Wisdom from Above
To face trials with a proper perspective,
we must seek God's wisdom
through faith and prayer.
Here's Gene:
In order to really understand this Principle
and to understand the context,
we have to really go back to
what James said right at the beginning
of his letter
in terms of what I've called trials and maturity.
So let me review these verses
that we looked at
in our last presentation. James wrote:
Consider it a great joy, my brothers and sisters,
whenever you experience various trials...
Now let me again underscore the fact
that when this word "trials" is used
in the Greek text, it could also
be translated "temptations".
So he is saying: When you
face various trials, various temptations:
...because you know that the testing
of your faith produces endurance.
And let endurance have its full effect,
so that you may be mature
and complete, lacking nothing.
Now the key phrase or words here
in this paragraph relate to the
whole concept of maturity.
If we don't understand
the concept of maturity and immaturity,
it's difficult to understand a lot of
the things that James is talking about,
including what we're going to read here
in this particular paragraph.
Now how can they practice
what James is talking about?
How can they put into practice this perspective?
Well, James goes on to answer that
when he outlines a prayer for wisdom.
And it simply reads this way--
beginning in verse 5, chapter 1:
Now if any of you lacks wisdom,
he should ask God--who gives to
all generously and ungrudgingly--
and it will be given to him.
But let him ask in faith without doubting.
For the doubter is like the surging sea,
driven and tossed by the wind.
That person should not expect
to receive anything from the Lord,
being double-minded and unstable
in all his ways.
Now the key again here,
in understanding what James is writing,
is to understand the concept of immaturity.
Because immaturity is reflected in these words:
double-minded and unstable.
In fact, it was serious double-mindedness.
And it was serious instability.
Now I think we make a mistake
when we look at this verse
and we say that if we need wisdom.
When we think that James is talking
about simple understanding or guidance,
we really haven't understood
what he's talking about.
You see, later on he gives us perspective.
He's talking here about spiritual immaturity.
He's talking here about attitudes of worldliness.
He's talking about the fact that they are
tossed here and there by every wind.
He's not just talking about believers
who want wisdom for guidance.
And we understand that when
you jump ahead to James.
And this is an interesting thing.
James introduces us to subjects
in the first chapter and then you'll find
that he expands on those concepts later on.
And he does that with wisdom.
And here's what we're talking about.
In James chapter 3, he helps us
understand what he's talking about
when he talks about wisdom.
He talks about wisdom from above--
wisdom from God.
And so he defines it:
But the wisdom from above is first pure,
then peace-loving, gentle, compliant,
full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering...
Now think about that for a moment.
Remember what he talked about
when he talked about prayer for wisdom?
When he said: Don't expect God to answer
the prayer if you're double-minded.
If you're unstable.
Well here, he's talking about being unwavering.
See that's wisdom from above.
When we're practicing that kind of wisdom:
...without pretense.
And the fruit of righteousness is
sown in peace by those who cultivate peace.
Now by contrast, we find that
James talks about earthly wisdom.
Wisdom from above is one thing
but wisdom from the earth is another.
And how does he define earthly wisdom?
But if you have bitter envy
and selfish ambition in your heart,
don't boast and deny the truth. ...
That's serious, by the way, to deny the truth.
But wisdom from this earth
frequently denies the truth:
...Such wisdom does not come down
from above but is earthly,
unspiritual, demonic. ...
That's a serious statement--demonic:
...For where there is envy
and selfish ambition, there is disorder
and every evil practice.
Now what he is literally talking about here
is there was serious difficulty
among these believers
who were receiving this letter.
And they were asking God--
out of a lifestyle that was
not reflecting who Jesus Christ really is.
And what James is saying:
Don't expect to receive answers to your
prayers when you're double-minded.
When you've got one foot in the world
and with the other foot you're trying
to walk in the will of God.
That's being double-minded.
That's not being focused on
God's will for your life.
Now the wonderful thing
about Scripture is that when you're
trying to get understanding,
you need to look at the context.
And that's what we've done
here immediately in James.
We've seen the prayer for wisdom
and then we go further on into the text.
And we have this wisdom from above
and wisdom from beneath.
And they were wrapped up
in a lot of wisdom from the earth
and getting into all kinds of difficulties.
And at the same time, they wanted
God's approval and God's favor.
