Well, good evening, church. Tonight, we will be in the book of James, chapter 3, verse 13 to verse 18. In the book of James, he gives us several tests for true and living faith. And one of those tests we will consider this evening is the presence or the absence of wisdom in the way that you live. Are you a man or a woman of wisdom? What is it about your life that shows the wisdom of God in you? Jesus taught in Matthew 7, and he says that both the wise man and the foolish man heard his words. Both of them heard, but one built his house on the rock, and the other built his house on the sand. And it was what they did with the knowledge that Christ imparted to them that determined whether they were wise or fools. How about you? What have you done with the knowledge you possess of God's Word? How is the preaching and teaching in this church affecting your life? How is your consumption of the Holy Scriptures changing you? How is your mind, your tongue, actions being bridled by the Spirit and the Word? The Apostle James says that we are to be doers of the Word and not hearers only, deceiving ourselves. Herein lies true wisdom, hearing, knowing, and applying. If you'll please stand for the reading of God's word. 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 or reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere, or maybe clearly understood, without hypocrisy. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. Let us pray. Heavenly Father, every true believer in this room tonight desires to know Christ. Every true believer in this room tonight yearns for greater depths of wisdom and godliness. Every true believer in this room tonight grieves over indwelling sin and grieves over the war against the flesh that we all face every day. And God, I'm asking tonight that you through your word and your spirit would apply the truths of this text to our hearts and that you would grow us in the wisdom that's from above. That we would be fruitful men and women of God for the sake of your glory and the advancement of your kingdom. Lord, convict us, expose our hearts to us, help us see where we're acting foolishly, help us see where we're falling short of your glory, help us see the ways in which we're walking inconsistently with Christ. And Lord, I pray that you would conform us more into the image of Christ, that no believer in this room and this church as a whole would ever grow cold and ineffective for the kingdom of heaven, but that we would be fervent in spirit growing in wisdom, growing in grace, and living for the glory of Christ. And Lord, for any unbelievers in this room tonight, I pray that they would see that all truth and all wisdom and all life and all peace and all joy is only found in one place, one person, the Lord Jesus Christ. I pray all these things in your name, by your spirit, amen. You may be seated. There's three points tonight. In verse 13, we have the test of wisdom. In verse 14 to 16, we have wisdom from below. In verses 17 to 18, we have wisdom from above. The test of wisdom, verse 13. Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct, let him show his works in the meekness or the gentleness of wisdom. Just like James deals with faith in chapter two, James is calling you tonight to prove what you say that you have. In chapter two, you say you have faith, show me your works. Here in our text, you say you have wisdom, show me by your good conduct. Most people consider themselves wise, do they not? As one commentator said, no one is a self-professed fool. But on the contrary, we tend to think highly of ourselves. The proof of wisdom is not the amount of knowledge that you have about stuff or things. The proof of wisdom is not even how much theology or doctrinal truth you possess in your cranium. The proof of wisdom is the obedience and application of God's revelation in a life of godliness. Stephen Charnock said, knowledge searches the nature of a thing and wisdom employs that thing to its proper use. Charles Spurgeon said, wisdom is the right use of knowledge. To know is not to be wise. Many men know a great deal and are all the greater fools for it. There is no fool so great a fool as a knowing fool. But to know how to use knowledge is to have wisdom. Paul tells us in Ephesians 5, 15, look carefully Look carefully then how you walk, not as wise, but as wise. You see what he says there? How you walk, how you speak, what you meditate on, the things you pursue, the things you partake in, the people you associate with, the way you treat those around you, what you do in secret, how you put to practice the knowledge of God's word is the proof and measure of the wisdom that you possess. Knowledge tells you that the sinful things you're looking at, engaging in, and the sinful places that you're going are wrong. But wisdom cuts off the hand, cuts off the foot, and plucks out the eye. Notice too that it's meekness of wisdom, gentleness of wisdom. This is a demonstration of the fruit of the Spirit that dwells in the believer. You see, some people get so full of knowledge that they become puffed up and they become so full of pride and arrogance that they always know better and you're always wrong. They cannot be corrected. They tend to be harsh and impatient with other people who just, quite frankly, aren't as smart as them. But not so with wisdom, not the wisdom above, because the man or the woman of wisdom, the wisdom of God, knows this, that God is the source of true wisdom. It isn't my wit, it isn't my smarts, it isn't anything in me that has brought me to the place of my sanctification or your sanctification, but it is all of God. It's in Christ that all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are found, and it is grace upon grace that God teaches us and reveals to us truth. It is grace upon grace that God grows us and shapes us and conforms us into the image of Christ. Wisdom has a right view of God and a right view of self. As Paul says, what do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, Why do you boast as if you did not receive it? James warns us that there is a false wisdom that comes from impure motives. And this is the wisdom below. Let us look at verse 14 through 16. 