Living Out Our Faith Skillfully - Chapter 3/Paragraph 2
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Introduction
Introduction
Well, here we are again at the end of another paragraph and the end of another chapter. Tonight, I want to spend just a few moments reviewing all that we learned in this paragraph. Next week, we will go back and examine the entire chapter as we consider the overall context of the entire book of James.
As a reminder, the context of chapter 3 is about us, as believers, living out our faith skilfully. You may recall that this chapter began with the warning of verse 1.
1 My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation.
That phrase “be not many masters” was intended to arrest our attention. The Holy Spirit is warning us about the great responsibility of teaching. The word “master” is the same word for “Rabbi” or “teacher.” Thus, we must be careful about our desire to teach others. The duty of teaching the Word of God to others is a serious and solemn responsibility. It requires the teacher to be an example of all that they teach. Thus, if you are going to teach God’s Word, you better be living God’s Word. For that reason, we need to learn the art of living out our faith skillfully.
Now, paragraph one, which was verses 1-12, dealt with the topic of communication. Communication is the method for teaching others. The Holy Spirit automatically draws our attention to dangers of communication. In fact, we learned the inherent danger of an uncontrolled tongue. The bottom line of that paragraph is we must learn to submit to Holy Spirit allowing Him to control what we cannot.
Thus, in the next paragraph, which is verses 13-18, the Holy Spirit underlines the importance of God’s wisdom. His wisdom is to be the foundation of each Spirit led teacher. We are given a stark contrast between the wisdom of the world versus the wisdom of God.
So, for the few minutes we have this evening, let’s review these verses and pack it all together.
PARAGRAPH RECAP
PARAGRAPH RECAP
13 Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.
The wise believer is a believer who not only teaches God’s Word, but also lives God’s Word. That is the principle learned in this verse. Remember they are to “show out of a good conversation” their works. “Conversation” goes deeper than just speaking words. The Greek word here indicates conduct. In other words, actions speak louder than words. If you are going to teach God’s Word, then you better be committed to living out God’s Word. In fact, I will go even further. If you say that you are believer, then live like a believer. We are also instructed on how to “shew” our “good conversation.” We are to do it with “meekness of wisdom.” You might say, “wisdom’s meekness.” The word “meekness” implies three things. It implies humility, strength, and self-control. We must humbly be obedient to God and His Word. As we do, God’s strength will prevail in our lives enabling us to control certain urges to promote self instead of Him. However, note that it begins with humble obedience to His Word which is the source of all wisdom.
PRINCIPLE: The wise believer demonstrates wisdom by their outward and humble obedience to God’s Word.
14 But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.
Here is a warning from God. It begins with a reality check. We are not capable of righteousness. Every time we rely upon our own wisdom it leads to selfish desires and indulgence. Our sin nature will always seek sinful activities. Thus, the believer who is not humbly obeying God’s Word is the believer who is in danger of sinful actions. They are danger of things like bitter envying and strife. A true gut check reveals that we are inherently sinful. Praise God that we are saved from the bondage of sin. However, if we stray away from following the wisdom of God’s word, we open the door for our sinful heart to rule and reign again. It is better that we admit our error and return back to Him. The false wisdom of a sinful heart arouses envy, strife, self glory, and lies against the truth.
PRINCIPLE: The unwise believer caught in the trap of self wisdom leads them to envy, strife, self-glory, and lies against the truth.
15 This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.
We find the Holy Spirit begins a contrast between our wisdom and God’s wisdom with this verse. This verse continues the thought of verse 13. A believer who relies upon their own wisdom will find themselves caught in sinful actions both within and without. Now, we see some additional characteristics of mans’ wisdom. First, it is not from above. In other words, it does come from God thus we cannot say that is God’s wisdom. Second, it is completely earthly. Again, it comes from the heart of sinful men. Third, is it sensual. This word strikes right at the heart of original sin. We are sinners because we are born sinners. We are a product of Adam. For that reason, men inherently seek their own wisdom which is born in enmity with God. Thus, men are not born with a desire to things God’s way. Instead, men believe they are always right and everyone, including God, is wrong. Then, last, the Holy Spirit describes our wisdom as devilish. The word “devilish” literally means “demonic.” In the end, every unbeliever lives according to the father of this world, Satan. They are under his bondage carrying out his plans against God. Thus, man’s wisdom always stands in complete opposition to everything related to God.
