Two Kinds of Wisdom: True Wisdom

James 3.13 to the end of the chapter. Who is wise and understanding among you.! Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.

But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such wisdom does not come down from heaven, but is earthly, unspiritual of the devil.

For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure, then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.

Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness. Brothers and sisters, over this past week, we have known joys and sorrows.

But not a one. But what were traced upon our dial by the Son of love. And it's been an opportunity for us to learn to trust him.

And those who trust him wholly find him wholly true. What a blessing to belong to the Lord Jesus Christ. Well, last week, we saw in James chapter 3, that at any point in your life, there are always two kinds of wisdom competing for the controls of your heart.

True and false wisdom. And we compared it to the struggle on board United Flight 93 on 9-11-2001. The struggle for the controls of that airplane.

And depending upon just who was in the cockpit, there were two very different destinations that followed. The true pilots were steering the plane for safe landing in San Francisco, California.

The terrorist pilots who gained control headed it for destruction in Washington, D.C. And ended up nosediving the plane into the ground in Pennsylvania.

So the stakes were high on that September for all on board. They are even higher for you and me as to who is at the controls of our hearts, whether it be true wisdom or false wisdom.

And depending upon which one is given the controls, your life will be marked by righteousness, holiness, purity, peace that leads to life, or by disorder and destruction and every evil practice that leads to death.

And that we might have no confusion as to who's at the controls of our plane, our life. James describes both kinds of wisdom for us in this passage.

And he tells us three things about it. He tells us its source, its characteristics, and its results. Last week we looked at false wisdom.

And we saw the source of this kind of wisdom was not heaven, but earth. Worldly wisdom. Worldly wisdom. The wisdom of unspiritual men, unaided by the Holy Spirit.

And as we trace the source of that wisdom, we saw that it actually went all the way to hell. It is of the devil. Verse 15.

The whole world is now operating on his so-called wisdom. A wisdom that's at odds with true wisdom.

That exchanges truth for lies and calls evil good and good evil. That puts darkness for light and light for darkness. And that puts bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.

This is the folly that claims to be wise in our day. And this kind of wisdom does not come down from heaven, but comes up from hell.

That's its source. And then we saw its characteristics. There were two. Bitter envy. That was the fire of resentment that resents someone for the good that we wish they didn't have.

And then selfish ambition. That's all about me. Promoting my own self-importance. And getting what I want. Two very devilish attitudes.

So far from the humility. Of true wisdom. And where this is the wisdom. In the cockpit. Controlling the life.

We can just about predict the results. Of what it will bring about. We would expect to see a nosedive. If envy. And selfish ambition.

Are steering the plane. And sure enough. It's results. Verse 16 tells us. That where you find envy. Where you have envy. And selfish ambition. You find disorder.

And every evil practice. Disorder. The very opposite of peaceful relationships. Disruption.

Dissension. Discord. Disputing. Division. And every evil practice. So where this wisdom is holding sway in the heart.

There's no end. No telling. What kind. Of evils. It will lead to. Of this we can be sure. It will not lead to anything good. But every evil.

Practice. Now this is. It will not lead to anything good. It will not lead to anything good. It will not lead to anything good. Now this is. Then as far. As can be. From the good life. That is the proof. Of true wisdom. And this was the kind of wisdom.

That was far too common. In Christian congregations. Of the first century. And so James. Identifies it. As the devilish. Destructive thing. That it is.

And he shows these. Self-professed wise men. Just how far they are. From true wisdom. Who is wise. And understanding.

Among you. Let him show it. By his good life. By deeds done. In the humility. That comes. From wisdom. Now we notice.

That there is. Then a true wisdom. To be had. There is another pilot. To fly the plane. Of our lives. And this is true wisdom. And James describes it.

For us. This morning. Let's notice. First of all. Its source. Its source. Where does it come from? Well. Verse 17. But the wisdom. That comes.

From heaven. That's where it comes from. From above. In contrast. To that which comes. From beneath. This wisdom. Comes from God.

From the all wise God. He's the source. Of all true wisdom. Indeed. It's his own wisdom. That he. Gives to men. It's one of his.

Good. And perfect gifts. From above. Coming down. From the father. Of the heavenly lights. That we learned of in. Chapter one. In verse 17.

Here's one of those gifts. Wisdom. It comes down. From heaven. And so. It's not natural. It's supernatural.