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 it's earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exists, there will be disorder and every vile practice. Notice verse 14, in your hearts. It is out of the heart of man that sin is birthed and brought forth. Jesus taught us this, did he not, in Mark chapter 7, verse 21. The Lord Jesus says, for from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within and they defile a person. You see, so as sinners, our greatest problem is not the culture. As sinners, our greatest problem is not my horrible evil boss. As sinners, my greatest problem is not that my dad left me, my mother never loved me, my family hates me, and nothing in life is working out. As sinners, our greatest problem is that thing that pumps blood in our bodies, the heart, or the very center of man. It's out of the heart. that every evil, vile, sinful, wicked, foolish, corrupt thing comes. And James is saying here that the person who is driven by the motives of bitter jealousy and selfish ambition, or in other words, the person who lives for themselves and for their own desires, is considered a liar. They're considered a liar. You, tonight, if you profess that you have wisdom from above, but you are driven by bitter jealousy and selfish ambition, which, by the way, it is either or. You are either living for the glory of Christ, or you are living for selfish ambition. It's one or the other. Are you living for Christ, or are you living for yourself? Again, James says, when you say that you have the wisdom of God, but you embrace and live in bitter jealousy and selfish ambition, and yet you claim to have wisdom, you claim to believe in the gospel of Jesus Christ, as it says, you are boasting and being false to the truth. You are lying against the truth. A lot of what the Apostle James tells us in 1 John chapter 2, when he says, And by this we may know that we've come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. Whoever says, I know Him, but does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. James is challenging you tonight to examine yourself, to examine the wisdom that you think that you possess, to examine yourself in light of these two realities, the wisdom of this world or the wisdom that comes from above. It is a test of true, genuine faith. As I said, true believers possess true wisdom because they have Christ in whom are hidden all of those treasures. If your motives and passions in your life are not to know God, to serve the church well, to advance God's kingdom, to love your neighbor as yourself, to love the brothers and sisters in Christ, to die to self, and to live for the glory of Christ, then you do not know God and you're lying against the truth. Your God is you. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above. Verse 15, but is earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. Number one, the wisdom that is of this world, this earth, is earthly. And it only produces vain glory and temporary pleasure. Paul says in Philippians chapter three, 18 to 19, for many of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, they walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction. Their God is their belly, their appetites, their cravings. And they glory in their shame with minds set on earthly things. Mark 8.36 says, For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, but forfeit his soul? The wisdom below is earthly. It's temporary and it's all vanity upon vanities because one day the judge of all the earth will return and everyone will stand before him. Secondly, this false wisdom is unspiritual. It's natural. These worldly people And notice these people who are selfishly ambitious and bitterly jealous. They are those who cause disunity and division within the church and in all of life. These worldly people who cause disunity and division, whether it be in this church or in churches abroad, are devoid of the Spirit. They are unspiritual and do not have the wisdom of God. And I just gotta say it because I hear it all the time, but you try to share the gospel with people as you go about your day or when you go out to purposely preach the gospel, and you hear this common thing every now and then where someone says, well, I'm not religious, but I'm spiritual. No, you're not. You're a liar. True spirituality is knowing God, knowing his word, and applying it. If you don't have that, you're not spiritual. Look at Jude 19. It is these who cause divisions. Worldly people, there it is, devoid of the Spirit. Unspiritual, natural. 