Legal obedience hath the evil of blasphemy in it. It reproaches the righteousness of Christ, as if it were not sufficient, as if his atonement were not perfect, as if his satisfaction were not full, as if his obedience were not perfect, unless it be patched up with the rags of man’s own righteousness. Is not Christ’s righteousness perfect without their addition?

— Ralph Erskine
"Law-Death, Gospel-Life"

From Of First Importance

We just had a week equipping and inspiring us to share the good news, to make making disciples a way of life. The team has traveled on, with them Steve’s way of communicating, and the stirring music the team always brings.

Perhaps you’ve been energized about sharing the gospel, but you can’t play five instruments and sing; and you can’t preach like Steve Pettit.

Yet, we are all part of this believing community. In the believing community there is learning, loving, worshiping, with the result that there is a witness to the world of God does in people’s lives.

That is why we have something to pass on to others. Our skill in music or preaching is not what makes it work. It is God at work that makes it work.

I. God’s Choice (26-28)

We are brothers and sisters, siblings with a common Father. We are born again, regenerate and made of the same spiritual DNA. Think through or consider your calling, we were called to be saints (1 Corinthians 1:2). This calling actually brings an individual to faith in Christ.

Look around you and consider the following truth regarding those God called to Himself for salvation: God did not call many that the world counts wise, powerful, or of noble birth (these are somebodies). God calls very view people like this to salvation because He wants the cause of salvation to be unmistakably clear. Few people who are wise, powerful, and of noble birth think they need rescue. Their successful status by worldly standards makes them feel safe, but they are calculating by the wrong metrics.

It’s the lives of the rich and famous that draw television viewers, not the lives of the poor and unknown. No one pays good money to go to a seminar entitled how I failed in politics, my attempt at business, building my debt snowball, leading the church to extinction. No one pays top dollar for a painting by an unknown artist. But success or failure in this world does not commend us to God.

Like three hammer blows smashing human pride, Paul writes to believers in Corinth, enamored with philosophic wisdom and fine rhetoric, God chose…God chose…God chose. You may get nervous or you may say that’s Calvinism…well that’s Bible. God did not choose because you are awesome!

God chose the foolish, the weak, the despised, later He calls them the “are nots”—the nobodies.

In other words, nothing in us made us objects of His saving call. Our salvation does not prove we were better people. If I put my faith in Christ and then look down on those who haven’t believed then I don’t understand anything about being saved. I am thinking religion not the Gospel. The majority of Christians are on the other end of the scale, they are sinful people.

Famous quote from the 2^nd century Greek philosopher Celsus regarding the Christians of his day: “Let no cultured person draw near, none wise and none sensible, for all that kind of thing we count evil; but if any man is ignorant, if any man is wanting in sense and culture, if anybody is a fool, let him come boldly…. We see them in their own houses, wool dresses, cobblers, the worst, the most vulgar, the most uneducated persons…. They are like a swarm of bats or ants creeping out of their nest, or frogs holding a symposium around a swamp, or worms convening in the mud.”

If people think that we’re kind of dumb to be on here on Sunday night to talk about the bible, what kind of weirdo are you?

We’re not saved because we are awesome people, but because we’re not. God chose to save people who are unawesome (Matthew 11:25-27). It is according to His wisdom and grace.

But aren’t we a privileged people according to 1 Peter 2:9? Yes, don’t forget how the passage starts…a chose race.

“Look back over the history of the Christian Church. What wondrous stories it tells of grace reaching down to the lowest, the poorest, the most insignificant, bringing such to repentance, creating faith in their souls by the word of the truth of the gospel, regenerating them, justifying them from all things, sanctifying them by the Holy Spirit and the Word, and then sending them out as ambassadors for Christ to turn the world upside down by the simplicity of preaching the message of the cross.” ~Ironside

The cross says that all of us fail and that all of us deserve God’s wrath. It says that our sin is so bad that God had to send His Son to die for our sin. The Cross says that nothing we bring is good enough.

II. God’s Gift (30)

God has given a gift. It is because of him and from him. God has worked in your heart to respond to the gospel! We are given life from Him through His call. We can’t take any credit at all—even our faith was a gift from God.

We are in Christ Jesus and in Jesus alone we find God’s wisdom. Wisdom is knowledge applied skillfully to life, so that leads us to ask, “What’s life for?” How can I live it well?