PRINCIPLE: Man’s wisdom is not God’s wisdom; in contrast, it proceeds from a human, sinful, and demonic heart that opposes God at every turn.
16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.
What then is the end result of man’s wisdom? It is confusion and every kind of evil work. The description of envying and strife brings us back to the original thought in verse 14. Any believer who harbors envy and strife is a believer following his own human, sinful, and demonic heart. In turn, it leads to confusion. The word “confusion” denotes a state of violent group disturbance and disorder. It speaks of open chaos and anarchy. It also leads to every evil work you can possibly imagine. Each time I read this I am reminded of Scripture’s description of humanity before the great Flood.
5 And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
If you couple that with God’s command to Noah after they exited the ark in Genesis 9:6 which says,
6 Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man.
we can safely assume that men were so evil that the earth was filled with nothing but complete anarchy and wickedness. The wickedness was so great that murder was common place. There was no sanctity of life. On a side note, we just about there again. History indeed repeats itself. The first time, God judged humanity with Flood. The second time, God Himself will judge each man individually. I say all that to say that men left to themselves will alway gravitate to wickedness and evil. In verse 16, the Holy Spirit relates this to the fact any believer who stands upon their own wisdom will be people who cause confusion and will do evil works.
PRINCIPLE: Leaning on man’s wisdom always leads to confusion and evil works.
17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.
Now, in this verse, the Holy Spirit shows us His wisdom. Man’s wisdom is horrible. It is earthly, sensual, devilish and always leads to confusion and evil works. However, God’s wisdom is far superior to man’s. Note the characteristics given.
It IS from ABOVE. - James 1:5 “5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.”
It is PURE. - Pure in that it is completely free from any defilement or contamination. God’s wisdom, like God, is moral purity. In other words, it completely separated from impurity or wrong-doing. There is absolutely no amount of bad or defilement contained in God’s wisdom. There is not such as half good or half bad. It is totally pure and clean.
It is PEACEABLE. - Peace is achieved through harmonious relationships. When a relationship is clicking, there is joy, happiness, and peace. Essentially, such relationships come when hearts are joined together. God’s wisdom is peaceable and produces peace within those who have a personal relationship with Him. A relationship, by the way, that only comes by accepting Christ.
It is GENTLE. - It has the idea of forbearance, patience, and softness, but it goes deeper than that. It has the idea of someone or something that is equitable, fair, moderate, forbearing, not insisting on the letter of the law. I really like the description that I gave earlier. Gentle expresses that considerateness that looks humanely and reasonably at the facts of a case. In fact, as you think about it, does not this word describe God’s view of us and our sin? He is gentle in that He looked upon us humanely and reasonably. Had God not done so none of us would be here this evening! Our sin deserved a much harsher sentence. It was well within God’s right to completely wipe out sinful humanity and start again. However, instead, with love and a gentle heart, God had mercy on us providing the perfect plan for our redemption and salvation.
It is EASY to be INTREATED. - It means well obeyed. Another way to understand this is this. God’s wisdom is ready to obey.
It is FULL of MERCY. - Remember that “full” means to the full measure, extent, or degree of what is stated. The word “mercy” deals with thoughts of pity, compassion, affection, and kindness. If you recall, our definition further said that mercy assumes there is a need on the part of him who receives it, and, on the part of him who shows it, there are adequate resources to meet that need.
It is FULL of GOOD FRUITS. - We understand the word “good” means not bad. Fruits are the product or consequence of actions taken. The correlation is that of mercy. Mercy sees the need desiring to meet that need. The end result is good fruit, product, or consequence. If you think back to Ephesians 2 and the text we read earlier, God saw our need, He met our need, and the end result was our salvation. It was an excellent consequence. What was the fruit or product? It was eternal life versus eternal torment.
It is WITHOUT PARTIALITY. - God’s wisdom is impartial. Sinners are sinners. God’s wisdom is certain. There is no uncertainty and no indecision.
