Who Among You is Wise and Understanding: James Lesson 18

 Welcome back to the book of James. Turn with me to James 3. We will be looking at verse 13 today. This section deals with the test of godly wisdom and it goes through verse 18 so let’s read this section together as we start. But today we will only be looking at verse 13. Read the passage.

 I have to tell you that I believe this is the most important of the tests of genuine faith that we have seen. We have reached the apex of this letter. We won’t find a more important truth than we encounter in these verses. I’m not saying that the rest of the letter is not important. I’m just saying that this is the key to rest of the letter. Why would I say that? Because this section deals with godly wisdom. We need the wisdom we learn about here if we are to be successful in the tests we have studied up to this point. Without godly wisdom, we will fail the test of trials. We will fail the test of temptations. We will fail the test of responding to the word of God. We will fail the test of impartial love. We will fail the test good works as proof of our faith. 

 I think, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, James placed this test strategically at this point in the letter. There are six tests before this test, and there are six tests following this test. There are thirteen total and this one sits strategically right in the middle. This one is key. This one is essential to understand. This one is of imminent importance. We must understand godly wisdom. We must acquire godly wisdom. We must be able to discern between the wisdom of this world and the wisdom of God. We must spend some time in this section.

 There is nothing more needful in the life of the Christian than godly wisdom. This is because, if you fail to both understand and apply godly wisdom to life, you will have problems. This was so vividly illustrated to me this week. In one day, last Tuesday, I had this reality presented to me with example after example. It was a full day. In the course of my walk through one day I encountered two marriages in crisis, a domestic abuse situation, a drug addiction situation, and I got a call that my former brother in law had taken his own life.

 What was the common thread running through every one of those crisis situations? In every situation there was and is the need for godly wisdom. Every crisis I dealt with that day was a crisis because God’s wisdom was either completely missing or was not adequately being applied. This is always the case. God has given us instructions on how to do life. If we do it as He prescribes, life is always better. Even though it is done according to His way, it will not be free from problems, but it will be better than if His ways are ignored, or violated. Godly wisdom is the lubricant that keeps the engine of life running. Just like with your car’s engine, you drain the oil and it doesn’t run long and in the process of breaking down tremendous damage occurs. If we try to run through life without God’s wisdom the same thing happens.

 James asks us a question in verse 13. Remember, these are tests. Tests always have questions. James loves to ask questions. He must have taken his lead from the teaching style of Jesus. Jesus asked a lot of questions. He asks, “Who among you is wise and understanding?” I want to ask you a question. Is there a more important question to be answered? It may be that the only question of greater importance is the question concerning one’s eternal destiny. My friends we must be able to answer the question regarding our salvation. The question regarding salvation is of utmost importance because (1) your eternal destiny is at stake, and (2) no one who is without Christ possesses godly wisdom. It is impossible to have godly wisdom without a relationship with God through His Son Jesus Christ.

 Because this question is of such importance, we are going to camp out with this question today. We will be answering some questions about this question. We need to understand what James is asking. We need to understand why James is asking the question. We need to ask why it is important to be able to answer this question. Also, in verse 13, James helps us. He doesn’t necessarily answer his own question, but he does tell us where we can find the one who is the one he asks about. And James tells us how we will be able to identify this person.

 What is James asking? Look at the question again. “Who among you is wise and understanding?” For the purposes of clarification, let me make sure you understand what he is not asking. He isn’t asking, “Who among you is smart?” or “Who among you has the highest IQ?” or “Who among you has the most education and advanced degrees?” or “Who among you has the most Scripture memorized?” or “Who among you is the most articulate orator?” or “Who among you is the most gifted?” or “Who among you is the most influential?” or “Who among you is the most successful?” or “Who among you has the most money?” or “Who among you is the best teacher?”

 You know why I point this out. I point this out because very often, when we need godly wisdom, because godly wisdom alone will tell us what we need to know, we don’t start by looking for godly wisdom as that which will help us. We start by looking around for someone who can help us, but we don’t necessarily start by looking for someone who is wise and understanding. Every issue I told you about that I encountered Tuesday has a spiritual component. God’s word has the answers that address every problem. But too often, people don’t seek the answers where the answers are to be found. They will turn to the psychologist or the psychiatrist, or the medical doctor, or someone who has been through the same thing. Most of the time people aren’t even considering that the one person they need most is the one who is wise and understanding.

