Two Kinds of Wisdom

 

The entire Book of James is full of practical, plain-speaking guidance for living.  In chapter 3, there is a rich vein of insight that contrasts two kinds of wisdom – worldly and godly.  One is polluted and one is pure.  Let’s look at each and take an honest inventory of our own brand of wisdom. 

 

James 3:17 - 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.

 

Things to think about:

Pollution

·       James 3:14 - But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth.

o   Two distinguishing characteristics – focus on others (bitter envy) and focus on self (selfish ambition)

§  Envy = I want what you have because I’m comparing myself to you

·       James 4:1-2 - What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. 

§  Selfish ambition is different than ambition.  God wants us to dream big dreams for Him, not to feed our greeds

·       James 4:3 -  When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

·       Matthe 6:33 - But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

o   God doesn’t seem to be anywhere in view!

·       James 3:15-16 - Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.

Purity

·       James 3:17 - 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.

o   If we look at the bookends here, Purity and Sincerity, these are motivations that come from a heart aligned with God’s

o   The others, Peace-loving, Considerate, Submissive, Merciful, Good Fruit, Impartiality, are how these motivations come to life in practical ways to the benefit of others

§  These are the opposite of envy and greed!

o   I suppose we daily (hourly?!) go through varying degrees of wisdom

·       The payoff to those pursuing God's wisdom?

o   v.18 -  Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.

God is in the Saving Business

 

One of my favorite verses is found in 2 Peter 3:9 (see below.  It emphasizes how much God cares about ALL people, not just those who look, think, act, or believe like I do.  As I dug a little deeper into this, I found a treasure trove of verses that resoundingly make the point – GOD IS IN THE SAVING BUSINESS

 

2 Peter 3:9(b) - He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

 

Things to think about:

·       Let’s lay out the evidence first and then we will look at our response to how we should behave in light of God’s love for all of mankind.

o   1 Timothy 2:3-4 - This is good, and pleases God our Savior, ⁴ who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.

o   2 Peter 3:9 - The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. Instead, He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

o   Ezekiel 18:23 - Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Sovereign Lord. Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live?

o   John 3:16-17 - For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.

o   1 Timothy 1:15 -  Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst.

§  No matter who, no matter what

·       Our response to so great a love?

o   Pray, Model, Minister, Share

§  Pray - Romans 10:1 - Brothers and sisters, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved.

§  Model – Matthew 13:16 - In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

§  Minister – James 2:14-17 - What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? ¹⁵ Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. ¹⁶ If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? ¹⁷ In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

§  Share – 1 Peter 3:15 - Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.

·       How would you make the case that God is in the saving business?

o   What can you do today to help God achieve His objective of none perishing but all come to repentance?

Just in Time God

 

God is a JIT kind of God.  What is JIT?  Just in time.  He’s never early and He’s never late, but He delivers the right solution at just the right time.  The problem for His children can be in the waiting.

 

2 Peter 3:8-9(a) - But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness.

 

Things to think about:

·       Drives you crazy, doesn’t it?! 

o   “God, if you could fix this RIGHT NOW, with a wave of Your mighty hand, what are you waiting for???”

·       The Bible is full of examples of God being just in time:

o   Parting of the Red Sea

o   Appearance of a ram in the thicket for Abraham and Isaac

o   The daily provision of manna

o   Appearance of an angel to shut the mouth of the lion for Daniel

o   Victory for Jehoshaphat against overwhelming armies

o   God miraculously providing a continuous supply of flour and oil for the widow of Zarephath

·       Sometimes He appears to actually be late (but He’s not)

o   All that befell Job

o   Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and the fiery furnace

o   Lazarus being revived after he died

o   Jesus being resurrected after His crucifixion

·       Why do you think this is His modus operandi?

o   1 Peter 4:12-13 -  Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.  But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when His glory is revealed.

§  I believe the key phrase here is “His glory”. 

·       Of course, a study like this wouldn’t be complete with Romans 8:28 – And we know that all things work together for the good for those that love God and are called according to His purpose

o   It doesn’t say “all things ARE good” but that God can use whatever we are going through for our benefit and His divine purposes

o   How does today’s study give you hope and encouragement while you are waiting?

Onesiphorus

 

In the first chapter of 2 Timothy, while Paul is stuck in a Roman prison, we learn of a man named Onesiphorus who was a true friend to the apostle when no one else was.   

 

Proverbs 17:17 – A friend loves at all times and a brother is born for a time of adversity

 

Things to think about:

·       The context here is Paul is in a Roman jail and everyone has abandoned him. 

o   2 Tim. 1:15 - You know that everyone in the province of Asia has deserted me, including Phygelus and Hermogenes.

·       Onesiphorus means “Profit bearing” or “bringing a benefit”

o   All friendships should be mutually beneficial.  Onesiphorous definitely made Paul’s situation better.

·       2 Tim. 1:16 - May the Lord show mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, because he often refreshed me …

o   “He often refreshed me” – going through a challenging season of life can be exhausting

o   “often” - For Onesiphorus, being there for his friend was a lifestyle 

o   “refreshed” conjures up thoughts of comfort and hope

·       2 Tim. 1:16 (continued) – “and was not ashamed of my chains.”

o   Sometimes being someone’s friend means being there even when it’s not cool to be their friend.

o   Proverbs 19:4 - Wealth attracts many friends, but even the closest friend of the poor person deserts them.

