"The Wisdom From Above"

“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.” (James 3:17-18 ESV)

James writes of having wisdom. The wisdom he speaks of is not worldly wisdom, which is disruptive, but wisdom from God. It is the knowledge of all of God's attributes that He displays and imparts to us. The only way to obtain this wisdom is through our salvation.

The wisdom of the world is the knowledge of evil. Paul told us there are none righteous (Romans 3:10). We know this knowledge came to be because of Adam's fall in the garden. In the garden, neither Adam nor Eve knew evil. The serpent tempted Eve, telling her she would be like God, knowing both good and evil, and sin entered humanity out of her rebellion against God.

Being born in sin, we also have the knowledge of good and evil. Yes, we are not righteous, but the human heart knows what is right and what is wrong. God gave us a conscience that lets us know we are doing wrong. Paul also wrote about this in Romans 2:15, “They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them.” In living under the federal head of Adam, a theological concept that refers to Adam's role as the representative of all humanity, our hearts have become darkened. In Ephesians 4:18, Paul wrote, “They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts.” 

Despite our inherent love for sin, the gospel has the power to spiritually transform us. Even if we initially reject the gospel, the seed of faith has been planted. Others may water this seed with the gospel until it blooms, all thanks to the transformative power of God.

Today’s verse from James underscores the importance of not just giving the Word, but also living it. When we share the Word with love, compassion, and sincerity, we are not engaging in conflict, but in the act of giving hope, just as our Savior did. We are responsible for embodying the Word and sharing it, no matter how it is received.

When we display the wisdom of God in our lives we provide an example just as our Savior did. When we remain gentle in actions and speech, reasonable and merciful in our dealings with others, impartial in our dealings with others, and sincere in our motives, all these actions reveal Christ to those around us. When we act in this manner when we speak the gospel, it is tough for someone to be angry with us. They may disagree, but that is okay; we said what needed to be said.

As the verse says, 'A harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.' Attempting to force our beliefs on others only leads to conflict. Instead, when we sow the Word of God peacefully, with love and sincerity, we are embodying the calm and Christ-like nature of our Savior. Christ was arrested, tried by Pilate, stood before Herod, scourged, spit upon, nailed to a tree, and never spoke a word in anger. He prayed. He prayed for those who mocked him, beat him, and blasphemed the Son of God.

There is an old saying: You catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. Spread the sweet and loving Word of God; spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Grace and Peace!