 Or, worse yet, those dealing with problems like those I encountered this week, won’t turn to anyone. They try to figure things out for themselves. They wait, hoping things will get better. They lack wisdom and understanding so they keep doing the things that got them into the problems. They often dig holes that are deeper and deeper until they are surrounded by hopelessness and despair. That is when they bail out of their difficult marriage, or take their own life. My friends, this is an important question. Who among you is wise and understanding? We need to be able to answer this question because when you have issues in life, you need the one who is wise and understanding.

 James asks, “Who among you is wise and understanding?” Let’s begin by understanding what James is asking. The Greek word for “wise” is “sophos.” The basic meaning of the word is “skilled.” It describes one who is skillful, or who is an expert. It is used to describe one who is skilled in the affairs of life, one who is discreet, judicious, practically wise, enlightened in respect to things human and divine. As James uses it here, he is describing the person who is skilled, learned, intelligent, and enlightened in respect to the things of God. 

 One does not become wise without a determined effort to become wise. It does not happen by accident. It really requires a desire to learn wisdom. There must be a love for wisdom. In fact, the word “philosophy” comes from “philo” meaning “love” and our word “sophos.” The Greek philosophers loved learning. They lived for the pursuit of learning. But there was major flaw in the philosophy and wisdom of the Greeks. Greek wisdom is man centered. Greek wisdom is anthropocentric. Greek wisdom looks to man for the answers.

 Hebrew wisdom, and biblical wisdom is theocentric. Biblical wisdom is God-focused. The wisdom we need is God centered. The one who is truly wise looks to God for the answers to life’s issues. It is important that we understand the difference. Where you go to find wisdom matters. If you go to the wrong source, you will get wrong information. As Christians we must understand that no one in the world is going to point you to God or His holy word as the source of wisdom. Certainly the education system will not point you to God and His word. The government will not point you to God and His word. The mental health community won’t point you there. The medical community won’t point you there. A few Christian doctors will, but by and large, you won’t find anyone in the world telling you that a theocentric approach to wisdom is the best approach.

 Is this not what is emphasized in the book of Proverbs? Proverbs 1:7 says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.” If you don’t start with God and an understanding of who He is and who we are in relation to Him, we don’t understand anything properly or correctly. Job said in Job 28:28, “Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to depart from evil is understanding.”

 Biblical wisdom, godly wisdom, begins with an understanding of God. It starts with an understanding of who He is. It starts with the knowledge of Him who is the absolute sovereign over all His creation. We start to understand things in life when we begin with God in His rightful place, and we recognize Him as the preeminent, all powerful, all knowing, all present, absolute Sovereign. It starts with the understanding that He alone is the Sovereign and we are His subjects. Because He is the Sovereign, what He says to us in His holy Word is absolutely and decidedly authoritative. His word is the final word. His word alone is absolute truth. His word is the only word given by which we are to order our lives. To be wise is to skillfully order one’s life according to the truth of God’s word.

 That is where wisdom starts, but it does not end there. James puts another word in this question we need to understand. James asks, “Who among you is wise and understanding.” The KJV says, “endued with knowledge.” It is the Greek word “epistemon” (epistaymon). This word describes a thorough, extensive, comprehensive understanding. It describes one with expertise.

 There is an Old Testament example of one with a thorough, extensive, comprehensive expertise. It isn’t necessarily the expertise in the understanding of God’s word and His ways, but it does illustrate the extent of understanding we need to be looking for. Look at 2 Chron. 2:11-14. Here is the description of a skilled craftsman with a comprehensive understanding of an extensive array of abilities. I took you here because this is an example of the level of skill and expertise that is described by the word James used. This is one who has understanding.

 Who among you is wise and understanding? Who among you has a proper comprehension of who God is and who we are in relation to Him? Who among you has a good handle on God’s word and the proper understanding of that word and how it applies to the various aspects of life? Who among you is skilled extensively, thoroughly and comprehensively in the ways of God? Who among you truly understands the incomparable truth of God’s word as it relates to the most critical issues of life, like salvation, sanctification, relationship like marriage and parenting? This is what James is asking.

 By understanding the question James asks, we not only now understand what James is asking, but we also now know why it is important to be able to answer the question. We need to know who among us is wise and understanding because they are a vital resource to the body of Christ. They play an important role. They meet a great need. They can help us with answers to the most difficult questions we face in life.

Who are the potential candidates who might be identified as the ones among us who are wise and understanding? Is it just the pastor or the elders? It should be able to be said of the pastor and elders that they are the ones among us as wise and understanding? But are they the only ones? They should not be. It should be that any Christian who has been a follower of Christ for any length of time, who had reached a level of spiritual maturity, would be also one who is among us who is wise and understanding.

