This morning we are returning to our study of James, so if you have your Bible, and I trust that you do, turn with me to James chapter three. As we conclude our look at the subject of false and true wisdom is found in verses 13 through 18. In our last study together, we looked at verses 13 through 16, where we saw false wisdom. This morning, we're looking at verses 17 and 18, where we will see what true wisdom is like. And so that you have the context, let's begin reading back at verse 13. James asked this question, who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing will be there. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield. full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. Now, the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. Here in verses 13 through 18, James is addressing two kinds of wisdom. The first is not from above, while the other one is from above. The first is described in verse 15 as being earthly, sensual and demonic. In other words, it's human. It's earthbound. It's fleshly. The root source of it is Satan himself, who works through his demonic fallen angels who rebelled with him against God in past ages. And the motivation for this wisdom, where we saw last time, was in verse 14. We find that the motivation is found in the heart. Notice what he says there. But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your heart, And he tells us right there that bitter envy and selfish ambition or self-seeking are right here the very factors and force of this false wisdom. Bitter envy is described as a harsh, resentful attitude toward others, while selfish ambition or self-seeking refers to a personal ambition that will create rivalry and antagonism And a person whose motives are based on the world's wisdom will be characterized by these two phrases, and they will express them arrogantly toward others. And so James is saying in this first portion that we looked at last time, he wants them to stop claiming that their bitter envy and party spirit are a result of God's wisdom, because they're not. He says your boasting is empty. It's actually a practical denial of the truth. In verse 16, he gives the results of envy and self-seeking. Notice what he says. He says, confusion and every evil thing are there. See, demonic, earthly, sensual wisdom, it produces confusion. It produces disorder. And it produces every evil thing. And that is certainly a broad term. It covers a multitude of bad results. It could be including anger, bitterness, resentment, lawsuits, divorce, racial, social, economic divisions and host of other personal and social disorders. It also would include the absence of love, the absence of intimacy, the absence of trust, the absence of fellowship and harmony. But now in verse 17, We see that true wisdom is not arrogant. It's not chaotic. It doesn't have the same results as this false, earthly, demonic, sensual wisdom. He says in verse 17 that the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. And so as we look at this today in verses 17 and 18, I want us to see four things, the definition, the motivation, the characteristics and the results of true wisdom. Let's begin by looking at the definition of true wisdom. Notice what he says there again in verse 17. He says, but the wisdom that is from above. Now, as you read many commentators on this passage, they will immediately tell you that James is really not giving us a definition of wisdom. But I beg to differ here, because just in that phrase, the wisdom that is from above is giving us a definition. It's telling us that certainly it's from above, but it's also telling us that it is God's own divine wisdom. This is His divine wisdom which He graciously bestows on those who trust in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. See, earlier James used a present participle there in verse 15 when he used the phrase from above, and he said it comes down from above in verse 15. And here he's indicating that God's wisdom is continually descending. In other words, it has a constant supply. But now here in verse 17, he doesn't use a verb to assert that this wisdom is coming from above. He simply uses the adverb anathem. And he uses the adverb anathem to identify that the wisdom here he is describing, it has characteristics that belong to the above wisdom. Because as you read in verse 17, he's going to give us those characteristics. So the word anathem, the phrase from above, that is an adverb of place, and it means it's coming from above. Folks, when we think of heaven, where do we think of it being? Up. From above our father, who are in heaven, how would be your name? I mean, if you go back into chapter one and look at verse 17, he says every good gift and perfect gift is where from above and it comes down from the father of lights where there's no variation or shadow of turning. See, in that context, in verses 13 through 18, James is saying, listen, God is not leading you into sin. The things that proceed from God are good and perfect. Sin doesn't proceed from God, so you can't therefore claim that God is personally tempting you into sin. The Jewish sages, they had always agreed that the true wisdom came from above. It was not the attainment of man, but it was certainly a gift from God. In the erecting of the tabernacle, you read over in Exodus 36, that God gave Bethzahel and Aholiub, he gave them wisdom. And it says there in Exodus 36, verses 1 and 2, that he gave this, that is the Lord, he put wisdom and understanding in them. It says in Bethzahel and Aholiub, And every gifted artisan in whom the Lord had put wisdom and understanding to know how to do all manner of work for the service of the sanctuary, shall do according to all that the Lord has commanded. And then Moses called Bethsaleel and Hilliam. And every gifted artisan in whose heart the Lord had put wisdom, and everyone whose heart was stirred to come and do the work." It's identifying there that the Lord put the wisdom in their heart. This wisdom comes from above. It comes from God. We all know the story about Solomon and him requesting for a discerning heart and leading the people. In 1 Kings 3 11, we see God answering Solomon's prayer for wisdom and notice what he