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Well, please turn with me in 
your Bibles to James chapter 3. James chapter 3. Our focus tonight is on the two 
kinds of wisdom. James sets forth in verses 13 
to 18. I do want to begin reading in 
verse 1 just to set the larger context. Last week we considered 
verses 1 to 12 where James deals with the tongue. You'll note 
that James is most practical with reference to the various 
issues that he is addressing. Professing people of God, the 
bulk of chapter 2 is taken up with the issue of saving faith. 
James says, if you have faith but you do not have works, that 
gives evidence that the faith you have is not saving. So he 
is concerned that those who profess faith in Christ live accordingly. And this section dealing with 
wisdom is the same. But beginning in verse 1 of chapter 
3, For we all stumble in many things. 
If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able 
also to bridle the whole body. Indeed, we put bits in horses' 
mouths that they may obey us, and we turn their whole body. 
Look also at ships. Although they are so large and 
driven by fierce winds, they are turned by a very small rudder, 
wherever the pilot desires. Even so, the tongue is a little 
member in both great things. See how great a forest a little 
fire kindles. And the tongue is a fire, a world 
of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our 
members that it defiles the whole body and sets on fire the course 
of nature. And it is set on fire by hell. For every kind of beast and bird, 
of reptile and creature of the sea is tamed and has been tamed 
by mankind. But no man can tame the tongue. 
It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless 
our God and Father, and with it we curse men who have been 
made in the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceed 
blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought 
not to be so. Does a spring send forth fresh 
water and bitter from the same opening? Can a fig tree, my brethren, 
bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Thus no spring yields both 
saltwater and fresh. Who is wise and understanding 
among you? Let him show by good conduct 
that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. But if you 
have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast 
and lie against the truth. This wisdom does not descend 
from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. For where envy and self-seeking 
exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. The wisdom that 
is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing 
to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and 
without hypocrisy. Now the fruit of righteousness 
is sown in peace by those who make peace. Amen. Well, let us 
pray. Our Father in heaven, we thank 
You for the written Word, and we thank You for the fact that 
You have not left us on our own in this world, a world filled 
with lies and deceit. Thank You for the sure Word of 
God. Thank You for both the Old and the New Testaments. We acknowledge 
that they are God-breathed. and profitable for doctrine, 
for correction, for reproof, instruction, all those things 
that the Apostle sets forth. May you thoroughly furnish us 
unto every good work and may you help us to contemplate this 
passage of Scripture and to operate according to heaven's wisdom 
and not hell's. Do forgive us for our sins and 
our transgression. Do forgive us for our unrighteousness 
and fill us now with the Holy Spirit and we pray through Jesus 
Christ our Lord. Amen. Well, as I said, James 
is cataloging the two kinds of wisdom in this particular passage. 
He highlights the vices associated with demonic wisdom, and he highlights 
the virtues associated with godly wisdom. But what is wisdom? I think Webster's 1828 gives 
us a good definition. The right use or exercise of 
knowledge, the choice of laudable ends and of the best means to 
accomplish them. And again, this is Webster's 
1828. I'm not sure if Webster's 2018 would have this definition, 
but number five in the 1828 version says, in scripture theology, 
wisdom is true religion, godliness, piety, the knowledge and fear 
of God, and sincere and uniform obedience to his commands. This is the wisdom which is from 
above. Again, I'm not sure if the 2018 
version of Webster's would indicate that, but certainly that original 
work demonstrates the knowledge of James chapter 3 that Noah 
Webster manifests and defines his word by. Well, I want to 
look at, first of all, the demonstration of wisdom in verse 13, and then 
secondly, the description of the two kinds of wisdom in verses 
14 to 18. But notice that James introduces 
this block of teaching with a rhetorical question. He asks very clearly 
in verse 13, who is wise and understanding among you? Remember, 
he is addressing those who claim to have faith in James 2, 14 
to 26. He's addressing those who want 
to be teachers in James 3, verse 1. Here he is dealing with practical 
matters concerning wisdom. And in many respects, he sounds 
like the prophet Hosea. Hosea ends his prophecy this 
way, And so I think the connection 
