The Wisdom Of The Word

ITS ORIGIN

The word but that begins verse 17 is not there by accident. Having just described the nature of worldly wisdom, James next contrasted it with the wisdom from above. This wisdom of the Word comes from God, and He enables us to apply His wisdom to our earthly challenges.

This wisdom of the Word has a divine origin. It comes “from above.” Wise Solomon put it thus: “The Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding” (Proverbs 2:6). Wisdom is God’s supernatural gift to any and all of us who ask Him for it. Paul acknowledged God as the source of wisdom when praying for his brothers and sisters in the faith at Ephesus. The apostle prayed “that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him” (Ephesians 1:17). And for his Colossian friends, Paul asked that God would fill them with “the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding” (Colossians 1:9).

The wisdom of the Word is God’s special gift, supernaturally bestowed on His people. The only requirement is that we ask God for it (see James 1:5). We won’t find godly wisdom through any kind of education or practical experience. After all, it isn’t learned. James laid it out: “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind” (James 1:5–6). Wisdom from above is God’s gift, freely given to those who simply ask. But we must ask in faith, believing God will hear our prayer and provide.

This wisdom comes to us by the living Word—by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, who is “the power of God and the wisdom of God . . . [and] who became for us wisdom from God” (1 Corinthians 1:24, 30). Without Christ, who is the very wisdom of God incarnate, we have no hope of gaining heaven’s wisdom for our daily needs. Thus, our first step in finding wisdom is to come to know Jesus as a personal Savior and Lord and put our trust totally in Him. (See Epilogue on page 275.)

Godly wisdom also comes to us by way of the written Word, the Bible. This is why Paul—in his last letter before being beheaded for the gospel—wrote to young Timothy and said, “From childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise” (2 Timothy 3:15). This wisdom from above is modeled by the living Word and set forth in the written Word, and God is glorified in both.

ITS OUTCOME

When we begin to apply heaven’s wisdom in our lives, purity—or spiritual integrity—results. The wisdom of the world brings perversion, but godly wisdom results in purity. We don’t become pure through our own good works or efforts. We only become pure before God through the blood of Jesus and His finished work on our behalf on the cross. And wisdom enables us to live out that purity.

A pure person will be, to use James’s word, “peaceable”: he will be a promoter of peace. Jesus didn’t pronounce a blessing on the peace lovers in the Beatitudes but on the peacemakers (Matthew 5:9). Christ blesses the active promoters of unity and peace.

Another benefit that comes when we apply the wisdom of God to our lives is patience—or, to use James’s word, “gentleness.” With it comes a willingness to yield. This person shows consideration for others, an exact opposite of the envy we see in those who only apply worldly wisdom.

Next, James referred to being “full of mercy.” God’s wisdom is characterized by an abundance of mercy and forgiveness. It may take two to start a quarrel or a fight, but it only takes one person applying heaven’s wisdom to the situation to stop it.

Then James added “full of good fruits.” Jesus reminded us that His true followers will be known “by their fruits” (Matthew 7:20).

And, finally, heaven’s wisdom results in our being “without partiality and without hypocrisy.” In ancient Greek drama, one actor would play several different roles. When changing from one character to another, he would hold different masks to his face. In some cases, the actor would be both hero and villain in the same play. Such an actor was called a “hypocrite.” Over the years this word has come to describe a two-faced individual hiding behind the mask of a false life. He pretends to be something he is not. James was telling us that people living according to wisdom from above don’t hide behind a mask and don’t pretend to be someone they’re not. Heaven’s wisdom is “without hypocrisy.”

The wisdom of the Word can change your life. Each of us must choose between the wisdom of the world and the wisdom of the Word. We aren’t puppets; we are people, and the choice is ours to make. Just know that the wisest decision anyone ever makes is to line up on God’s side.