says. Then God said to him, because you have asked this thing and have not asked long life for yourself, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have asked the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern justice. Behold, I have done according to your words. See, I have given you a wise and understanding heart so that there has not been anyone like you before you, nor shall any like you arise after you. God says, I am giving this to you. I'm giving you a wise and understanding heart. That's where true wisdom comes from. Just as it was identified here that the earthly, sensual, demonic wisdom does not descend from above, but it descends from the pit, here we're told that true wisdom comes down from the Father. It comes down from above. Over in 1 Kings 3, verse 28, we have the conclusion of a situation where Solomon applies the wisdom that God gives him. And the people saw that, and it says there in verse 28, all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had rendered, and they feared the king. Why? For they saw that the wisdom of God was in him to administer justice. See, when they heard what he was saying, they saw that manifested in his life. They saw that he had the wisdom that came from God. Now, you know what, beloved? As we look at this passage, we can look and see where the wisdom of God is manifested or where the wisdom that is sensual and demonic and earthly is manifested. We can look at each other's lives and examine the behavior and determine right there which kind of wisdom we have. Just as was pointed out in the false wisdom, arrogance, bitter envy, selfish ambition, all of this characterizes that false wisdom. But on the other hand, verse 17 tells us what will characterize true wisdom. If you go back to chapter one in verse five. In the midst of going through trials and in the midst of being told to count it all joy. And to have endurance and let that endurance to have its perfect work. He says there in verse five, if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask from God. Why? Because it comes from God. The kind of wisdom that you need in your life comes from God. It doesn't come from the world. It doesn't come from reading books about the Bible. It comes from the Bible. Now, I'm for reading books about the Bible, that's the process of study, but I am more for reading the Bible. And when I have a choice of reading through a certain book or books versus reading in the Bible, I have to first examine myself and say, how much time have I just been reading the Bible? And I'll say, well, I can put this aside for now, and I need to really spend time reading the scriptures, just reading it. Well, we see here. That this true wisdom is defined, it comes from above, but I want you to notice something else. It's actually linked to saving faith. To have godly wisdom, one must have saving faith. Turn with me over to Matthew, chapter seven. And I want you to notice at the end of Matthew, chapter seven, there's something that Jesus says here. As to the kinds of people that respond to his words. And the words that he's referring to when he says in verse 14, the words of mine or rather verse 24, the words of mine is referring to his words about salvation. I mean, if you look at the whole context at what he's saying when he begins there in verse 13 about entering by the narrow gate, it tells us that wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction. There are many who go in by it. But notice how he concludes here. He says in verse 24, Therefore, whoever hears these sayings of mine and does them, I will liken him to what kind of man? A wise man who built his house on the rock and the rains descended, the floods came and the winds blew on that house and it did not fall for it was founded on the rock. Now, everyone who hears these things of mine and does not do them, what is he like? Well, he's like the foolish man. He built his house on the sand, and the rains descended, the floods came, the winds blew, beat on the house, and it fell, and great was its fall. When the winds of judgment begin to blow, what foundation do you want to build upon? What foundation do you want to be left there standing on? If you build your life on Christ, if you build your life on obedience to his word, which is essentially hearing the word and doing the word, as he said there in verse 24. And he also says it over there in verse 21, where he says, Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my father in heaven. When the wind of judgment begins to blow, the foundation that you want there in your life is obedience to the revealed Word of God. You want to stand not on the foolish wisdom. You don't want to stand on earthly, sensual and demonic wisdom. You don't want to stand on the gospel that's presented by this world and false teachers and false churches, the man-centered gospel. You want to stand on the Christ-centered Word, the Christ-centered gospel. And see, beloved, we know. With just any surface reading of the book of Proverbs, that godly wisdom begins with what the fear of the Lord. I mean, you can't get away from that thought right there, you read there in chapter one and verse seven, when he says the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom. And then over in chapter nine, he says it again, but we see it even more specifically when he says the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. If you want to have true godly wisdom, it begins with the fear of the Lord. And what is that? It begins with salvation. It's linked to saving faith. Turn with me to Proverbs chapter two for a moment. And notice there in chapter two. How he talks about getting this wisdom. He says in chapter two, verse one, my son. If you receive my words and treasure my commands within you, So that you incline your ear to what to wisdom and apply your heart to understanding. Yes, if you cry out for discernment and lift up your voice for understanding, if you seek her as silver and search for her as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom. From His mouth comes knowledge and understanding. See, again, we're brought right back to the source and we're showing here the very link that it has to saving faith. You hear