Somebody Loves You

Raul Ries: If you're a business person, you really need God's wisdom. If you're a parent, you need God's wisdom. If you're going to college, you need God's wisdom. And we really need God's wisdom in any profession that we are dealing with here tonight. And it's free. It doesn't cost you anything. All you have to do is ask for it and God will give it to you just like Solomon.

Guest (Male): Welcome to Somebody Loves You Radio, the Bible teaching ministry of Raul Ries in Diamond Bar, California. Today's lesson continues our study in the book of James and we're happy to have you along. Exploring the difference between earthly knowledge and spiritual wisdom, Raul will encourage us to pair our experience and education with God's biblical insight. Stay with us to see that when you seek the Lord's perspective rather than solely relying on your own ideas, He'll direct your steps in righteousness and truth. Let's listen as Raul Ries begins in James chapter 3, verse 13.

Raul Ries: It's pretty amazing as James has been talking to leaders in chapter 3, verse 1, as we saw. And then we began to study concerning the tongue, and that's on a general basis talking to everybody with the problem of having a loose tongue and how we really need to bring it under God's divine control by being empowered with the Holy Spirit.

And now what James will do in the second part of the chapter, he will now deal with the issue of true wisdom and false wisdom, which I think it's really important that we not only come to understand what he says here. Because one of the things that I see in the body of Christ, and among pastor leaders or congregational people, is that a lot of people may have a lot of knowledge, but if you don't have the wisdom to use the knowledge, it can destroy you and it can hurt you.

And I think it's really of importance as we see the study tonight that here now James is going to be talking to us because he's been talking to us about a key to right talk and right thinking. The tongue is to be contained in a cage with teeth and lips, but it needs not to escape in words. And yet it is not intelligence that keeps the lock on the cage. It is the actual wisdom, a wisdom that is characterized by humility, by grace, and by peace that God wants to give to every single one of us individually.

Look at chapter 3, verse 13 now, we pick up the second part to the book of James chapter 3. He says this, "Who is wise and understanding among you?" He gives you a question when he starts. Who is wise among you? Who is really smart? Is there anyone that really uses God's wisdom as it's given to us in the book of Proverbs?

Someone wrote this, which was pretty interesting. He said the basic meaning given in the wise is this: having or showing good judgment, having the power or discerning of judging correctly, or discriminating between what is true and what is false, between what is proper and what is improper. This is a true wise man, having discernment. How to really respond, how to really react, how to live the Christian life.

And so here he wants to ask the question, who is wise and understanding among you? And then he says this, "Let him show it by his conduct." By the way you live. This is why I keep repeating myself on Sunday morning, Sunday nights, and Wednesday nights that people are watching us. If you're married and you have children, you have a full church in your own house of little disciples that are constantly listening and watching and thinking and then responding to what they see.

And so here we are tonight in the book of James, and here James is asking the question, who is wise and understanding among you? He says then you know by this, let him show by the good conduct that his works are done in meekness of wisdom. This is how you know. Let me tell you a couple of things that I saw here that are really important. Number one, he's talking about behavior here, the way we should live as Christians. No one can prove to be wise unless you demonstrate it by what you do in your life.

And he wants to make sure they truly understand that this wisdom is a wisdom that is humble. This is true wisdom that God gives to you. And then he says this, let him show or prove it. How do we prove it? By good conduct, or literally by our behavior, the manner of life that we live. And that is his works are done how? In meekness and wisdom. Or we get our word wisdom "sophia," a woman's name. Sophia, which means wisdom to understand.

And it's beautiful here because what's happening here when he talks about the word meekness, he's talking about humility, gentleness, which is the principal thing that controls one's life. To be meek, to be humble, to be gentle when you have true wisdom. There are true works in your life that are given to us. People will be able to tell whether you make the right decision or the wrong decision in the long terms as they're looking at your life.

And usually a person that is reading the Word of God, and you read the Proverbs every month, Proverbs 1 through 31. When there's 30 days or there's 31 days, there's Proverbs for every single day of your life that you can read to your children, you can read to your wife, you can read to yourself. And begin every month to memorize part of the Proverb or a scripture that God will give to you as a key verse in that chapter. By the end of the year, imagine how many verses you'll have in your mind to be able to operate as a child of God.

To be able to say, yes, I do have true wisdom. And what is true wisdom? To fear God and to turn from sin. That's true wisdom. It's so beautiful the way God works through His Word. And the way James sat down to write this beautiful letter to us for the 21st century. Because I believe there's a lot of people today that are not really wise people. They're not really wise. They don't really have the experience, they don't really have the knowledge to really put to practice the wisdom that we really need within our own personal lives.

And yet the Bible is covered with the wisdom and the knowledge of God where we can become more like Him as we study, as we surrender, as we submit, as we repent of our sins. God can begin to function within our own personal lives completely together. And then it's so beautiful because now what James will do, I love this, is he's going to give you in chapter 3, verses 14 through 16, he's going to talk to you right now to teach you what false wisdom is. And then he'll finish with true wisdom. Let's look at false wisdom and what it is.

