13 If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom. 14 But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your heart, don’t cover up the truth with boasting and lying. 15 For jealousy and selfishness are not God’s kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. 16 For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind.

17 But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. 18 And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness.[d]

James 3:13-18 (NLT) 中文 

Wisdom proved

We know James is a huge proponent of proving faith by works. In verse 13 he tells us wisdom should produce a character of humility resulting in good works. So it seems he is applying the same rubric to wisdom that he does to faith. You say you have wisdom, prove it! Otherwise maybe you aren’t as wise as you think. Or worse, maybe your “wisdom” is the wrong kind, from the wrong source.

Wisdom & humility

But first, how is wisdom tied to humility? To see this, we can look at Solomon. If you know the story (1 Kings 3:1-15), he was given extreme wisdom from God. Unfortunately, he didn’t manage it well and sinned greatly. But was he humble? Take a look at his book, Ecclesiastes, and you will see a humble man. He used his wisdom, resources and strength to seek every kind of pleasure and found it was meaningless. And he had the humility to admit it and document it!

Wrong wisdom

Now back to wrong wisdom. If you examine yourself and notice boasting and lying, James says we are actually using that to cover up the truth. In this case, we are actually bitterly jealous and replete with selfish ambitions. This demonstrates possession of the wrong kind of wisdom. This kind of wrong wisdom is actually earthly, unspiritual, and (even) demonic! What’s its result? Is it good works done in humility? No. It results in disorder and evil of every kind.

God’s wisdom

We know we have wisdom from above (God’s wisdom) when we see these characteristics play out in our lives, in our good works. God’s wisdom (the ability to view life from God’s perspective) is proved by good works. Does this list make you think of another similar list provided by Paul? “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control;” (Gal 5:22-23). Quite a bit of overlap.

RЯeflection

• Does your wisdom prove itself as God’s wisdom… full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds? 

• “To ‘raise a harvest of righteousness’ demands a certain kind of climate. A crop of righteousness cannot be produced in the climate of bitterness and self-seeking. Righteousness will grow only in a climate of peace.” (Burdick quoted in Constable commentary)