? Right from the beginning, in Genesis chapter 1, man has wanted to be as wise as God. The apostle James even says, at the beginning of his letter, that wisdom is something that is available to all. Let me read James 1:5, “But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all men generously and without reproach.” The word “ask” in James 1:5 means to “beg”. Though wisdom is available to all, it is only received by those who recognize their own inadequacy and realize that only God can provide it in answer to earnest prayer.

There are many words in Chapter 3, verses 13-18, that James has used to describe wisdom. This passage is opening up for me a whole new meaning of the concept. I hope this will be as eye-opening and profitable a lesson for you as it has been for me so far on the topic of wisdom.

I A Challenge (verse 13)

James begins this verse with a question: “Who is wise and understanding among you?” He is not being sarcastic here. He is being honest and forthright. Many of his readers are well-educated people: teachers, businessmen, and experienced craftsman. His question is more than just a question. It is a challenge. James is saying, “If you claim to be wise and understanding (and many of you are), show it, or demonstrate it in the ways that true wisdom should be demonstrated. The word translated “show” is the Greek word “deiknuo”. It literally means “a turning to and fro”. Life is considered to be a quick motion to and fro. We sometimes use the phrase “the ups and downs of life”. True wisdom and understanding are demonstrated regardless of the changing circumstances of life. James used the same word in chapter 2, verse 18 where he says, “I will show you my faith by my works.” Here James is saying, “show me your wisdom by your conduct (or good behavior).”

Verse 13 ends with an attitude of the heart that accompanies true wisdom: “gentleness”. Other translations say: “meekness”, or “humility”. It is a word that has lost most of its original meaning, and is considered a sign of weakness today. Yet Jesus used that word to describe Himself. He also pronounced a blessing on those who are meek in His Sermon on the Mount. In ancient Greece, the term was often used to refer to a strong and high-spirited horse which was brought under control. It’s strength and spirit were now harnessed and put to good use. Gentleness or meekness is one of the marks of true wisdom.

Greetings! There is so much to study and learn in the next five verses, especially the qualities of heavenly wisdom, so I am going to give you an outline of the rest of the paragraph, and will continue at verse 14 in my next message. The rest of the outline is given below.

II. A Warning (verse 14)

III. A Contrast (verses 15-17)

A. Earthly Wisdom (verses 15-16)

B. Heavenly Wisdom (verse 17)

IV. A Conclusion (verse 18)

Summary and Application

II TIMOTHY – Background and Survey

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I. INTRODUCTION:

John Calvin, the great theologian and preacher of the Protestant Reformation, had this to say about I and II Timothy: he said, “What I owe to these two epistles to TImothy can never be told.” In other words, he couldn’t say enough about them and their effect on his life. II Timothy is one of the great heart-warming letters of the Scriptures. It has been called Paul’s last will and testament to Timothy, and through him to the church.

Try to imagine how Timothy must have felt when he received this letter from his friend and spiritual father who had recently been taken away from him forcibly by Nero’s soldiers. Timothy probably thought that Paul had already been put to death by the Roman emperor, Nero. What joy and encouragement must have filled Timothy’s heart as he read about Paul’s affection for him, and about Paul’s appeals to him and promises to Him from the Lord Jesus Christ! Tears must have filled Timothy’s eyes as he read this letter, realizing the sufferings Paul was experiencing and the death he faced because of his committment to Jesus Christ.

II. BACKGROUND:

The apostle Paul wrote this second letter to Timothy in 67 or 68 A.D., just five years after his first letter to Timothy. Paul experienced two imprisonments in Rome. The first was more like a house arrest. Paul lived in his own rented house and was given a great deal of freedom. After this first imprisonment at the end of Acts 28, Paul made some more missionary journeys. Then there developed a dramatic change in attitude toward Christianity on the part of the Roman government. Just a few years before the writing of this epistle, in July of 64 A.D., a great fire destroyed a large part of the city of Rome. There was evidence that the fire had been ordered by Nero himself, and those rumors spread. In a desperate effort to clear himself and get the focus of attention away from himself, Nero blamed the fire on the Christians. The result was that many of the enemies of Christianity took sides with Nero and started persecuting and killing Christians. This perseccution spread to all the Roman provinces. It was not known for sure where the apostle Paul was when he was again arrested, but it may have been at Troas because Paul’s cloak and his precious books and parchments were left there.

