The Mechanism of Faith- Part 6
James 3:13-18

13  Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the
meekness of wisdom. 14  But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not
boast and be false to the truth. 15  This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly,
unspiritual, demonic. 16  For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every
vile practice. 17  But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full
of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. 18  And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by

those who make peace. 1
Wisdom from Below vs. True Wisdom from God

Takeaway concept: Meekness of Wisdom-

Phrase examined: meekness of wisdom- πραΰτης= gentleness/humility
I. Wisdom from Below
a. “false to the truth” – v14
b. “earthly, unspiritual, demonic”- v15
c. Illustration Rogue Waves: For centuries, rogue waves were considered sailor’s
tales — legends of monstrous walls of water that rose out of nowhere, sank ships,
and vanished without a trace. Scientists dismissed them as exaggerations or
misunderstandings of normal ocean behavior. The accepted belief in the scientific
community was that ocean waves could not exceed 30 ft.
That changed on January 1, 1995, when an 80-foot wall of water slammed into
the Draupner oil platform in the Norwegian Sea. Instruments confirmed what
generations of sailors had tried to tell us: rogue waves were real.
d. For all our charts, formulas, and technology, human understanding had missed the
truth — not because the evidence wasn’t there, but because of an underlying
assumption: we thought we already knew.
e. To be earthly means that one’s outlook is confined to the visible and temporary. It
is wisdom with blinders—wisdom that plans for everything except eternity.
i. What does ‘earthly’ mean? It means that this false wisdom of which James is
speaking has this world as its boundaries. It begins and ends with this world.
It does not consider eternity 2
ii.
f. Unspiritual= material/natural
g. “Demonic”- This type of wisdom is coming from a demonic influence.
II. Results of Wisdom from Below
a. 16  For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile
practice. 3

1 The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Jas 3:13–18.
2 Roger Ellsworth, Opening up James, Opening Up Commentary (Leominster: Day One Publications, 2009), 118.

b. The type of “wisdom” that is described here will always lead to disorder, chaos, vile
practices.
III. Wisdom from Above
a. Two of my favorite Greek words: Wisdom and truth
i. Wisdom- σοφία= Sophia
ii. Truth- ἀλήθεια= Alethia
b. Wisdom from above recognizes that mankind’s intelligence isn’t the determining
factor of truth.
c. Spiritual wisdom humbles us because it begins with reverence for God, not
reliance on reliance (Proverbs 9:10).
i. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is
insight. 4 — Proverbs 9:10
1. “Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up” (1 Corinthians 8:1
2. What you know will always be limited, but wisdom is the ability to
see that reality honestly.
d. True wisdom is interwoven with humility.
IV. The Result of Wisdom from Above
a. 17  But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to
reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. 18  And a harvest of
righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. 5
b. Righteousness brings healing and hope.

The rogue wave reminds us: human wisdom is limited. Even when we think we’ve mapped
every current, there are depths we do not understand.
Spiritual wisdom begins where human pride ends. It listens before it speaks, seeks before it
assumes, and bows before it boasts.
One of the key themes in the Book of James is wisdom, or practical living directed by the Word of
God (see 1:5). 6
Far too many people have the idea that to be “spiritual” means to be impractical—and nothing is
farther from the truth! 7
James indicates that there are two sources of wisdom and that the believer needs to be discerning.
The tongue of the believer can be filled with true wisdom from above or the false wisdom from
below. 8
What does ‘earthly’ mean? It means that this false wisdom of which James is speaking has this world
as its boundaries. It begins and ends with this world. It does not consider eternity 9
3 The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Jas 3:16.
4 The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Pr 9:10.
5 The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Jas 3:17–18.
6 Warren W. Wiersbe, Wiersbe’s Expository Outlines on the New Testament (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1992), 728.
7 Warren W. Wiersbe, Wiersbe’s Expository Outlines on the New Testament (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1992), 728.
8 Warren W. Wiersbe, Wiersbe’s Expository Outlines on the New Testament (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1992), 728.

There is a sequence here. Right living is the result of people of peace sowing seeds of peace. 10

9 Roger Ellsworth, Opening up James, Opening Up Commentary (Leominster: Day One Publications, 2009), 118.
10 Roger Ellsworth, Opening up James, Opening Up Commentary (Leominster: Day One Publications, 2009), 120.