James 3:13-18 | Jealousy

Good morning. It is wonderful to be back with you. If I haven't had a chance to meet you, my name is Ryan. I have the humble joy and privilege of being one of the pastors here at Arrow Heights.

We are so glad that you are here with us to open God's Word together. I would invite you to open to James chapter 3, verses 13 through 18. We are a little over halfway through our walk together through the Book of James. A few weeks ago, James identified the distinction between true and counterfeit faith. He explained that true faith in Christ is evidenced by the visible, tangible outworkings of trusting and following Jesus according to that faith.

Now, in today's text, James employs a similar approach, identifying two contrasting realities and calling his readers to examine themselves to see what their lives are displaying about their true spiritual condition. Now, the area that James focuses on in this passage is not only universally relevant, but something we see throughout history shaping and defining generation after generation, culture after culture, identity after identity, and worldview after worldview.

It's something he's already addressed briefly, but here examines with great intentionality, even an urgency.

In this text, James exposes and contrasts the differences between worldly and godly wisdom.

See, the concept and pursuit of wisdom in the ancient world was of extreme importance, particularly in the Greek and Roman cultures, amongst whom these early believers to whom James was writing had been dispersed. The first-century Roman philosopher Cicero said, "Wisdom is the best gift of the gods and the mother of all good things."

The apostle Paul experienced this amongst the Greeks at the Areopagus in Acts 17:21, which says, "Now the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there would spend their time in nothing except telling or hearing something new": information, speculation, debate, questions of meaning and reality. For the cultural thought leaders of the day, such wisdom was among the highest of pursuits. Yet for the people of that time, as it is for many today, wisdom was largely an intellectual pursuit.

Wisdom was about accumulating information, battling over schools of thought, assimilating ideas, and trying to be novel or creative. For the people among whom James's initial audience was living, wisdom was really a matter of ideas.

What James wants his readers to understand is that God's word says true wisdom is not only intellectual or a matter of ideas, but wisdom is also a matter of behavior. For the Christian, wisdom is seen not only in the transmission of ideas, but in the application of truth to our daily pursuits.

Whereas the philosophers and the power structures of the world identified the value of wisdom in principle, they recognized neither its source nor its right application.

Therefore, though mankind had a form of wisdom, the wisdom they had was largely fruitless.

Now, the Bible gives much space and emphasis to the fact that in this world we will encounter two very distinct and very opposite kinds of wisdom: the wisdom of man and the wisdom of God. And what James wants to emphasize at this point in his letter is that whichever of these two we hold as paramount will not only define our worldviews, but also flavor the fruit that comes from our lives.

In today's text, James shows us that when it comes to the wisdom we pursue, our conduct displays our confidence, and our confidence ultimately displays our spiritual condition.

So, to say it succinctly, the wisdom we trust eternally matters. So let's read James chapter 3, beginning in verse 13.

"Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.

"But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace."

So James begins this passage with a bit of a dangerously rhetorical question. He says, "Who is wise and understanding among you?"

Now, don't actually do this, but if I were to ask this question to us this morning, how many of you would raise your hand and say, "Yep, that's me."

Wisdom, check. Understanding, check. What do you want to know?

Now, to do such a thing would hopefully seem to us a bit foolish, a bit arrogant, a bit self-righteous and quick to push ourselves forward. But that is exactly the impulse that James wants to expose. He says, if you are someone who wants to tout their great wisdom and understanding, you might need to check yourself.

Because in reality, true wisdom is not shown by a hand raised or a verbal assertion about oneself. Rather, James says, true wisdom and understanding are attributes that are easily observed. Wisdom is displayed by conduct and disposition. Now, what kind of conduct and disposition? Well, look at verse 13.

He says, "Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom." So James says, one who has right wisdom and understanding will have a disposition, or a mindset, a temperament of meekness from which will naturally overflow good works. Now, what is meekness? Is it a shy kind of non-confrontational passivity? Is it a weak, bumbling kind of golly-gee mentality that acquiesces at the first sign of confrontation or discomfort?

While we may often make the mistake of thinking that meekness is weakness or softness, that is not the Biblical meaning of this word.

This word in James, as elsewhere in the New Testament, means not a powerlessness but strength or power under control. It's a word that is often used to describe a mighty wild horse that has surrendered itself to the control of its owner. It's like a huge offensive lineman who benches 500 pounds yet carefully cuddles his sleeping infant in his arms. It is by this definition that Jesus said in Matthew 5:5, "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth." And then in Matthew 11:29, he said, "Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle," or meek, same word, "and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls."