It's not found on earth. It comes down. From heaven. It's not within us. It's not going. With your gut instinct. Because your gut instinct. Is depraved.

And fallen. It will lead you. Awry. No. If I'm to ever have true wisdom. I must get it from God. It's God's gift.

Of his own wisdom. That's the source. Of this wisdom. What does it look like? What are its characteristics. In the second place?

Well. What have we seen already? Back in verse 13. Last week. We saw. That it's presence. Wherever you have this. This wisdom. It's seen. By a good life.

By deeds done. In humility. That comes from wisdom. Now that's the very opposite. Of bitter envy. And selfish ambition. And now we're given. Seven other characteristic.

Marks of God's wisdom. Seven marks. Of this wisdom. From heaven. And like God. We'll find that this wisdom.

Is like what we see. In God himself. Its author. Notice. It is first of all. Pure. Pure.

Now this must be. Because God is pure. Isn't he? And heaven. Is pure. Nothing impure. Can enter in. So if.

This wisdom. Comes down from heaven. It must be pure. If it comes from heaven. And from God. It. Must be pure. Unpolluted. Unmixed.

Undefiled. By the world. Now notice. The word of priority. James uses. It is first of all. First in order. And first in importance.

First of all. This wisdom. Is pure. That's the number one. Objective. Of wisdom.

To produce. A holy life. So if that's wisdom's. Top priority. You see to it.

That it's your top priority. Of your life. As well. Make every effort. To be holy. Pursue it. In every trial. Through every day.

To be holy. To be pure. Or that's the drum. That James is beating. In this whole letter. Isn't it? The pursuit. Of holiness. And that's the first. Thing.

That wisdom. Is concerned about. Purity. So. Pray for it. Lord Jesus. Purify me.

Make me as holy. As a redeemed sinner. On earth. Can be. Search me. Oh God. And know my heart. Try me. And know my thoughts. And see if there be any wicked way in me.

And show it to me. And give me repentance. And faith. To look to Christ. And to be purged. And cleansed. And lead me in the way everlasting. We used to. Sing a chorus.

Let thy word. Oh Lord. Be fire in my soul. Burning out every sin. Cleanse my heart. And mind. From every evil thought. Make me pure.

Within. That's the concern. Of wisdom. Purity. Purity. Purity of lips. Of eyes. Of hands. Of life. And heart. So there's a young man.

And he's seeking purity. And so he asks. How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word. And so we hear him praying.

I seek you with all my heart. Do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart. That I might not sin against you.

I want to be pure. Wise young man. This. Memorizing scripture. And praying that God would use it. To keep him from sin.

To make him pure. Pure. And here's a young lady. And she's keeping herself sexually pure. And dressing modestly.

Wise woman. Wise young lady. And here's a man. And he's serious about avoiding impurity through the eye gate. And he's bouncing his eyes off of any pictures or scenes.

That would stamp impurity upon his mind. Wise young man. Wise older man. Because wisdom is in the first place.

Pure. And do you see that woman purifying her speech? And she starts out in the morning. Setting a watch before her lips. And she says.

Oh Lord. Don't let any slander. Or gossip. Or any unwholesome thing. Come out of my mouth today. But only what is helpful.

For building others up. According to their needs. That it may. Benefit all who listen. So that anybody who hears. What comes out of my mouth. Might go away better off. For having heard it.

Oh Lord. Purify. My tongue. That's a. Wise woman. That's wisdom from above. First of all. Pure.

But then notice. Secondly. He says. Then peace loving. Right after purity. Is peace loving. Peace loving. And it's the same order. That we find in Jesus.

Sermon on the mount. So often. We find James. Speaking. Similar. Things. That we find. His older brother. Jesus. Speaking. And so it is here.

Remember. Verse 8. Matthew 5. Blessed. Blessed. Are the pure. In heart. For they will see God. And immediately following. In verse 9. Blessed are the peacemakers.

Purity. Peacemakers. James. Pure. Number one. Then. Peace loving. Peace loving. You see.

God's wisdom. Makes lovers of peace. God's wisdom. Makes us to love. Peace. Would people who know you.

Call you peace loving. You know that. That woman. She's for peace. Or are you prickly. Touchy.

Difficult to work with. Headstrong. Quarrelsome. I don't think there are many churches. Or individuals. Who realize how important.

