In this sermon titled 'Properly Identifying the Source of Our Wisdom' by Mike Davenport, the speaker explores the concept of wisdom as described in James 3:13-18. The sermon emphasizes the need for self-examination and highlights the nature of earthly wisdom and its negative effects. It contrasts this with heavenly wisdom, which is pure, peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy, and produces good fruits. The sermon concludes by discussing the importance of sowing the fruit of righteousness in peace and the connection between wisdom and Christ.

Sermon text is James 3, 13 to 18. Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic.

For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. But 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. Let's pray. Thank you, Heavenly Father, for today.

Thank you that we could be assembled here to worship you. Thank you that we have a preacher. I pray you would bless the preaching. I pray you bless the hearing of your word. I pray we would let you change us through this to be more like Christ.

In Jesus' name, amen. Well, it is March in the southeastern portion of the United States. The colder months are drawing to a close and the ground begins to soak in the warm rays of the sun. Farmers are again stirring about. They're beginning to take all of the necessary steps in order to produce a crop at harvest time.

Imagine with me one particular farmer. This farmer has several different bags of seed. All of them are not labeled. The seed, though different, looks very similar. He has not been farming too long, and he's not able to distinguish between the seed.

But he has good intentions of a full harvest, so he plants his seed with much energy and lots of hope. A closer examination of the seed would reveal that none of the seed in his possession will actually yield him the crop that he intends. It is not the right seed and has obviously not come from the right source needed to produce such an intended crop. What would you think of that farmer? What would you anticipate his level of success to be?

Would all of the correct ground preparation make a difference? Would all of the faithful watering make a difference? Would all of his energy and attentions to the crop make a difference in what is actually harvested? Obviously, None of these other things will impact the final harvest so much as the seed itself. What type of seed it is.

Well today we come in our exposition of James to James chapter 3, 13 through 18, as was just read in our hearing. I hope to cover these verses under the following headings. The need for self-examination, the need for self-examination. Secondly, the nature of earthly wisdom and its fruit. And then thirdly and finally, the nature of heavenly wisdom and its fruit.

So first, the need for self-examination. Look with me at verse 13. Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. So James begins this section of his letter with a challenging question.

Any wise men in the house? Is there someone gathered here with us today who can proclaim himself as wise and as understanding? Anyone? This question comes on the heels of a passage that declared that we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man able to bridle the whole body.

And so James issues this question as a means to engage our hearts and to call us to some holy contemplation. Too often we find ourselves as examples of James' descriptions. Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing, fresh water and bitter, salt water and fresh, The production of olives where there should be figs and figs where there should be grapes. My brethren, these things ought not to be so." Well, the recent focus of James has been on the type of works and the type of words that genuine faith produces. Our words and our works reveal something deeper.

It is not sufficient to simply examine the fruit. The type of fruit produced tells us something about the roots of the tree or of the vine. The type of water coming forth tells us something about the source of spring. We must look deeper. We must examine the roots.

We must examine the source. In order to accomplish this, the good soul doctor, Elder James, asked us this question, who is wise and understanding among you? This is not a question that we should answer quickly. If we answer quickly, we may come up with the wrong answer, and that would prove a grave danger to our souls. Why is this question regarding wisdom so important?

I mean, why does James see it as necessary to ask this question? Why does he move his readers to a discussion after just discussing works and words? Why does he move to this discussion about wisdom? What is it that wisdom has to do with faith? What does it have to do with genuine faith?

Well, at the very heart of any discussion of wisdom is our relationship with God. You see, the fear of the Lord is the very beginning of wisdom. Our wisdom or lack of it reflects something about our relationship with God. What is James looking for? What would constitute a true demonstration of this wisdom of which he is referring?

James says, let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. We are prone to think that one demonstrates wisdom in the way that he speaks, what he has to say and how he says it. But James goes 180 degrees in the opposite direction. James wants to see the demonstration of wisdom in our Conduct. The wise man is to demonstrate that wisdom and understanding by action.