It is WITHOUT HYPOCRISY. - God’s wisdom does not play around. It does not fake people out. Everything that God has said is absolute truth. God does not teach one thing and does another. God is holy; thus, all He does is holy. God is love, and thus all He does is in love. I could go on listing all His attributes, but I believe you catch my understanding.
PRINCIPLE: God’s wisdom, which is based completely upon His purity (holiness), always produces peace, gentleness, obedience, mercy, good fruits, impartiality, and truthfulness.
18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.
This verse wraps up this paragraph in neat and tidy package. The Holy Spirit brings us back to our salvation. Note the phrase “is sown in peace of them that make peace.” A person can only know true peace when they accept the Lord of peace. You see all that Christ did on the cross of Calvary provided an avenue where men can be at peace with God.
19 For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell; 20 And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. 21 And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled
At the time a person reconciles with God by accepting all Christ did with His death, burial, and resurrection, God makes them a new creature. They are born again and made spiritually alive. Thus, He places within them the desire and the ability to produce “fruit of righteousness.” It is the same fruit mentioned in Galatians 5:22-23
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
Note that one of those fruits is peace. There are others. There is love, joy, longsuffering, gentleness, and the list goes on. Here then is the principle.
PRINCIPLE: A true believer can live according God’s wisdom and is capable of producing righteous fruit instead of sinful actions.
A COMPILATION OF PRINCIPLES LEARNED
A COMPILATION OF PRINCIPLES LEARNED
Now, take all these principles, put them together, and what do we get?
Verse 13 - PRINCIPLE: The wise believer demonstrates wisdom by their outward and humble obedience to God’s Word.
Verse 14 - PRINCIPLE: The unwise believer is caught in the trap of self wisdom leading them to envy, strife, self-glory, and lies against the truth.
Verse 15 - PRINCIPLE: Man’s wisdom is not God’s wisdom; in contrast, it proceeds from a human, sinful, and demonic heart that opposes God at every turn.
Verse 16 - PRINCIPLE: Leaning on man’s wisdom always leads to confusion and evil works.
Verse 17 - PRINCIPLE: God’s wisdom, which is based completely upon His purity (holiness), always produces peace, gentleness, obedience, mercy, good fruits, impartiality, and truthfulness.
Verse 18 - PRINCIPLE: A true believer can live according God’s wisdom and is capable of producing righteous fruit instead of sinful actions.
2 Timothy 3:16 APPLICATION
2 Timothy 3:16 APPLICATION
Here we apply 2 Timothy 3:16
16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
DOCTRINE (What is right?)
DOCTRINE (What is right?)
It is right for us as believers to make God’s wisdom the foundation of our lives. Our communication and our conduct should come from our faithful and humble obedience of God’s Word. In doing so, we will be fruitful for Him exhibiting the fruits of righteousness. We will live our lives based on God’s purity, gentleness, obedience, mercy, good fruits, impartiality and truthfulness. Believer who do so are believers who skillfully live out their faith before others.
REPROOF (What is not right?)
REPROOF (What is not right?)
It is not right for us as believer to make our wisdom the foundation of our lives. Our wisdom is inherently corrupted by sin. It will always lead us away from God and into sinful desires and actions. We will fall right back into the trap of envy and strife. And, instead of helping others grow spiritually, we will end sowing confusion and evil works.
CORRECTION (How to get right?)
CORRECTION (How to get right?)
If you as believer realize that you are relying on your own wisdom or you have strayed away from God’s wisdom, you need to repent. You need to ask God’s forgiveness allowing Him to cleanse you.
INSTRUCTION IN RIGHTEOUSNESS (How to stay right?)
INSTRUCTION IN RIGHTEOUSNESS (How to stay right?)
After that, be obedient. Stay in God’s Word each day by reading it, meditating on it, memorizing it, and obeying it.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Now, next week we will do a review of the entire chapter bring both paragraphs together. We will see how it ties into the overall context of the book and leave you with a challenge from God. I hope that you will come and be part of that study. Invite others to come as well. Then, with great excitement and anticipation, we begin our study of chapter 4.