True Faith That Works: Seven Virtures of a Heavenly Hearted Peacemaker (Part 2)

The two things that seem to slip through our like water in your hands is peace and contentment. Unfortunately, peace and contentment slip through the lives of God’s people in the church. How often has the church split over selfish ambition? How often have families been torn apart or friends destroyed because of bitter envy inside the church? Last week, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, we learned why this happens and how must fight against it.

James showed us, bitter envy and selfish ambition come from a heart that is worldly, unspiritual, and under the influence of demonic hellish wisdom. Hellish wisdom must be rejected because it is of Satan and it allows Satan to create an atmosphere in your heart and mind where bitterness and selfishness and bear the fruit of disorder in your relationships and vile practices. Hellish wisdom hardens your heart toward God making your love for him and your neighbor bitterly cold. So much so, that if you do not aggressively crucify your bitter envy and selfish ambition and reject this hellish wisdom, you will suffer God’s wrath in hell for following such hellish wisdom.

John of the Cross commends us this morning that peace and contentment come through a crucified life with Christ.

300 Quotations for Preachers from the Reformation Live Crucified with Christ, Inwardly and Outwardly

Inwardly and outwardly live always crucified with Christ, and you will attain unto peace and contentment of spirit, and in your patience you shall possess your soul.

JOHN OF THE CROSS*

Last week James showed us that we must crucify our bitter envy and selfish ambition inwardly and outwardly. This morning, James exhorts you to,

Receive heavenly wisdom so that you become a peacemaker who cultivates a harvest of righteousness.

Peacemaking is James remedy to bitter envy and selfish ambition. Peacemaking is one of the defining marks of God’s people, and should be the defining mark of God’s community. Peacemaking happens when we live a crucified life with Christ first inwardly, then, outwardly. For true peace that surpasses all understanding, Jesus must first do a work of purity in your heart, and you must receive this purifying work if you are to be the solution to bitter envy and selfish ambition in the church.

Those who receive heavenly wisdom are pure (James 3:17a)

James 3:17 (ESV)

But the wisdom from above is first pure...

James makes a distinction with the word “pure” by designating it as first; “wisdom from above is first pure.” It’s as if James is telling his readers that purity is the point of origin. From being pure, one is peace-loving, gentle, reasonable, compassionate, unwavering, and sincere.

By doing this James is contrasting those who abide in hellish wisdom with those who receive heavenly wisdom. Those who do not reject hellish wisdom are filled with bitter envy, selfish ambition, and their hearts are ruled by demonic influences. On the other hand, those who receive heavenly wisdom are pure and loving peace is the prominent characteristic of their of life.

James uses a common word for purity. The word pure, in James context, connotes the idea of being faultless or innocent. It also means to be morally pure.

The kind of purity that James is speaking of can only come to a person who has been cleansed by the blood of Jesus. John clearly says,

1 John 3:3 (ESV)

And everyone who thus hopes in him [Jesus] purifies himself as he is pure.

To be pure you must receive Christ’s purity. How do you receive his purity? John says,

1 John 1:9 ESV

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Confess your sin, repent, and accept Jesus’s atoning sacrifice on the cross for you impurity. He will take your impurity and in return give you his purity. He will cleanse you of all unrighteousness. Furthermore, he will give you his spirit to empower to live moral life. That is, the power to turn away from sensuality, pride, covetousness, bitter jealousy, and selfish ambition.

You may be an astute reader of James’ letter and know that he says latter on in the letter,

James 4:8 ESV

Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

How is it that we are pure, and yet we must purify our hearts?

James is recognizing the already-not yet tension we live as Christians. Christ’s atoning work on the cross completely cleanses you from all your sin. In that regard, positionally, before God, we are a sanctified people. Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, … that she might be holy and without blemish” (Eph. 5:25–27). On the other hand, the not yet is that we are progressively being sanctified. We are cooperating with God in his process of purifying us as we walk on earth. Or, as Paul puts it, we are “Working out our own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure” (Phil. 2:12–13).

What you notice is that your faith is both passive and active. Its passive in that it is God working in you, and receive his work and allow him tom work in your life. On the other hand, your faith is active. You must cultivate it with faith-filled works.

James speaks to this in verse 18

James 3:18 ESV

And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

You have to verbal ideas: sowing and making in verse 18. There is your action. You must sow peace and make peace with your good conduct. When you actively sow peace you will reap a harvest of righteousness. But, we already know, according to Paul in Phil 2:12-13, that it is God working in you to work peace for his good pleasure.

