I. TRUE WISDOM COMES FROM GOD.

1. Earlier James said that we show our faith by our works (2:17-20). Now he says, we show our wisdom and knowledge by "a good conversation (lifestyle, behaviour)…with meekness of wisdom" (3:13).
2. Warren Weirsbe said, "The phrase, ‘meekness of wisdom,’ is an interesting one. Meekness is the right use of power, and wisdom is the right use of knowledge. They go together."
3. Meekness is not weakness. The Lord Jesus Christ was meek and lowly in heart (Matt. 11:29).
4. Moses was meek, but not weak. "Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth" (Num. 12:3).
5. In contrast to true wisdom which comes from God, worldly wisdom is "earthly, sensual, devilish" (3:15).
6. First Corinthians 1:20 says, "Hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?"
7. Man’s wisdom comes from reason; but God’s wisdom comes from revelation. This is the big difference between fundamental Christianity and liberalism and the religious cults, etc.
8. Isaiah 29:14 says, "For the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid."
9. The apostle Paul quotes Isaiah 29:14 in I Corinthians 1:19, "For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent."
10. Man’s worldly wisdom will come to nothing. God’s wisdom will endure forever.
11. James lists seven fruits of heavenly wisdom (3:17). First and foremost is purity. True wisdom is "pure," i.e. holy, free from defilement.
12. True wisdom leads to purity and holiness. "It is impossible to exaggerate the value of a sensitive conscience" (Guy King).
13. Milton called the conscience "the umpire of the soul," but some people need to train their umpire better – by the Word of God.
14. Purity comes before peace (3:17).  I referred earlier to Mr. Gingrich.  He is impure.   He is so obscenely impure that even many worldly people are repulsed by him.
15. Purity cannot be compromised. "Peace at any price" has destroyed many churches and Christian schools.
16. Next James says "then peaceable" (3:17). Martin Luther told a story of two goats that met on a narrow bridge. Neither one would back up and they both knew that if they got into a fight they would wind up in the river. Finally, one of them lay down and let the other one go over him. The wise man is a peacemaker and will do all he can to maintain peace without sacrificing purity.
17. Romans 12:18 says, "If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men."
18. Third, the wisdom that is from above is "gentle" (3:17). A wise man is a gentleman, not a roughneck.
19. Recently an arrogant movie star had to be removed from an airplane because of his rude and disruptive behaviour. This man considers himself a know-it-all, but it is obvious he knows nothing about true wisdom.
20. True wisdom is "easy to be intreated" (3:17), i.e. willing to yield (like Luther’s goat on the bridge), conciliatory, agreeable, open to reason, ready to admit when we are wrong.
21. "Full of mercy and good fruits" (3:17) means compassionate, kind, not vindictive.  Our Lord said in Luke 6:36, "Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful."
22. People that are merciful are fruitful -- "full of mercy and good fruits."
23. "Without partiality" means no favoritism (cf. 2:1-4).
24. "Without hypocrisy" means sincere, not phony, no pretense.

II. THE WRONG KIND OF WISDOM COMES FROM THE DEVIL

1. Worldly-minded people are characterized by "bitter envying and strife" (3:14). They are only concerned with their own interests and selfish ambitions – their career, their plans, their goals, their possessions, their family (some might object and say, "But isn’t it good for us to be concerned with our family?" Yes – but not if the family comes before God).
2. The worldly man is proud of his success and jealous of any competitors. James says "glory not" (3:14), i.e. do not boast.  First Corinthians 1:31 says, "That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord."
3. Notice the steps downward: bitter envying and strife leads to boasting, which leads to lying and deceit (3:14).This wrong kind of wisdom "descendeth not from above" (3:15). It is from the world ("earthly"), the flesh ("sensual") and the devil ("devilish"), our three great enemies.
4. We do not hear many sermons these days against worldliness because most preachers are themselves pretty worldly, or they are afraid to offend their worldly members.
5. A little girl was watching her mother working in her flower garden one day and she said to her mother: "I know why the flowers grow, Mom. They’re so pretty they want to get out of the dirt."
6. I don’t know how pretty you are tonight but I know that if you are saved, God wants you to get out of the dirt.
7. Men reject God’s wisdom and try to replace it with their own worldly wisdom. Worldly wisdom has the wrong motives – "bitter envying and strife" (3:14).
8. Worldly wisdom produces the wrong results – "confusion and every evil work" (3:16).Wrong thinking produces wrong living.

III. TRUE WISDOM BRINGS GOD’S BLESSINGS (3:18).

1. James 3:18 links together chapters 3 and 4.
2. James 3:17 says that true wisdom is peaceable. James 4:1 starts off by mentioning "wars and fightings."  (There were no chapter divisions in the original writings.)
3. James is declaring an important Bible principle – you reap what you sow (3:18).
4. The wise man demonstrates "the fruit of righteousness" (3:13, 17), because he sows "in peace" (3:18).
5. The wise man obeys God’s Word and sows righteousness, not sin.
6. There is a popular phony "pseudo-Christianity" today a that is as fake as can be. Churches can manufacture conversions, they can stage fake miracles, they can speak in gibber-gabber and call it "tongues," they have their artificial ministers and phony worship services and they are fooling many people. But there is one thing that they cannot fake and that is fruit.
7. They cannot create "the fruit of righteousness."  Only the Holy Spirit can do that (3:18).
8. What we sow determines what we reap. If we live in God’s wisdom, we will sow righteousness and peace, and we will reap God’s blessing.
9. If we live by man’s worldly wisdom we will sow sin and reap "confusion and every evil work" (3:16).

CONCLUSION:

1. Let me ask you a few simple questions: Do you serve the Lord without caring who gets the credit?  Are you proud?
2. Do you harbor jealousy and envy in your heart?
3. There is an old proverb. Some say it is from the Persians or Chinese or maybe the Arabs, etc.

He that knows not, and knows not that he knows not; he is a fool. Shun him.

He who knows not, and knows that he knows not; he is simple. Teach him.

He who knows, and knows not that he knows; he is asleep. Wake him.

He who knows, and knows that he knows; he is a wise man. Follow him.