1 Corinthians 2.14. We're told here, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual. Why? Because verse 14 tells us that the natural person does not accept the things of God, the Spirit of God, for they are folly, foolish to him, and he is, here's his inability, he is not able to understand them. Why? Because he's natural. He's unspiritual. These things are spiritually discerned. Romans 8, six through eight, Romans 8, 6-8 says, for to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. What a beautiful reality, by the way, to live in. A mind set on the Spirit, where there's life and peace. True life, true joy, forgiveness of sin, pure heart, clean conscience. Sinless, blameless in the eyes of God because of what Christ has done for us. Thirdly, the false wisdom from below is demonic. Maybe one of the lesser things we talk about in our reformed circles. To most people, the devil isn't real. But he is real, and he does exist. And the Bible says that the devil comes to kill, steal, and to destroy. That he is the tempter and the sower of discord and chaos. He is the father of lies, he is a schemer, he is a snare setter, and he is a deceiver. And we as Christians are told to resist him, to put on the full armor of God, to be watchful and aware of his schemes. And so I ask, how are you fighting in this spiritual battle? What steps are you taking to war against the flesh, the devil, and the world? And in case you didn't catch that, The wisdom from below is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. The three greatest enemies that we fight as Christians in this life, the devil, the flesh, and the world. Are you fighting in this spiritual battle? We've seen it time and time and time again. No need to bring up old news. But apostasy is a very serious reality that happens all the time. It's not only in this church, it's in every place where there are true believers assembled together. There will always be tares among the wheats. And I am imploring you tonight to take heed lest you find yourself to be like that false disciple Judas whose heart was full of selfish ambition and the devil. Verse 16 says, for where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. You see, man's wisdom, it just leads to destruction. But there's safety in the wisdom of God, and he's revealed wisdom in his word, he's revealed wisdom in his son. If you live by your own wisdom, and you live with these self-seeking motives, there will be all kinds of disorder and vile practices that will not be an impossibility for you. We hear the pastor get caught molesting children, and we're like, how in the world does this happen? Because he did not have the wisdom from above. He did not war against the flesh. He didn't take serious the things of God. And there is no depth of darkness that you are not able to go if you are given to your own ways. Oh, that you would hear wisdom today. If you turn at my reproof, behold, I will pour out my spirit to you. I will make my words known to you. Take my instruction instead of silver, and knowledge rather than choice gold. For wisdom is better than jewels, and all that you may desire cannot compare with her." Wisdom is precious. Wisdom is valuable. Wisdom is a mark of true Christianity. The wisdom from above. Verse 17 to 18. Probably the fastest sermon I've ever preached. 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. Here it is, wisdom from above is first pure. How do you know you have wisdom from above? It'll be pure, holy, righteous, godly motives. If it fails all of those tests, it is not wisdom from above. Wisdom from above is not only pure in deeds, but also pure in motives. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Right? Why do I fear the Lord? Well, fearing the Lord comes from a right perspective of understanding who I am as a sinner and the great weight of sin guilt that I have because of my transgressions against God and who God is, the holy and righteous judge of all the earth that has angels who fly around Him singing, holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts. The whole earth is full of His glory. This God, the Bible says, has established His throne for judgment, and that He doesn't, as Alan said during Easter week, He doesn't send people to hell, He throws them into hell. He is a righteous judge, a fearful God, a wrathful God, and a righteous God. And when you understand who He is, and you see the great weight of your own sin, it is from that understanding that fear is understood, and that wisdom begins, because I need a Savior, and He's provided one. It's peaceable. The wisdom from above is peaceable and gentle. How do you live your life in your days? How are you with your spouses? Are you peaceable? Are you gentle? I say these things like Paul Washer says, I need to run down there and listen for myself and then run back up here. How are you with your children? Are you peaceable? Are you gentle? How are you with your co-workers and the people who hate you and who treat you wrongly? Are you peaceable and gentle? Jesus Christ was the man of men. He was a righteous man. He was not weak. He was a strong and mighty Savior. He is a strong and mighty Savior. And yet when reviled, He did not return it. When mocked, He didn't mock back. When His beard was ripped from His face, He took it. When the crown of thorns was pressed upon His head, He took it. When He was hung on a cross and mocked and scoffed at, He prayed, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. Are we peaceable? Are we gentle in our