many people in the world and they think they don't need Jesus. They don't need God. They've got everything that they possibly think they could need. But the truth of the matter is they're fools. Like it says in Psalm 14, Warren, the fool has said in his heart, no God. And they think they're wise. They think they've got it all figured out. And again, when you go back to James and you realize in this section, James is giving us another test, a test of godly wisdom. And so he's wanting you to look at your life. He's wanting you to examine your behavior. True godly wisdom is linked to saving faith that comes from above. And its manifestation and its characteristics will certainly be exhibited there in verse 17. Now, as you look there for 17, I want you to notice the seven adjectives that he uses here. One of them he uses actually with a double element. And it's interesting that when you compare verse 17 to other places in the Bible where we have list. Like, for example, in 1 Corinthians 13, 4 through 7, where you have the description of true love or Galatians 5, 22 and 23, where you have the description of the fruit of the spirit or even Philippians 4, 8, when you have a godly mindset that's demonstrated in that pattern, you certainly see here a close similarity. And you see here, as it says in 1 Corinthians. In chapter one and verse 30, that our Lord became Wisdom from God, and he perfectly, perfectly exemplified these characteristics. And so we have him as a model. We have him to pattern our life after. And so as you look at this, you see that similarity between these other lists, but I want you to notice now the motivation, the motivation is picked up in verse 17, and it's found there in the phrase first pure. See here, he's not talking about the characteristics of true wisdom yet. First, he's going back to the motivation, just as he did earlier when he talked about the motivation of false wisdom. And if you remember when he talked about the motivation of false wisdom, he says there in verse 14, if you had bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts. But now as he picks up verse 17 again, he's telling us now about the motivation of true wisdom. And he tells us, first of all, that it is pure. The motivation of. Pure wisdom begins with purity. See the contrast between the two false wisdom has bitter envy. It has selfish ambition. True wisdom has purity. Beloved. We can see who truly has wisdom of God and who doesn't just by looking at their life. Is purity the manifestation of your life? Is purity the pursuit? The habit? If so, that is showing us godly wisdom, wisdom from above. But if your life is characterized by chaos, disorder, characterized by bitter envy, jealousy, selfish ambition, self-seeking, all of these different characteristics that manifest the flesh is telling us your life is characterized by false wisdom. It's demonic. It's fleshly. It's earthly. So I hope that you see that. The word pure here is the word hagnas, it carries the idea of being free from contamination or free from defilement. Craig Keener defines it as not mixed with anything else, and in this case, he says, not mixed with demonic wisdom is totally different. Godly wisdom is clean. It's uncontaminated by such evils as jealousy and as selfish ambition. In fact, in its very nature, it is pure, it's clean, it's undefiled, it's free from all biases such as jealousy and party factions. It's free of all that. It doesn't manifest that kind of spirit. Hagnos was actually used by the ancient Greeks of a cleansing ceremony whereby a worshiper was made pure and worthy enough to approach the gods. In fact, only the temple Ascapelius in Aphrodite, the following inscription reads this, it says he who would enter the divine temple must be haggard. He must be pure. And it's interesting that even the pagans realize that deity should only be approached with a pure heart. In fact, a further study of the word haggard, it reveals that it comes from the same root, haggard, haggard is usually translated holy. And so when James is saying that the wisdom that is from above is first pure, he's referring to this wisdom as being holy wisdom. It's holy wisdom. Now, take that and look at that in your life. You know, that purity of life is foundational to true wisdom. It's foundational, again, look at its contrast. to the false wisdom. When you have bitter envy and self-seeking and arrogance and these manifestations in your life, that's unholy, that's impure. But on the other hand, again, verse 17, when you have these characteristics here, you find that is purity, that's holiness, that's hagnas. Certainly, the writer of Hebrews reminds us about that, doesn't he? When he tells us that without such purity or sanctification, and here we find a different word, which comes from the same root, holy, he says there that without sanctification, without holiness, no one will see the Lord. No one. You got people today thinking they can just come to Christ any time they want. You got people today saying, pray this prayer. You got people today saying, I'll choose God when I'm ready, I want to finish my own life, I want to have my own fun. Or you even have people today saying that when I get there. That he's going to put my good works and my bad works on a scale, and I'm just hoping that. All the good things I've done to people are going to tip in my favor and God's going to let me in or they just don't believe in God at all. Well, Hebrews tells us. Without holiness, you're not going to even see the Lord. And Isaiah tells us that your own righteousness is filthy rag, so you can't go in on your holiness. It's not good enough. You fall short. The standard is higher than you and you can't ever reach it on your own. In fact, we even hear in the sixth, the attitude in Matthew five, eight. Jesus tells us, blessed are the pure in heart. He uses a different word, catharsis, and it means clean or pure, referring to ceremonial cleaning or moral cleaning, moral purity. And he says that the pure in heart, they're the ones that are going to see God. Where do you get that purity? Well, it comes from the same place wisdom comes from, it comes from God. It comes at salvation. You know, David said this in Psalm 51 