Note all the words focused on action, show, conduct, works, done. Show, conduct, works, done. It is as if James is reaching back to what he has just taught us about works and words and is now giving us the framework in which these works and words are to be born out in our lives. These works and these words, see that they are accompanied by meekness, the very meekness of wisdom. What is meekness?

Webster's Dictionary, the 1828 edition, defines meekness in the following way. Meekness in the following way, softness of temper, mildness, gentleness, forbearance under injuries and provocations. So putting this sentence together with the usage of the words in the Greek in the original language, it would look like this. Let this man give evidence or proof through a manner of life made beautiful by reason of purity of heart that all of his acts and all of his deeds are accompanied with a wisdom marked by gentleness of spirit. Matthew Henry states it well.

Wisdom produces meekness, and meekness increases wisdom. I love how he puts those together. Wisdom produces meekness, but then that meekness that it produces, that meekness increases wisdom. And what does wisdom do? It gives more production of meekness, and that meekness increases wisdom.

You see, meekness belongs to wisdom. Think about it. If the very starting place for wisdom, if the very starting place is the fear of the Lord, would not that fear demonstrate itself in a meek spirit? How can we fear the Lord and draw nigh with anything but a meek spirit? But see, we often fall to the grasp that true definition of wisdom.

We fail to grasp that. We just, we don't understand what wisdom truly is. We think of it as mere knowledge. Wisdom equals knowledge. Knowing a lot about many different things or having an extraordinary measure of knowledge in one particular area that makes us an expert.

We think that's wisdom, and we fail to grasp what wisdom really is. I have always appreciated Jeff Pollard's definition of wisdom. It's three words, navigating life skillfully. That's what wisdom is. It's navigating life skillfully.

And this skillful navigation of life brings to the fore of our good conduct the wonderful trait of meekness. So there's the test in regards to the true or the source of true wisdom. As you see, words themselves are not a sufficient demonstration. Works, works in and of themselves are not a sufficient demonstration apart from the framework of this gentleness of spirit. And that's why the good soul Dr.

James, after just describing to us the works that evidence genuine faith, the words that evidence genuine faith. He doesn't want us just to go out there and just start multiplying our works and just being careful with our words. He wants us to do all in the meekness of wisdom. All. So as James asks the question, who is wise and understanding among you?

A hush should come over us. As commentator Gordon Keddie in his book, The Practical Christian states, James knows that we cannot stand up with hand on heart and declare ourselves to be wise. The paradox of godly Christian wisdom is that he who has it to the least amount to feel himself wise, has it to the last to feel himself wise, far less project himself as a notable sage. It is axiomatic that those would brag about the merits and benefits of their wisdom that are possessed of a spirit inimical to true wisdom itself. And so, if we are possessed with the kind of wisdom that James is looking for, we're going to be the last one to stand up and say, well, that would be me.

That would be me. Mr. Keddie goes on to say, there is nothing which will do more to open our hearts to our need of Christ who is the wisdom of God than a candid awareness of where we really, really are in terms of this kind of wisdom would put us on our knees and having us begging for more of Christ. Dear ones, as you sit there this morning, Can you honestly say that you have a candid awareness of your own essential lack of wisdom and what the impacts are in regards to your relationship with God and with eternity. Can you really say, I'm so well aware of my lack of wisdom?

Self-examination. But secondly, we see the nature of earthly wisdom and its fruit, the nature of earthly wisdom and its fruit found in verses 14 to 16. But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there." So having demonstrated the urgent need for a proper evaluation of ourselves, James turns to the nature of earthly wisdom first and heavenly wisdom and the distinguishing fruits of each of these so-called wisdoms.

First, the nature of earthly wisdom and its fruit. And it seems from verse 14 that James has an expectation of some who are ready to answer his first question, to put themselves forward as examples of Who is wise and understanding among you? It seems that he sees somebody raising their hand saying well that would be me my good, sir I am wise and I have understanding. We saw such among Job's friends. Job, let me explain this to you.

I'm wise. I'm understanding of all the ways of God. Let me explain this to you. Even the youngest one said, I've sat back long enough and listened to all of you old guys. You're full of your own thinking.