is this, as the tongue expresses what is in the heart, so does 
the wisdom by which we operate. In other words, if we are that 
kind of person that is characterized by those vices, then we are operating 
according to demonic wisdom. But if we are humble, if we are 
godly, if we are engaged in good works, then it's evidence that 
our hearts are right before the Lord God Almighty. I think the 
emphasis primarily in verses 13 to 18 is on peace. Peace is going to come up again 
in chapter 4 with reference to dissensions and problems and 
fights and all that sort of thing in the life of the church. I 
think the primary emphasis in this section is on peace, but 
the means by which the people of God achieve peace is that 
wisdom that comes from above. Now, note how he answers his 
rhetorical question. Who is wise and understanding 
among you? Let him show by good conduct 
that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. The same 
verb is employed here as was in 2.18. Let him show. Let him demonstrate. In other 
words, wisdom is not seen by the degrees that you have hanging 
on your wall. Wisdom is not seen by the books 
that you have read. Wisdom is not seen by the intellectual 
accomplishments that you have sought out. Now, all those things 
are good. I'm not suggesting that you hide 
your head in the sand and never read a book, never look at facts, 
never collect data, never try to inform yourself. I'm not suggesting 
that. But for James, this practical 
theologian, the rub comes when we live according to the wisdom 
that we say that we have. And it's very intriguing. He 
says, let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the 
meekness of wisdom. Evidence of wisdom is not in 
the collection of data, but in the demonstration of a godly 
life filled with good conduct that is done in the meekness 
of wisdom. As well, we notice that this 
has connection to our Lord's teaching. In fact, much of what 
we find here in verses 13 to 18 is related to and at least 
somewhat loosely connected to the Beatitudes in Matthew chapter 
5. In Matthew chapter 5, our Lord Jesus says, blessed are 
the meek. James here says that we need 
to engage in the meekness of wisdom. Jesus says, blessed are 
the merciful. James says that those who operate 
according to godly wisdom are full of mercy. Jesus says those 
who hunger are blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness. James ends this section with 
the fruit of righteousness in verse 18. And then as well, Jesus 
says, blessed are the pure in heart. And when James comes to 
define that wisdom from above, he says it is first pure. So 
there's a lot of connection between what James speaks of here and 
the Beatitudes as given by our Lord Jesus in Matthew chapter 
5. So once again, James demonstrates 
not only his familiarity with the Old Testament, but obviously 
with the teaching of the Lord Jesus Christ. But he does say, 
with reference to this manifestation of wisdom, the meatness of wisdom. Now, meekness is the opposite 
of pride. I think that if we look at this 
passage clearly, James tells us that within the church, we're 
not to be proud people. We're not to be ambitious people. 
We're not to be self-seeking people. We're not to be people 
that are filled with envy with reference to others' accomplishments 
and a bitterness when they outshine us. The church of the Lord Jesus 
Christ is to be characterized by meekness. Blessed are the 
meek, Jesus says. Jesus describes himself as meek 
in Matthew 11, verse 29. The Apostle Paul appeals to the 
Corinthians based on the meekness and gentleness of our Lord Jesus 
Christ. If we are proud, We are contrary 
to our Lord Jesus. If we are proud, we are enemies 
of the living and the true God. Paul, or James rather, is going 
to highlight that in the following section. God resists the proud, 
but God gives grace to the humble. That ought to be the pursuit 
of every believing heart is humility, and a pursuit by which we make 
gains when we are killing pride. I've said it many times, and 
I'll probably say it again. But when we pursue humility, 
we will most likely be proud of that. We will tell others, 
I'm working on my humility. The best way to cultivate humility 
is by killing pride. The best way to cultivate that 
neatness of spirit is to be putting to death the deeds of the body. 
The best way to cultivate what James envisions here for the 
people of God is to be with God an enemy of your own pride. So James defines for us, or rather 
says, how genuine wisdom is manifested. It is through meekness. It is 
through humility. Proverbs 11.2 says, when pride 
comes, then comes shame, but with the humble is wisdom. And one more observation before 
we leave this point, when he says, let him show by good conduct. Now, I hope that we wouldn't 
even need to qualify this, but the idea is not sounding a trumpet 
and telling everybody that you're engaging in humility. sounding 
a trumpet and telling everybody that you're engaging in good 
conduct. Let your light so shine before 
men that they may see your good works and give glory to God. 
Don't call attention to yourself when you're engaged in that. 
