Christ or Chaos | James 3:13-18
Show Me Your Friends
It’s been said, “Show me your friends, and I’ll show you your future.” The Apostle James might say something similar: Show me your relationships—namely how you relate to others—and I’ll tell you whether or not you are wise.
What does your conduct in your closest relationships say about you? Think about your spouse, children, parents, Gospel Community, and friends. Is there tension or conflict anywhere? Are you out of fellowship with anyone? Do you resent anyone? Are you envious of anyone? Are you bitter toward someone? (By the way, yYou know you’re bitter if you can remember details of how someone wronged you.)
Is your marriage marked by unity and oneness or by conflict and strife? Is there anyone you avoid on Sunday mornings? Looking back on your life, is there a trail of disgruntled departures and broken relationships, or have you cultivated deep and rich relationships?
A major theme in James is that the evidence of genuine faith is relational. That is, a godly life is measured not merely in doctrinal knowledge or devotional habits or subjective feelings about God. A significant measure of godliness is how you relate to others.
James has addressed this from numerous angles already. In 1:19 he said, “Let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God” (James 1:19–20). Then he defined pure and undefiled religion in terms of how you speak to others and how you treat the weak and vulnerable (Jas 1:26–27). Then in chapter 2, James condemned the sin of partiality and held out God’s will for your life revealed in the royal law, the law of liberty: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (James 2:8).
Then he gave an extensive treatment of the tongue, because one of the most fundamental ways you relate to others is through your words: “With it [the tongue] we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so” (James 3:9–10).
In our texts this morning and next week (4:1–3), James addresses relational conflict head-on. With pastoral precision, James gets to the root of all conflict in relationships. In 4:1 he asks one of the most important and relevant questions there is: “What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you?”
Why do you fight and quarrel? Why do you fight and quarrel with those you supposedly love the most—members of your own family and church? James is concerned with diagnosing the problem and prescribing God’s gracious remedy for your relational conflict. In our text this morning, he invites you to take an honest look at the way you relate to others and consider what your conduct says about your soul.
James 3:13–18
13 Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. 15 This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. 17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. 18 And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
Are You Wise?
James launches into his topic with a question: “Who is wise and understanding among you?” (v. 13). It’s like James is looking for volunteers from the audience: “Raise your hand if you think you are wise.” Whether or not you think you are wise, James is going to help you examine your life.
When you think of wisdom, what do you think of? Many people think of decision-making: choosing the best course of action that leads to the best outcome. We tend to think of wisdom as knowing which path to take, skillfully navigating a pain-free life.
But the kind of wisdom James has in mind is wisdom that comes out relationally. “Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom” (James 3:13). And then James goes on to speak of relational dynamics: jealousy and selfish ambition on the one hand; peace-making and mercy on the other.
Here’s the point: When God gives you wisdom from above, it will be evident in the way you relate to others. What is the evidence of wisdom and maturity? You are not wise and understanding when you learn true facts, when you know the right answer, or when you agree in principle. Your relationships indicate whether or not you possess wisdom from above.
James makes this point by contrasting two kinds of wisdom—i.e., two ways of living and relating to others. These two kinds of wisdom come from two antithetical sources; they are distinguished by sharply contrasting marks; and they produce two incompatible results.
Two Sources: Heaven or Hell
According to verse 15, one way of living “is not the wisdom that comes down from above,” and in verse 17, the other kind is “the wisdom from above.”
Wisdom from Below
James doesn’t explicitly call the first kind “wisdom from below.” He doesn’t even call it wisdom. He simply says, “This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.” (James 3:15).
Where does this ‘wisdom’ come from? What is its source or origin? James lists three descriptors, each one moving further and further out in alienation from God. Wisdom from below is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.
Earthly wisdom already indicates a sharp contrast to “wisdom from above.” This is a worldly way of thinking and living. A few verses later, James writes, “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” (James 4:4). Used in this sense, “the world” does not refer to legitimate physical and material blessings in God’s good creation. It refers to the whole human system that is hostile to God and his ways.
Worldliness would include idolatry: worshiping created things instead of the Creator. It would include ingratitude: failing to honor God or thank God. It includes all human rebellion against God’s heavenly rule and reign, as well as every man-made attempt to rationalize and excuse sin. Worldliness is any and all human rejection of God and God’s ways, no matter how simple or sophisticated.
Next, James calls this way of life unspiritual. The word he uses is used by other New Testament authors to describe humans operating without the Spirit of God. In 1 Corinthians 2, the same word is translated natural: “The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.” (1 Corinthians 2:14). Jude (the brother James) warns of those “who cause divisions, worldly people [same word there], devoid of the Spirit” (Jude 19). This “unspiritual wisdom” is all the human faculties—mind, will, desires—devoid of the Spirit.