Notice beginning in verse 14. He begins with conflicts here. He's going to begin with the presence of conflict in our daily lives. He says, "But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth." Pretty heavy. He starts out just really rebuking. And the reason he does that is because he's talking about these people that were saying that they really had the wisdom of God, but they were very unwise people here.

When he begins here in chapter 3, verse 14, he says, "But if you have bitter." The word "if" here is the same word where Jesus in Matthew chapter 4 talking to Satan when Satan came to tempt Him. Remember he says, "If you are the Son of God." No, in the Greek is this, "Since you are the Son of God." So the word here for "if" literally is "since." "But since you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts."

And he's talking to who? To all of us. Why? Because we've all had that before, bitter envy and self-seeking in our hearts. Even before we came to Christ and even after we came to Christ, these are the problems. These are the problems in the Christian life. And here James is teaching us a lesson that must be learned in each one of our lives.

Because as he says here concerning this word bitter envy, he's talking about people that are jealous of other people. Jealous of other people, that's not wisdom. Think of how many times people become jealous of their neighbors for what they have and you don't have. It could be a job, it could be a car, it could be the house or the things in the house, or it could be money.

And yet as Christians, we should never be jealous of anybody. We should never be jealous of anybody or we should never be self-seekers, self-seeking. If you really truly want to take the character of the Christian life, instead of being jealous, we should be thankful for what God has given to us. Thankful. Not coveting, not wanting what somebody else has and then becoming jealous.

But truly when it talks about the word being self-seeking here, literally the word is to strive, that's a personal ambition at any cost. A personal ambition at any cost. No matter what it takes, I'm going to get it. I don't care what anybody says. I'm going to get it no matter how long it takes me to get it. We can't do that as believers.

We have to really bring our lives before the cross of Jesus Christ so that we can take care of envy, jealousy, and take care of this problem of self-seeking in our hearts. Notice that the problem is where? In the heart. He says, "Do not boast," that is about God's wisdom. Do not be boasting about God's wisdom if you have envy and self-seeking. You don't have God's wisdom.

He says, "And lie against the truth," or lie against the Word of God. Do not lie about God's Word. He says if you're saying that and you have envy and self-seeking, you're not living according to the Word of God. You're not a doer of God's Word. You're just playing the game. And I think this is really good that it's bringing the negative before it brings the positive to us.

Because it makes us examine our lives tonight. Where is it that I'm being jealous over a matter or person or whatever thing it may be where I need to take care of that problem before that problem takes over my life and destroys me fully and completely? So God doesn't want you to be destroyed, but He wants you to have the proper wisdom in how to respond to the problems that you're facing even today in your own personal lives.

That's what the book of James is about. If you're a business person, you really need God's wisdom. If you're a parent, you need God's wisdom. If you're going to college, you need God's wisdom. And we really need God's wisdom in any profession that we are dealing with here tonight. We need it fully, completely, and it's free. It doesn't cost you anything. All you have to do is ask for it and God will give it to you just like Solomon.

But yet there are people like he says here. The world's wisdom is not God's wisdom. But if you have any bitter envy or jealousy, self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast. And notice again, do not boast, literally do not take the glory or lie, or do not lie against God's Word or God's gospel fully and completely.

Verse 15, "This wisdom," he's going to tell you, "is not descending from above." This is not the wisdom from God in heaven. He tells you flat out. What kind of wisdom is it then? Listen, three things: it's earthly, it's sensual, and demonic. That's heavy. Isn't that what John said in 1 John 2:14, 15, and 16? He said what? Earthly, that's the world. Sensual, that's the flesh. And demonic is the devil and all his demons.

Those are the three areas that we really have to be careful with. Because here James is reminding us that this wisdom is not of God, this wisdom is from the devil. It's devilish. And the devil is the one that is influencing in this wisdom. And it doesn't honor God. It doesn't build up the body of Christ. It tears it down. It destroys it, and it will destroy your life, and it will destroy your children, and it will destroy your home, and it will destroy your job.

And that's why it's really important that every morning when you get up to go anywhere you're going, to ask God to bless you with God's wisdom. "Lord, fill me with Your wisdom today as I meet clients, as I go to school and hear my teachers, as I go to the grocery store, wherever I'm going. Lord, be with me and tell me what to say and what not to say, and give me my thoughts that will be Your thoughts so that I can have a beautiful day in You, oh Lord."

And if you're not spending time in the Word and in prayer, what's going to happen? You're going to start in the flesh and end in the flesh by the end of the day. We need to start by the Spirit of God so that we can defeat the world, the flesh, and the devil by admitting, "Lord, I need You. And I need You to speak to my heart that I may be able to be a man and a woman of the Word of God."

So it's really important like James here is speaking to us that this wisdom that you're talking about in verse 14, it is what? It descends not from above from heaven. It's not of the Lord. It is of the world, it is of the flesh, and it is of the devil. And God doesn't honor it. And check this out, verse 16. "For where envy and self-seeking exist." What is there? Confusion.