Let me set the record straight. Too many times were like that. And James envisions somebody raising their hand saying, well, that would be me. But what kind of wisdom? What kind of wisdom?

What is the nature and what are the fruits of that wisdom that man is so ready to proclaim that he has. You see, if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, your boasting of wisdom is vain, And you lie against the truth. James is asking us to honestly examine our hearts to see what is going on inside of us when we respond to certain things in the wisest ways that we know how. What is the state of my heart? What motives are lurking within?

It's not enough to ask ourselves if we did the right thing. We need to dig deeper. We need to ask ourselves, why am I doing the things that I am doing? What caused me to respond in that certain way? Two things are mentioned.

Bitter envy in your hearts and self-seeking in your hearts. You see, wisdom is not just an issue of the head. Wisdom is an issue of the heart. Let Mr. Keddie's following questions not fall to the ground without receiving an answer from your heart.

Hey, I'm going to share some questions that Mr. Keddie gives. Don't just let these fall, answer them in your heart. Do you harbor bitter envy? Do you, in fact, have bitter feelings toward others?

Is there unresolved anger and a resentful spirit in you? Is there some jealousy towards that person? Do you have selfish ambition in your hearts? Perhaps there is an element of rivalry in your attitude to that other person such that in sharing your wisdom with Him, you are in fact rubbing in how clever you are or you are quietly enjoying putting Him down. You are conscious of dispensing your wisdom.

Of dispensing your wisdom. Now at this point, you may be thinking or readying yourself to say, I'm not sure. I'm not sure. I don't think I have bitter envy or self-seeking. I'm not sure I can accurately distinguish my motives or the bend of my heart.

I'm not so sure that I can do that." The Apostle Paul doesn't buy your answer. In Philippians 2 verses 3 and 5, he says, let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look not only for his own interest, but also for the interests of others. Let this mind, let this mind be in you, which was in Christ Jesus. Paul expects us to examine our hearts in regards to these issues and states that it's our duty to strive for Christ-likeness in our heart attitude toward others.

It's not good enough to say I'm not sure. No, we need to know. We need to know. And we need to let the mind of Christ dwell in us. Is your wisdom Is your wisdom marked by these characteristics?

Bitter envy? Self-seeking? If So, James has a warning for you. This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. You see, such wisdom is actually not wisdom at all.

It's a lie against the truth, is what James has said. It defaces, It defaces the image of the perfect God and therefore cannot descend from above. Consider the meaning of the words James uses to describe this so-called wisdom. And these are the meanings that are set forth in Thayer's Greek lexicon, it is earthly. That is, this wisdom is of man.

Therefore, being of man subject to error and misleading, it's earthly. It's of man, and it is subject to error and misleading Secondly, it is sensual. It is sensual It is a wisdom in harmony with the corrupt desires and affections springing from man Okay, it's in harmony with the corrupt desires and affections springing from man It indulges the flesh It's a wisdom that indulges the flesh. Thirdly, it is demonic. It is demonic.

It is a wisdom resembling that of an evil spirit or actually proceeding from it. The commentator Linsky helpfully sets forth these words alongside their antonyms. He says, these three words, earthly, sensual, and demonic, describe the so-called wisdom which is not of divine origin. And it does so in an advancing series. First as pertaining to the earth, not to the world above.

Secondly, to mere nature, pertaining it to mere nature, not to the Spirit. And thirdly, pertaining to the hostile spirits of evil instead of to God. Dear brothers and sisters, do you grasp the weightiness of these issues? Do you grasp it? If your wisdom exhibits no meekness, no gentleness, no humility, it is a wisdom that is earthly, that is sensual, and that is demonic.

That's what James is telling us. And yet James makes it clear that a man or a woman can be so deceived so as to boast of such wisdom. He's writing to the church. He says, the wisdom of which you boast, is it earthly? Is it sensual?

Is it demonic? Don't answer that question hastily. We need to ask ourselves. We need to ask ourselves. But the weightiness does not stop there.