Christ is our wisdom, in contrast to the wisdom that the flesh counts valuable. Consists of three components:

Righteousness is a gift from God. It is the imputation of Jesus’ perfect righteousness to our account, thus reconciling us to God. Reverses the condemnation of the Fall in Eden. There is no amount of earthly wisdom, power, or noble birth can give you this. Only Jesus.

Sanctification is having been set apart to God through Christ, we now experience the progressive transformation toward Christlikeness by the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit. There is no amount of worldly wisdom, even religious pursuits, can bring this about in your life. Sanctification is a gift in Christ. Only the power of God Himself through Jesus Christ and the indwelling Spirit of God.

Redemption—At the cost of the blood of the God-man Jesus Christ, we were ransomed from our slavery to sin, death, Satan, hell. Rescued at a great cost! What did He rescue us to? This rescue at a price will be fully experienced when we are made immortal and incorruptible at the resurrection, and enter the newly regenerated world where there is a new heaven, a new earth, and where righteousness has taken up residence forever. No sin, no sorrow, no sickness, no dying.

We are grateful for humanitarian efforts, for medical advances, for helpful systems of governing and economics, for charitable foundations. But all the combined efforts of every technological, medical, political advance ever devised can only dream of utopia. They cannot bring about this massive escape from the tyranny of our sin and Satan, corruption and death.

III. God’s Purpose (27-28)

God’s purpose is to bring man’s pride low and to set His greatness up high. God levels the field at the cross. Wisdom, strength, and being somebody in the world are of no value when it comes to entering His kingdom. It is like trying to pay your bills with monopoly money. The wise have to realize they are fools when it comes to saving themselves. The strong, that they are far too weak to escape sin’s stranglehold. People realize that their family credentials will not get them through heaven’s gates. It is just as hopeless and helpless as all the rest of humanity—fools, weak, nobodies (1 Corinthians 1:29, 31).

When man looms large—when the focus is on his abilities and status, he obscures the view of glory of God in the cross of Jesus (2 Corinthians 4:5-7).

Any attitude or display of superiority taints the authenticity of the gospel message and makes it smell foul. Any elevation of man robs God of glory He alone deserves. 

Ironside wrote, “As teachers and preachers are presented to audiences, it is considered the right thing, the proper thing to laud them to the skies, to expatiate on their brilliancy and learning and wonderful personality, until I myself have often felt grieved and shocked and thoroughly ashamed.”

Most of us wouldn’t think we are into highborn status, but in our culture if you are preacher you are somebody. A preacher is nobody; a messenger-boy for God. God is the awesome one (Philippians 3:7-8)! Paul is talking about his former religious credentials, not wealth or pleasure. We find our boasting in our religiosity which is just as worldly as boasting of our money or political prestige (2 Corinthians 12:9-10). God is working to keep you humble and see your weakness so that you will trust Him. He blesses the weak and makes them strong (1 Corinthians 2:1-2). The Lord’s Table is a way that we remember Jesus and reminds us of the Cross and Christ’s work there. The cross was an emblem of shame and weakness. God turned it to an instrument of wisdom and power and glory. The cross exposes the horrid depths of our depravity and the amazing extent of God’s loving grace.

Cross-centered evangelism cuts down human pride to the quick, banishes self-righteousness, and expels self-reliance. Think through these terms: Preach (to proclaim, as a herald declares the edict of the king, the message is important), Evangelize (to announce the good news, and Witness (to tell what happened). None of these activities are about us, but about Jesus.

Are you  struggling with sharing the gospel, making disciples? Feeling you’re not wise enough, strong enough, that you don’t have the status to gain a hearing?

You’re just a nobody? Then you best qualify to be making the gospel known. It’s for nobodies. Nobodies who now have everything in Christ because of God’s choice, God’s gift, and God’s purpose.

The author of this book is generally accepted to be James the Just, the brother of Jesus and leader in the church at Jerusalem. It was written in the mid-40s; certainly before A.D. 62 since that is the year he was executed and likely before A.D. 49 since it does not mention the momentous Apostolic Council in Jerusalem which concluded that year. The letter is addressed to Jewish Christians – the twelve tribes in the Dispersion (James 1:1) who were likely meeting in house churches outside Palestine – the assembly (James 2:2).

It appears that troubles and conflicts had entered the church and that they were splintering into quarreling factions. In this letter, James challenges the Christian to seek divine wisdom in working out problems and to put it into practice in their lives.