The aged apostle Paul was now in chains in the dungeon of a Roman prison, locked in his cell and chained to a Roman guard day and night. This epistle to Timothy must have been written only a few months before Paul’s death. Whether or not Timothy arrived at Paul’s side before his execution is not known.

Timothy had been Paul’s faithful missionary companion for over 15 years. He had travelled with Paul throughout most of his second and third missionary journeys. He also went with Paul to Jerusalem in Acts 20 and may have been with him on his voyage to Rome. Paul mentions Timothy’s name along with his own when he writes to Philemon and to the Philippian and Colossian churches. In I Corinthians 4:17 Paul calls Timothy his “beloved and faithful child in the Lord.” He also calls Timothy his “brother and God’s faithful servant in the gospel of Christ” in I Thessalonians 3:2. Because of Timothy’s genuine concern for the welfare of the churches, and because of the loyalty with which he served with Paul “as a son with his father”, in Philippians 2:20-22 Paul went so far as to say, “I have no one like him.” Among all of Paul’s associates, Timothy was unique.

After Paul’s first imprisonment, Paul left Timothy in Ephesis as the accepted leader of that church. But though he was in leadership, Timothy still had some things that weren’t in his favor. Timothy was still young. He was probably in his mid-thirties, but at that time a person of that age was still considered a youth in the Greek and Roman cultures. He was also a frail person with several physical ailments, and he was apparently a shy person.

III. PURPOSE AND CONTENT OF THE LETTER

Imagine for a moment the aged apostle Paul in a dungeon in Rome with no escape but death. His apostolic work is over. But now he must make sure that the work of Christ is carried on to future generations. As Paul wrote this second letter to Timothy, Paul must have been thinking, “Who is going to continue the battle for the truth of the Gospel after I’m dead?”

Paul’ purpose in writing is to remind Timothy again that the precious Gospel is now committed to him, and now it’s his turn to assume responsibility for it, to preach it, to teach it, to defend it, and to preserve it for future generations. In II Timothy 2:1,2 Paul says, “My son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, these entrust to faithful men, who may be able to teach others also.”

Paul’s main purpose in this letter is to focus on the character of the Christian, and he gives several images or portraits of the ideal Christian minister. He is to be like his Master, the “suffering servant” described by the prophet Isaiah: patient, gentle, hopeful, and praying for his enemies. He is to be like a soldier who is single-minded and ready to obey his commanding officer. Thirdly, he is to be like an athlete, running the race according to the rules of the contest, and fourthly, he is to be like a farmer, working hard and earning his reward. Paul also gives an image or portrait of himself. In II Timothy 4:7-8, in the face of death, Paul is unafraid, and gives his own eulogy. He says, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith.”

It is significant that the last time Timothy’s name is mentioned in the New Testament is in Hebrews 13:23 where it is reported that Timothy was recently released from prison. He too is keeping the faith in Christ regardless of the consequences to himself.

IV. AN OUTLINE OF II TIMOTHY:

There are many outlines of the second letter of Paul to TImothy, but my favorite is taken from John Stott’s book entitled, “Guard the Gospel”. I like this outline because it is simple and easy to remember; and also because it views Paul’s letter as a series of challenges to Timothy. Here is his outline:

Chapter 1 – The Charge to Guard the Gospel

Chapter 2 – The Charge to Suffer for the Gospel

Chapter 3 The Charge to Continue in the Gospel

Chapter 4 – The Charge to Proclaim the Gospel

V. THE SIGNIFICANCE AND APPLICATION TO US:

This church, and every church of true believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, needs to heed the message in this second letter of Paul to Timothy because many churches and many Christians are relaxing their grip on the Gospel, and in danger of letting it slip from their hands. They are no longer determined to proclaim it; they are unprepared to suffer for it; and they are are unwilling to pass it on pure and uncorrupted to the next generation of Christians who will rise up after them.

