Cork Free Presbyterian Church, 10 Briarscourt
(Annex) Shanakiel, Cork, Ireland
Pastor: Colin Maxwell. Email: colin.maxwell@fpcmission.org
JAMES 3:1-18 TEXT: v15 EARTHLY, SENSUAL WISDOM
This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.
James has been busy in this chapter warning us about the dangers of the
tongue and specifically about what damage it can inflict
It may be small, but it can leave havoc in its trail
The tongue is a splitter - it has split marriages, friendships, fellowships
None can control it - at least not consistently - and we all have our moments to rue when we should've kept our big mouths shut
James wisely sees the tongue as being but the outward manifestation of something else - the shop window of the soul
This is clear from v11/v12where he uses two pictures to denote that the source of what the tongue says lies elsewhere
[i] He likens the tongue (more specifically: the words it speaks) to being the water that flows from a fountain (v11)
[ii] He likens the tongue (or its words) to the fruit of a tree (v12)
In vs13-18 he takes this thought a little further
If the words we speak are only outward manifestations, then we must trace their original source - From whence do they come?
When we open our mouth, wisdom reveals her hand
But the issue is: Which wisdom?
For there are two types of wisdom:
[i] From above i.e. heavenly (v17-18)
[ii] From beneath (v15-16) i.e. from hell itself
The Father of Lights is said to be "above" (1:17) hence beneath is hell
Want to look (this week) at the wisdom that is from beneath (4 points)
1) THE FOUNTAIN OF THIS WISDOM: Not from above
A/ This thought opens up the idea to us that none of us are really free
i.e. independent in and of ourselves free from outside forces
Truth: We are either being controlled from Heaven or Hell: Know ye not,
that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are
to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto
righteousness? (Romans 6:16)
This translates to: What wisdom are you following?
Either that of Heaven or that of Hell
B/ Question: Can believers fall under the power/this wisdom?
Answer: Yes! Passage itself (v14) applies it as if it can:
"If ye have bitter envying etc.,…this wisdom descendeth not…"
Again, we have a very clear example of it in Matthew 16 when Peter began to rebuke the Lord Jesus about going to the Cross
("Pity thyself" ) What reply did the Lord Jesus make?
But he turned, and said unto Peter,
Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou
savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.
(Matthew 16:23)
Not that Peter was Satan, but that his words were Satanic or (text) the supposed wisdom that fuelled them was Satanic
C/ Seen again in the fact that after Moses spent the first 40 years of
his life "learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in
words and in deeds." (Acts 7:22) God took him out into the backside of
the desert for another 40 years so that it could all be unlearned
2) THE FABRIC OF THIS WISDOM:
Earthly, sensual, devilish
A threefold cord not easily broken once it binds itself around our feet
[i] EARTHLY: Cannot bring itself to think about things that are to come
Same Greek word is used in Philippians 3:19 when it talks about those
Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.
Live entirely for the present and for the things that are seen
Their whole philosophy (a nice word/circumstances) is summed up:
And behold joy and gladness, slaying
oxen, and killing sheep, eating flesh, and drinking wine: let us eat
and drink; for to morrow we shall die. (Isaiah 25:13)
Or the Rich Farmer/parable:
And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou
hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink,
and be merry. (Luke 12:19)
Or the Rich man who later lifted up his eyes in hell being in torments:
There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: (Luke 16:19)
There are boys out there who know how to make a lot of money
They know when to buy property or stocks/shares and when to sell
They can read the mood of the people and know how to ride the wave and
when to jump off - when to hold tight and ride out the storm
Streetwise wherever they are found - first up and last to bed
Know nothing about Eternal life and the way to Heaven
No thought of what lies beyond the grave and where they will spend
eternity - Bible is a closed Book to them: All their wisdom is earthly
[ii] SENSUAL: Young renders it "beastly"
Carries the thought of an unspiritual wisdom - Word is translated carnal in 1 Corinthians 2:14
We see this wisdom in the Prodigal Son itching to escape his father's
house/influence, spending his money on riotous living including harlots
No depths to which he was not prepared to plunge in his hedonism
Seen again in the warning about the young widow in 1 Timothy 5:6
But she that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth.