Rather, may this be the manner of your life so that when persons 
witness it, they give glory to God. Thomas Minton has this helpful 
observation. It is one thing to do works that 
may be seen, and another to do them that they might be seen. It's a subtle, small distinction, 
but it's one we ought to take to heart. It's one thing to do 
these good works that they may be seen by men. It's another 
thing to do them that they might be or that we are inviting them 
or that that is the end game. We want to do this so that men 
will see us and give glory to us. That's not what's in James's 
mind. Let him show by good conduct 
that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. Now let's 
look. at the description of the two 
kinds of wisdom in verses 14 to 18. There is a demonic wisdom 
and there is a heavenly wisdom. And I'll say this for our dear 
brother James. He does not pull any punches 
whatsoever. He is not trying to make his 
hearers feel good by just sort of softly peddling to them various 
thoughts that they might want to reckon with. No, he says that 
the tongue is set on fire by hell. He says that this wisdom 
is owing to that which is earthy, that which is sensual, and that 
which is demonic. You see, we need to appreciate 
that when we operate with pride, when we operate with self-seeking, 
when we operate with self-ambition, when we are engaged in the sorts 
of things that James condemns here, that has connection to 
the devil and to hell. It has connection to those things 
which are contrary to God. It has connection to those things 
which are in opposition to God, and that ought not to be with 
those who profess faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. Notice the 
vices associated with this demonic wisdom. In verse 14, but if you 
have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts. Now, the word 
translated here as envy is basically the word zeal. And in some contexts, 
zeal is used positively. It's good to have a godly zeal. 
So the word in and of itself doesn't lean toward a negative 
or a positive. It's the context that dictates. 
But the fact that James describes it as bitter zeal, envy is a 
great translation. Bitter envy. What is envy? The difference between envy and 
jealousy is simply this. If I am jealous of you, I simply 
want what you have. If I am envious of you, I not 
only want what you have, but I don't want you to have it. 
That's just diabolical, isn't it? I mean, jealousy isn't great. 
I'm not suggesting go out and be jealous, that's fine. But 
if I just want your car, I got to deal with God with reference 
to covetousness and 10th commandment issues. But if I want your car, 
but I really don't want you to have your car, that just sort 
of descends the scale in terms of lawlessness or wickedness. It's an evil thing. Someone's 
probably thinking about the illustration I've often used. When I was a 
young lad, I went fishing in Oregon, and my cousin caught 
a lot of fish, and he had them on his stringer, and I caught 
no fish. My cousin walked away for a little 
time, I undid the stringer, and I let the fish go. I didn't want 
him to have them. I'm sorry. I hate to reveal that 
to you about myself. I hate to show the heart that 
is Jim Butler, but that's an illustration of envy. Not only 
did I want to have caught fish, but I didn't want him to have 
caught fish. And it's too bad, because he 
was a wonderful fellow. I'm sure he still is a wonderful 
fellow. I haven't talked to him for a 
little while here. But that's envy. It's not wanting 
people to have good things. It's contrary to Paul, isn't 
it? Rejoice with those who rejoice. Weep with those who weep. That's 
the ethics of the kingdom. Not somebody walks into the prayer 
meeting and says, praise God for me, brethren. I got a raise. 
And somebody sitting there says, well, I didn't get a raise, and 
I don't want him to have a raise. He doesn't deserve a raise. He's 
a terrible guy. I don't like him. Envy is wicked, 
and this is what James is saying. Now, the fact that James is having 
to deal with this in the context of the local church, the fact 
that the Apostle Paul deals with similar issues in the local church 
tells us this isn't an out-there problem. This isn't just something 
that plagues the world. Now, we know there's self-seeking 
and there's ambition and there's selfishness and pride and a lack 
of humility and meekness and a presence of envy out in the 
world. James is dealing with us. James is dealing with a church. Why is it necessary for Paul 
to tell us to rejoice with those who rejoice? Because we're wretched, 
because we're terrible, because we are the kind of people that 
think, Wow, I didn't get it, he shouldn't get it either. That's 
what James wants to put the kibosh on. The zeal here is used negatively. It is bitter, it evidences the 
negative meaning. One dictionary defines it this 
way, intense negative feelings over another's achievements or 
success. Envy. Thomas Manton says, envy 
is an eager desire of our own fame and a maligning of that 
which others have. And you know what goes hand in 
hand with bitter envy? Is this self-seeking in your 
hearts, this selfish ambition. Isn't it? Don't they correlate 
together? I don't want them to have it, but I want it. I don't 
want them to prosper, but I want to prosper. I don't want them 
to advance, but I want to advance. These are two peas in a pod. Wherever there is this bitter 
envy, there's going to be a self-seeking, a selfish ambition, this desire 
to be up over others. And James says, no. And I think 
that's what he means at the end of verse 14. This is an exhortation. If you have bitter envy, if you 
have self-seeking in your hearts, note the end of verse 14. Do 
not boast and lie against the truth. In other words, if your 
life is characterized by envy and selfishness, don't claim 
to have the wisdom that is from above, just like in 2.14 to 26. 