Now that's the immediate context.
That's James's context.
But let's go to a broader context.
And we can understand even more
of this wisdom from above.
For example, in Ephesians chapter 1,
beginning in verse 15.
Notice Paul's prayer:
This is why, since I heard about
your faith in the Lord Jesus
and your love for all the saints,
I never stopped giving thanks for you
as I remember you in my prayers. ...
Now what was Paul's prayer?
Well notice. And it relates to what
James is really talking about
because it relates to prayer. He says:
I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ,
the glorious Father, would give you
the [What?]
Spirit of wisdom
and revelation in the knowledge of him.
See, that's wisdom from above.
And what Paul is saying is that
the more you know about God
and who he is, the more you will
want to live like God wants us to live.
Like Peter says: Be holy as God is holy.
And so James is really exhorting
these Jewish believers--scattered
throughout the Roman world--
that in order to have answers to prayer
in how to walk with God.
How to live in this world.
They needed to seek God first and foremost.
They were not really asking God
for wisdom from above.
Paul underscores this in another passage.
Look at Colossians chapter 1,
beginning in verse 9.
Again I call this wisdom from above:
For this reason also,
since the day we heard this,
we haven't stopped praying for you.
We are asking that you may be filled
with the knowledge of his will
and in all [What?]
wisdom and spiritual understanding,
so that you may walk worthy of the Lord...
What is the purpose in asking God for wisdom?
That we might walk in his will.
That we might do his will.
And as we read on, living a life that is
fully pleasing to him:
bearing fruit in every good work
and growing in the knowledge of God.
So when you understand the context
and the definitions of wisdom,
you begin to realize that what James
is talking about is not just asking God
for guidance.
It's not just asking the Lord to give us
some kind of understanding and insight
into a particular situation.
He's talking about the fact that
if you really sincerely ask God
with a pure heart how to walk with him,
he will answer your prayers and show you
how to walk with him.
And in essence, we'll see from
the rest of the letter, that was
a serious problem among these believers.
And so James is instructing them
in this particular situation.
Let me repeat the Principle
so we get that in front of us.
And then I want to talk about
a question for application:
To face trials [and temptations]
with a proper perspective,
we must seek God's wisdom
through faith and prayer.
And I might add to that,
that we should seek God's wisdom
through faith and prayer sincerely.
Sincerely wanting to know God and his will.
And if you add that to that Principle
you get the comprehensive aspect
of what James is really talking about.
Now here's the question for Reflection and Response:
What advantages do we have today
compared with these believers in AD 50,
before the Gospels, Acts, Letters,
and Revelation were written?
Well think for a moment.
As far as we know, this is the first letter
that was written to churches
and to Christians that's included
in our New Testament.
The first letter--came before Paul wrote Galatians.
And that was one--probably his first letter.
So this is going back in church history.
This is going back to those believing Jews
who were scattered throughout
the whole Roman world.
And he's writing, as we know,
to the twelve tribes that are distributed
throughout the Roman Empire.
And these are believing Jews
who are in a situation where they
need to grow in Christ.
And James is addressing that.
Think for a moment the advantage
that we have.
James writes this letter
and it's read in a church somewhere.
And in another church.
And another church.
Throughout the whole Roman Empire.
And then they made copies.
Think, this would take probably years
to even circulate the very message
that James is trying to communicate
to these churches that are scattered
throughout the whole Roman world.
When you think about that,
we have it all.
We not only we have James,
we have Paul's letters:
thirteen letters that he wrote.
They're all in the New Testament.
And what do those letters give us?
Wisdom from above.
The whole thrust of these letters are
to show us how to walk in the will of God
in view of our great calling in Jesus Christ.
And when I think about that, I think to myself:
Wow, what a privilege we have.
By contrast, James didn't send an email
throughout the Roman world.
They woke up in the morning
and they all had a letter from James.
Like we can.
I sent an email yesterday
that went all over the world.
That we were meeting tonight
to talk about James.
Think about the privileges that we have
in terms of God's will for our lives.
We have it all.
So let's be sure to thank God for his wisdom
that is given to us in the Word of God.
But more than that, as James will tell us later,
don't just be listeners.
Don't just hear.
But be doers of the Word.
And that's the message that
James is trying to get across
to these first-century believers.