To Encourage You

James 2:14-17 “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 . . . But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.”

One of the things in which the Bible instructs us is the proper use of words.  Words matter!  They can be thrown around so easily and used so loosely that what we say can mislead and confuse – unwittingly in some cases but on purpose in others.  An example of this is the phrase, “Love is love.” We see it everywhere we look today. But what in the world does it mean?  The Bible talks about love from cover to cover, but it differentiates holy and godly love from that which is nothing more than lust.  The meanings are not the same, and so “love” in the way one person might use the word may be radically different from the way another person might use it. Stating that “love is love” is not a true statement if there are radically different meanings of the word. 

The book of James addresses other misuses of words.  He tells us that there are two different types of faith. One is “dead faith.” This is a faith that never translates to the way a person lives.  It’s saying we believe in God, but then acting as if He doesn’t exist and we’re not accountable to Him.  The other type of faith, the faith that lives, is a faith in which we demonstrate by our actions that what we say we believe we truly do believe.  It’s like the difference between night and day. 

And then there’s the word “wisdom,” which James addresses in the passage above. It’s a word held in high esteem by many. The word means the ability to put knowledge to practical use.  James tells us that there are two kinds. One type of wisdom is “from below.” It’s “earthly, unspiritual, demonic.” It’s the use of knowledge for self-centered purposes.  It’s the wisdom that thinks that “knowledge is power,” and it’s the use of that power to get ahead of someone else. James calls this “selfish ambition.”  It’s a scheming, plotting, manipulative type of “wisdom,” all in an effort to get what’s mine, lift myself above my neighbor, or perhaps to save my own skin.  It’s the type of “wisdom” used by scammers and thieves. Jesus talked about this in Luke 16 when He said, “the sons of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than the sons of light.” As an example, He told about a manager who was in deep trouble for wasting his master’s possessions.  As he was about to be called to account he said, “’What shall I do, since my master is taking the management away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg. I have decided what to do, so that when I am removed from management, people may receive me into their houses.’ So, summoning his master’s debtors one by one, he said to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’  He said, ‘A hundred measures of oil.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.’  Then he said to another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ He said, ‘A hundred measures of wheat.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write eighty.’”  Interestingly we are told that “The master commended the dishonest manager for his shrewdness.” That’s what worldly wisdom is like. It’s impressive, but it’s not the wisdom of God.  

But then Jesus says this: “I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth, so that when it fails they may receive you into the eternal dwellings.” Here’s the wisdom that comes from above. This wisdom uses worldly wealth to bless others with generosity. It uses the gifts that God has given us to bless those around us and with that love, demonstrate to them in practical ways the difference the gospel makes in a life. It’s the wisdom to live a life that will perhaps incline another person’s heart to see that the Word of God is true, for the effect it has had on our life is manifestly real.  It’s a wisdom that shares the gospel in both word and deed, and that can lead to those with whom we share it to come to saving faith in Christ.  It’s the wisdom to take the treasures that God has given us and manage them in a way that stores them in heaven rather than on the earth.  That’s exactly what Jesus is talking about when He says that when our worldly wealth fails (which it surely will, for we can’t take it with us), there will be people that welcome us in heaven someday if the way we lived our life influenced them to receive Christ and be saved for all eternity.  What a wonderful eternal treasure that will be!  

Two types of wisdom – one from below, the other from above.  The life we lead with the things God has given us will demonstrate to the world which one we have.