In II TImothy we see that even though the aged apostle Paul faces death in prison, his passion for fulfilling Christ’s Great Commission by making disciples is as strong as ever. What does the Lord require of us? He requires faithfulness to Him and His work, not only on Sundays but throughout every day of every week for the rest of our lives. God wants us to finish the race He has entered us in, looking forward to the day when we shall see Christ face-to-face in heaven. Paul’s final charge to Timothy is “Guard what has been entrusted to you”, and his final words are “Grace be with you.”

MAN’S WISDOM VERSUS GOD’S WISDOM – I Corinthians 1:18-25

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INTRODUCTION:

Proverbs 14:12 says, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” Proverbs 16:25 says the exact same thing. Is that significant? How can something that seems so right be so wrong and have such terrible consequences?

The passage of Scripture I’m sharing today, I Corinthians 1:18-25, gives us an instance in which the reverse principle is also true: “There is a way that seems wrong to a man, but its end is the way of life.” In I Corinthians 1:10-17 we read that the Corinthian church was being divided because of quarrels between groups in the Church. Today we will see that the problem was a reliance on human wisdom. There is one area where human wisdom plays absolutely no part, and that is the salvation of one’s soul.

I. THE SUPERIORITY OF GOD’S WISDOM (verse 18)

When man focuses on and glories in his own wisdom, he automatically tries to lower God’s wisdom, which seems like foolishness because it disagrees with his own thinking. In verse 18, “the word of the cross” includes the whole gospel message and Christ’s saving work. The thought of God becoming a human being and dying on a piece of wood on a small hill in a remote part of the world, and that this would determine the eternal destiny of every person who has ever lived, sounds foolish or stupid to the natural man. It leaves no room for man’s wisdom, man’s achievements, and man’s pride.

A Christian was made fun of by an atheist because of his faith in God. “The idea that the blood of Christ can wash away sin is foolishness”, said the atheist. “I don’t understand it or believe it.” The Christian, a student of the Bible, answered, “I think you’re telling the truth. In fact, you and the apostle Paul agree exactly on one thing.” “What do you mean?”, asked the atheist. The believer read I Corinthians 1:18 which says, “For the word of the cross is to those who are perishing foolishness”. Then he witnessed to him and told him that Christ could change his life. But the atheist walked away unmoved. He was not willing to accept the Lord. The next time you share the Gospel with someone and the person responds by saying, “that’s ridiculous”, you might show that person I Corinthians 1:18 and say, “that’s just how God said you would respond!”

On the other hand, verse 18 goes on to say, “but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” Another story illustrates the truth that those who believe the Gospel will experience the Lord’s saving power. A missionary told the story that he went to a western town to pastor a small church. He didn’t know that many of its members were antagonistic to “old-fashioned preaching”, and that some were practically atheists. As he spoke about sin and the atoning work of Christ, the irritation of his audience became obvious. In a few weeks, the attendance had dwindled to 10. But the faithful preacher continued to give out the Word and the Holy Spirit brought sinners under conviction. At one service three entire families received the Lord, and the downward trend was reversed. The Gospel is indeed the power of God!

There’s a Chinese tale about a young man who captured a tiger cub, brought it home, and raised it in a cage. When it was full-grown, the man loved to brag about how ferocious and powerful it was. “That tiger isn’t wild anymore,” scoffed his friends. “He’s as tame as an old house cat!” This went on until a wise old man overheard them and said, “There’s only one way to know whether this tiger is ferocious or not. Open the cage!” The young man smiled, placed his hand on the latch, and challenged his friends, “Want to try out my tiger?” There was a moment of silence, and then one of the friends said, “We’ll believe you! Just don’t open that latch!”

A tiger’s strength, of course, is destructive and can bring death, but the power of the Gospel leads to life and freedom. It destroys guilt and breaks the stranglehold of sinful habits. If we have experienced this power ourselves, let’s challenge others to “try out our tiger!”

II. THE PERMANENCE OF GOD’S WISDOM (verses 19-20)

In verse 19, Paul quotes from Isaiah 29:14. It reads: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the cleverness of the clever I will set aside.” Paul’s purpose is to point out that the wisdom of men will be destroyed. The background of this verse is important to the understanding of it. In chapter 8 of Isaiah, God tells the people of Judah that Assyria is going to invade them. Instead of asking the Lord what they should do, they went to witches and sorcerers, and in Isaiah 30, following their advice, they make a treaty with Egypt, thinking that will protect them. But that treaty gets them into even more trouble! Their plans fail, but God shows them that He has a better plan. Judah would be saved completely by God’s power, with no human help. In Isaiah 37:36 God destroyed 185,000 men of the Assyrian army with just one angel! The complete account of this is given in II Kings 17. I encourage you to read it.