If you don't help brethren, if you don't engage in good works, 
if you don't manifest to others love and kindness and affection, 
then don't say you have saving faith, because saving faith always 
produces that sort of a thing. Remember, James is not teaching 
faith plus words. He's not teaching an amalgamation 
in order to be saved. James is treating the subject, 
those who have saving faith, this is how they ought to be 
living. And if they are not living that way, they have no reason 
to conclude that they have saving faith. And I think that's the 
thrust of the end of verse 14 in this particular section. Do 
not boast and lie against the truth. If you have this bitter 
envy, if you have this self-seeking, if you have this selfish ambition, 
don't tell people you're a believer. Don't tell people you operate 
according to God's wisdom. Don't tell people that you are 
the kind of person that the Lord Jesus has secured by His death 
and resurrection, and yet this is the way that I'm going to 
live. Now, notice he highlights the origin of this wisdom in 
verse 15. This wisdom does not descend 
from above. Now, above is that realm where 
God is. Above is that realm, according 
to James 1.17, where God the Father is, the one in whom there 
is no variation, no shadow of turning. He is the one who gives 
every good and perfect gift. That's the above in view here, 
and James says the kind of wisdom characterized by bitter envy 
and self-seeking is not from above. He says, this is earthly, 
sensual, or natural, and demonic. Now, it should be obvious the 
contrast here. It is not connected to God. It 
is not originating in from above. It rather has its tap roots in 
everything that is opposed to God Most High. I think Douglas 
Moo brings out the meaning well. He says, in sum, this false wisdom, 
which does not lead to good works and humility, is characterized 
by the world, the flesh, and the devil. In each of these ways, 
it is the direct antithesis of the wisdom that comes from above, 
heavenly in nature, spiritual in essence, and divine in origin. So we see the characteristics 
or rather vices associated with this wisdom, the origin of this 
wisdom. Now note the result of this wisdom 
in verse 16. Do you think it has positive 
effects on the church when people are engaged in bitter envy and 
selfish ambition? Do you think churches are filled 
with peace, love, and unity when people that visit those churches 
or attend those churches are characterized this way? You look 
at a church where there is the kinds of things that James mentions 
in verse 16, and it's a result of those things that are imbibed 
in verse 14. Notice in verse 16, for where 
envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing 
are there. Now, the presence of this wisdom 
that has its origin in hell will ultimately plague the people 
of God. It will affect the church of 
Jesus Christ. If you want to ruin the church, 
here is a great remedy, or a great prescription. And I'm speaking 
sarcastically. Be bitter enviers and full of 
selfish ambition and self-seeking. Now, probably there's a whole 
host of things we'd like to change in the church. There's probably 
a whole host of things we'd like to change in one another. There's 
probably a whole host of things we'd like to change in people 
we love that are closest to us. But you know what? That's ultimately 
not our job. Our job is to manage ourselves. 
Something I think that is absolutely lacking in modern society today 
is self-government. If you have a people that can 
do that, you won't need the massive federal bureaucracies that you 
have out there. You have people functioning in 
terms of self-government or, dare I say, self-control. Isn't 
that intriguing that in Galatians 5, self-control, my ability to 
control myself is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. Isn't that beautiful? What happens if somebody doesn't 
have self-control? We might conclude they don't 
have the Holy Spirit. Because when the Holy Spirit 
takes up residence in a heart, guess what He does to that person? 
He gives them the ability to manage themselves. He gives them 
the ability to control themselves. He gives them the ability to 
engage in a righteous self-government. A lot of problems would be avoided 
if young children were taught self-government, self-control, 
those things that have gone by the wayside. We want everybody 
else to control us. We want everybody else to manage 
us. We want everybody else to help us. That's not everybody 
else's job. It's your job. Embrace it. Run with it. Delight in God with 
it. Ask the Spirit to so, so permeate 
you that you will be able to govern yourself. Notice what 
James says is the result of those who come into the church with 
envy and self-seeking. It is confusion and every evil 
thing. So we want peace in the church, 
don't we? Look at 1 Corinthians 14 for 
just a moment. Now, the focus of the apostle 
in 1 Corinthians 14 is different. He's dealing with the exercise 
of spiritual gifts in the context of the church, but he does make 
two observations concerning God. And I think that this applies 
not only to the exercise of the spiritual gifts vis-a-vis 1 Corinthians 
14, but the exercise of biblical church relations. biblical churchmanship 
or the way that we conduct ourselves in the house of God. Notice in 
1 Corinthians 14, verse 33, for God is not the author of confusion 
but of peace. You see, when you enter into 
a church and it's confused, I'm not talking doctrinally, though 
that's certainly a part of it. I'm talking about practically, 
where people don't get along with each other. Where there 
is this, the presence of this bitter envy. There is this self-seekingness. There is this self-ambition. 