dealings with people? This is wisdom from above. It's open to reason. Maybe a little better understood, it's reasonable. This is not open-mindedness where you just open your mind to anything and everything, right? But a believer is open to reason. They're reasonable. We understand that there's things we can be wrong about. Now, if we're talking about the deity of Christ, I'm not open-minded for that. If we're talking about whether or not salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, yeah, we're not having that discussion. I'm going to be exhorting you and commanding you to repent and believe this gospel. I'm not shaking on that, I'm not moving on that. There are things that we are settled in, there are things that we are not open to discuss and maybe come to some other conclusion, but a believer is humble in the knowledge that they have and issues that they could be wrong in, and we are willing to learn and be taught by other people. Otherwise, what you do is you shut into yourself, and you think you have it all figured out, and I see it over and over and over again with people who will not submit to a local church because they're better than the hypocritical local church, and they're out there believing all kinds of strange, wicked doctrines, and they have no joy, and they have no knowledge, and they are left in a land that is dry and without water. That's what the wisdom of this world will get you. The wisdom from above is full of mercy and good fruits. Are you merciful? Are you fruitful? The Bible says when the seed is sown in the good soil, some produced 30, some produced 60, some produced 100 fold, but what it never says is some produced zero. 30, 60, 100, nevertheless, a believer is fruitful for Christ. and we are to be the most merciful and gracious and forgiving people in the face of the planet since the God of heaven has forgiven wicked rebels like us. This is why Jesus says, if you can't forgive others, then how do you expect your heavenly father to forgive you? Hypocrite, right? That's what's being said. or the unforgiving servant. He has this debt, his master lets him go, and then he has a guy who owes him a debt, but he doesn't let him go, and he gets him thrown in jail, and he treats him horribly and wickedly, and God refers to that unforgiving servant as a wicked servant. Are we merciful? Are we forgiving? Are we gracious? Not just in the world, but in the church. Where we're supposed to be unified in Christ. Where we're supposed to be loving with one another and gracious towards each other. A place where there should be absolutely zero gossip and slander. Blessed are the merciful for what? The wisdom from above, it's impartial. God is a God who is not partial. He has come to save men and women of every nation, tribe, and tongue. It doesn't matter if you're rich. It doesn't matter if you're poor. It doesn't matter if everyone likes you or if everyone hates you. The same judgment is pronounced the same way to the same extent upon every person on the face of the planet of the earth. And the only way to escape is to be found in Christ by faith. And everyone who humbles themselves and comes to Christ by faith receives all the same treasures and pleasures that are in the hands of God. Every believer perfectly unified and equal in the kingdom. God is not partial. Are you partial? Do you treat certain people better than you treat others? Do you treat certain people in the church better than you treat others? or maybe in the workplace or in the home or wherever you go, there might be one person who can get away with treating you a certain way, but there's another person that if they treat you the same way, you pop your lid. Why are you impartial? Why are we not treating people equally? True wisdom is not impartial. True wisdom is not partial. But it is sincere. So again, this word, sincere, means without hypocrisy. So if you possess true wisdom from God, the proof that you have true wisdom is that the knowledge, as we said at the beginning of the sermon, the knowledge of God's word and the truth that you have will be applied to your life. You will walk in the truth of God's word. Otherwise, that is not wisdom, that is hypocrisy. And in verse 18, a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. Wisdom from above, pure, peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial, sincere, without hypocrisy, and a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons of God. Are you a peacemaker? Are you a peacemaker in the household of God? Or do you hold on to grudges? Are you a peacemaker in the household of God, or do you just tear people apart with your words, either to them or behind their backs? Are you a peacemaker in the household of God and abroad, outside these walls, where you seek to love with the love that Christ loved and to have forgiveness and patience and long-suffering with people? Love covers a multitude of sin. Here's something you'll never get away from on this side of heaven. People, even in the church, will do you wrong. But you've done far wrong on your own as well. And yet God forgives, God is merciful, God is gracious, and He has made peace between us and Him by His Son. Are we peacemakers? Me and Ronnie were talking about this on Friday night, about being a peacemaker. The first thing I thought of when I read this text was street preaching. And I'm like, man, I must be doing something wrong. because there's never