Again:
But the younger widows refuse: for when they have begun to wax wanton against Christ, they will marry (v11)
What wisdom spurred them on? A false sensual wisdom
[iii] DEVILISH: Again, we are back to the source of this wisdom
It's father is Satan who is also the Father of Lies
It is a wisdom and yet it is not a wisdom - just as there is another gospel, which is not another (Galatians 1:6)
It professes to be a wisdom, but the greatest fool in the Universe is
Satan - the covering cherub who thought he could dethrone God
Feel the fabric of this wisdom - rub your finger on it - and let these 3 descriptions/James frighten you
They are not in the dictionary of godliness and faith
They belong to the old world order that existed before the flood when
GOD saw that the wickedness of man
was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of
his heart was only evil continually. (Genesis 6:5)
(Not that this verse is unique to that period, but note: God saw how great such wickedness was)
3) THE FRUIT OF THIS WISDOM:
Seen its fountain…fabric - How does it all work out? Practical results?
A/ BITTER ENVYING (v14) Expressive words indeed!
With all their worldly desires and fleshy aspirations…dissatisfied
Not the great gain of godliness with contentment
Can't say: "In whatever state I am, I have learned to be content" (Philippians 4:11)
Not only envy others, but it is a bitter envy - Eats into their very being
They seethe in it and it makes them want to strike out
No wonder:
Wrath is cruel, and anger is outrageous; but who is able to stand before envy? (Proverbs 27:4)
Envy is something that is very hard to control
Envy is a sin that breeds other sins
Many innocent have fallen victim to its malignant spirit in others:
And the patriarchs, moved with envy, sold Joseph into Egypt: (Acts 7:9)
For [Pilate] knew that the chief priests had delivered him for envy. (Mark 15:10)
It is a rottenness in the bones (Proverbs 14:30) and therefore:
For wrath killeth the foolish man, and envy slayeth the silly one. (Job 5:2)
B/ STRIFE: One thing
to be envious - it has often been contained - but bitter envying is so
explosive: it must lead to strife i.e. involve others
It will disturb the peace in the home and the fellowship
What strife marked the Corinthians church when men became jealous of
the Apostle Paul and desired his position in the affections/people
Nasty words spoken in hatred/anger:
For his letters, say they, are weighty and powerful; but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible.
I accept it takes two to strive…but Paul could not sit back
while his authority was under attack - the fault lay with the jealous
challengers
There are things you must protect/all costs and often strife is a
healthier sign than no strife, for 2 wrongs do not make a right, but
the presence of any strife denotes a wrong somewhere and often it may
be traced back to a display of this hellish wisdom with its envious
spirit
Why is there so much infighting in individual congregations as well as
denominations and larger movements of fundamental Christians?
Is it not the desire to be top-dog and the putting down of any rivals?
C/ CONFUSION: Of which God is not the author (1 Corinthians 14:33)
What confusion ruled/Corinth as Paul struggled to affirm his authority
If the folk there rejected Paul and ran with false apostles: No gospel
If the light that is in you be darkness, how great is that darkness
Whether you fight or not…confusion will reign and so fight, at
least to get that confusion lifted and the light of truth shining again
D/ EVERY EVIL WORK: When Paul went to Athens, he saw many alters to many different gods and then he saw one: The Unknown God
As if they had raised one so that no one felt left out - likewise here:
There are many fruits of this earthly/sensual/devilish wisdom -
every evil work will be traceable back to it in one shape or another
4) THE FLOUNDERING OF THIS WISDOM:
A/ What is the antidote to it? How can we neutralise it?
Answer: True wisdom from above (Next week's message)
B/ Let me say this: Hellish wisdom cannot ultimately succeed
In the purposes/God…it can go along way and in its going can be
used by a Holy God to accomplish His divine will: Calvary is the
classic example
Hellish wisdom entered into the darkened heart/Judas and had him find
agreement (Nay! make covenant) with Pharisees etc., that Christ should
be crucified: This was their hour and the power/darkness (Luke 22:53)
Yet through this hellish wisdom, we see the overriding wisdom of God
that took the shedding of the blood and used it for the remission/sins
C/ How foolish then to follow such hellish wisdom
Not all such hellish wisdom is overthrown to the benefits of men
Hellish wisdom says that there is no God (Psalm 14:1)
Hell wisdom says (on the other hand) many ways lead to God and comes
under the condemnation of Proverbs 14:13 and contradicts John 14:6
Hellish wisdom says that the sinner can and should delay salvation
Reject it! The originator of hellish wisdom is a liar and the biggest
fool of all! Don’t join him in his folly nor in his final destiny
i.e. the Lake/Fire
THE END