James says here that where this earthly wisdom exists, there is confusion in every work. There is no peace. No peace, no advancement in the kingdom of God. Everything stands still. And check this out, "For where there's envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every worthless." The word "evil" here is "worthless." "Worthless things are there."

And the word "confusion" here, this is to wisdom, the wisdom of the world that leads to what? To confusion and eventually to death. The world's confusion that has no wisdom. It's always, always confusing people in the world. But it should not confuse us because we're in the light.

Jesus Christ said that He was the light of the world. And if we are truly in the light where Jesus dwells, and we're praying and we're reading and we're asking God for wisdom and knowledge in everything that we do, imagine how much more happier we would be at the end of the day because we've done everything according to God's will, not according to our will.

Now watch what he says in verse 17 and 18. True wisdom now. The characteristics of true wisdom here. He begins in verse 17. He says this, "But the wisdom that is from above," or from God, "is what? First pure." Isn't that neat? Pure. This is now the characteristics of a wise person.

True wisdom is the wisdom of God, and this is what we will see in a person that is really a wise person. We'll see pureness of life. What does that mean? The word is sincere or moral attitude. He is sanctified. He's been born again of the Holy Spirit and he walks by the Spirit of God. Notice that.

And I love this because watch what he says. He says if a person has this wisdom that is from above and is what? Is first in priority, it is pure. Then these are the things that will be seen in that person's life. Number one: peaceable. Notice that. These will be the things. After peaceable: gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy, good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.

Isn't that neat? That person walks and operates with a new heart, a new attitude from heaven, not from this earth. This is the real child of God that is walking by the Holy Spirit's power, walking in the spirit, not in the flesh. This is the person that is spending time on his knees.

This is the person that stops and waits and thinks and prays before they answer or before they commit themselves to any situation. They've gone to God before they make any kind of a deal because they want to be in God's perfect will. That's why he says at the beginning, "But the wisdom that is from above is first pure."

First pure, and then this is what happens: peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy, good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. We'll never be a hypocrite like that. Never be a hypocrite like that. And then he says this, this is amazing. He says now, "The fruit of righteousness is sown how? In peace by those who make peace." Isn't that interesting?

Not those that are making war all the time. Here he says that this happens when we are at war with God. We have no peace. No peace at all, until a person makes peace with God. Literally when it uses the word "now", it means "but on the other hand." "The fruit of the righteousness is what? Is sown by the peace of God and by those who are making peace themselves." Peace themselves.

Turn to Ephesians chapter 4, verse 1 through 3. Ephesians 4. He says this, "I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling in which you were called, with all lowliness, gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing one another in love." Notice, "endeavoring to keep the unity of the Holy Spirit in the bond of peace." That's how we do it.

And then one more, Philippians chapter 4. I love this one. Ephesians and then Philippians chapter 4. Chapter 4, verse 6. This is what he says. He says, "But be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your request be made known unto God."

And here watch this, "And the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds through Christ Jesus." Isn't that beautiful? That's what James has been saying. The same thing Paul said. For those that make peace with God and those that wait upon the Lord and ask God to give you the wisdom of God in your taking care of your children, in taking care of your family, taking care of your job or being working for somebody else.

If you really put yourself in God's hands and you say, "Lord, I don't care what happens in my life, but I really truly want to be a wise woman, I want to be a wise man." I'm going to tell you something, God will do it in your lives. It's a step of faith that you do it.

Guest (Male): As you go about your daily life making decisions and taking care of responsibilities, we hope that today's message has served as a helpful reminder to ground all of your activities in God's Word. You're listening to Somebody Loves You Radio with Raul Ries. Today's lesson from the book of James is available in its complete form for a donation of $5 or more. To get your copy, just call us at 800-634-9165 and mention today's teaching from James chapter 3, verses 13 through 18.

Now, we'd also like to tell you about Raul's eight-message series titled "Traits of a Christian". It's available on both CD and USB. Inspiring you to spend more time in God's Word and in prayer, this study illuminates the abundance that comes from living with a heavenly purpose that's centered in the Lord's perfect will.

To order Raul's eight-part series titled "Traits of a Christian", visit somebodylovesyou.com or call 800-634-9165. We'll send you the CD set for $22 or the thumb drive for just $12. The number again is 800-634-9165. Or you can write to Somebody Loves You Radio, PO Box 4440, Diamond Bar, California 91765.

Raul is happy to respond to your Bible questions and prayer requests anytime. You can email him at pastorraul@somebodylovesyou.com. You can also join Raul for Straight Talk on the Somebody Loves You Worldwide YouTube channel every Tuesday at 10 a.m. West Coast time. We're grateful for your partnership. Your gifts help us keep sharing biblical truth through these programs.

And join us next time for more life-shaping instruction from the book of James. You'll get a challenge to choose friendship with the Lord over friendship with the world, taking up your cross to follow God and resisting the pull of earthly enticements. This program is sponsored by Somebody Loves You Radio in Diamond Bar, California.