Two kinds of Wisdom

James 3:13-18

13

Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. 14

But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth.

15

Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.

16

For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.

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.

18

Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.

-

James explains this to the Jewish people who were considering or had claimed Christ Jesua as the Messiah. The topic was important because Jewish people who were active in their religion, saw all knowledge as wisdom, and they also saw their decision and reasoning as divine, because they believed that following the ordinances, and commandments of their religion, made them carriers of God's righteousness. This because they claimed self control over their passions through their self proclaimed divine reasoning. And this sense of piety follows them to this day.

If our reasoning had the capacity to claim righteousness, then there would have been no reason for the blood of the Lamb of God. If the mediation of Moses was enough to bring souls into the presence of the Father, then the Holy One would not have been prophesied to come. Our reasoning is only capable of awareness of sin, not the holiness that replaces it. In order for us to witness the wisdom that comes from heaven, we must have faith it is available to us if we set ourselves aside.

Pride and envy are self righteous by nature. Yes, having knowledge from experience is wisdom, but it is not pure, not holy, but is incomplete and biased, as it is wholly based on perception and circumstance. And add to this, that knowledge of a sin, only gives way to variance of it.

For example; A man used to steal everything he wished, but stopped, when he found out is was wrong. But now, hungry, he steals only what he needs to survive, and considers this commitment righteous or at least forgivable.

Another example: A business woman knows murder is wrong. But she gets pregnant years before she would be able to properly support the child, so she has an abortion, and considers this righteous or at least forgivable.

Another example: A Muslim or a Jew is being tortured and told the torture will end if he eats some pork. In pride of his forefathers and his religion and in devotion to God he refuses to eat, and dies tortured.

If your actions cause another to sin, it falls on you, becomes your sin. If your actions are based on your perception, instead of acting on what you are shown in the humility of selflessness, you only increase sin.

Having said all this, the Law set out in the holy books is good for instruction. But because of the ministry of Christ Jesus, we know that the Holy Spirit, which carries all righteousness, will place on our hearts and minds the holiness that glorifies the Father. This, because in humility, we deny ourselves, so that selflessness can rule in the moment.

Having a sense of earthly self control is folly. Sin is ever increasing in the world, and only those who rely on faith, will be able to serve lovingly. So who is wise and understanding among us? Those who deny themselves and listen for the Spirit of Truth.