in verse seven, when he sought purity of heart, he said, purge me with hyssop and I shall be clean. Wash me and I shall be whiter than snow. And then he says in verse 10, created me a clean heart. Oh, God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. The desire of his heart was for purity. And that is the desire of every true born again believer. That he wants a pure heart. The Apostle John. In 1 John 3, he reminds us that everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself just as he is pure, hagnos. Peter's desire for the Corinthians was that he wanted to present them to God as a hagnos, a chaste virgin to Christ. Vernon D. Orson says that the person who possesses godly wisdom, he's free from ulterior motives. He seeks to be like Christ, his pattern, free from any kind of moral contamination. And that trait is identified as first. If you go back there to verse 17, he says, but the wisdom that is from above is first pure. He says that is identified first because it's foundational to all that follows. Purity is the foundation. Purity is that identifier of what is true godly wisdom. Notice what else he says, number 17, as we look at the characteristics. So he begins first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield full of mercy and good fruits without partiality and without hypocrisy. Now, going back to the. What follows after purity, he says, first, pure, then peaceable. That word, then. It's a connecting adverb. It's a connecting adverb of time, you could look at it, look at it as a marker for a sequence of events, and that rather gives the basis for taking pure as a motive for godly wisdom rather than a characteristic. First, pure, then peaceable. And he doesn't do that with the rest of them. He lays down first the motive of purity, and then he builds upon that foundation by showing the characteristics of this true godly wisdom, this holy wisdom as being peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. Well, let's take them one at a time. First, we see it's peaceable. That adjective right there, Irene Nique, Comes from Irene costs, which is peace loving curse two times in the New Testament is translated peaceable or peaceful. You could describe it as being peace loving. Now, according to the Old Testament, wisdom does produce peace. Go with me to Proverbs chapter three. All the Proverbs are very practical, but if you'll notice. Then about the first eight chapters of Proverbs, you have a strong discussion about peace or rather wisdom. And you see, as the writer here is continuing to address his son, he's continuing to instruct him about wisdom, but notice what he says. As he goes into this even more, when he says there in verse 13, happy is the man who finds wisdom and the man who gains understanding. Her proceeds are better than the profits of silver, her gain than fine gold. She's more precious than rubies. All the things that you may desire cannot compare with her. Length of days is in her right hand, in her left hand riches and honor. Her ways are ways of pleasantness. All her paths are peace. She's a tree of life to those who take hold of her. Happy are all who retain her. The Lord, by wisdom, founded the earth by understanding. He established the heavens by his knowledge. The depths were broken up and clouds dropped down to do my son. Let them not depart from your eyes. Keep sound wisdom and discretion. So he tells us there in verse 17 that the ways of wisdom are pleasantness and all the paths of wisdom are what? Peace. You know, Paul even lists peace as a fruit of the spirit. Galatians 522, the fruit of the Spirit is what love, joy, peace. I think James here again is reflecting another beatitude this time, it's the seventh beatitude, Matthew 5 9, which says, Blessed are the peacemakers. But they shall be called sons of God. See, this right here is the first of the external qualities flowing from the inner purity of wisdom. This heavenly wisdom is, quote, ready for peace. It desires and fosters peace by restraining discord and by pacifying the turbulent elements around it. See, this peace promotes right relationships between man and man and between man and God. It does not pursue peace at the expense of purity. It will not compromise with sin to maintain peace. And even when it's fighting against sin, it hungers for peace. Yearning to heal all divisions by its wise counsel. Remember Romans chapter 12. You hear Paul saying in verse 18, If it's possible, as much as depends on you, live how? peaceably with all men. Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place for wrath, for it is written, vengeance is mine, says the Lord. I will repay, says the Lord. How are you to treat your enemies? Well, Jesus said to love them. Jesus said to pray for them. Here in verse 20, he says, if your enemy hungers, feed him. If he thirsts, give him a drink. Because in so doing, you'll heat coals of fire on his head. By doing this, you're not being overcome by evil, but you're overcoming evil with good. And here, when you see this godly wisdom that comes down from above, it's linked to salvation, you see the very foundational nature of it is being purity and you see what flows from that foundation. Is peacemaking. Is peaceable. Promoting those right relationships. Beloved, if you're at odds with people. Number one, you're walking in the flesh, number two, you're not manifesting the fruit of the spirit, you can't manifest the fruit of the spirit if you're walking in the flesh. Number three, you're not manifesting godly wisdom because godly wisdom will be a peacemaker. See, worldly wisdom makes for strife. Heavily wisdom is peacemaking, it promotes peace. And see, if you look at the context, that's the fundamental difference between the two types of wisdom. You have self-seeking in your hearts, you have bitter envy, you have arrogance. Listen, that's going to produce antagonism. That's going to produce a disruption, a discord, confusion. Just as he says the results of false wisdom is confusion and every evil thing. But on the other hand, if you have true wisdom, you're going to be a peacemaker. You're going to be peaceable, peace loving. You're not going to walk around and go, peace. That you're going to be an