There is this pride and arrogance. That doesn't come from God. He's 
not the author of confusion. God is about peace, isn't he? 
God is about tranquility. God is about leading us beside 
still waters. God is about stabilizing His 
people, not promoting in them this chaos and confusion. And 
then notice in verse 40, again, in the context of the exercise 
of spiritual gifts, but I don't think Paul would say, well, when 
it comes to everything else, don't pay attention to verse 
40. Let all things be done decently and in order. You see, what ought 
to mark the church is decency, orderliness, and peace, not confusion. But where persons imbibe this 
demonic wisdom, where they are filled with this bitter envy, 
where self-seeking and self-ambition dominates them, the result is 
confusion and every evil thing. That is what we need to be on 
guard against. The presence of disorder, unruliness, 
confusion and chaos in the church is not attributable to the wisdom 
which comes from God, but it's demonic. It is demonic. You know, church meetings where 
everybody's freaking out and flipping out. It might be a good 
question for somebody to stand up and say, what kind of wisdom 
are we operating according to here? What's happened to us? How is it that ambition, how 
is it that self-seeking, how is it that bitter envy has breached 
the walls of the kingdom of God and has taken root in our midst? Now note the description of heavenly 
wisdom. Note the origin, verse 17, he 
starts with origin, same structure. We've got origin, characteristics, 
and results. Same thing with the demonic wisdom 
and with the heavenly wisdom. The origin of this wisdom is 
the wisdom that is from above is from God. He is the one who 
gives every good and perfect gift, and He is the one who gives 
wisdom to those who ask. As I said last week with James 
3, 1-12, it's descriptive of how bad the tongue is. It's not 
prescriptive on how to fix the tongue. That's absent in James 
3, 1-12. He doesn't tell you, OK, here's 
the problem with the tongue, here's five easy tips on how 
to fix the tongue. That's not what he does. He basically 
just tells us how bad it is. And I think he's doing the same 
thing here with reference to this wisdom. He is not telling 
us how to get this heavenly wisdom. He's not telling us how to resist 
this demonic wisdom. He's just telling us it is. This 
is the way it is. There are these two kinds or 
types of wisdom, and if you do this, you are owing to that. 
And if you do this, you are owing to that. But James has already 
dealt with the issue of how we obtain wisdom. How does the believer 
obtain wisdom? Did he go to the local university 
and get a PhD in philosophy? He can do that. Philosophy simply 
means the love of wisdom. That's a good pursuit. The way 
to wisdom, according to James 1.5, is to ask God. If any of you lacks wisdom, let 
him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach. James already settled the issue 
on how to get it. This is just a description of 
what it is. Notice, it is first pure. I mean, 
if hell's wisdom is dark and wicked and evil and bad, then 
heaven's is pure. Notice he says it is peaceable. It is peaceable. If demonic wisdom 
produces confusion, heavenly wisdom produces peace. Turn over 
to Ephesians 4 for just a moment. So see this emphasis on peace. Peace and unity is what the apostles 
and join upon the churches, not confusion, self-seeking, bitter 
envy, and the like. Notice in Ephesians chapter 4, 
beginning in verse 1, I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech 
you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with 
all lowliness and gentleness, with long-suffering, bearing 
with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit 
in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, 
just as you were called in one hope of your calling, one Lord, 
one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above 
all and through all and in you all." So you see the apostle's 
argument. Because of God, the fact that 
He is one, one Spirit, one Lord, one God and Father, triune to 
be sure. We ought to pursue a unity in 
the body. Paul says, endeavoring to keep 
the unity of the Spirit in the bond of what? Peace. This is 
what causes the church to thrive and to flourish. You see, when 
there is this chaos and when there is this confusion and when 
there is this bitter envy and this selfishness or pride on 
the part of people, People coming into that, they can feel it. They can see it. They can sense 
it. Have you ever went to somebody's 
house and they just fried fish and they hadn't had the windows 
open? You know what they just did, don't you? You know they 
just fried fish. Or you've gone to somebody else's 
house and they haven't changed the litter box for a while. You 
know that there's a disparity happening with reference to their 
feline management. You just know this, right? Well, 
persons walking into churches where this kind of confusion 
is rife, they know it. It's palpable. You can feel it. You can taste it. You can see 
it. You can touch it. And if you're a discerning believer, 
you're going to run for the hills. You're going to try and find 
a church where such things are not present. But notice, prior 
to verse 3, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the 
bond of peace, Paul actually tells us how we are to do that. 