This matter is. To the Lord Jesus Christ. Who is he after all? Well he. Is called the Prince. Of peace. And he's come from.

The God. Of peace. And he's come on a. Mission. Of making peace. Between. Vile sinners. And a holy God.

And he. The Prince of Peace. Is able to bring these two. Together. To live at peace. With each other. And how does he do it? By the blood. Of his cross. But he was not only.

Making peace. Between God. And men. At the same time. As he died on the cross. He was destroying. A middle wall. Of partition. A barrier. That stood between. The Jews.

And the Gentiles. That kept them apart. And he tore it down. By the blood. Of his cross. So that. Out of these two. He might make one new man in Christ.

Reconciling. The two. Together. That's his. That's his mission. That's why he came. To reconcile. The two. And.

Them. Unto God. Brothers and sisters. He died. To make you and me. One. At peace. And he's so serious.

About peace. Between you and me. That he spilled his life blood. To accomplish it. And so church of Christ. Redeemed by the blood. You're now called.

To peace. Did you know that? That's part of your calling. It's part of your job description. Colossians 3. 15. Let the peace of Christ.

Rule. In your hearts. Let it take the cockpit. Let it just. Control. The life. Let the peace of Christ. Rule. In your hearts.

Since as members. Of one body. You were called. To peace. We're members. Of the body. Of Christ. So let the peace.

Of Christ. Rule. In your hearts. You've been called. To this. He's dead serious. About. Peace.

In his church. His wisdom. Makes peace lovers. The Lord Jesus. Jesus. Lived.

In a. World. Where. Peace. Was a rare commodity. And what do we see? Well. One day. The. The collectors. Of the true drachma tax. Came to Peter.

And asked him. Doesn't your teacher. Pay the temple tax? Peter says. Yes. He does. And then. Peter comes into the house. And when he did. Jesus was the first to speak to him.

And he says. What do you think Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth collect duty and taxes? From their own sons? Or from others?

Well from others. Peter answered. Then the sons are exempt. Jesus replied. But. But.

So that we may not offend them. Go to the lake and throw out your line. Take the first fish you catch. Open its mouth and you'll find a four drachma coin. Take it and give it to them for my tax and yours.

The temple tax was for God. And Jesus. Is God's son. The king does not tax his own son.

So Jesus is exempt. From paying the temple tax. He doesn't owe it. But. He pays it.

Anyway. You say why? Isn't that a waste of money? No. That we may not offend them. He would rather suffer personal loss.

Than ruffle the peace. He would rather go to the ends of. Performing a miracle. And bringing up a fish with a coin in its mouth. Rather than to prove his point.

Just to prove a point. Clinging to his rights. No. He would. Suffer himself. Rather than to cause unnecessary.

Offense. Now Jesus could be confrontational. When truth and holiness. Were at issue. And you only have to read the gospels. To see that. But where it was unnecessary offense.

He. Lays down his rights. For the sake of peace. For the sake of peaceful relations. Even with his enemies. That. These guys are not friends.

They're his enemies. It was the religious elite. That put him. To death. Peace. And Jesus. The peace lover. Is here in action. So I ask you.

When's the last time you've laid down your rights. In order to maintain peace. Peace. Do you love peace that much?

Peace lovers are careful not to give unnecessary offense. So let the peace of Christ. This same peace. Rule in your hearts. Since as members of one body you were called to peace.

True wisdom is peace loving. The devil's wisdom always leaves behind a trail. Of discord. And disorder.

How much do you love the peace? There's a husband. And he goes to his wife. And he sincerely asks her. Dear.

If you could change anything about me. What would it be? And after she picks herself up from the floor. She says what? And she recognizes you're sincere.

And then she tells you. And then you run to the throne of grace. And you pray with all your heart. Oh God.

Give me changing grace. And then you strive with all your heart. Because you love peace in your marriage.

You love it that much. Do you love peace so much that you return good for evil? Your brother used something of yours without asking.

And rather than read him the riot act. You kindly tell him he can borrow it the next time. You just like that he first would come and ask you. He did evil.

You return kindness. Because you love peace with your brother. In a world where wars and fighting and quarreling and rivalry is the order of the day.

Jesus wants a people who love peace and who glorify him by promoting peace. Everywhere. In every way.

In every relationship. In the family. At work. At school. At church. In the community. As much as it depends on you. Live at peace with everyone. Romans 12.