Dr. Greg Allison sums up the process of progressive sanctification well when he says,

“God calls and nourishes his people to be holy as he is holy and to be devoted to his purpose. As he sanctifies them, he provides sufficient resources for their ongoing progress toward increasing Christlikeness. The exhortation, then, is to strive “for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord” (Heb. 12:14).” Dr. Greg Allison

You are pure in Christ, and yet, you are being made pure in your progressive sanctification. Your sanctification will produce a harvest of righteousness from peace (James 3:18), which James reveals as list of seven virtues.

Seven Virtues of Heavenly Wisdom

The list of seven virtues paints a portrait of a genuine Christ follower whose sanctification is conforming them into the image of the Son. When the world sees these virtues in you, it sees Jesus. When you manifest these virtues in your conduct, the church, community, and home flourish in peace. In turn, you must strive to cultivate these virtues in your conduct to show your works in the meekness of wisdom James 3:13.

Heavenly wisdom cultivates peace-loving (James 3:17a)

The idea behind the word used here for peace is, peaceful. Loving peace is having a desire to work peace into every relationship you have. Because James follows the scripture for Old Testament wisdom, it is not far off to think that James has the idea of shalom in mind. Douglas Moo makes says that shalom is a “peace” that involves harmony between humans and God, humans and other humans, and humans with the natural world.

In our fallen condition, we are not at peace with God, and therefore we are not at peace with each other. Paul describe our natural hearts as hostile to God and will not submit to Him (Romans 8:7-8). In chapter 4, James says the source of wars and conflicts among you happen because your passions are at war in your hearts (James 4:1-2). We are not by nature lovers of God, and therefore by nature we are not lovers of peace. We need Jesus’s divine love in our souls to transform our wills to cultivate peace from a place of contentment in Christ. Henry Scougal is wisely helpful when he says,

“Behold! on what sure foundations his happiness is built whose soul is possessed with divine love, whose will is transformed into the will of God, and whose greatest desire is that his Maker should be pleased. O the peace, the rest, the satisfaction that attends such a temper of mind!” Henry Scougal

Jesus is the supreme peacemaker who transforms you from an enemy at war with God to joyful servant of the most High God. Jesus, the supreme Peacemaker, paves the way for you to have peace with God through his death and resurrection. He gives you the peace that surpasses all understanding when he fills your heart with his divine love; then enabling your heart to love peace the way he loves peace. Additionally, His love for peace flows out of your heart onto your neighbor, even onto your enemies. Jesus is the shalom your heart desperately needs. Being in shalom with God enables you to be at peace with your neighbors, even the one that are hostile to you, the same way Jesus was at peace with his neighbors, even the ones who put him on the cross.

Receiving heavenly wisdom means you will strive to cultivate a love for peace with your neighbor and your enemies. Your peace will flow from the peace, or shalom, you have your Father in heaven through Jesus. St. Francis understood the work it took to cultivate peace in a prayer he wrote. He beautifully recalls:

“Lord, make me an instrument of Thy peace;

Where there is hate, may I bring love;

Where offense, may I bring pardon;

May I bring unison in place of discord.” St Francis

Heavenly wisdom cultivates gentleness (James 3:17b)

By gentle, James means to have heart attitude that does not insist on the letter of ones rights. It’s a willingness to yield yourself to someone else with a meek submissive attitude.

Keep in mind, meekness is not weakness. It is power under control.

The imagery of meek gentleness that James is speaking could be seen in how God deals with his wondering servant Elijah. Elijah is a prophet who, for a short time, lost his way. After running from Jezebel’s threats he finds himself alone and weary on Mount Horeb. He is not where he is supposed. At God confronts his servant.

1 Kings 19:9 ESV

There he came to a cave and lodged in it. And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and he said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

Elijah tells responds to God,

1 Kings 19:10 ESV

He said, “I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away.”

God tells Elijah to stand on the mount before the Lord. And the Lord passed before him and a fierce wind tore up the mountains and the trees, but God was not in the wind. The a great earthquake , but the Lord was not in the earthquake. Then a great fire, but the Lord was not in the fire.

Elijah sees God display his great power over all creation. No enemy can stand against almighty God. You would think that God was making his point clear to Elijah by the wind, earthquake, and fire. But God was not in the wind, or the earthquake, nor the fire. God revealed himself to his servant not by his power, but by his gentleness

1 Kings 19:12–13 (ESV)

And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper.

And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

For Elijah, says Tremper Longman III, it is not the fierce wind or the fearsome earthquake or the blazing fire of Sinai that bears the word of God but the “gentle whisper” (1 Kings 19:12 NIV). God came to his wondering servant with a gentle hand, like a father who comes to his wayward son with loving arms. God could have brought fire down on Elijah like he did for the prophets of Baal. Instead, seeing his servant weary and heavy burdened, he comes with a gentle whisper, “Son, what are doing here?” The glory of God’s gentleness is that he purposely subverts his power to show kindness, mercy, compassion, and care for those who are weak and made of dust.