In other words, how do we endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit 
in the bond of peace? How do I, as a member of the 
Free Grace Baptist Church, endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit 
in the bond of peace? Well, look at the preceding verses. Verse 2, with all lowliness and 
gentleness. How do I endeavor to keep the 
unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace? By being lowly and 
gentle. Not high-minded, not proud, and 
not bitter, harsh, and austere. With long-suffering. You mean 
patience? I have to have patience in order 
to endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit and the bond of 
peace? Brethren, patience is crucial in any sort of society. I mean, I'm sure you've recognized 
this at home, we need patience to deal with one another and 
not flip out and yell at each other. We need patience within 
the context of the local church. We need to do what Paul says 
here, bearing with one another in love. You see, if we don't 
have those ingredients, we will not endeavor to keep the unity 
of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Thomas Manton made this 
observation. He said, true wisdom, as it is 
careful not to offend Christ by a sin, so not to offend the 
brethren by a scandal. As it will not sin against faith 
by error, so not against love by schism. By faith we are united 
to Christ, by charity one to another. It is careful that neither 
band be broken. And then he comments on those 
who just seemingly don't want peace. I mean, you may have met 
such people, and if you're parents, and you have a few kids, and 
you're raising them up, and there seems to be that one firebrand 
that just likes to stir things up. I mean, unless there's something 
going on, some sort of degree of excitement, that person's 
just not happy. Well, those guys find their way 
into the church. Now, it might be just juvenile 
mischief, and sort of funny when they're little kids, but when 
they become adults, and they can't embrace peace. They can 
be really obnoxious and detrimental to the context of Christ's sheep. 
Minton makes this observation on the part of those who don't, 
who are not peaceable. He says, well then, they are 
far from true wisdom that love to live in the fire. There are 
those kinds. They're not happy unless somebody 
else isn't happy. They're not happy unless there's 
contention. For some reason, it's a self-identification 
thing for them. They've always got to be fighting 
someone. If that's you, stop fighting. 
I mean, just chill out. I wonder what these guys would 
think about Facebook or Twitter. I mean, these, what do they call 
them, tweet storms? that men that confess the same 
confession are constantly lambasting one another on social media. You guys believe the same things! Why would you do that? Well, 
we're fighting for the truth! No, you just seem to be fighting. You've just got this lack of 
peace. Go run and play in the snow. Do something other than these 
sorts of things. But listen to Manta. Well then, 
they are far from true wisdom that love to live in the fire, 
that cherish contentions, and they rile the waters that they 
may fish in them, that increase the differences and add oil to 
the flame that they may promote, here it is, their private interests. More often than not, if persons 
were honest, a lot of these particulars are not for the health and benefit 
and the glory of Christ's church, but their own private interests. You know what? There's a good 
place for your private interests and it's not in the church. Now, if your private interests 
happen to align with God's interest, then praise the Lord. But if 
you just are not a peaceable human being, you're gonna be 
a miserable, miserable addition to any church or family that 
you happen to be found among. And then he says, it's gentle. This peace that is from above, 
it's gentle. Gentle. It's gentle. It doesn't yell at you. It doesn't 
scream at you. Brethren, there's a sense where 
we have to remember that the best of men are men at best. 
We ought to imbibe more the ethic of God the Father. Isn't godliness 
being like God? Again, not essentially. We don't 
participate in the divine essence. We don't become deity, but godliness 
means being conformed to God. You know how God looks upon our 
fellows? He looks upon them as dust. He knows that they are but dust. He knows that they are weak, 
and he pities them. Imagine if we actually imitated 
the Father with reference to that approach to dealing with 
others. Again, famous lexicon says, not 
insisting on every right of letter of law or custom. It is yielding, 
gentle, kind, courteous, tolerant. Thomas Manton said, austerity 
is the note of folly. Wise Christians in weighing an 
action always cast in the allowance of human frailty. That really 
struck me. It probably wouldn't have 20 
years ago, but as you get older, you start to think, wow, maybe 
Manton did know a whole lot more than I did. I texted my brother 
the other day. I said, thank you for giving 
me Manton. He sure knows James. And I said, thank you for giving 
me Gil. He sure knows everything. I mean, that's just John Gil. 
John Gil wrote a commentary on the entirety of the Bible. And 
then he says, now that I finished that, I'm going to write a systematic 
theology. But Manton makes this observation, and I think it's 
beautiful. Wise Christians, in weighing an action, always cast 
in the allowance of human frailty. Now, I don't think Manton is 
suggesting, and I certainly don't think James is suggesting, that 
we let people get away with sin. But I think what they are saying 
is that we need to contemplate that we're dealing with the sons 
of God who are not perfect. Frailty still affects us, and 
gentleness will take that into consideration. And then fourthly, 
he says it's willing to yield. If hell's wisdom is characterized 
by envy and selfish ambition, heaven's is characterized by 
a willingness to yield to brethren. Now, I think we need to make 
sure that we understand this. James is not saying that we are 
to be willing to yield on the doctrine of the Trinity. We're 
not to be willing to yield on the doctrine of justification 
by faith alone. We're not to be willing to yield 
when it comes to the cardinal truths of the Christian faith. 