17. And so people permeated with God's wisdom. This is that wisdom that comes from above. People who are permeated with that wisdom. Just breathe an attitude that says, I am for peace.

I am for peace. Do people sense that from you? Do your enemies sense that from you? If so, you are a wise and understanding man or woman.

We promote the peace. We preserve the peace. We make every effort to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace. Ephesians 4.

3. And when that peace is disturbed, we make every effort to do what leads to peace. Romans 14. 19. To restore the peace. We seek peace and pursue it.

Psalm 34. 14. And so I have to ask you, is there someone that you need to go see? Is there a letter that needs to be written? Is there a hatchet that needs to be buried?

Is there a misunderstanding that needs to be cleared up? Is there an enemy that needs to be loved? A relationship to be restored? A wrong to endure? Who is wise and understanding among you?

Let him show it by the humility that comes from wisdom, by this peacemaking, this peace-loving that is a characteristic mark of true wisdom.

Now, the next two attributes of wisdom are seen to contribute to peacemaking. The next is considerate.

And it's not hard to see how this promotes peace, is it? To be considerate is to look at the situation from the other person's point of view. We hear people talk about thinking outside the box today.

I think that that's a helpful picture to us at this point. Because we're born with a box around us. It's the box of self. And everywhere we go, we go in the box of self.

And every situation that we see, we think about from the perspective of self. How does this affect me? What will it do for me? What will it mean for me?

For me? Mine? I? It's the box of self. And we rarely think outside the box of self. Phil Keggy, the songwriter, writes, I am mercenary and self-seeking through and through.

I never had a selfless thought since I was born. We think inside the box of self. And to be considerate is to think outside the box of self.

True wisdom teaches us to think outside of our box and inside of our neighbor's box. What is she thinking? What is she feeling?

What does she want? And we think in her box for a moment. That's what it means to be considerate. And in Philippians chapter 2, Paul is pleading for unity and peace in the church.

And he says, each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.

Didn't he think out of the box of self when he left heaven's glories and comforts and came to be damned in our place? He had this forgetfulness of self.

So concerned was he with our interests, our need for salvation. And that's the way it works. It's in looking after the interests of others that I'm freed from this tiny little box of self where all I can concern myself with is me and mine.

And as I begin to take on the interests of others, I find this freedom, this self-forgetfulness. Wisdom is considerate.

It's gentle. It's kind to others. It makes allowances for them. It thinks of things from their perspective. So husbands, Peter writes, be considerate as you live with your wives.

First Peter 3, 7. Think about your decisions from her box before you make them. That's true wisdom. And children, children, the Bible is not just for a grownups.

It's for you as well. You are to be considerate. I want to ask you, when is the last time you've got outside of your box? What I want. You're good at thinking about life from what do this mean for me, mom?

But the Bible calls on you to get out of your box and get inside of mom's box. What does mom want from you? What does she think? What would please her?

What would please my parents? I have chores to do. I have homework to do. I have homework to do. And I know that would please them. When's the last time you've done your chores and your homework without being told to?

Just because you're considerate and you put yourself and you thought what would be pleasing to them. When have you last done something out of initiative and gone beyond the chores that are expected?

Just because it needs to be done and you know that that would help mom. Be considerate. That's wisdom. That's what wisdom teaches us to be like.

Not only considerate, but submissive. Submissive is the next word. It means it's not the word submissive that we find in Ephesians 5. It means not overbearing.

It means easy to be entreated. It means willing to be reasoned with. It means you're approachable. You're teachable. The welcome mat is out. The door is open.

Let's talk. That's the idea behind this word submissive. A sweet reasonableness. It's really the opposite of that bumper sticker that reads, my mind is already made up.

So don't confuse me with the facts. You might as well not be talking to me because my mind's made up. No, that's not this sweet reasonableness.

It's not, well, I'm the great authority here. Who do you think you are to disagree with me or to question me? No, true wisdom will teach you to say, brother, what do you think about this?

You've got your own opinion. But you say, brother, what do you think about this? And it'll teach husbands to say, wife, what do you think about this, dear?

And yes, parents, it will teach you to say, kids, what do you think about this? Now, I'm not saying that we throw all discipline out the window.

And I'm not saying that they don't need to learn to speak to you in tones of respect. But wisdom creates no control freaks, but good listeners willing to be taught and corrected if necessary.

Wise parent, wise pastor, wise employer, who is submissive.