You see, there's a spiraling effect. There's a spiraling effect. This is the source of wisdom. But having described the nature or the source of earthly wisdom, James goes on to describe the fruit of such wisdom. For where envy and self-seeking exist, where envy and self-seeking exist.

Confusion and every evil thing are there. Confusion and every evil thing are there Matthew Henry comments the order of things is here laid down Envy is first and It excites strife strife excites vainglory and lying And then hereupon ensue confusion and every evil work. One sin begets another, and it cannot be imagined. It cannot be imagined how much mischief is produced. There is evil, every evil work.

That's what it can produce. That's the fruit. That's the spiraling effect of such wisdom. I quote Gordon Keddie once again, bogus wisdom sooner or later has devastating effects. Disorder and every evil practice follow in its wake.

Broken hearts, broken homes, Broken laws, broken covenants, confusion, social strife, war, all the forerunners of lost eternity are fed and fostered by the kind of wisdom that is animated by a spirit of envy and self-ambition Wisdom which ends in disorder and dissension ought not to be found among the followers of Christ among the followers of Christ. Well having seen thus far the need for self-examination and the nature of earthly wisdom and its fruit. We come thirdly and finally to the nature of heavenly wisdom, the nature of heavenly wisdom and its fruit. To 18. But 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. James has already caused us to feel and acknowledge, I hope, our lack of wisdom when it comes to accepting our trials with joy. You remember that back in chapter 1? We saw there how far we fall short in counting it all joy when we fall into various trials. But here again in this very text before us, we have or should have been caused to feel afresh and to acknowledge our lack of true wisdom, a wisdom that is accompanied by good works done in a spirit of gentleness.

But James has good news. He has good news. There is a wisdom. There is a wisdom that is from above. There is a wisdom from above.

But how do we go about making that wisdom ours? Well, James has already declared that any man who lacks wisdom should do what? Ask of God who gives to all liberally and without reproach and it will be given to him. This wisdom will be given to him. Simply go to God without doubting, for he who doubts is like that wave in the ocean tossed to and fro.

Don't let that man think that he'll receive anything from the Lord, but Come to the Lord without doubting and ask Him for wisdom. He is one who gives liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to that man. And if you recall later in chapter 1, every good gift and every perfect gift, and that includes this heavenly wisdom. It's a perfect gift. It's a good gift.

It comes down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. He is the giver of all good gifts. He is the giver of such wisdom." Well, having identified this wisdom as heavenly or godly wisdom. James goes on to describe the nature of it, the nature of it. It is interesting that the nature of this heavenly wisdom, specifically the first six descriptions, it's interesting that this nature reflects so wonderfully the beatitudes of Jesus Christ mentioned in Matthew chapter 5 in the Sermon on the Mount.

So, first of all, heavenly wisdom is pure. Heavenly wisdom is pure. Do you remember the Beatitude? Blessed are the pure in heart. Blessed are the pure in heart.

Well, heavenly wisdom is first pure. The Greek word for pure envisions a purity from every fault, one who is immaculate. That's what the Greek word has for us. This heavenly wisdom is pure from every fault. It is immaculate.

Well, this should point us to the text that was read earlier in our worship from 1 Corinthians chapter 1, Christ Himself is incarnate wisdom. Wisdom from above is wisdom from the very source of all wisdom. Since it is of Christ, it is of necessity pure. The purity of the wisdom that comes to us from above shines all the brighter against the backdrop of our own sinfulness and our own impurity. In starting here with purity, James is also differentiating this element of the nature of heavenly wisdom from the rest.

Okay, he's going to go on to tell us more about this nature, but in mentioning it first, he's differentiating it from the others that follow. You see, this purity is an inner quality. It's an inner quality. It is the quality with which this wisdom then affects others. It is at the very core of all of the other facets of the nature of heavenly wisdom.

And thus, it's described as first, pure. Words there for a reason. It's an inner quality that drives the rest of these things as they have to do with our relationship with others. Well, as James moves on to the nature of this heavenly wisdom as it affects others, he describes it as peaceable. Peaceable.