We are, however, be willing to yield when it comes to something 
that is not relative to a theological principle or truth and something 
that doesn't have ethical connotations in terms of, you know, we're 
not willing to yield if our brother says, you know, I just love to 
commit adultery. Well, you know, that's great. 
Good for you. I hope it works out. That's not the willingness 
to yield. There's a whole lot of issues that come up among 
God's people where there's this lack of a willingness to yield. 
We always have to be right. We always have to get our way. 
We always have to come out ahead. Everybody has to see the wisdom 
of what we're saying. And that's not good, that's not 
healthy, that's not going to prosper, the church of the Lord 
Jesus. Moose says, what is meant is 
not a weak, credulous gullibility, but a willing deference to others 
when unalterable theological or moral principles are not involved. A good reminder, if it's justification 
by faith, we're not to maintain peace, we're not to seek unity, 
we're to define, we're to argue, we're to exegete, we're to confess, 
and those who oppose ought not to be allowed among us. But when 
it comes to the preferences that each of us have with reference 
to the Christian life, your preferences don't have to become everybody 
else's laws. Charles Hodge was right that 
there is a pope in every man's bosom. There is a pope in every 
man's bosom. And what he meant by that is 
that the desire to lord things over our brethren is rampant. Again, not willing to yield when 
it comes to justification, but willing to yield when it comes 
to those things that are yieldable, that we can back down from, that 
we can exercise gentleness in, that we can agree to disagree 
with our brethren. If everything always has to be 
your way on things not necessarily connected to cardinal Christian 
truth or the practice of ethics, your wisdom may be owing more 
to hell than it is to heaven. This is what James says. gentle, 
willing to yield. Then he says, full of mercy, 
full of mercy. Remember, that's how he says 
it's described here. Or this is one of the means by 
which he says that heaven's wisdom is recognizable. It is full of 
mercy. and good fruits." Full of mercy 
and good fruits. Then he says, without partiality. 
This is an intriguing word. It's got two dictionary definitions, 
and both probably fit this particular context. It means pertaining 
to not being judgmental or divisive, nonjudgmental, not divisive, 
or impartial. So the without partiality. See 
where the New King James gets that. It's correct. Without partiality. He's already condemned partiality. 
in chapter 2. My brethren, if you hold the 
faith in Jesus, do not be partial to those who come in among you. 
But as well, it means pertaining to not being uncertain or unwavering. So an idea might be, that it's 
partiality, but this uncertainty. Now, the reason why I think this 
fits in the context is because of James. What is something James 
condemns? In chapter 1, and then again 
in chapter 4, he doesn't use the word, but he condemns it 
in chapter 3 with reference to the tongue. Double-mindedness. This is a problem that James 
is combating through and through. He doesn't want the people of 
God to be double-minded people. You are to operate according 
to heaven's wisdom. You are to operate according to those things 
which God says are good, and you're not supposed to be double-minded. 
You're not supposed to be wavering. You're not supposed to be tossed 
to and fro. And then the last description and the last virtue 
associated with wisdom from on high is without hypocrisy. And 
again, pretty obvious, pretty common, something that we should 
appreciate. Now, he ends this by giving the 
result of this wisdom in verse 18. Now, the fruit of righteousness 
is sown in peace by those who make peace. Now, it's a bit of 
a difficult statement, it's a bit of a difficult thing to understand, 
but here's what I think he means. I don't think he's talking about 
in the eschaton, in heaven. He's talking about the church. 
The effects of demonic wisdom produce confusion and self-seeking 
in the context of the church. The effects of heaven's wisdom 
in the context of the people of God is such that the fruit 
of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. In other 
words, those who are peacemakers in the context of the local church, 
which is an evidence or a fruit of this wisdom which is from 
on high, will reap righteousness. Instead of confusion and envy 
and every evil thing, there'll be righteousness within the context 
of Christ's churches. So we see, with reference to 
James' teaching, the contrast between the two wisdoms, they 
differ in origin. One is earthly, natural, and 
demonic. The other is from above. Secondly, they differ in their 
characteristics. The one is characterized by envy, 
selfish ambition, the other by purity, peaceableness, gentleness, 
willingness to yield, mercy, good works, without partiality 
and without hypocrisy. And they differ in their results. 