instrument of peace. You're going to seek to end the conflicts. You're not going to compromise the truth. See, a lot of times when people will say to you or to us that when you say the truth, you're not being loving. And the truth of the matter is simply this, if you don't say the truth, you're not loving. I certainly believe we need to study how to respond, how to answer. We want the right kinds of words to come off our lips sometimes, even though we may say the truth, another way to say it might. Make it a little easier for people to swallow it. That leads us into the next one, he says, it's gentle. This word here has no satisfactory equivalent in English, but it does carry the idea of being equitable, being seemingly fitting, being fair, being moderate, being forbearing or courteous, being considerate. So when he's saying that this wisdom that comes down from above is gentle, it takes on all of that understanding. In fact, the term originally was used for judges who did not press the letter of the law, but they sought to be reasonable rather than strict in the application of it. David Hyber says that this word conveys the thought of respect for the feeling of others being willing to waive all rigor and severity in its dealing with others. John MacArthur adds a gentle person is humbly patient. Submitting to dishonor and abuse, mistreatment, persecution, knowing, as Matthew 5 tells us, blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth. And blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. It says rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great. For in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. See, when you look at this term, if you look at first Timothy three, two and Titus chapter chapter one. You'd find that this describes elders in the church, this is an essential qualification for those who lead the church there to have this type of attitude. Paul even makes it more clear when you go to second Timothy two, twenty four, and he says a servant of the Lord must not quarrel, but be gentle. And here he's using a different word, a pious, a pious means mild or gentle. And he's saying that he is to be able to teach and be patient and humility. He corrects those who are in opposition. If God perhaps will grant them repentance so that they may know the truth and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will. Over in Philippians 4, 5. The word itself describes the attitude of all believers when he says, let your case, let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. We need to let this. Be seen in our lives when he says to let this be known to all men, they need to see. You're equitable. They need to see that you're seemingly that you're fitting, that you're fair, that you're moderate, that you're forbearing, that you're courteous, that you're considerate, you're willing to waive all rigor and severity when you deal with others. They need to see that. That's what it means to let your case be known to all men. It's even interesting in the Septuagint, Septuagint is the Greek translation of the Old Testament. We have here in Psalm eighty six five that this word, if a case, it actually describes the character of God. Listen how it reads for you, Lord, are good and ready to forgive an abundant case, abundant in loving kindness to all who call upon you. That's the very nature of God, and that makes sense because this wisdom comes from God, so it should manifest the very nature and character of God. But look what else he tells us. Going back to verse 17, not only is it peaceable and gentle, but he tells us it's willing to yield. Now, this is translated reasonable in the New American Standard Bible, and before the ninety five update, the New American Standard Bible actually used the word compliant. Compliant is actually a better word. This word here. Can either be translated compliant or willing to yield, and that gives the The better understanding. In other words, this true holy, godly wisdom is without rancor, rancor is bitterness or resentment is without disputing. It's actually teachable. You know what happens when you're manifesting false wisdom, you're not teachable. You're not teachable. Nobody could tell you anything. You've got it all figured out. That's the height of pride. When you're not teachable, you are filled with pride. Can any of us in our life be at a point where we're not teachable? Yes, it doesn't matter who you are. We all struggle with that whole issue right there. But how do you feel, man, if your wife comes up to you and shares something with you that she's learning? And she's learning from the word of God, you feel like a little bit of pride there going in your mind, you might not say it to her. But in your mind, you're thinking, who are you teaching me? I supposed to be teaching you. That's pride. Our lives are growing to the better be, and if they're not, you know what you're responsible for that men, husbands. You go to first Timothy two, it says, let the women learn and the word learn there is where we get the word disciple. Let them be discipled. They have the privilege of being discipled in the word of God, just as men have that privilege there to be learners. And so this word here. It's referring to being compliant, referring to yielding, willing to yield, teachable, not stubborn. It was used of a man who willingly submitted to military discipline, he was accepting and complying with whatever was demanded of him. who faithfully observes legal and moral issues. See, the word here is only used in the New Testament in this one passage, and it's the opposite of being stubborn and unyielding. See, it's like those two mules that we have, two donkeys we have, we got some miniature donkeys. And sometimes when you try to put them up, they get stubborn and they plant their heels and you can't move them. I mean, you think this little thing, I mean, the thing's only this tall. You think I can move and you get prideful and you think I'm going to drag this thing in there. Sorry, it planted its heels as stubborn as a mule. Don't be like that. When you're not teachable, when you're filled with pride, you're arrogant, you even have to look about you. No one can teach me anything. I've