 But, are we there? Let’s address this critical question to Grace Bible Church? Who among you is wise and understanding? Are you among us as one who is wise and understanding? Who needs you to be? Your family needs you to be. If you are a husband and father, your wife and children need you to be among them as one who is wise and understanding. If you are a wife and mom, your husband and your children need you to be among them as one who is wise and understanding. If you are a grandparent, you children and your grandchildren need you to be among them as one who is wise and understanding. If you are a friend to others and you are wise and understanding, you are a treasure to your friends.

 I ask this question of those of you at Grace Bible Church because Grace Bible Church needs many individuals who are among us as those who are wise and understanding. James gives us a very good clue as to where we ought to be able to find those who are wise and understanding. He asks, “Who among you is wise and understanding?” Who among the community of believers? Who among the body of Christ? Who among the fellowship of the church? We ought to be able to find those who are wise and understanding in the church. Among you, among us, there should be those who are wise and understanding.

 Here is a news flash for you. You won’t find them anywhere other than among the fellowship of believers. There should be some in every church. There are plenty of them within the body of Christ universal. I pray that there are multiple individuals here who are wise and understanding. But if we don’t find them among the people of God we aren’t going to find them. So, are you a good candidate? Are you among us as one who is wise and understanding? 

 James not only tells us where to find one who is wise and understanding. We should be able to find them “among us.” He also tells us how to identify those who are wise and understanding. James writes, “Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom.”

 The word “show” means “to offer for others to view, to exhibit, to put on display.” This is an aorist tense, imperative command in the active voice. The aorist tense means that at the moment it needs to be seen, show it. The imperative mood tells us this is a command. The active voice identifies the subject as the one responsible for the action of the verb. The one who is wise and understanding is commanded to put this wisdom and understanding on display, to exhibit it, to offer it for others to view. Why would James tell the wise and understanding to put it on display?

 Because it needs to be seen. The church, the people of God, the body of Christ, needs to see what real wisdom and understanding looks like. Godly wisdom and biblical understanding stands in stark contrast to the wisdom of this world. The world’s wisdom is failing. The world’s wisdom is killing, destroying and devastating those who lie in the grasp of the evil one. Satan is putting the world’s wisdom in slick packaging and offering it to the church and too many are swallowing it hook, line, and sinker.

 Satan is offering his false wisdom to your kids and grandkids and he is feeding them unbelievably destructive doses in mass quantities. And parents, and some grandparents, are giving these children the small electronic devices that are funneling his destructive worldly wisdom directly into their gullible little minds. He has control of the media. He has control of the education system. The whole world lies in the power of the evil one and he is destroying. The church needs those who are wise and understanding to stand up and put godly wisdom and biblical understanding on display for everyone to see.

 It is to be shown through good behavior. It is shown by a mode of life, conduct, and behavior that is moral and virtuous. It is demonstrated and displayed in the deeds, the actions, the things you do. Notice James does not say let him show by his words or the things he says. If this wisdom is not shown through a mode of life and conduct that is virtuous and moral, nothing that comes out of the mouth means anything.

 The one among us who is wise and understanding will display this wisdom and understanding through moral and virtuous deeds which are done in the gentleness of wisdom. The KJV translates the word gentleness as meekness. It is “prautes” in the Greek. Meekness, or gentleness is not weakness. This describes an inward grace of the soul which controls our response to both God and others. It is the attitude of spirit by which we accept God’s dealings with us as good, without disputing or resisting. “Prautes” is a condition of mind and heart which demonstrates gentleness, not in weakness, but in power. It is a balance born in strength of character. 

 Wisdom here is a word close to the word translated “wise” earlier in the verse. It describes one who is skilled in the affairs of life, possessing practical wisdom. This is the ability to look at a situation, sort out the issues, and determine the best course of action, utilizing sound judgment and good sense. This wisdom involves a level of understanding necessary to see where the truth of God’s word is being ignored, misunderstood and wrongly applied. The exercise of this wisdom involves the ability to correct those in error, prescribe the biblical course of action, and help others understand how to begin to live by the truth of God’s word.

 I want to close with one more question. Where do we acquire this wisdom and understanding? If we want to be one in whom others find wisdom and understanding, how do become this one? One who was wise and understanding gives us the answer. Turn to Daniel 2:21. This wisdom and understanding comes from God. 

 We are going to turn our attention to the Lord’s Table and Jay is going to lead us in a hymn as we prepare our hearts for this worshipful experience. As we turn our attention to the elements of the Lord’s Table, we turn our attention to the Cross and the sacrifice of Jesus by which He paid the penalty for our sins and provided for forgiveness, salvation, and eternal life. But He also provided the way for us to become wise and understanding.