The other term the New Testament uses for this is the flesh. It is the futile reasoning of finite and sinful beings who attempt to reason and live in total independence from God. Lacking the illuminating influence and empowering presence of the Spirit of God, their minds darkened and twisted and their hearts are hardened (cf. Eph 4:17–19).
But that’s not all. James finally calls it demonic. At a minimum, he means that people who act this way are acting like demons. Or worse, he means that this kind of behavior is influenced by demons.
I think it’s both. Paul warns Timothy, “Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared” (1 Timothy 4:1–3). There are ideologies and philosophies and “isms” that have the appearance of wisdom to those who are unregenerate. They are “the teachings of demons,” but they are promoted and spread by people.
Earthly, unspiritual, demonic. This is the wisdom of the world, the flesh, and the devil.
Apart from Christ, this is your only option.
Wisdom from Above
But there’s hope! God graciously offers wisdom from above. “From above” means from God himself. Back in 1:17, James wrote, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights.” Wisdom from above is wisdom from the Father.
And God the Father is above the earth, not just in terms of elevation or altitude, but also in terms of glory, splendor, beauty, and truth. Therefore, the wisdom that comes from above is infinitely superior to that which is earthly, unspiritual, and demonic.
Because this wisdom is from above, the only way to obtain it is to receive it as a gift. “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him” (Jas 1:5). Finite creatures cannot ascend into heaven to obtain wisdom and bring it down. But the infinite and transcendent God gives wisdom to all who rely on him.
So how does God give this wisdom? It’s not downloaded to your brain like Neo in the Matrix: “I know Kung Fu.” And it’s not a subjective, inner voice giving you turn-by-turn navigation.
Listen to Proverbs 2:6: “For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.”
How does God give? God speaks. And God has revealed the wisdom of his ways in his written Word and in his Son, the Word made flesh.
There are two ways to live: one way is shaped by heaven above, the other is shaped by the world, the flesh, and the devil. And James wants you to be able to spot the difference in your life.
Two Marks: Virtue or Vice
In verse 13, James writes, “Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom.” Show it could be translated prove it. This is just like his point in chapter 2 where he said, “Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works” (James 2:18). True faith doesn’t exist only in your mind or your words; it comes out in your works. Likewise, true wisdom is more than knowing certain things; it is demonstrated and displayed in the kind of life you live.
So James describes the distinguishing marks or characteristics of these two types of wisdom. A bird watcher can identify specific species of birds by wing shape, color and markings, and song. A sommelier can identify a bottle of wine by the way it looks, smells, and tastes. A doctor can diagnose an illness by recognizing symptoms. James gives you the defining characteristics for wisdom from above and wisdom from below so you can read your own life.
Wisdom from Below
Look at verses 14–15: “But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.” James highlights two basic traits or attitudes characteristic of earthly wisdom: bitter jealousy and selfish ambition.
Jealousy (or envy) is an intense negative feeling toward the achievements, success, or prosperity of someone else. Bitter jealousy goes beyond coveting or wanting the same thing as someone else. There is also an element of relational resentment and animosity—wanting the other person to not have what they have.
I get that from the beginning of chapter 4, where James says, “You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel” (James 4:2). Bitter jealousy sees the world as a zero-sum game: there is a scarcity of wealth and opportunity. That means if you have more and I have less, I have to take from you.
Selfish ambition is the drive to promote, to protect, to preserve self at the expense of others. Bitter envy combined with selfish ambition is an intoxicating cocktail. And James says this is the wisdom of the world. Doug Wilson says it so well: “The world runs on envy. The world provokes people to action through envy. The world renames their corrosive envy by other more noble names—like social justice. The world’s economic theories are powered by envy.”
I heard a thought-experiment once that brilliantly exposes this envy. Imagine you have access to a button. If you push the button, you would instantly double the quality of life, the standard of living, and the real wealth for everyone in the middle class and below. The catch is that pushing the button would increase the wealth and standard of living for the upper class tenfold.
Would you push the button?
If you truly cared about the poor, you wouldn’t hesitate to improve their lives. But if your heart is ruled by envy, you couldn’t stand the so-called “income inequality” that would create.
C. S. Lewis masterfully shows how worldly wisdom runs on envy in his essay, Screwtape Proposes a Toast:
“The feeling I mean is of course that which prompts a man to say I’m as good as you. ... No man who says I’m as good as you believes it. He would not say it if he did. The St. Bernard never says it to the toy dog, nor the scholar to the dunce, nor the employable to the bum, nor the pretty woman to the plain. The claim to equality, outside the strictly political field, is made only by those who feel themselves to be in some way inferior. What it expresses is precisely the itching, smarting, writhing awareness of an inferiority which the patient refuses to accept.