Open, teachable, approachable. That's what wisdom makes. And then the wisdom from heaven is full of mercy and good fruit.

Now, this word mercy has two aspects of it, and we've already seen them in the book of James. Both aspects. First of all, it relieves those in need. It's active compassion.

It's practical help of the needy. Remember in chapter two, we were told when a brother or sister don't have food and clothing. Mercy doesn't merely will wish you well.

God bless you. But but wisdom reaches in and and gives them what they need. It relieves the need. That's what mercy is.

Mercy weeps with those who weep, and then it seeks to relieve their suffering. Mercy looks after orphans and widows in their distress. Chapter one in verse twenty seven.

And so do you see that woman who's very busy, but she rearranges her own schedule and she's helping others in need at her own personal expense? That's wisdom.

That's the wisdom that's come down from heaven into her heart. It's full of mercy that meets needs. And notice it's full of mercy.

Full of mercy. Even as God is plenteous in mercy, abounding in love. So real wisdom is not stingy, but lavishing and extravagant in mercy.

I wonder, has anybody been surprised lately with your kindness that goes beyond the ordinary? Like God's to you every day.

Full of mercy. That's what wisdom makes of us. So that's the first aspect of mercy. It relieves those in need.

But secondly, it forgives those who wrong us. We saw that in chapter two and verse 13, that mercy triumphs over judgment. Mercy is not a rush to justice.

Let's go lynch him. But mercy is a rush to return kindness where justice is expected.

Just as God has done toward us. We're not always pressing the justice card, making sure they get what they've got coming. God does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.

And so we do not treat others as they deserve. Instead, we should be quick to forgive, eager to extend mercy to the wrongdoer. So mercy has a short memory.

You can't remember those wrongs done to it. Full of mercy toward the wrongdoer. Do others in dealing with you ever encounter mercy where justice might be expected?

You were doing 20 miles per hour over the speed limit and you were expecting justice. And he just gave you a warning. That was mercy.

Wasn't it refreshing? And who's been refreshed by your mercy where justice might have been expected? Someone at work who wronged you and knew that they deserved justice from you, but they met with mercy at your hand and they received good for their evil.

Yes, your husband was late for supper and he didn't bother to call. But instead of nagging, you meet him with kindness and sweetness. I wonder, parents, if our children ever receive mercy where they deserve justice.

And again, I'm not saying we throw discipline out the window. The pattern consistently ought to be that they learn that wrong leads to negative behavior.

Yes, that's biblical practice. But God is plenteous in mercy with his children. And if I'm to become more God-like, then my children ought to be surprised from time to time at mercy rather than the justice they deserve.

Yes, wisdom from heaven, it's full of mercy and this good fruit. And then it's impartial. Remember those two guys that came into the meeting place?

The beginning of chapter two? One had a ring of gold and fine clothes. And the other one was a poor man in shabby clothes. And they both came in. And James says, if you showed special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and said to him, here's a good seat for you.

But you said to the poor man, will you just stand there or sit on the floor here by my feet? Have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?

My brothers, as followers of our glorious Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, don't show favoritism. You know what wisdom is? Wisdom is impartial.

Wisdom will make you impartial. Wisdom will make you look at the rich man and poor man and see them alike. As people in need. People that equally deserve your respect and your love.

You don't judge them. You don't pigeonhole them. You don't prejudge them and put them in a spot just because of some outward characteristic. The clothes they're wearing.

Oh, I need wisdom to see the rich man and the poor man as God in heaven sees them. And then to treat them in an impartial way with equal concern.

Wisdom will do that for you. It's impartial. And lastly, it's sincere. That means there's nothing hypocritical about it.

There's no mask that's being worn. You're not play acting. You're not pretending. You're just being real. You're just looking at life as it really is from God's perspective and responding accordingly.

Sincere. Do you know the best thing that I can do is to act the part? I say that's the best I can do.

Left to myself is to act the part. Only God can make me real. Only God can make me sincere. I can pretend to be humble. All the while I'm full of selfish ambition.

I can pretend to be considerate and care about others even while harboring bitter envy in my heart against that person. But when God fills me with his wisdom, then I'll be sincere in my purity, my peace loving, my considerateness, my sweet reasonableness, my deeds of mercy, my impartiality.

So that's wisdom, folks. And it comes down from heaven. There's seven of its characteristics, how it acts, its attitudes, its priorities.