·       2 Tim. 1:17 – On the contrary, he searched hard for me until he found me

o   Friends are intentional

o   Friends are persistent

·       Onesiphorus’s character is reinforced when Paul says in verse 18, “You know very well in how many ways he helped me in Ephesus.”

o   This wasn’t anything new, Onesiphorus had a servant’s heart

·       Proverbs 18:24 - One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

o   In John 15:15, Jesus says to you and me, “I no longer call you servants, …but I have called you friends.’

o   To one another and to our Lord let’s be:

§  Profitable

§  Intentional

§  Persistent

§  Consistent

§  Unashamed

 

Stop Listening and Start Talking

 

The tapes we play in our heads are often filled with negative thoughts and feelings.  We feel bad about a situation or relationship, and that fuels lots of unhelpful thoughts. 

“I’m sad.”

“Why?”
“Because this circumstance isn’t what I want and it’s probably just going to get worse.”

“How do you know?”

“It’s just how I feel.”

Psalm 42:5 - Why, my soul, are you downcast?
    Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
    for I will yet praise him,
    my Savior and my God.

 

Things to think about:

·       Our passage here highlights the importance of self-talk.  We all do it all of the time.  The problem is we tend to listen more than we talk.

o   Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, a pastor from the first half of the 20^th century, gave a sermon on Christian depression and his main takeaway was we need to tell ourselves what to feel based on truth, not based on fear. (shout out to Tim Keller for citing him and this sermon)

·       We see the psalmist acknowledging his feelings (why are you so downcast my soul? Why so disturbed within me?)

o   We should never feel guilty about feeling sad or unhappy.  God gave us our emotions and we are made in His image

o   I’ll admit I’m not the touchiest-feeliest person you know. 

o   One of the benefits of being quiet is to “feel the feels” as my kids say.  Staying busy can simply be a coping mechanism for not allowing yourself to be in touch with your feelings.

§  The irony is it is an exhausting tightrope to try and stay on and a leading cause of burnout and other unhealthy consequences (anger, self-medication, bad habits, etc.)

§  Also, we have an adversary, the father of lies, who is trying to keep us beat down and losing our faith in God.

·       While it is healthy to understand why we might be sad or unhappy, it’s not OK to stay stuck in that rut and not make progress.

·       The antidote is how we talk to ourselves and the key ingredient to that is Truth (yes, with a capital T)

o   1 Timothy 3:16 - All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness

o   We see the psalmist speak truth to himself – “Put your hope in God”

§  We need to see past the disaster and on to the Master

·       God is capable, caring, present, gracious, and omniscient

·       The psalmist ends with a statement of faith – “I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God”

o   More than even the psalmist, we already know how the story ends – God wins!

·       When you have those tapes playing in your head on an endless loop, stop listening and start talking!

The Abundance of God

 

I’ve been reflecting recently on the abundance of God.  I have a tendency to look at what is lacking (or at least I perceive it to be so) and quickly fall into a scarcity mindset.  But it’s really hard to read the Bible and not be awed by how many times, and in how many ways, we are reminded of God’s riches.  Let’s look at a few of them (and let me know what I may have forgotten).

 

Exodus 34:6-7 - 'The LORD, the LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin,

 

Things to think about:

·       Mercy

o   Ephesians 2:4-5: "But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved"

o   Lamentations 3:22-23: "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness"

o   Psalm 25:10: "All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth toward those who honor His covenant and decrees"

·       Grace

o   Ephesians 2:8-9: "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast"

o   2 Corinthians 12:9: "But He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me"

o   Romans 3:24: "And are justified by His grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus"

 

 

·       Peace

o   John 14:27: "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid"

o   Philippians 4:6-7: "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus"

o   Isaiah 26:3: "You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you"

·       Goodness

o   Psalm 23:6: "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever"

o   Psalm 31:19: "Oh, how abundant is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you and worked for those who take refuge in you, in the sight of the children of mankind!"

o   Psalm 34:8: "Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!"

·       Forgiveness

o   1 John 1:9: "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness"

o   Colossians 3:13: "Bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive"

o   Matthew 6:14-15: "For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses"

·       Blessing

o   Ephesians 1:3: "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places"

o   Numbers 6:24-26: "The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace"

o   Psalm 67:7: "God shall bless us; let all the ends of the earth fear Him!"

What other qualities can you think of or passages that I may have missed?

How does focusing on God’s abundant qualities change how you look at your circumstances?

Start with Who

 

Maybe you are familiar with the book by Simon Sinek titled Start with Why. In it he explores the power of purpose-driven leadership, emphasizing that successful individuals and organizations inspire action by clearly communicating their "why" – their core beliefs and purpose – before discussing the "how" and "what" of their actions.  Let’s take that basic structure and add one critical element to it.

 

1 Thessalonians 1:3 - We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

Things to think about:

·       What we do, how we do it and why we do it are all key elements of this passage

·       One “what” we find here is our work. 

o   James 2:18 - But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.

o   Why do we do our Christian work? – because of our faith

·       Related to our work is our labor

o   What’s the difference between work and labor you might wonder.

§  I’d offer that work is the final product, labor is the effort it took to produce it.

o   And that labor is prompted by love

§  Love is the ultimate WHY

·       John 3:16 - For God so loved the world

·       1 Cor. 13:1-3 - If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

·       Another “what” is “your endurance”

o   It is not enough to to start well, we must finish the race before us.  And what allows us to keep going?

§  The Why is it is inspired by hope

§  The word inspire is interesting – its root is related to breathing.  Hope is the very breath we need to persevere.

o    However, hope that is not rooted in someone or something is merely wishing.

§  our faith is beyond having a Why, it is because we have a Who - our Lord Jesus Christ!

·       So what do we take away from today’s lesson?

o   We have hope because Jesus loved us so much that He died on the cross and rose from the dead and is alive at the right hand of God constantly interceding for us

o   That love prompts us to “work out our salvation” by loving God and loving others

o   And our labor will produce a good crop that reflects back on God and brings Him glory and honor – amen!