“And therefore resents. Yes, and therefore resents every kind of superiority in others; denigrates it; wishes its annihilation. Presently he suspects every mere difference of being a claim to superiority. No one must be different from himself in voice, clothes, manners, recreations, choice of food: ‘Here is someone who speaks English rather more clearly and euphoniously than I — it must be a vile, upstage, la-di-da affectation. Here’s a fellow who says he doesn’t like hot dogs — thinks himself too good for them, no doubt. Here’s a man who hasn’t turned on the jukebox — he’s one of those … highbrows and is doing it to show off. If they were honest-to-God all-right Joes they’d be like me. They’ve no business to be different. It’s undemocratic.’”
So here’s one way to spot the rot of envy in your own heart (v. 14). Who do you suspect of arrogance and superiority? Who or what provokes your sense of insecurity and inferiority?
Do you assume someone else thinks he or she is better than you because of the way they dress, the way they eat, the way they educate their kids, or the fact that they have chickens? Before suspecting that person of arrogance, inspect yourself for envy.
Wisdom from Above
The wisdom from above is the exact opposite of the world’s envy: “But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere” (James 3:17).
James gives eight virtues that distinguish true wisdom, starting purity as the overarching characteristic. Unlike worldly wisdom, which is stained with sin, wisdom from above is pure. And the descriptions that follow are specific aspects of that purity.
Wisdom from above is peaceable, gentle, and open to reason. These three words go together. In Greek, they start with the same letter and have similar endings. Together, they describe a person who seeks to maintain relational peace and harmony.
Gentleness means dealing with others kindly rather than harshly or severely. It means not always insisting on the letter of the law. It’s the opposite of violent and quarrelsome in 1 Tim 3:3 and Titus 3:2.
Open to reason literally means “easily persuaded.” It’s not talking about someone who is gullible or compromising, but someone who is willing to defer to others instead of stubbornly insisting on his own way.
Next, wisdom from above is full of mercy and good fruits. Mercy is dealing with others and their sin the way God deals with you and your sin. As James said in 2:13, “For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.” And James combines mercy with good fruits (plural), because mercy is not just a warm feeling in your heart or a vibe you emit toward others; it is practical and particular.
Finally, wisdom from above is impartial and sincere. Wisdom from above sets God’s people free from sinful bias and hypocrisy. Wisdom makes you faithful, honest, and genuine. This person is truly a non-anxious presence in all of his or her varied relationships.
Think of all these marks as evidence of God’s grace—evidence of grace because they prove God is graciously giving you wisdom from above. Do you see any of this evidence of God’s grace in your life? Thank him! And where you see envy, confess and forsake your sin, turning to Christ. His mercy triumphs over judgment!
Two Results: Chaos or Peace
These two kinds of wisdom come from completely opposite sources; they are marked by contrasting characteristics; and they lead to antithetical outcomes. James 3:16 says, “For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.”
Worldly wisdom produces chaos. The word for “disorder” is translated “tumults, uprisings, or insurrections” in Luke 21:9, where Jesus warns of rumors of wars and tumults before the end.
The word is translated as riots in 2 Corinthians 6:5. And in 1 Corinthians 14:33, the same word is translated as confusion, when Paul says, “For God is not a God of confusion but of peace.” Disorder, confusion, tumults, and riots—all these words paint a vivid picture of relational unrest and conflict in community, produced by worldly wisdom.
Also, “every vile practice,” which means all kinds of vile practices. Selfishness and envy in the human heart produce every manner of evil. This is worth reflecting on for a moment. It’s when we consider specific vile practices that we are appropriately alarmed and repulsed by worldly ways. Paul gives a similar list when he describes the situation in the church in Corinth: “There may be quarreling, jealousy, anger, hostility [selfish ambition in James], slander, gossip, conceit, and disorder” (2 Corinthians 12:20).
Notice how these vile practices are predominantly relational and interpersonal. All sin is sin against God, but these are also sins committed against others. The wisdom of the world makes a mess of relationships.
But the wisdom from above produces a completely different environment in your home, in the church—and as it spills over—in the world: “And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace” (James 3:18). Those who receive wisdom from above by faith become peacemakers. And making peace—overlooking offenses, forgiving sin, choosing mercy over judgment—is like sowing seeds that grow into a harvest of righteousness. This is the exact opposite of the disorder and every vile practice that results from worldly wisdom. A harvest of righteousness describes a community characterized by God’s ways—a gospel community marked by generosity, love, joy, patience, kindness, and more.
James means to impress upon you the fact that these are the only two options: Christ or chaos. There are no alternatives. Either your relationships will be marked by the meekness of Christ, the mercy of Christ, and the peace of Christ. Or they will be marked by chaos and disorder and conflict and strife.
Conclusion
In Christ Jesus, all of God’s wisdom and mercy and peace is available to you. The promise of wisdom from above was secured for you when God sent his own Son from above to rescue you from the world, the flesh, and the devil, to pay the price for your sinful envy and selfish ambition. and to restore your broken relationships.
Peace in your relationships is possible because Jesus Christ is the Peacemaker who came to make peace—first between God and you, and then between you and your neighbor.
Will you choose Christ or chaos?