I've been studying the book of James recently (one of my favorite books!) and as I studied James 3:13-18, it struck me how God characterizes both “earthly” wisdom and “godly”
wisdom:
Godly
Wisdom Earthly
Wisdom
Good
conversation (lifestyle) (v13) Bitter
envying (v14)
Meekness
(v13) Strife
(v14)
Pure (v17) Sensual
(v15)
Peaceable
(v17) Devilish
(v15)
Gentle (v17) Confusion
(v16)
Easy to
entreat Evil
works (v16)
(compliant, open to reason)
(compliant, open to reason)
FULL of
mercy (v17)
& good
fruits (v17)
Without
partiality (v17)
Without
hypocrisy (v17)
Wow! If we want to know if
someone truly has godly wisdom, we just need to examine the characteristics
above! We all know people who appear to
be so “wise” – they know every scripture reference, can explain most if not all
doctrines (teachings); they’ve taught classes or seminars or preached a sermon
– yet they seem somehow “unreachable” or “above” the rest of us…there is little
or no mercy or gentleness about them; if you’re not part of their “inner circle”
you somehow feel like a 2nd class citizen…and there is certainly no
openness to reason, no willingness to hear the thoughts or concerns or
questions of others...
These people, then, would have “earthly” wisdom, according to
scripture, not “godly” wisdom. For
something to be godly, it must have the characteristics of GOD himself! And God is certainly none of those
things! Knowledge, therefore, does not
equal wisdom; wisdom is knowledge encased in the characteristics of verse 17 – the
characteristics of God!
Huh! I love it when God reveals
more of Himself to me!! Check it out for yourself - He's waiting to reveal himself to you as well.
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