1. Where to Get Wisdom James 3:13-18
Chapter 8
By Warren W. Wiersbe
James 3:13 Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.
 14But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.
 15This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.
 16For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.
 17But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.
 18And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.

2. Knowledge without wisdom
You need wisdom to use knowledge correctly.
Proverbs 4:7 – Wisdom is the principal thing, therefore get wisdom.
Knowledge helps us to take things, but wisdom helps us put things together and relate God’s truth to daily life.
Knowledge without wisdom

3. Contrast in Origins (James 3:15, 17a) True wisdom Man-made wisdom
From God Not from God
Examples: Building of Tower of Babel ending in failure and confusion.
King Saul putting on armor on David.
Roman ship expert to sail ended in destruction of ship.
James 3:15 This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.
James 3:17a But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated

4. Origins of Man’s wisdom
James 3:15 -This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.
Believers have 3 enemies: The World (earthly), flesh (sensual) and the devil (devilish or demonic). (Eph. 2:1-3)
Eph 1:1And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
 Eph 2:2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
 Eph 2:3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

5. The world by its wisdom knows not God.
For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness (I Cor 1:18)
Man’s wisdom is foolishness to God (I Cor 1:20)
God’s wisdom is foolishness to men (I Cor 2:14)
Man’s wisdom comes from reason while God’s wisdom comes from revelation.
Man’s wisdom will come to nothing while God’s wisdom will endures forever.
I Cor 1:20 Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?
I Cor 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

6. Purity – (3:17) indicates the importance of holiness
Chaste and free from defilement
Spiritual purity results in a chaste relationship with the Lord (II Cor 11:3)
Peace - (3:17) God’s wisdom leads to peace while man’s wisdom leads to competition, rivalry, & war (4:1,2)
Peace is based on holiness, not on compromise.
Isa 32:17 -And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever.
James 3:17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.
II Cor 11:3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
 James 4:1 From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?
 James 4:2 Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.

7. Gentleness (3:17) Moderation without compromise
Compliance (3:17) God’s wisdom makes the believer easy to work and live with. Man’s wisdom make a person stubborn and hard.
Willing to hear all sides of a question without compromising his own connection. He is willing to hear all sides of a questions without compromise.
Mercy (3:17) To follow God’s wisdom is to be controlled by mercy. Example of the Good Samaritan.
See panel 6 for James 3:17

8. Good fruits (3:17) people who are faithful are fruitful
God’s wisdom is practical. It changes life and produce good works to God’s glory.
Decisiveness (3:17) Singleness of mind, not wavering or double-minded. Heavenly wisdom gives strength from heaven.
Sincerity (3:17) open and honest “speaking truth in love”
Man’s wisdom – insecurity & pretense (Eph 4:13)
Faith is living without scheming.I Cor 2:12
 See panel 6 for James 3:17
Eph 4:13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
I Cor 2:12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.

9. Contrast in Outcomes (3:16, 18)
Origins determines outcomes
Worldly wisdom produces trouble (3:16)
Envy, strife, confusion, evil works
Wrong thinking produces wrong living
Wars & fighting among the believers (4:2)
Confusion means disorder coming from instability(1:8), unruly (3:8) & unstable (1:8)
 James 3:16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.
 James 3:18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.
 James 4:2 Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.
James 3:8 But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
 James 1:8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

10. Jealousy, competition, party spirit contribute to confusion.
Tower of Babel Babel-confusion
Confusion creates a place for “every evil work” (3:18)
Evil here means “worthless, of no account”
Wood, hay, stubble (I Cor 3:12)
Church is to measure the ministries by the Word of God, not man’s wisdom.
 James 3:18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.
I Cor 3:12
Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;

11. God’s wisdom produces blessing (3:18)
Fruit is the product of life, and fruit has seeds for more fruit.
Christian life is the life of sowing and reaping.
What we are is what we live, and what we live is what we sow. What we sow determines what we reap.
Prov 3:13 - Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding.
James 3:18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.