That's the good life by which wisdom shows itself. That's the deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. And it's all found in perfection in the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the wisdom of God come down from heaven.

So read through verse 17. Memorize verse 17. And if you haven't thought of wisdom that way before, think again and think again and think again until you begin to think of wisdom.

Not as just some high IQ, not as just some brain power of knowing what to do, but. A good life. Of humble deeds that comes from wisdom, of purity, of peace, loving and so forth.

That is the wisdom from above and its results. Verse 18. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.

We saw the result of envy and selfish ambition. It leads to disorder and every evil practice. Now we see the result of God's wisdom.

It's a harvest of righteousness. And again, God's wisdom is is here summarized in peacemaking, isn't it? We just see right after purity, peacemaking, peace loving.

And now at the end, he would summarize this life as the peacemaking life. Blessed are the peacemakers. They will be called sons of God. And peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.

The harvest is righteousness itself. It's a life of doing what's right in God's eyes. It's a life of pleasing God. What a harvest. Then give me that wisdom, Lord.

Give me that wisdom. To be a peacemaker, sowing in peace. And so peacemakers are humble. They get rid of envy and selfish ambition.

They avoid all unnecessary strife. They're non-confrontational unless truth and holiness demand it. They love their enemies. They overcome evil with good.

They love peace and seek peace. And they do this because God's wisdom is holding sway at the controls of their heart. You see, James is teaching us that righteousness is a plant that only thrives in the soil of peace.

It's the harvest. But where does the harvest of righteousness grow, folks? It doesn't grow where envy and selfish ambition are eating out the heart of a church.

No, you don't find righteousness springing up from the earth in that spot. You rather find disorder and discord and every evil practice. Where do you find righteousness springing up?

Right living? Living to please God in the whole of life. Where does that stuff grow? Well, it grows among peacemakers who are sowing in peace.

And into the ground goes considerateness and sweet reasonableness and full of mercy and purity and all this humility. And what springs up is righteousness.

Division, quarreling among the people of God poisons the soil and blights the fruitful harvest of righteousness.

So, church, be very careful not to disturb the peace and so interrupt the fruit of righteousness, which is by Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God.

Only if purity demands it do we disrupt the peace. It's where brothers live together in unity that God commands the blessing, even life forevermore.

Psalm 133. Where people, peacemakers are sowing in peace, there God commands a blessing, righteousness, life forevermore.

That's true wisdom. It's source, its characteristics, and its result. Well, I need this wisdom. I don't know about you. I want this wisdom. I want more of it.

And yet, I don't have it. I can't manufacture it. Remember, it's not on earth. It's not earthly. It's from heaven.

It's supernatural. It's not found in here. And left to myself, false wisdom will control my life and run my plane right in the ground.

So how do I get it? And we close with two points. How do I get this wisdom? And I think that we've already seen the hints. If it comes down from heaven, how do we get it?

Number one, we pray for it. We pray for it. It comes down from heaven in answer to believing prayer.

Say, do you remember a verse back in chapter one and verse five? Where God says, in the midst of your trial, something's going to come to the surface and you're going to have an aha experience that you lack wisdom.

Well, what do you do in that case? James 1, 5. If anyone lacks wisdom, let him ask God who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.

We must ask for it. He has it. And he gives it to those who ask. Now, remember, the context there was trials of many kinds.

That's the context of the whole letter. And in those trials of many kinds, what happens? It shows our lack of wisdom. And here in James chapter three, he's shown us the kind of wisdom that we need in trials.

Have you have you made the connection then between this wisdom and the wisdom that we need in trials? We need humble deeds that come from wisdom, that humility and meekness in our trials that doesn't demand life my way, but let's God be God.

Humbly takes our place and lets him trace upon our dial whatever good or joys or sorrows that he wills. There's that humility of wisdom.

I need that in trials. I need that in trials. Because my own wisdom would demand this or that. And I deserve better than that.

No, I need wisdom. And I need purity. Because in my trials, I'm tempted to sin. To cut corners on purity.

To give up persevering in the way of obedience. Evil desires are stirred up in my trials to choose the easy wrong. And I need wisdom with its chief priority, purity in the midst of my trials.

And I need peace loving. Because some trials involve other people, don't they? People who are hard to get along with. And that's my trial.