Blessed are the peacemakers. Blessed are the peacemakers. Linsky commenting on this word says, wisdom that is from above never starts quarrels, never starts quarrels, never starts strife, never starts dissension, and never starts turbulence. Is your wisdom peace-loving? Is your wisdom peace-loving?

If it flows from the purity of Christ, It will demonstrate the peaceableness of Him who is our Prince of Peace. Thirdly, in its nature and effect upon others, gentle, gentle. Blessed are the meek. Blessed are the meek. The word emphasizes being considerate of others.

I quote from Keddie's commentary, True wisdom never forgets how patient and forbearing the Lord has been to one's own weakness and foolishness. There is a gracious and holy elasticity in the wisdom of the child of God who has himself experienced the gentle long-suffering of the Lord in saving him from the fully deserved consequences of his own sins. Godly wisdom, he says, does not insist on its rights as if being legally right is the great thing. Beloved, we're in a nation where people demand their rights, the outbreaks that are happening, everything. Where is it coming from?

It's coming from an earthly wisdom, a sensual wisdom, a demonic wisdom. And What are we seeing in the news constantly? We're seeing confusion and we're seeing every evil thing because people have to have their rights. The wisdom of God does not insist on its rights as if being legally right is the great thing. It's considerate of others.

It's gentle. Fourthly, heavenly or godly wisdom is willing to yield. It is willing to yield. Blessed are the poor in spirit. The King James uses the word easily entreated, easily entreated.

Kedi describes this man as one who has a heart that is not obstinate, but overflowing with a humble and accepting spirit. This is the temper of humility, which is born of entire dependence upon the Lord, and issues in the Spirit that does not think more highly of oneself than one ought to think, but rather esteems others better than Himself and does not need to be coerced into kindness and graciousness in His dealings with others. It doesn't have to be coerced to be kind and gracious in dealings with others. It flows out of a wisdom, a heavenly wisdom that is willing to yield. Next we see that heavenly wisdom is full of mercy, full of mercy.

Blessed are the merciful. Blessed are the merciful. In stark contrast to earthly wisdom that is full of bitter envy and self-seeking in its relation to others, wisdom that is from above is full of mercy in dealing with others. It actually looks for opportunities to display this mercy. It looks for opportunities to do others good, especially when they are in distress as visiting widows and orphans in their distress, as James earlier described in his epistle.

Full of mercy. Full of mercy. Number six, coupled with full of mercy is full of good fruits. Full of good fruits. The idea in the Greek is advantage or profit arising from righteousness.

Advantage or profit arising from righteousness. Thus, we see blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness." They hunger and thirst for righteousness. Why? Because they are seeking to be full of good fruits. Linsky describes these two, that is, full of mercy and full of good fruit, says, never dispensing anything that is harmful and never dispensing anything that is useless.

You see, it's not just enough to not dispense things that are harmful. But are we distributing things that are useless? If it's full of mercy and full of good fruits, then it dispenses nothing That is harmful, and it dispenses nothing that is also useless. Seventh, without partiality. Without partiality.

Now, this is a different Greek word than what we ran across in chapter 2. Remember in chapter 2 we were, we saw what partiality can look like in the church depending on who arrives at church. And the man who's well-clothed, he gets a good seat in the church, and the man who arrives and he's not dressed so well and evidences himself as not being well-to-do, well, that man, you can sit over here or sit here at my footstool." And James says, don't let that kind of partiality in your dealing with others, that ought to have nothing to do, it's not associated at all with genuine faith. We are to be without partiality. But that's not what this Greek word is pointing to.

This is a different Greek word. Rather than pointing to not being a respecter of persons, here in this verse, this word is the idea that with godly wisdom there is no vacillating, there's no wavering. In other words, it does not judge one way now and another way later. All things are handled in a similar manner. There's no vacillating, no changing.

It's without partiality. And then the eighth and final description of the nature of heavenly wisdom is without hypocrisy, without hypocrisy. This wisdom is not disguised. It wears no mask. Calvin makes the following comment.