any peace most of the time. But just like division in the church, the Bible says that we are not to be divisive, right? But what happens when you have someone who's living in sin? What happens when you have someone who's pushing a false doctrine? or some type of false theology, there's division. And even Christ himself said, do not think that I came to bring peace, but a sword. There are certain situations where there is no peace. Live at peace wherever possible with all men. But there are certain situations where peace is not possible and division is made. But this is what I want you to understand is that division and the lack of peace ought not to be on our part. The divisive person is the one who leaves the truth of Scripture. They're divisive. They're departing from truth. We're not divisive. We stand on the Word of God. We're peacemakers. I stand with my arms open. I forgive you. Come back to church. Turn away from the muck and the mire. I stand with arms open. Forgiveness, forgiveness, forgiveness. I'm a peacemaker. There's mercy for you in Christ. There's forgiveness for you in Christ. You can be restored in Christ, but if you reject that, that's on you. But I'm a peacemaker, and you ought to be peacemakers. In conclusion, gospel to unbelievers. Every person in this room, or any person rather, in this room, who has not repented of their sin, children, has not put their faith in Christ, is absolutely cut off from any true wisdom. is absolutely cut off from the life of God, is absolutely cut off from any joy and peace and all these glorious benefits of being right with God. Apart from faith in Christ, there is no wisdom. Wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord, as I said, which comes from a right view of self and a right view of God. All the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in Christ. And in Matthew 7, 13 through 14, you are given two paths. The broad path, which is the way of foolishness, or the narrow path, this path is the path of wisdom. It is the path of faith and total dependence upon Christ. You see friend, you who are outside of Christ, the wages of sin is death. You have sinned, all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. There are none who are righteous. And every man has to give an account to God. And He knows you, and He sees you, and He knows every single thing that you've said, every single thing that you've done, every word that you've spoken. As Hebrews puts it, no creature is hidden from His sight, but all are naked and exposed before the eyes of Him to whom we must give an account. There is a day coming where you will stand before the judge of heaven and earth, and you'll have to give an account for your life. Good works will not help you. The fact that you were a nice neighbor will not help you. The fact that you weren't as bad as others are will not help you. Remember, God is not partial. All of mankind stands in the perfect standard of Christ. Do you measure up to Christ? I didn't think so. And the only hope that you have is to come to Christ by faith, to abandon all confidence in yourself, to abandon all confidence in your own wisdom and your own good works and the arm of your own flesh and to fully trust in Christ, believing that he is sufficient for your sins, that he bore the sins of his people on the cross of Calvary and the full wrath of Almighty God was poured out on him. Every last drop of the wrath of God was poured out. The cup is bone dry for all who are in Christ. And Christ says, repent, or you will perish. He stands with arms open. He says, come to me, all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest for your souls. Exhortation to believers. Brothers, sisters, there is no safer, more fruitful, more joyful, more satisfying, more peaceful path than to walk in the wisdom of God. Store God's word in your hearts. Glorify God with your lives. Don't live for this world that's passing away. Live with your mindset above where Christ is. Live for Him. Everything else, it's temporary. Store up your treasures in heaven, where rust and moth do not destroy, where thieves do not break in and steal. Everything here is temporary. What are you living for? Oh, what joy, what peace to be in Christ. walking in the wisdom of God, being unified with the people of God, loving one another, and living for the kingdom that cannot be shaken. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, oh God, James tells us, if anyone lacks wisdom, let him ask and you'll give it freely. Lord, give us wisdom. Conform us more into the image of Christ. Help us to live for Christ, to live as Christ, to die as gain. Help us to live for the glory of your name. Help us not to lose sight of what matters. Help us not to lose sight of the purpose that we're still here on this earth to do. Help us not to lose sight of the great commission that you've given us to do as the church. Help us, Lord, to remember the promise of Christ that He will build His church, and the gates of hell will not prevail. Lord, help us to walk in wisdom and righteousness and love and grace and mercy and peace and fruitfulness. Help us, God, to love one another and to be closer and more unified in Christ, to forget the world and all its glamor. God, save us from being so intoxicated with materialism and temporal things, and let us live for you and you alone. I pray these things in the precious name of Christ and by your spirit, amen.