Most of the book takes the form of a genre of Greek wisdom literature known as a “diatribe.” This genre has several different literary traits. One trait of diatribe is the use of imaginary question and answer dialogues. Another is the apostrophe – a direct address to absent people or things as though they were present.

James reminds the reader of the importance of divine wisdom. With little delay after the salutation, James reminds the reader of the importance of divine wisdom.

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting…. (James 1:5) He then tells them to avoid being double-minded and unstable. There is strong similarity to Proverbs 1:7 – The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction. Few people profess themselves as fools and boast of making unwise decisions. Most people consider themselves to be wise and have a desire for others to recognize their wisdom.

So, James encourages his reader to evaluate the 1) origin of wisdom, 2) the characteristic evidences of wisdom, and 3) the results of wisdom.

There is a type of wisdom too often demonstrated among Christians that is not from God and that sows and reaps havoc within the body of the church. Instead, Christian’s lives should be marked with evidences that their wisdom comes from God…that it is exercised in tandem with an understanding and submission to both His Word and the Holy Spirit…and, sown in peace, reaps a harvest of righteousness. 

I.       Definition of Wisdom & Understanding (13a)

The word wise is from the Greek word, Sophos. You may have seen pictures of the Hagias Sophia (Holy Wisdom) in Constantinople. The knowledge of facts does not equal wisdom. The dictionary defines “wisdom” as the keen evaluation of facts; insightful analysis. In our culture, the word “wisdom” has a positive connotation.

The word that means understanding, epistēmōn is used only here in the New Testament – the skill of a tradesman or professional. I think of a painter who has a knowledge of facts about paints, has keen evaluation and insight, and can apply that that to a project.

The Greeks viewed wisdom as speculative knowledge. Whereas Jews viewed wisdom as the application of conclusions (Proverbs 4:7; 1 Kings 3, Solomon asked God for “an understanding heart to judge Your people to discern between good and evil.”).

The passage seems to indicate that the “understanding” is applied wisdom; comprehension of God’s spiritual purposes, not just of temporary and “events” and “circumstances.”

J.I. Packer wrote of an engineer involved in creating an interchange on an interstate highway. A driver doesn’t need to know the theories of velocity, gravitational pull, and distance that affect the banking of a curve. The driver trusts the design of the interchange and where it is taking him, and he needs to know the right thing to do when the car ahead is braking and drifting into his lane.

II.    Origins of Wisdom (15, 17)

However, in this passage the scripture tells us that there is natural, evil, and even demonic wisdom that does not come from “above” (God). The passage tells us that wisdom has moral origin (comes from). Much wisdom attributed to people today is not from God and is not of regenerate understanding. At best, it is pseudo-wisdom. A businessman may be insightful, calculating, discerning of situations, and may exhibit effective leadership and management skills, but he may not have godly motives or practices and methods. The same is true of famous world leaders, statesmen, counselors, teachers, and even pastors. Additionally, there is a nuance of difference between “wisdom” and “understanding.”

As human-beings we are finite, we have a sin nature. By nature we are self-centered, self-promoting. We want to be self-governed and to make our own choices – and we think that we are wise enough to do so. Indeed, Satan’s temptation of Eve in the Garden of Eden centered on her desire for the fruit that Satan said would make her wise like God – knowing good and evil (Genesis 3:5-6).

The Holy Spirit of God works in a person’s heart and brings him to the realization that God is sovereign, holy, and just and that he (the person) has rebelled and sinned against God. When that person confesses his sin, repents of it, and trusts in God’s provision for his justification through the blood of Jesus Christ, that person is regenerate – a new creature, converted, and saved. The regenerated man, then, understands that he should submit his thinking to the governance of the Word of God and to the Holy Spirit’s illumination and guidance.

Wisdom from below (15):

Not that which comes down from above (15)

Earthly, unspiritual (NASB natural), demonic. (15)

A trio of great enemies to believer is the world, the flesh, and the devil

Earthly wisdom is limited to the present material world of space & time. Gives attention to only things that are finite, that man can theorize and accomplish by himself. It gives no consideration to God.

Unspiritual (Natural) wisdom is sensual, fleshly and relates to the fallen, unredeemed man. The natural man who fulfills his desires, appetites, impulse and views the things of God as foolishness.

Demonic wisdom is the root of both earthly and natural wisdom - Satan himself. Satan tempts people to disobey God; rebel; to be their own god.