James refers to that overanxious and overscrupulous inquiry such as is commonly carried on by hypocrites who too minutely examine the sayings and doings of their brethren and put on them the worst construction. Heavenly wisdom is without that. It's without that. Well this passage closes with a look at the fruit of heavenly or godly wisdom. We've seen the nature, what's the fruit?

Well, the fruit of earthly wisdom, as we saw earlier, was confusion in every evil thing. But what of heavenly wisdom? Well, he says, now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. The Scriptures tie these two things together, peace and righteousness, as though they were inseparable. Listen to the following verses, Psalm 85.10, Psalm 85.10, Mercy and truth have met together.

Righteousness and peace have kissed. Isaiah 32 17, remember our days back studying the prophecy of Isaiah, Isaiah 32 17, the work of righteousness will be peace. And the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever, the work of righteousness will be peace. Isaiah 48, 18, oh, that you had heeded my commandments, then your peace would have been like a river, and your righteousness like the waves of the sea.'" So there's the peace like a river and righteousness like the waves of the sea coupled together. Isaiah 60, 16 and 17, Isaiah 60, 16 and 17, you shall know that I the Lord am your Savior and Redeemer, the mighty one of Jacob.

Instead of bronze, I will bring gold. Instead of iron, I will bring silver. Instead of wood, bronze. And instead of stones, iron. I will also make your officers peace and your magistrates righteousness." Romans 14, 17.

Romans 14, 17. If you have not been persuaded by James that this heavenly wisdom is part of the kingdom of Jesus Christ, listen to what Christ says, what Paul says in Romans 14 and 17. He says, for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but what? Righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. That's what the kingdom of God is.

Righteousness, peace, and joy. And when you think that if that's what the kingdom of God is, righteousness, peace, and joy, and we've been taught to pray, your kingdom come, What are we asking for? We're asking for heavenly wisdom. We're asking for heavenly...do we want it? Do we want it?

Do we want the righteousness, the peace, and the joy that comes when the kingdom of God is present? Also Hebrews 7, 1 and 2, Hebrews 7, 1 and 2, for this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, to whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all, first regarding this King Melchizedek, first being translated King of Righteousness, and then also King of Salem, meaning King of Peace. Jesus Christ, his role in his priestly affairs was after the order of Melchizedek, King of Salem. The priesthood of Christ comes in the order of the King of righteousness and King of peace. And so you see just through a brief look, just a handful of verses, the Bible brings righteousness and peace together often.

And so, we see James ending this discussion on heavenly wisdom by telling us that the fruit of righteousness, It must be sown in peace. The fruit of righteousness must be sown in peace, but also that righteousness is the fruit of those who love peace and labor for it. This is why heavenly wisdom is so necessary. Heavenly wisdom grants a peace that allows us to sow seed in peace and reap a harvest of righteousness. Reap a harvest of righteousness.

And how beautiful is this picture compared to the picture of confusion and the presence of every evil thing that comes as a result of earthly wisdom. The Puritan pastor Thomas Manton wrote the following regarding this text, is an intimate connection between our endeavors and the Lord's recompenses. Our actions are seed. They fall upon the ground not to be lost, but to grow up again. We may taste the fruits of them long after they be committed.

Be sure you sow good seed." They will grow up again. They will grow up again. And we may taste the fruits of them long after those seeds have been sown. Be sure you sow good seed. I'll move now to applications as we draw this to a close.

Number one, are you examining the source of your wisdom? Are you examining the source of your wisdom? Why do you say the things that you say? Why do you do the things that you do? Do you stop to consider?

Do you weigh these things in the balance, what you do and what you say? Are they weighed in the balance to see what may be lacking? This requires you to examine not only the fruit of that wisdom, but your own hearts. Yes, we must examine the fruit, but we also must examine our hearts. In this, you must not do alone.

