Living Faith and Wisdom: Actions Reflecting Belief

"True wisdom is evident first of all by the way you live by your good conduct you live a life full of good conduct obedient living it shows you to be wise you know sometimes we think that the smart people are the people who seem to get away with things but the smart people are the ones who know how to skirt the rules and at least for a time they seem to be the winners because of it listen the Bible tells us that true wisdom is shown by good conduct." [00:04:14]

"True wisdom is also evident by our meek manner in other words those who do good works in a way designed to bring attention to ourselves that shows we lack true wisdom if it's all about bringing it back to us and showing how wonderful we are and proclaiming our greatness to everybody listen that person lacks wisdom not only do they lack good manners not only they lack class they lack wisdom and so true wisdom is going to be shown by good conduct and it's gonna be shown by some humility in life." [00:05:41]

"This wisdom does not descend from above but is earthly sensual demonic for we're envy and self seeking exists confusion and every evil thing are there well verses 14 15 and 16 tell us a lot about the character of earthly wisdom what we might almost call dead wisdom James was talking about dead faith a little bit earlier in the letter well you could say this sort of describes dead wisdom this dead wisdom or earthly wisdom it's marked by what look at verse 14 bitter Envy and self seeking." [00:06:25]

"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 and let's take apart these two verses because this is like a field full of gold right here down at our feet first of all verse 17 he says but again drawing a contrast to the earthly wisdom that was described in verses 14 15 and 16 but the wisdom that is from above God's kind of wisdom some kind of wisdom that we get from heaven." [00:10:54]

"First of all it's pure no according to Burdick who's a pretty good commentator on the book of James Berdych says that this purity is not really a reference to sexual purity but it's really sort of the absence of any kind of sinful attitude or motive it's good motives it's it's some it's genuine it's authentic first it's pure that's God's kind of wisdom in action secondly it's peaceable it's not looking to stir up trouble it brings goodness it brings Shalom to know that great word from the Old Testament peace the Hebrew word for peace Shalom." [00:11:50]

"That's what gentleness is it's sweet reasonableness it's a person who's reasonable who's sensible who follows what Jesus called or what we call Jesus said it we call it the golden rule what's that I should treat other people the only that I want to be treated that's gentle that's sweet reasonableness that is a mark of the wisdom that comes from heaven and not only that let's keep looking at this list here in verse 17 first pure then peaceable then gentle then willing to yield Wow that's one we usually don't think about you know isn't it funny most the time we think that godly people are very non compromising in other words they're not willing to yield." [00:13:39]

"Full of mercy the wisdom that comes from heaven does not judge others strictly on the basis of law but it will extend a generous hand that is full of mercy just like Jesus said in Matthew chapter seven verse two the Sermon on the Mount that this letter of James makes so many allusions back to the Sermon on the Mount in the Sermon on the Mount Jesus said that the same measure in which you measure to others that's what God is going to measure to you so if we are full of mercy to other people showing that kind of heavenly wisdom God will be full of mercy to us that is heavenly wisdom." [00:17:11]

"This wisdom from above can be seen by the fruit it produces by its results this wisdom it isn't just the inner power to think about things and talk about things if I could say this in the right way and again I hope nobody understands me in an incorrect way but this isn't the ability just to talk about things like philosophers this is a way that has results it's full of good fruits now I'm not saying that to be down on philosophy there's a place for thinking there's a place for just you know discussing great thoughts but listen it's got to come down to where the rubber meets the road true wisdom that comes from above is full of good fruits." [00:18:34]

"God's wisdom is without partiality God is no respecter of persons he doesn't judge people on the basis of their race on the basis of their class on the basis of their nationality he doesn't judge people on the basis of their ethnic background on and on and on we could have no no and when we reflect the wisdom that rules in heaven we will be without partiality now number eight he says this wisdom is without hypocrisy what's that well hypocrisy is pretending to be something that you're not when we act in our own character we are without hypocrisy and that is God's wisdom." [00:19:24]

"Jesus lived this kind of life Jesus perfectly exemplified these things and no wonder that people wanted to be around Jesus this kind of life is magnetic this kind of life is authentic this kind of life spreads good things wherever it goes now if Jesus is the perfect representation of it and as I look at these eight qualities and measure my life against them can I tell you something I find that I don't measure up how about you do you find that you sort of lack in those things as well well no wonder because we do lack but you know what I take great comfort in I take great comfort in the fact that the one who lived these things out perfectly Jesus Christ he he lives within me isn't that a thrilling thought Jesus lives within me the one who perfectly lived these things out and so I can just say simply yes thank you Jesus yes thank you living me and lived through me to live out this heavenly wisdom." [00:21:39]

"If I need this wisdom in me it means I need Jesus in me I need to abide in Jesus I need to put my focus on Jesus I can't achieve these things by gritting my teeth and just trying harder no I need to let Jesus fill my life and live these things in me and through me that will show real wisdom real faith is shown by the believer as James has discussed elsewhere so is real wisdom brother and sisters I think God wants you I think God wants me I think he wants each and every one of us to have a living faith and he wants us to have a living wisdom wisdom if I could put it this way wisdom that's really wise not foolish wisdom but real wisdom at the end of it all." [00:22:47]

"True wisdom by the results by a godly life by this peaceable fruit of righteousness that has shown and sewn everywhere I know God wants that for me I know he wants it for you so let's keep ourselves focused upon Jesus Christ let's run to Jesus every time we fail or fall short in one of these eight areas because I'm so grateful that not only does Jesus live this life in me not only says he show me by his own life but perhaps even more importantly Jesus Christ paid the penalty of sin for every time I fall short of the wonderful standard I'm forgiven in him I'm empowered by him I walk forward and I want to show it I know you did to the peaceable fruit of righteousness I wanted to be sown in peace in my life and through my life I hope it's that way for you as well." [00:24:22]