Jesus describes himself as “gentle and humble in heart,” his “yoke is easy” and his “burden is light” (Mt 11:29). Jesus display his gentleness toward the weak and heavy burdened by caring for their needs and having compassion on their poverty of spirit. His greatest testimony of gentleness may be the cross, where he yielded his power over heaven and earth to suffer humiliation and God’s wrath for sinners in order to show them love and kindness.

The great Puritan pastor Richard Sibbes counsels us,

“When we see the humility and obedience of Christ, when we look on Christ as God’s chosen servant in all this, and as our surety and head, it transforms us to the like humility (gentleness) and obedience.” Richard Sibbes

For Sibbes, seeing Jesus is communing with Jesus. Communing with Jesus is having his word dwell richly in your heart so that your words and actions are the overflow of his work of transformation in you. Meaning, the words of your mouth will reflect his gentleness in all of your conversations, good, bad, or indifferent, whether in person or on social media. When you are sinned against, although you may have the right to complain and seek retribution, you voluntarily subvert your power and right to do so because you reflect the gentleness of Jesus.

Heavenly wisdom cultivates reasonableness (James 3:17c)

The NIV translates this word as “submissive” which is a good translation. The idea of reasonableness is being willing to submit to another point of view, or that you are “open to reason.” Douglas Moo notes that being submissive to another point of view does not mean a weak, credulous gullibility but a willing deference to others when unalterable theological or moral principles are not involved: “willing to yield.”

The kind of reasonable spirit James is speaking of is seen in the way David listens to Abigail in 1 Samuel 25:32-33). Abigails foolish husband Nabal does not return kindness to David for protecting his flock in the wilderness. David and his men arm themselves to avenge Nabal’s treachery. Abigail finds out her husbands foolishness and quickly sets our to rectify the situation. She intervenes and persuades David to turn his anger away. David hears her reasonable plea and responds,

1 Samuel 25:32–33 ESV

And David said to Abigail, “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who sent you this day to meet me! Blessed be your discretion, and blessed be you, who have kept me this day from bloodguilt and from working salvation with my own hand!

Being reasonable does not mean you violate truthful theological convictions. You never compromise the gospel. You keep the majors the majors, and not die on the minors. Jesus transforms your heart to not be so inclined to win the argument as much as you desire to win your brother or sister. He gives you peace-loving, gentle ears to hear.

Heavenly wisdom cultivates compassion (James 3:17d)

James says a person who receives wisdom from heaven is a person who is full of mercy. Being full of mercy is, in one word, to be compassionate. Martin Manser defines compassion as

“An attitude of care and concern, grounded in pity and sympathy towards others. Christian compassion towards others should reflect the compassion of God for his people.” Martin Manser

Pauls says being full of mercy is to Ephesians 4:32

Ephesians 4:32 ESV

Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

The story has been told of a mother who sought from Napoleon the pardon of her son. The emperor said it was the man’s second offense, and justice demanded his death. “I don’t ask for justice,” said the mother. “I plead for mercy.”

“But,” said the emperor, “he does not deserve mercy.”

“Sir,” cried the mother, “it would not be mercy if he deserved it, and mercy is all I ask.”

“Well, then,” said the emperor, “I will show mercy.” And her son was saved.

Napoleon was by no means a peace-loving, gentle, reasonable, compassionate emperor, which makes the story hard to believe. That being said, if the story is true, if Napoleon being who he was could be reasonable and full of mercy, how much more can you Christian be full of mercy and compassion toward your neighbors, your brothers and sisters, even your enemies?

Heavenly wisdom cultivates kind deeds (James 3:17e)

For James, mercy and kind deeds are two sides of the same coin. Compassionate mercy cannot be just felt. It must be expressed. You see the same idea in what Jesus taught in John 15. It is not enough to say you love Jesus. Your love for Jesus must bear fruit. Just as your love for Jesus bears the fruit of love of joyful obedience, answered prayer, and reaping the harvest of lost souls, so your mercy will bear the fruit of forgiveness, generosity, and lifting the plight of the physical and spiritually impoverished.

According to James, mercy is compassionate love in action. That was his point in James 2:8-12, when he spoke of the royal law, loving your neighbor as yourself. If your brother is in need, show mercy and compassion by helping them. Express your mercy with kind deeds.

William Booth was the third of five children in the early 1800’s during the Victorian age in England. He was a small child when his father’s wealth declined and his family experienced s series of tragedies. They had to sell his home to pay off debt, which forced them to live above a small shop. His father died in 1842 while booth was an adolescent. In 1844, Booth was saved under the preaching at Nottinghams Wesley Chapel. He moved to London and God led him to the East side of London, where the marginalized of the society was forced to live. He preached in the streets of East London to addicts, alcoholics, orphaned children, broken families, and organized criminals.