As James has shown us, the Christian faith requires not only seeing or understanding God for who he is, but also surrendering ourselves according to his will and his way. It's a humble, decisive obedience to the one true sovereign king and his kingdom. Because when we have the knowledge of who God truly is, the only appropriate response is to submit whatever powers or abilities or resources we may have to be under his control. This is the meekness of wisdom James describes. And from this posture, James says we should live and work and act and speak so that our overflowing conduct is indeed good.

Now, this idea of surrendered power and submissive conduct, especially to God, is completely counter to how the world defines and thus evidences its wisdom.

Worldly wisdom says whoever has the most degrees, whoever reads the most books, has the most money, gets the most FaceTime on those annoying talk shows, whoever has the most followers on social media, the most listened-to podcast, the prettiest face and the highest platform, whoever's voice is the loudest, that's the one who is wise.

The wisdom of man says that the one who can claw over others to elevate themselves to the highest position, at whatever cost, is the one we should be listening to, the one that we should emulate. They are the one from whom we should seek wisdom.

Now, James recognizes the temptation to ascribe wisdom and power in this way, even among believers, even in the church, even among those who claim to be followers of Christ. Therefore, James exposes this temptation for what it is. Verse 14: "But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic." So what James juxtaposes is first godly wisdom, as defined by meekness and evidenced by good works, then human wisdom, defined by jealousy and ambition, evidenced by boasting and falsehood.

James says if in any way our posture or our mindset or our disposition is tainted by jealousy and selfishness rather than meekness, then the wisdom we supposedly possess is not godly.

In fact, it is eternally dangerous.

James reveals that while godly wisdom grows in the soil of humility and meekness, human wisdom grows in a very different soil, and that is the soil of pride.

If the soil of human wisdom is pride, James explains, then what that soil produces are the twofold shoots of bitter jealousy and selfish ambition. Bitter, meaning pointed, sharp, prickly. Selfish ambition, meaning quarrelsome, antagonistic, contentious. These are the evidences, the two shoots of human wisdom that emerge from the soil of pride. As one scholar observed, those whose lives are based on and motivated by human, ungodly wisdom are inevitably self-centered, living in a world in which their own personal ideas, desires and standards are the measure of everything. Whatever and whoever serves those ends is considered good and friendly.

Whatever and whoever threatens those ends is considered bad and an enemy. Those who are engulfed in self-serving worldly wisdom resent anyone or anything that comes between them and their own objectives.

Man's wisdom is concerned primarily with human understanding and human standards and human objectives. Man's wisdom upholds its own sovereignty and will. Man's wisdom says truth is subjective, malleable and relative, depending on what any given person wants at any given time.

So the battle then amongst mankind is to assert oneself and be affirmed for what one wants, when one wants it. And this creates an atmosphere, or a spirit, of competition and contention.

Why should they get more likes or reposts than me? Why are they getting affirmation when I'm not?

Why are they getting something now when I have to wait?

James says if boasting and jealousy take root in the soil of pride, these shoots will naturally produce the fruit of boasting and falsehood. Now, why? Well, boasting is the natural result of selfish ambition.

Selfish ambition seeks to elevate oneself in the eyes of others. Thus, it boasts. Falsehood is the natural result of bitter jealousy. Since jealousy seeks to bring others down, it often uses falsehood to paint others in a negative light.

Now, this is the culture, the environment and the spirit and the attitude that results from the wisdom of man. And oh, does it sound so familiar?

We have apps on our phone that absolutely specialize in this.

Man's wisdom is self-gratifying, self-determining, self-feeding, and it's hungry to feed the body and the mind, but not the soul.

Man's wisdom is thoroughly and in every way worldly.

Yet that is not where James stops. James, as he often does, removes every facade and calls the wisdom of man what it truly is: earthly, unspiritual, even demonic. The wisdom of man is, in fact, evil.

And why is the wisdom of man evil? Well, what mankind believes to be its own wisdom is in reality a mere echo, or a parroting, of the words, thoughts, posture and actions of the devil himself.

Genesis 3. Do you remember Satan's words to Eve?

"Did God actually say...?" "Well, surely you won't. God knows when you do this, your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."

And Genesis 3:6 says Satan's call to selfish ambition and bitter jealousy made Eve see her sin as a delight to the eyes, to make one wise. Satan sought to give that which is not God's wisdom a place at the table. Rather than make man's wisdom look like what it is, blatant rebellion against a sovereign, good creator and king, Satan wanted his own wisdom to seem merely like another option, a co-equal worldview with God's wisdom, to be taken into consideration by well-meaning and discerning human beings.

And look what happened. It followed exactly according to James's formula. The serpent made Eve and Adam resentful of God, then competitive with him. Therefore, they rebelled against God. And as we saw in our walk through the book of Genesis, and experience every single day in this broken and fallen world, both inside and outside of us all, hell broke loose.