arrived. You might not say it. You might not say it, but you may have the attitude of it. You know what? When I'm praying for you and I'm praying for myself, I'm praying, God, remove that kind of spirit from us. I can't come to God's word and learn anything if I'm unteachable. In fact, the central qualification of an elder is that he be teachable. I would never be the point in my life where I stopped learning and no one could teach me anything. I have not arrived. Many of you know much more about the word that I know. You might not think you do. God is teaching you just as he's teaching me. There are no popes in the body of Christ. No one person stands up here and says this is it. But I will say this one interpretation of Scripture. It is all our duty to get to that one. My responsibility in here is to tell you what that one interpretation is, but that does not alleviate your responsibility to study. And to come to the conclusions, just as I have to do. Well, he gives us another one in the list and he says it's full. Of mercy and good fruits, this here is the double characteristic in the list, it's the only one it literally stands in direct contrast to what he says in verse 16. When he says of that false wisdom that every evil thing will be there as a result of false wisdom, this right here, true, godly, holy wisdom stands completely in contrast. It says it's full of mercy and good fruits. We'll take the first one, mercy, Elias. It's more than just feeling pity. It's an attitude of compassion for those that are in distress. And that leads to practical help. You look at someone, you have compassion on them. You want to meet their need. You want to help them in a practical way. You just don't say go and be filled, go and be warm, go help yourself, brother. You don't even say to them. I don't have any money in my pocket, how can I help you? You look for a way to help because you have compassion on them. You look for every way you could do that, that's mercy, that's Elias. This corresponds with the fifth beatitude found in Matthew five, seven, which is blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Since these correspond with the beatitudes, do you think James had an understanding of what Jesus taught? Certainly. See, the believer who is full of mercy, as that phrase is used there, he evidences saving faith in a transformed life, not only by forgiving those who have wronged him, but by reaching out to help them in whatever ways they are needed. He's like the Good Samaritan. He has concern. He has compassion for anyone he encounters who is suffering or who needs kind of support or assistance. He has a special concern for his fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, and he wants to help them. It's a total cop out if we say that's not my gift. And it's just not my gift, I don't have the resources, well, why not? You can pray. You know, a lot of times we think that money is always the answer anyway, to me, that's a cop out. Somebody says they need something to eat, it's so easy, just pull out some money to buy something to eat. Why don't you take them? Take them to a restaurant. You could have something happen like happened to a friend of mine. They picked up this guy that wanted something to eat and went to take him somewhere, he goes, no, I want to go to this place. That's when you open up the car door. You don't really have a need. Certainly, there's a difference between those who are in Christ, those who are without Christ. I know that we're looking in every opportunity we can to meet the needs of those that are in the body, in the church, and rightfully so. We're also looking for ways to demonstrate our faith, to demonstrate the love of God in our life. For many, we're the only book that they're ever going to read. We're the only gospel that they're ever going to hear. God desires mercy to be expressed among his children. Listen to what he says in Isaiah 58 or six. Is this not the fast that I have chosen to lose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, to let the oppressed go free and that you break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out when you see the naked and that you cover him and not hide yourself from your own flesh? There's the mind of God on the matter. So full of mercy, and then he says, good fruits, Carpon, Agathon. Fruits is Carpon, Agathon is good. Usually in the Greek, it is somewhat kind of scrambled if you were to pull out a. In a linear where you could see the English and the Greek, and you'll notice sometimes you'll find numbers next to the English words and showing you the word order, because many times when you're translating, The word order is going to be different as you render it in English as you begin to translate that same is true right here. Well, Agathon is the word for good, and he's talking about something that's beneficial. And then he uses the plural carp on fruits, and he's talking about here the variety. Bernadine Orson says that true mercy results in a rich harvest of these, not just sympathetic feelings. Listen, it's not just that I feel this compassion for you, but I am moved and it produces fruit. See, James may very well be connecting those who fail to help the poor with those who divide the church. See, for those that show mercy, good fruits will result. And once more, it's remarked by that profession, whether a faith or of having wisdom, it must be demonstrated by works. I mean, again, go back to the question that was asked in verse 13. Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him do what? Let him show it. Let him display it. Let it be manifest. That his works are done in the meekness of wisdom, you're going to manifest one of the two. always in your life. Let me say this, if the habit of your life is false wisdom, it's indicating you're lost. If the habit of your life is bitter envy and self-seeking and arrogance and pride, all these things, that's demonstrating that you are without saving faith. You failed the test that James is giving. But if your life is motivated by purity and it has the characteristics of godly wisdom, which is seen by being peacemakers and being forbearing and being willing to yield and full of mercy and good fruits and without partiality, without hypocrisy, guess what? It's giving evidence that you truly are a child of God. Well, the next one, he says, is without partiality. Adia Kratos is the word it's only used here. It literally means not to be parted, not to be divided. It's formed from a common verb, diacrino. That's the word that's translated many times judge. It basically means to divide, and then you have the letter Alpha. That's prefix to it, it gives it a negative quality, that's why you hear it as Adia Kratos is Alpha. Now, if this is used in a passive sense here, this adjective is referring to being undivided or denoting that which is without division or discord that is unwavering, without vacillation. But if he's using it positively, and this is the way I think he's using because he did it in verse six of chapter one. Then the meaning would be this, that it that the wisdom here, this wisdom, verse 17, it acts consistently. It does not take one position in one circumstance and another one in a different one. It's consistent. It's not like what happens many times. You know, the bad reputation of many churches is as deacons, as gossipers. Paul uses a term that they are not to be two-tongued. It's sad that that's been attributed to them a high office in the church. And yet he tells them the same thing. And so he says here that this godly wisdom, it is a diakritos, it's consistent in what it does and what it says. It literally. Is not divided. It's not double minded. See, the word itself is referring to impartiality, treating everyone equally without favoritism. If you go into chapter two of James, remember the whole subject there, first part of the chapter, you talk about favoritism. You had the ushers or someone in the church that was showing favoritism toward the rich and they were putting the rich in prominent places, giving them a chair. Somebody in the assembly had a footstool. Giving them a nice place to sit, but yet The poor man. They wouldn't even give him a place to see. See, they were manifesting false wisdom. See, true wisdom is unwavering, true wisdom is without partiality. So I think it's also practical because look at these characteristics, are they part of your life? Examine your heart by these characteristics and you'll know whether you have true, holy, godly wisdom or whether you have this earthly, sensual, demonic wisdom. Look at the next one, he says, is without hypocrisy. This word literally means unhypocritical. It denotes that wisdom is free from all pretense. It does not need to work under a mask since it has nothing to hide. When you're hypocritical, you're hiding something. And here, true wisdom has nothing to hide. In fact, you could state it in a positive way that the meaning would be simply this is genuine, is sincere. It's not fake. You've heard that sometimes you meet somebody or you're around somebody and. You could tell many times that they're being genuine or fake. You know, hypocrisy is one of the sins Jesus condemned the most. Four times he did it in the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew six to verse five or 16, chapter seven, verse five, he repeatedly criticized severely the scribes and the Pharisees and other Jewish leaders for their gross hypocrisy and insincerity. In Luke 12, he warned his disciples to beware of eleven of the Pharisees, which is what? Hypocrisy. When a group of the Pharisees conspired to trick him in criticizing paying taxes to Caesar, Matthew 22, 18 says Jesus perceived their wickedness and said, Why do you test me, you hypocrites? Even a short while later, he told a similar group in Matthew 23, 27, Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites. For you are like whitewashed tombs, which indeed appear beautifully outwardly, but inside are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness. Even so, you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you're full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. If you were to look in Matthew 24.50, you'd see him ending the parable of the wise and evil servants with these words. The master of that servant will come on that day. When he is not looking for him in an hour that he is not aware of and he will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites, there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. And, you know, everyone uses this excuse, I want to go to that church, I want to go to church because full of hypocrites. All I can say is, yes, there are hypocrites there. Just as there are lost people in the church. There are tears among the wheat. Love it, you know what you are. Don't be fooled. Peter classified hypocrisy, malice, deceit, envy, all evil speaking there in first Peter to one, he said, that's got to be put away from you. See, all of these virtues of divine wisdom, they're taught here in the Scripture and they're produced in believers by how? By the Holy Spirit. I mean, over in Romans eight, when it talks about putting to death the deeds of your body, it says the only way you're going to do that is by the Spirit. I don't think we realize how much we need the Holy Spirit. I mean, because we've been kind of scared away from him by the charismatics. Because the charismatics is focused on all these experiences and visions, and God said to me, but you know what I hear people not just in charismatic churches using that same phrase, God said to me. Oh, God is singled you out now and he's giving you divine revelation superseding this. I don't believe God is speaking in that way today. We have a completed canon right here, it's closed. Why would you speak something new when you're not obeying what is old? When you're not obeying what's here. There's a lot here, don't let that little book deceive you. Some of you got that little small print ESV, I can read it. I feel like I got bifocals on to read it. Need them to read it. Plus three magnifying glasses. Well, look at verse 18, see the results. Definition is of this true godly wisdom that comes from above is linked to saving faith. Motivation of this true wisdom is purity. Purity is foundational to true wisdom. Characteristics of true wisdom, what is it? Peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits without partiality, without