Wisdom from Above – Its Character and Fruit (James 3:13-18)
Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth. This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

James teaches us the character of true wisdom by setting it in contrast with the earthly, sensual, demonic "wisdom" that is characterized by jealousy, strife and selfish ambition. Sinful men often seek after "wisdom" or "knowledge" only to prove themselves better or wiser than others, and to puff up their pride. Genuine wisdom is pure, peaceable, gentle, reasonable, merciful, unwavering and unhypocritical. True wisdom seeks to make peace rather than pick fights with others.

Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom. – James challenges those who think themselves to be wise in spiritual matters to demonstrate their wisdom in action. A truly wise man ought to be able to regulate his life in a way that is admirable and beautiful to both God and man. What good is a "wisdom" that does not improve your character and behavior?

1. wise (Grk: sophos) – wise, cultivated, learned; one who forms the best plans and uses the best means for their execution.
2. understanding (Grk: epistemon) – describes one who is intelligent and experienced—an expert in his field.

Proverbs 19:22 – What is desirable in a man is his kindness …

selfish ambition – Paul uses the same Greek word (Grk: eritheia) in Philippians 2:3, where he teaches us how to combat the selfishness and vain conceit that lurks within us:

Philippians 2:3 – Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves;

This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing. – A jealous, selfish, arrogant wisdom does not originate in heaven, even though men who possess such "wisdom" often suppose themselves to be close to God. Rather, it is …

1. earthly – displaying the same character as worldly and wicked men who ambitiously seek earthly advantage for themselves.
2. natural (Grk: psuchikos)– belonging to the soul of man, in contrast to the Spirit—concerned only with self and subject to natural, sinful appetites and passions.
3. demonic – inspired and encouraged by evil spirits, who themselves are motivated by selfishness, pride and jealousy.

1. jealousy – Earthly wisdom is more concerned with self than others. Hence, it becomes jealous when others are the center of attention.
2. selfish ambition – Earthly wisdom ambitiously seeks its own advantage, to the neglect or harm of others.
3. disorder – The consequence of such "wisdom" is strife and disorder. There is no teamwork when everyone on the team wants to be the quarterback. Loving concern for others is the "glue" that holds families, churches and societies together. When each person is striving for his own advantage, it all falls apart.
4. evil thing – When "self" becomes the focus of your affections—when self-promotion becomes the first principle of your life—then there are no firm barriers keeping you from doing whatever evil thing will accomplish your goal. This is the ultimate fruit of earthly wisdom.

 

Matthew 23:1-7 – Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples, saying: "The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair of Moses; therefore all that they tell you, do and observe, but do not do according to their deeds; for they say things and do not do them. They tie up heavy burdens and lay them on men's shoulders, but they themselves are unwilling to move them with so much as a finger. But they do all their deeds to be noticed by men; for they broaden their phylacteries and lengthen the tassels of their garments. They love the place of honor at banquets and the chief seats in the synagogues, and respectful greetings in the market places, and being called Rabbi by men."

Matthew 9:11-13 –  When the Pharisees saw this, they said to His disciples, "Why is your Teacher eating with the tax collectors and sinners?" But when Jesus heard this, He said, "It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick. But go and learn what this means: 'I DESIRE COMPASSION, AND NOT SACRIFICE,' for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

Luke 18:11 – "The Pharisee stood and was praying this to himself: 'God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.

Matthew 23:23 – "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others.

But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. – Notice the origin of this wisdom: it comes "from above". Heaven is its origin and birthplace. Such a wisdom is foreign to men of this world, for they have no love for it. It must be given by God through the new birth.

In contrast to the "wisdom" that does not come from above, the wisdom that is of heavenly origin has the following qualities:

1. pure – This is given as the first(i.e. foremost or pre-eminent) quality of godly wisdom. True wisdom seeks after genuine holiness and moral purity in life and thought. The man who possesses godly wisdom loves the good things God Himself loves.
2. peaceable – The truly wise man seeks peace with God and peace with men. He has the calmness that comes from the assurance of sins forgiven, and knowing that He is protected by the loving care of the Almighty, who works all things for our good and His glory. He does not quarrel to protect his selfish interests, but is instead interested in the welfare of others, and knows that this can be best achieved by maintaining peaceful relations with them.
3. gentle – We have already considered the "gentleness of wisdom". Moses is said to have been the most meek or humble man of his day (Numbers 12:3). Our Lord was certainly most gentle when He tabernacled among us, excepting only the time when He drove the money changers from the temple (Matthew 21:12). An elder must be gentle and peaceable and not pugnacious (1 Timothy 3:3; Titus 1:7). The wise man is not a man of violence.
4. reasonable – This is a word that means "obedient" or "compliant". Perhaps the idea here is "easy to get along with" or perhaps "obedient to God". It seems to designate a person who is willing to "go the extra mile" (Matthew 5:41) for someone—having the patience to bear with a demanding or unkind person in a gracious, submissive spirit, in order to avoid a conflict that could dishonor Christ.
5. full of mercy and good fruits – Not simply "merciful", but full of mercy. Not simply a bearer of good fruits, but full of good fruits. James joins mercy with good fruits to teach us that our mercy must be more than a mere feeling of mercy—that it must produce fruit to assist those in need.
6. unwavering – The wise man must be steadfast and reliable in his gentleness and mercy. He must not run hot one minute and cold the next. He is the kind of person you can count on to be kind, compassionate, humble, gentle and fruitful at all times.
7. without hypocrisy – Godly wisdom runs deep—into the innermost part of a man. The wise man does not wear his wisdom like a suit of clothes that covers his true character. Wisdom is not merely a hobby with him, nor a means to an end. Rather the wise man bleeds wisdom when you cut him. Wisdom is more than merely what he does or how he appears—wisdom is his very nature. Thus, a wise man is a man who speaks the truth and does not try to deceive. He is transparent and trustworthy—the kind of person you would want for a friend or a brother, and whom you would trust with your very life.

 

Luke 8:11 –… the seed is the word of God.

1 Peter 1:23 – for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God.

Ephesians 5:9 –for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth,

Colossians 1:5-6 – … the word of truth, the gospel which has come to you, just as in all the world also it is constantly bearing fruit and increasing, even as it has been doing in you also since the day you heard of it and understood the grace of God in truth;

Matthew 5:9 –"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.