Wisdom from above (17; Proverbs 1:7):

Reverence (fear)
Conversion
Holy Spirit Empowerment (Galatians 5:23-24)
Scripture (Psalm 119 – Your commands make me wiser than my enemies; give insight)
Prayer (shows ineptitude of human resources; helplessness; humility shown in asking)

III. Characteristic Evidences of Wisdom (14)

Wisdom that is from below:

As is true in so many situations, it often seems easier to identify what something is not than what it is; to identify something as a counterfeit.

Bitter jealousy
Bitter = unpleasant; opposite of sweet
Jealousy = intolerant of rivalry; resent advantages of another

Selfish ambition
Selfish = concentrating on one’s own advantage, pleasure, and well-being without regard for others
Ambition = desire to achieve. Motivation is always determined in the heart; if you have these in your heart (14). People motivated by selfish ambition resent anything or anyone who comes between them and their own objectives and become bitterly jealous.

Arrogance: An attitude of superiority; an exaggerated sense of one’s own worth. When arrogance is the norm and unabashed attitude of a person it demonstrates an absence of a saving relationship to God. And in so doing you are lying against the truth (make an untrue statement with the intent to deceive). People who are wise in their own eyes are usually arrogant about it; usually accompanies selfish ambition. There is nothing more characteristic of fallen, unredeemed people than their being dominated by self.

Reiterates the two motives of selfish ambition and jealousy (v. 16) when stating results of wisdom from below.

Wisdom that is from above (13 & 17):

James begins by saying “show it,” and show in the meekness of wisdom (13)

• Gentle can be translated as meek
• Meek = is not weak; it is power under control
• Greek = taming a wild animal; a wild horse must be broken to be useful to its owner
• Jesus, Himself, was meek and humble. When Jesus was reviled, he did not revile in response. We are untrained, young oxen, yoked with an experienced Savior (Matthew 11:29-30).

Meekness (humility) is a fruit of the spirit (Galatians 5:23) and should characterize everyone in the kingdom of God.

Pure (17): Pure is from the same word as holy. It means unmixed. It means undefiled – only through our justification in Jesus Christ’s blood. Purity is the overarching quality and key to all characteristics that follow.

The word THEN is a connecting adverb that indicates motive and source not characteristic.

Peaceable: Literally, peaceful; full of peace. We are at peace with God and content with His plan. This is opposite of selfish ambition and bitter jealousy. Ephesians 2:14, we read “keep the unity of spirit through the bond of peace.”

Gentle: There is no English equivalent, but the best idea would be forbearing and courteous.

Open to reason

Full of mercy and good fruit: Forgiving and reaching out to others with Holy Spirit Fruits – Galatians 5:22-23

Impartial: It is unwavering without vacillation and doesn’t change positions for different people and circumstances.

Sincere: It means to be genuine and without hypocrisy. Conan Doyle sent a telegram to twelve men of significant position, “Fly at once; all is discovered!” – Within 24 hours all had left the country! Paul writes in his second epistle to Corinthians “we have conducted ourselves in 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)

IV. Results of Wisdom

That from below:

Disorder (16) – instability, state of confusion, even rebellion and anarchy.
Every vile practice (16) – worthless, vile, contemptible

Nothing of any ultimate good results from human wisdom.

That from above:

Sown in peace by those who make peace and produces a harvest of righteousness (18).
The cycle of acting with wisdom from God which produces peace

Application

The unregenerate person only has access to earthly, natural, and evil wisdom. Repent & Trust God’s justification through the blood of Jesus Christ.

The regenerate person too often evidences that his wisdom is not from above; this revealed in his motives, the characteristics, and the results.

Too many of our actions are a result of selfish ambition and bitter jealousy.

Twisting and manipulating His Word to our purposes. Too many pushing our personal agenda. Too many in cynicism and with a chip on our shoulders. Too many that lead to quarrels and fights among us.

Not enough of our actions are a result of humble submission to God’s perfect, sovereign plan. Not enough after prayer and reading of His Word. Not enough with Holy Spirit empowerment – evidenced by meekness.

Peaceful, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.

Repent & ASK FOR DIVINE WISDOM – to zealously know and pursue God’s plan for your life in His ultimate purpose.

Read the Scripture & pray for Holy Spirit to give illumination – wisdom and understanding

Lord, give us wisdom and give us understanding. We want your will to be accomplished in our lives in all matters and circumstances. Help us to be submissive to your will. Help us to abandon our selfish ambition and bitter jealousy. Develop in us a meekness and gentleness.