The apostle Paul teaches here in verse 20 that human wisdom is not only unreliable, it is also not permanent. Paul asks several questions. Each question is asking, “Where are all the smart people today that have all the answers?” How much closer to peace, in the world and in the heart, is man today than he was a hundred years ago, or a thousand years ago?

Paul asks: “Where is the wise man?” He is paraphrasing Isaiah’s words, and the prophet Isaiah was referring to the wise men of Egypt – the sorcerers and magicians who made promises but gave bad advice that led Egypt astray. “Where are the scribes?” Paul is probably referring to the Assyrian scribes who went along with the soldiers to record the plunder that was taken in battle. But God saw to it, in this case, that they had nothing to record, and nothing to count or to weigh. What was left of the Assyrian army ran away empty-handed.

“Where is the debater of this age?” Paul is probably referring to the Greek philosophers of his day who spent most of their time arguing with each other! Throughout history, human wisdom has never solved the basic problems of man. And nothing has really changed over the years, has it? Life has the same problems. People have the same struggles.

III. THE POWER OF GOD’S WISDOM (verses 21-25)

Verse 21 says that God planned it that way. Man cannot come to know Him by the wisdom of the world. In Acts 17, when Paul came to Athens, he noticed a shrine on which were written these words: “To an unknown God.” With all their learning and philosophies they made for themselves many gods, but the God who had made them, they did not know.

God does not expect people to come to Him through their own wisdom. He knows they cannot. But they can come to Him through His wisdom. And that wisdom has been given to us in the simple message of the Gospel. It is not through philosophy or human wisdom that salvation comes, but through believing God’s Word and His plan of salvation. God saves only those who believe. People cannot figure out salvation, they can only accept it in faith.

Unbelief is always the basic reason for not accepting God’s will and God’s way, but unbelief can be expressed in various ways. In verses 22 and 23, the Jews wanted supernatural signs before they would believe the Gospel. The Gentiles, represented by the Greeks, wanted proof through human wisdom, through ideas they could consider and debate over.

These two groups that Paul mentions here, the Jews and Greeks, are representative of all unbelieving mankind. Whether, like the typical Jew, they demand proof by a supernatural sign, or like the typical Greek, they want proof by natural wisdom, unbelievers will find an excuse for rejecting the Gospel. But God has called out a people for Himself from among the Jews and the Gentiles. These will believe and find that Jesus Christ is both the power of God and the wisdom of God.

Paul closes this portion of his letter by saying that, even if God could possess any sort of foolishness, it would be wiser than man’s greatest wisdom. And if God were able to have any weakness, it would be stronger than the greatest strength that man could muster. Jesus may have appeared to be foolish and weak as one imagines Him hanging on a Roman cross, suffering and dying. But by doing so, Jesus paid the penalty for the sins of the world and opened the gates of heaven for all who would believe in Him. Christ’s death and His resurrection were actually the greatest demonstrations of His infinite wisdom and power.

CONCLUSION:

I would like to give two different applications of what Paul has taught us in this passage of Scripture. First, God’s wisdom is opposed to man’s wisdom. We Christians make a great mistake when we water down the Gospel message to make it acceptable to people, and reasonable to them. The Gospel isn’t an argument, but an announcement. And this announcement is meant by God to be proclaimed clearly and accurately.

Secondly, if you still have your own personal philosophy about God and about life, and it doesn’t agree with the Bible, the wisest and most needful statement I can make to you is that Jesus Christ, God’s Son, died on the cross for your sins in your place, and shed His blood so that you could be acceptable to a holy God. And the wisest decision you could ever make in your life would be to believe that announcement, repent of your sins, and accept Jesus Christ into your life and your personal Savior and Lord. If God is calling you to make that decision, don’t delay or look for excuses, but respond to His call by receiving Him into your life; and let other Christians know what you have done so that they can rejoice with you and help you grow in your knowledge of Him.