hypocrisy. Notice now the results, look at the verse. Now, the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. You have a Greek term that's used there in Greek, it's day the. It's usually translated and some versions you may have that it may say and the fruit of righteousness, the New King James has now. And he's not here giving us a further description of true wisdom. He's actually adding a thought of its results to complete the picture. He wants to give you. The conclusion. The sentence here is so difficult to translate, but it's literal rendering is correct in the New King James Bible. It's literally in the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. In the New American Standard Bible, you have the word seed, whose and that's been added. And since it's not fruit itself that is sown, but rather the seed of the fruit. See, seed represents godly wisdom, whose fruit is righteousness. With this verse here, it's possible James had in mind the idea of a fruit being harvested. And then, in part, becoming seed, which is then re-sown in peace. As it were, and it just continues that cycle, it's a familiar cycle of growing and reaping. What do you do? Let's get practical. Eat a watermelon. You try to find a seedless one. They exist every now and then. Most cases, you don't find one full of seeds and you're sitting out in your yard, you're spitting them out. What's going to happen? Well, the right kind of conditions that's going to grow. We've done that. We had things pop up, especially tomato plants that pop up just anywhere in your yard or pumpkin or squash or. You've got this cycle of growing and reaping. See, I think the basic idea is here. that there is an inexorable casual relationship between godly wisdom, genuine righteousness and peace. See, godly wisdom produces a continual cycle of righteousness. That's why when you look at its fruit, look at its characteristics, what is this born out of? What is its foundation? Purity. Righteousness. Holiness. Godly wisdom produces a continuing cycle of righteousness is planted and it's harvested in a peaceful, harmonious relationship between God and his faithful people and between those people themselves. We're even told in the scriptures that the man who has peace with God even has peace with his enemies. This is what Isaiah says, Isaiah 32, 17. The work of righteousness will be peace and the service of righteousness, quietness and competence forever. Beloved, the fruit of righteousness is song. In peace. By those who make peace. Over in Romans, chapter five. Paul says it this way. Therefore, having been justified by faith, We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Which kind of wisdom is being manifested in your life? Is it false or true wisdom? Is it wisdom that is earthly, sensual and demonic, or is it wisdom that is from above that's purer than peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits without partiality and without hypocrisy? Same thing I've been saying the whole time I've been here, look at your life. Examine yourselves. If your life is characterized by bitter envy and selfish ambition, then it's demonic false wisdom. It's a very strong possibility that you're not even a Christian. But if your life is characterized by what is found in verse 17, then it is true wisdom that is from above. It will produce a continuing cycle of righteousness in your relationship with God and with his people. What do you want to sow in your life? You got people on TV saying sow this and sow that, and they're talking about money. You so to their ministry, you give their ministry money, then God promises he'll turn and give it back to you double fold. But that's not what this passage is talking about. What are you investing in? They use a financial term there of investing, but I'm talking about your life. What are you committed to? You committed to purity. You committed to these things that are found here in true wisdom. Are you crying out to God for the wisdom that is from above? As it says in chapter one in verse five, if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God who gives to all liberally and without reproach, you know, be given to you. Our God is generous. And he won't scold you for asking. So let's go to him now and ask. Father, we do ask for this kind of wisdom. We know it's linked to saving faith. And we know, Lord, from what we've studied today, that it's a manifestation of a life that has been born again. I pray today, Father, that all in here are truly born again, but we know. That Satan sows tears among the wheat, we know that there are unbelievers always present among us. And I pray, Father, that you would prick their heart. You would awaken their understanding that they would come to the knowledge of the truth, that they would be converted. They would be saved. They would repent. They would believe. And your son, the Lord Jesus Christ, they would turn from their sin and turn to Jesus, who alone can save them. They would see that they have violated the standard of a holy and righteous God. God, from seeing that, repent and turn to the one that can save them. Lord, we pray that our lives are not characterized by false wisdom. We pray that our lives manifest this true, godly, holy wisdom. We know, Father, because we walk around in this corpse of sin. That we have certainly the propensity for manifesting evil in our life, and many times we do, God. And many times we don't even fight it like we should. But I pray, Lord God, you would renew our vigor. You would renew our hatred of sin. And you would cause us to hate it with all of our might, Lord, knowing that you hate sin. So, Lord, we come right now confessing it to you. And I ask, Lord, again. That you would save somebody in here, Lord, that. Doesn't have true, godly, holy wisdom. that come down from above. And Lord, those that are truly saved, Lord, I pray that they're examining themselves. Examining their heart revealed to us, Holy Spirit. Any sin in our life that we are engaged in. That we have not confessed to you and repented of it. Lord, don't allow us to have a false peace that we have truly confessed and repented and then in days or months to repeat the sin. Remove that from us, Heavenly Father.