You must rely on the work of the Holy Spirit who uses the one tool, the Word of God, to search our hearts and to know us and to show us where we have gone astray and appoint us in the right direction. We must not do this alone. You see, our hearts are deceitful above all things, and there still lies within even the believer such wickedness in that heart. Number two, number two, if you are examining your hearts, which wisdom best describes your dealings in this world? Which of these two best describes your dealings in this world?

You see, there are only two types of wisdom. There are only two types, earthly, sensual, and demonic wisdom or heavenly, godly wisdom. It's one or the other. There's no middle ground. Your wisdom flows from one of these two sources.

In regards to wisdom, The world asks, and maybe you ask as well, what does a man have? What does a man have? I'm judging this man according to his wisdom. What does he have? Christ asks, how does he use it?

How does he use it? The measure of a man is not in what he has, but in how He uses what he has. Third, what seeds are you sowing? What seeds are you sowing? What harvest should you be expecting?

What a man sows, that will he also reap. Is your sowing marked by bitter envy, by self-seeking? Or is it marked by purity, peaceableness, gentleness, a willingness to yield, full of mercy, full of good fruits, without partiality, without hypocrisy. Dear ones, don't be a farmer who wants a particular crop in harvest but pays no mind to the seed he is sowing in the spring of the year. We wouldn't put much stock in a farmer like that, but how willing are we to just sow seed, either with a willingness to deal with whatever comes up or to think that a particular crop will arise from this seed.

This seed? Fourth, The need for heavenly wisdom is nothing less than a need for more of Christ. He is divine, incarnate wisdom. He is the fountainhead of all that we as poor sinners need. So to go back to James' original question, who is wise in understanding among you?

Are you ready to say that you have arrived? That you have no more need of Christ? Maybe you're here today and you don't have a clue what I've been talking about this morning. You know nothing of two types of wisdom. You know nothing of where your heart is and what it means to examine your heart.

You have not tasted of or experienced true heavenly wisdom. I say this with love in my heart to you, my friend. You have no wisdom. You have none, none. Wisdom.

You have none, none. The fear of the Lord is the beginning, it's the first steps of wisdom. And you do not fear the Lord, and therefore you have not even taken these first steps. But there is hope for you. There is hope for you because heavenly wisdom descends from above.

In this incarnate wisdom, Jesus Christ, He descended from above. Christ, He descended from above. He came into a world full of its own wisdom, Full of bitter envy, full of self-seeking. The message of the coming of Christ was foolishness to the world. The message of his dying on the cross is still deemed foolishness by the world.

But incarnate wisdom, Jesus Christ demonstrated purity. He was sinless and undefiled. Jesus' incarnate wisdom was peaceable. He came to bring peace between you and God, he came to reconcile. Jesus' incarnate wisdom is gentle.

He does not break a bruised reed. He will not quench the smoking flax. He's gentle and therefore says, come unto me all you who labor. You'll find rest for your souls. Incarnate wisdom is willing to yield.

In other words, he does not need to be coerced into kindness and graciousness in His dealings with sinners. He doesn't need to be coerced. Jesus incarnate Wisdom is full of mercy. He's full of mercy. Any who comes to Him will not be sent away.

All who come, He will receive if they come in faith, not doubting. He receives sinners and offers full pardon and full forgiveness. And this wisdom from above, Jesus Christ, is full of good fruits. Such is His righteousness that the sinner clothed in that righteousness is reconciled to and accepted by the thrice holy God. Oh, common taste of Jesus Christ, divine, incarnate wisdom, cast your soul upon Him, confess your sins to Him, trust in Him with all of your heart, and He who is our peace will with that very peace sow such seed in your heart that you will bring forth the fruit of righteousness to the glory of God.

Let us pray. Gracious Father, we thank you for your goodness. We thank you for your mercy. We thank you for this heavenly wisdom. Oh, Lord, help us to examine ourselves and to see how lacking we are of such wisdom, fill us with Jesus Christ.

And may we taste and see how good He is. Spare us, O God, from earthly, sensual, demonic wisdom that you might have all the glory by our conduct done in the meekness of wisdom for your Son in whose name we pray. Amen.