Booth deeply believed in a literal and eternal hell and he had profound pity on those who were suffering in this life poverty, substance abuse, broken families, broken education, and the unchurched. With his Christian convictions and heart-felt pity he was compelled to express Jesus’ mercy to the East side of London. So in 1865, he founded the Christian Mission in Whitechapel, which eventually became the Salvation Army.

At the end of a fruitful life of caring, William Booth was buried with high honor. Royalty attended his funeral. Next to the queen sat a shabbily dressed woman who placed a flower on the casket as it passed by. “How did you know him?” asked the queen. The woman’s answer was simply, “He cared for the likes of us.”

Heavenly wisdom from above compels you to show your mercy with kind deeds. Just as Jesus cared for the likes of you with blood wrought mercy, so must you care for the likes of your neighbors with abundant mercy driven kind deeds.

Heavenly wisdom cultivates consistency (James 3:17f)

The idea here that is that one is unwavering in their faith with a consistent walk. The ESV translates this word as impartial. James spoke on this in chapter two about showing partiality toward the rich. In this context, its not showing osculating from one position in one circumstance to another position because your circumstances have changed. Heavenly wisdom does not play the political game of telling the conservatives what they want to hear and the liberals what they want to hear. Heavenly is unwavering in the truth, always walking a consistently straight line.

Kent Hughes rightly says,

“Consistency—being “impartial”—is a hallmark of wisdom from Heaven.” Kent Hughes

Heavenly wisdom cultivates sincerity (James 3:17g)

Finally, heavenly wisdom lives a life without hypocrisy. James has spoken at length on inconsistent hypocrisy is with the Christian faith. Martin Manser describes hypocrisy as “An outward pretence masking an inner reality. Scripture condemns hypocrisy, especially in matters of faith. Believers should express their commitment to God in their words and their deeds, as well as in their inner motivation.” Hellish wisdom thrives under hypocrisy wrecking havoc on the church, community, and home. Stephen Charnock captures the disappointment of Christian insincerity when he says,

“It is a sad thing to be Christians at a supper, heathens in our shops, and devils in our closets.” Stephen Charnock

Heavenly wisdom is unwavering in it’s commitment to sincerity to Christ. Those who cultivate sincerity in their good conduct say with Paul, “Now this is our boast, our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in our relations with you, in the holiness and sincerity that are from God. We have done so not according to worldly wisdom but according to God’s grace” (2 Corinthians 1:12).

James ends this section with an inclusio. In verse 17 he began with peace and in verse 18 he ends with peace. Being a peacemaker is James’ big idea in this text. Peacemakers ardently reject hellish wisdom and refuse to allow bitter envy and selfish ambition to ruin their love for Jesus and hate their neighbor. Peacemakers receive heavenly wisdom and cultivate a harvest of righteousness of peace-loving, gentleness, reasonableness, compassion, kind deeds, consistency, and sincerity. Their pursuit of peacemaking prove to the church, community, and home that they are truly sons and daughters of God. For Jesus says,

Matthew 5:9 ESV

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

The heart of the matter

Francis de Sales intrigued me this week with something he said pertaining to envy and contentment. He says,

“Do not sow your desires in another’s garden, but cultivate well your own. Do not desire to be what you are not, but desire to be very well what you are; occupy your thoughts in making that perfect, and in bearing the crosses, little or great, which you will meet.” Francis de Sales

It struck me that he connects envy to a lack of contentment. Why would I sow my desires in another’s garden? Why would I desire to be what I am not? Because I want what my neighbor has and I want to be what my neighbor is. That is covetousness. That is envy. Why do I want what my neighbor has? Because I am not content with what God has provided me. And my bitter envy and selfish ambition to have it will drive my sinful heart to do whatever it takes to get it: lie, steal, even murder.

Francis de Sales says your remedy for your discontentment is surrendering to Jesus. That is what he means bearing the crosses. Bearing your cross is submitting your life entirely to Jesus so that his desires become your desires. Francis de Sales is conveying to us what Paul says to us in Philippians 4:11-13

Philippians 4:11–13 (CSB)

...for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I find myself.

I know how to make do with little, and I know how to make do with a lot. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being content—whether well fed or hungry, whether in abundance or in need.

I am able to do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Peacemakers are truly the sons and daughters of God. God blesses their peacemaking with the fruit seven virtues of peace: peace-loving, gentleness, reasonableness, compassion, kind deeds, consistency, and sincerity. They do not cultivate this on their own strength but on the strength of their contentment in Christ in all things.

Brothers and sisters, be peacemakers. Listen to John of the Crosses words of wisdom,

“Inwardly and outwardly live always crucified with Christ, and you will attain unto peace and contentment of spirit, and in your patience you shall possess your soul.”