Scripture reading: Psalm 1.

Sermon text: James 3:13-4:7.

“Know thyself.” This two-word phrase by Socrates, as the saying goes, speaks volumes.

St. James’ words today remind us how Socrates’ words can challenge even the best of us. We know how Scripture teaches us to live: Love God, and love one another. We know how we think this should work in our lives. Then, just as we think we have everything working as it should, something more resembling the old man within us rears its ugly head and seems to shatter everything. Our intricately constructed self-perceptions crumble as we realize again how far we have to go in our transformation into the new person God will raise into a new heaven and new earth.

The sermon text today begins with one of life’s deepest questions as well as a serious command. “Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom.” As last week’s sermon reminded us, wisdom means skillful living. An essential part of wisdom involves the realization we need it. Every Christian has the right to ask God for wisdom: “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting” (James 1:5-6a). When we ask for wisdom, God gives us wisdom.

When we receive wisdom from God, our conduct will demonstrate itself in “meekness.” I’ve never known a wise person who found it necessary to advertise the fact. Years ago, I discovered a quote that says, “If one is really a superior person, the fact is likely to leak out without too much assistance” (John Andrew Holmes). Wise people often reveal themselves by their silence and actions more than by their words.

St. James’ warning to us still applies: “If you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth.” Few people can tolerate a boaster. Those who continuously boast will inevitably find themselves first stretching the truth and eventually lying about their accomplishments. As St. James wrote, “This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.”

In contrast, St. James wrote, “The wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.” God’s pure wisdom brings peace to all who meet the wise. God’s wisdom demonstrates itself by gentleness, not by conflict. Godly wisdom also possesses a crucial quality: An openness  to reason. Those with true wisdom realize that others possess wisdom, too, and therefore treat others as worthy of their time. The wise will show mercy to everyone they know and with whom they interact. As a result, the wise will bear “good fruits” in their lives; their actions and words will nourish others.

We find another key trait of godly wisdom: Impartiality. The truly wise understand that they cannot show partiality, because doing so will tempt them to support the wrong side in conflicts.

Lastly, godly wisdom demonstrates sincerity. You can recognize those with godly wisdom because they never play anyone false. You can trust the wise because you know they will always speak truth when they speak.

Everyone who possesses godly wisdom will bring peace wherever God places them: “A harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.” Again, true wisdom comes to everyone who asks God. You cannot ask God for wisdom until you first have peace with Him, peace that comes only through Christ (Romans 5:1). Since the wise bring peace to all who heed them, everyone around them will reap peace through a relationship with Christ.

Godly wisdom brings peace between us and God. Then, as the Holy Spirit works within us, He brings peace to us. As He changes our desires, He helps us desire God’s will for us rather than what we would ordinarily desire. If we resist God’s work in us, we bring strife within ourselves. “What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you?” Pride deceives us into seeking our own desires rather than God’s desires. When we put our own desires ahead of God’s desires for us, “You desire and do not have, so you murder.” We may not literally kill someone, but we will violate the commandment to love others as we love ourselves.

The Holy Spirit will bring peace, but those who refuse to follow Him bring sorrow to themselves. “You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.” We cannot covet what another person possesses when we love them as we love ourselves.

We also cannot expect God to bless us when our desires reflect the world rather than the presence of the Holy Spirit within us. As St. James wrote, “You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” Christians must follow the Holy Spirit, not our own passions, in all our decisions.

Fortunately, God wants to guide us in life; He wants to give us wisdom; He wants us to live wisely and bring peace, both in our lives and in the lives of all around us. The Holy Spirit will guide us if we will let Him. “Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, ‘He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us’?”

What about those times in life when we fail to live wisely and peacefully with God and others? St. James closes with comfort and with a promise.

First, God promises grace to us. God’s undeserved merit often protects us when we fail to lives wisely. God’s undeserved merit leads Him to bring “grace to the humble” when we humbly repent of our pride and selfishness.

Lastly, St. James gives us a promise. We must “submit … therefore to God.” Submitting to God will put us in the place of blessing. God’s great blessing includes this promise: “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” This statement reminds us of St. Paul’s promise about temptation: “God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it” (1 Corinthians 10:13).

What so often brings dissension within us? What so often brings conflict and strife with others? Our refusal to live by God’s standard, by His desires, will always bring trouble to us. On the other hand, wise living will demonstrate itself by following God’s will for our lives. Wise living will bring others to a living relationship with a living Christ. Wise living will strengthen us against Satan and the temptations of life, giving us the assurance that He will help us avoid and resist temptation when we allow Him to guide us.

Do you want peace in life? Live wisely. Do you want peace with others? Live wisely. Wise living will assure us a harvest of peace. Sow wisdom and peace in your life, and enjoy the benefits of a living relationship with our living Lord, Jesus Christ.