It's that person. And so I need the wisdom that loves peace. I don't have that. He does. He gives it to those who ask. I'm tempted in trials to losing my temper.

To have a sharp tongue. I need wisdom. And it's wisdom I need. Because sometimes my trials are the very needs of others around me. And I need wisdom as I look upon them in need.

To be full of mercy. To give my time. To give my money. To give my service. To give a word of encouragement. To get out of the box of self.

And to think of them. And to act accordingly. That's wisdom. I need that. And in trials when others are mistreating me. I need that mercy.

To be quick to forgive. To surprise them with mercy. Where justice is expected. And in trials where I'm tempted to show favoritism. I need wisdom that's impartial.

And in all my trials I need to be the real thing. Sincere. Now that's the wisdom then that we're to pray for in our trials. You see. We're to take what we've seen this morning in verse 17 of chapter 3.

And take all that baggage and put it into James 1 5. Where it says if any of you lacks wisdom. This is the stuff you lack. Right? The purity, peace, loving.

That's what we lack in our trials. And so in our trials we ask. Oh God. Give us that wisdom. From above. All I have is the wisdom from hell.

Give me your wisdom. From above. And oh how gracious is our God. To give it generously to all who ask. Well that's how we get it.

We ask. And secondly. Be saturated with God's word. Because the Bible is not man's thoughts about God. It's God's thoughts about man.

And God's thoughts about God. It's God's wisdom isn't it? Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly. As you teach and admonish one another. With all wisdom.

Colossians 3 16. Where's all this wisdom come from? From the word of Christ. If we.

Would learn wisdom. We must be saturated with scripture. By it. By the holy scriptures. Paul says to Timothy.

You were made wise for salvation. Through faith in Jesus Christ. Some of you need. That wisdom. To be made wise for salvation. Today. The Bible reveals a savior for sinners.

Be made wise by coming to him today. But we find in it wisdom for life. And that's why James. Is always pointing us back to God's word.

To that law that gives liberty. That perfect law of liberty. That's why he's telling us. Be doers of the word. And not hearers only.

Why? Because that's the wise life. That's wisdom. It is to do. What it says. It's not just to know it. That's not wisdom. Wisdom is to live.

The wise life. So be doers. Of the word. That's why James says. Humbly accept the word. Planted in you. That's why he says. Continually. Look intently.

In it. And keep looking intently. In it. Not forgetting what you heard. But doing it. Because as you do. The word of God.

You are living. The wise life. And this word. Will point you to Jesus. In whom are hidden. All the treasures.

Of wisdom. And knowledge. The Lord Jesus. Who came down from heaven. To make us. Wise. To make us right with God. And to teach us. How to live. In this world.

And that's why. It's so critical. That every day. Of your life. You get your nose. In this book. And you memorize scripture. And you meditate on it. And you're thinking about it.

As you're driving. And as you're. You're going here. And there. It's the word of God. That's in you. Like water in a sponge. Squeeze you at any point. And out comes scripture. We need the word of God.

If we ever hope to be wise. And all the while. We're reading. And all the while. We're memorizing. And reviewing. Our memory work. We're praying. Oh. Oh God.

Make me wise. Make me to live this stuff. Prayer. And the word. You ever heard those two things before? There's nothing new. Is there?

But I trust. We'll see a little clearer. That's. That's the key. To getting wisdom. We ask. And we seek. And we seek. And we ask.

So which wisdom. Is at the controls. Of your heart. Who's driving the plane. God's word. Is meant to lead us.

To God himself. He's spoken to us. Let's. Respond. In prayer to him. All of us. Silently. Please. Please.

We do not deserve to have you speak to us words of wisdom. We've turned our back on your wisdom. We've gone in search of our own way. And we've deemed that the knowledge of you is not worth holding on to.

And so we stand on mercy, Lord. We've been shown mercy where we deserve judgment. So thank you for speaking words of wisdom to us.

Thank you for pointing us to our Savior in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Thank you that we have his word in our language where we can read it. And thank you that we have a throne of grace to go to and to plead for it.

Thank you, Jesus, that your hands are filled with blessings and gifts. And one of those gifts is wisdom. And you give it to all your children who come and ask for it.

Oh, bring us more often to asking. And Lord, make some sinner wise for the first time to see that to go the direction he's going is to go to destruction, even though it's the way that seems right to him.

Bring him to the Savior this day. For the glory of our Savior, we ask. Amen. Amen.