One produces confusion and every evil thing, the other righteousness 
as a result of peace that is given to us by the wisdom that 
we operate according to. But brethren, I think that if 
we ask the question now, what kind of wisdom do I operate by? It's pretty easy to tell which 
is the one James wants us to operate by. If the sorts of things 
that he condemns here are true of us, praise God, there is forgiveness 
with him. If you, Lord, should mark iniquities, 
O Lord, who could stand? But there is forgiveness with 
thee that thou mayest be feared. Again, brethren, when you come 
to passages like these, be honest. I mean, don't say, well, you 
know, I'm glad so-and-so is here because I think they got a problem 
with bitter envy and selfishness and all that sort of thing. And, 
you know, so-and-so is really proud and arrogant. I'm glad 
he's getting a good dose of it. Examine your own hearts. Are 
these things true of you? Are these things indicative of 
you? Somebody were to come to you and say, wow, I got a promotion, 
I got a raise, my wife gave me a kiss, everything's great. Well, 
you say, I don't want you to have that, at least internally. 
I don't want you to enjoy those sorts of things. Well, you've 
got connections to hell. And James says, you need to repent. 
As well, we see the blessed effect that this kind of wisdom produces 
or promotes in the context of the churches. This is the larger 
context James is dealing with in this particular section. It's 
division, it's dissension, it is issue in the church, and James 
is addressing the various things by which those things are fostered 
and promoted. The tongue is a big one. You 
get a lot of unguarded, undisciplined tongues in the context of the 
local church, and what happens? it rips it apart. That little 
member sets on fire an entire forest, as well this wisdom, 
this wisdom by which we operate. If it's demonic, we will affect 
the church in a negative way. If it's demonic, we'll affect 
our families in a negative way. If it's demonic, we'll have an 
effect upon ourselves in a negative way. If this demonic wisdom is 
continued to be imbibed within the context of society, it will 
affect it, it will hurt it. This is not a good thing. Brethren, 
let us confess our sins to God. Let us ask God for the forgiveness 
of sins, and let us pray to Him to give us the Spirit so that 
we may imbibe the sorts of things that are characteristic of heaven's 
wisdom, so that we may imbibe the kind of wisdom that is pure, 
peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good 
fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. Pick the one 
that you are challenged by the most and pray to God to help 
you. I really have a tough time being 
pure with my thoughts in terms of my brethren. And I don't mean 
sexually, I mean with reference to the sorts of things James 
is dealing with. Or maybe I really have a tough 
time being willing to yield. God help me to be a willing to 
yielder alongside the people of God. Lord, I'm really struggling 
with this peaceable attitude. God, help me to get a hold on 
that and to seek to promote peace and gentleness. I mean, come 
on. I mean, how many people are genuinely 
gentle today? I mean, you meet them and it's 
encouraging, isn't it? Wow, that person's very gentle. 
The rest of us are like bulls in China shops, you know, just 
doing what we got to do. Brethren, we need to pray to 
God that this kind of wisdom would be present in our own hearts 
and in our own lives. And the good news is, if anyone 
lacks it, let him ask of God who gives to all liberally and 
without reproach. And if you are not a believer 
in the Lord Jesus Christ, the wisdom you operate according 
to is demonic wisdom. The wisdom you operate according 
to is that which is characterized by the apostle here as being 
absolutely wicked and vile and evil. And the only way to break 
free of that demonic wisdom is to come to the cross. The only 
way to break free of that hold by Satan on you is to believe 
on the Lord Jesus Christ, to look to the one who said, just 
as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so also must 
the Son of Man be lifted up. But everyone who looks to Him, 
everyone who believes in Him will have everlasting life. And 
it's from that vantage point, having come to Christ, having 
been washed from our sins, having received that righteousness that 
is His, it is from that vantage point that we now come into contact 
with this heavenly wisdom and we ask God and He supplies it 
to us so that we can function as decent human beings in our 
various relationships. Well, let us close in a word 
of prayer. Father, we thank you for the Word of God, we thank 
you for this section, we thank you for the clarity of it and 
how it is hard-hitting, and I pray that we would examine our own 
hearts before a passage like this, that we would seek wisdom 
from on high, that you would help us to cultivate these virtues 
in our own hearts and lives by the power of the Holy Spirit, 
and to resist those things that are associated with demonic wisdom. 
Go with us this week, help us to glorify You, help us to be 
faithful witnesses to our faithful Lord, and help us to gather together 
again to bring glory and praise and honor unto You. And we ask 
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Well, let's close by standing 
and singing the doxology.