God's order was traded for disorder. God's design was traded for dysfunction. God's purpose was traded for misuse. Verse 16: "For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice."

That was exactly the result that we saw from Genesis 3, and that is exactly the result played out in countless scenarios in our world today.

Disorder, instability, confusion, rebellion and anarchy. Vile practice. Those works and those habits that are completely counter to the expressed word, will and way of God. This is the natural result of the wisdom of man.

Yet James says this is not the wisdom of God. Verse 17: "But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere."

So if the false wisdom of the world looks like jealousy, selfish ambition, boastfulness, falsehood, disorder and evil practice, then the true wisdom of God looks exactly the opposite.

Whereas human wisdom is based on man's understanding and standards and objectives, God's wisdom is based on God's understanding, God's standards and God's objectives. Whereas human wisdom centers on the sovereignty, will and way of man, God's wisdom centers on the sovereignty, will and way of God. And whereas human wisdom is subjective, something that's up to us, true wisdom, God's wisdom, is objective, something that is given to us.

And what does godly wisdom look like? Well, James says God's wisdom is first pure. It's free of contamination, unpolluted, even cleansing.

If pride is the nature of human wisdom, then godly wisdom finds its nature in purity.

Now, why is purity first?

Because God alone, in and of himself, is holy and completely pure. God in his own character has unmixed goodness, righteousness, truth and beauty. And God loves to give his wisdom from above, as an overflow of his character, to his children.

Remember, we read back in chapter 1, verse 5, "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him."

Do you want what is pure in your life?

Seek to walk according to the wisdom of God.

Now, after identifying the soil of purity from which the garden of godly wisdom grows, James identifies shoot after shoot and blossom after blossom and fruit after fruit rising from God's wisdom. In the life of the believer, he says, godly wisdom is first pure. Then it is peaceable, not self-ambitious or jealous. It's gentle, not malicious and cruel. It's open to reason, not closed off or dug in.

It's full of mercy, not of envy. It produces good fruits, not poisoned deeds. It is impartial, not covetous prejudice. It is sincere, not false or playing to a crowd. The wisdom of God is everything the wisdom of the world is not.

And whereas the wisdom of the world produces disorder and every vile practice, what does the wisdom of God produce? Verse 18: "And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace." Here James says there is an inseparable, causal, even cyclical relationship between godly wisdom, authentic righteousness and active peace. The fruit produced from the garden of godly wisdom, as sown in the soil of meekness, produces a harvest of righteousness, goodness, beauty, love, mercy, grace and truth, all of which reflect the purity and the character of God.

And as we seek this type of wisdom as opposed to worldly wisdom, we find ourselves not at odds with one another, selfishly clamoring for higher position,

but at peace with one another, gladly considering others as more important than ourselves.

As Paul describes in Ephesians 4:3, we become eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Romans 14:19, pursuing what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding. Philippians 2:5-8, "Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross."

Now, in these passages, Paul, alongside James and the rest of the New Testament, explains that meekly submitting to godly wisdom is not an end in and of itself. Rather, it is an act of worship and followship of Jesus Christ, our Lord and our Savior. God the Son himself, who put his power under control, came to be with us as one of us, and surrendered his own life to the point of brutal, unjust murder on a Roman torture device, so that we who once were by nature God's enemies could be adopted as his daughters and his sons.

And now we who claim to be in Christ should display godly wisdom in our lives and to others, because God in Christ became godly wisdom personified for us.

And when he came, just as God said after humanity adopted the wisdom of evil as our default nature in Genesis 3, though such wisdom brought destruction, disorder and vile practice, even through and in spite of such evil wisdom, God in his wisdom crushed the wisdom of evil beneath his feet in Christ. Though the wisdom of man may thrive for a little while in this world, in the end the wisdom of God always wins.

Listen to this from 1 Corinthians chapter 1, beginning in verse 18.

"For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, 'I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.' Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age?

"Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles. But to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks: who? Christ,

"the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth.

"But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, 'Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.'"

Let's pray.

Oh God, we thank you that you are God, that we are not. We come to you humbly and meekly, seeking and asking for your wisdom, your will and your way, according to your word, to prevail in this world, on earth as it is in heaven. And let it begin with us. Let your wisdom be seen in the lives of your church, collectively and individually, so that you may be glorified for who you are.

God, that this entire world would look upon the cross

and see that there is true love, there is true wisdom, and that we would all fall before it.

God, we pray that you would help us to see clearly when we are being spoon-fed the wisdom of man, when we are leaning on it, relying on it in our own lives in ways that dishonor you and that mock your wisdom. God, please bring us in alignment. Expose the worldliness within us. Help us to have grace and mercy with one another as we walk towards Christ. As we become people of your wisdom, it's in your name that we pray.

Jesus.