SATURDAY July 25, 2026

Wisdom That Is From Above

But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
James 3:17-18

James made a good distinction between earthly, demonic wisdom and godly wisdom which is from above––God-given wisdom. It is first pure, meaning “pure from every fault or immaculate.” It is also peaceable, which means “pacific––loving peace.” Godly wisdom activated in a Christian’s life will produce peace. Those who are not peacemakers will cause division.

Another description of wisdom that is from above is that it is gentle. What does gentle mean in context of these verses? The word gentle means “equitable, fair, and mild.” James continued to list other attributes stemming from godly wisdom, such as willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits. If you are a person willing to yield, then you are easy to get along with, obedient and compliant.

What does it mean to be full of mercy? James is communicating that Christians filled with wisdom are full of mercy and show kindness or good will toward the afflicted who are in such misery. There is a desire to relieve them of their suffering. What are good fruits? All the things James mentioned bear seeds of righteousness that result in fruitfulness in our works of Christian charity.

In the fruit of the Spirit, how many similar evidences of wisdom do you see? But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). As we abide in Christ, these things will naturally grow in our lives. We will be genuine Christians––without any hypocrisy or showing partiality to anyone.

“The fruit of righteousness" refers to what is produced in you as you operate in love, pursue excellence, and maintain your integrity. It includes every attitude and action consistent with God's standard of what is right.
~John MacArthur~

For more from Raul Ries, please visit SomebodyLovesYou.com!