Dial In with Jonny Ardavanis - Walking in Wisdom Part ll

Episode Date: November 9, 2023

In this episode, Jonny Ardavanis continues his study on the subject of Biblical Wisdom and looks to the book of James. In James 3, the Scripture delineates the wisdom of this world from the wisdom that is “from above.” In doing so, James reveals that the tangible fruit of true wisdom is “good deeds.” Wisdom is not so much what we know as it is the translation of applying what we know to how we live. Biblical wisdom manifests itself in a life that is: Pure, peaceable, gentle, reasonable, merciful, fruitful, unwavering, and not hypocritical (James 3:17).Watch VideosVisit the Website Follow on InstagramFollow on Twitter

Hey guys, my name is Johnny Artavanis and this is Dial In. In a recent episode, I began a mini-series on the subject of wisdom. If you haven't already listened to that episode, I would encourage you to go back and listen to it. For everyone else, I'll recap for a moment the truths that we have already examined before we continue to expound on this pervasive theme of wisdom throughout the scripture. Let's dial in. Wisdom, as we previously surveyed, is far more than knowledge. It's even more than biblical

knowledge because you can have all of the information and indoctrination in the world and still be a biblical fool. Why? Because wisdom is not about what you know. It's about applying what you know to how you live. Wisdom is not just skilled learning. It's skilled living. And because of this, it's invariably linked to discernment. And by discernment, remember what Spurgeon's definition was. Discernment is not knowing the difference between right and wrong. It's knowing the difference between right and almost right. I like that. Wisdom, as we looked at last time, begins with a fear of the Lord, which is to put God in his proper place. It is to have a high estimation and high regard for God. It is to view God as the supreme king

that upholds the universe by the word of his power and yet also bask in the wonder that he is our loving father that holds us in his hands. This is a pulsating paradox in the scripture that the God who we call father is also the king of creation. And these two realities create an awe and appreciation, a wonder, a worship, and a humility that culminates into this one category of scripture that is called the fear of the Lord. And this is where scripture says wisdom starts. Proverbs 1 7 says that the fear of the Lord. And this is where scripture says wisdom starts. Proverbs 1, 7 says that the fear

of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. And if you miss this, if you miss this first rung of the ladder, you will never ever get to the second. The greatest malady in the church today is a lack of the fear of the Lord. And because there is no fear of God, there is an abundance of sin and a deficiency in the subject that we are presently examining, that being wisdom. Now in the Old Testament, the books of Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon are in a section of your Bible that is called wisdom literature. Proverbs 8 is one of the greatest chapters in wisdom literature on the subject itself. And I want you to listen to the first several verses of Proverbs chapter 8, and I don't

want you to disengage. It begins by saying, does not wisdom call and understanding lift up her voice on top of the heights beside the way where the paths meet? She, that's wisdom, takes her stand beside the gates at the opening to the city, at the entrance of the doors, she cries out, to you, oh men, I call, and my voice is to the sons of men. Oh, naive ones, understand prudence, and oh, fools, understand wisdom. Listen, for I will speak noble things, and the opening of my lips will reveal the right things. Did you catch that? Proverbs 8 says that wisdom calls from the heights, from the paths, besides you, in front of you, all about and all around you. Wisdom is shouting. This is encouraging to you.

Do you understand why? It means that wisdom is available to you. It says in verse three of Proverbs chapter eight, that wisdom calls from the gates. The gates in the Old Testament were the place where the leadership of a city would gather and discuss important matters. And the point of the proverb is that wisdom is calling to you when you are at a critical crossroads in life. When you come to the junction of the unknown and the unpredictable, wisdom is here. It offers guidance to you. Wisdom is reaching out, shouting, and calling out to you. The question for you today is, do you need wisdom? Proverbs 8.5 says, well,

if you're naive, turn here. Do you need perspective? Then listen to Proverbs chapter 8, verses 10 and 11. Proverbs says, take my instruction and not silver and knowledge rather than choicest gold for wisdom is better than jewels and all desirable things cannot compare with her. I don't know the urgency that you have placed on the acquisition of wisdom, but let me tell you this the subject we are presently examining is more precious than rubies it's superior to jewels and it's more valuable than gold why because wisdom can acquire that which money cannot money cannot enable you to live life with a capital l but wisdom however is the essential currency that is needed to acquire that which is invaluable and precious.

You can spend your life acquiring assets, accumulating wealth, and storing up treasure for yourself, but wisdom trumps every other commodity as it relates to experiencing the life that money cannot buy. I know I am harping on the value of wisdom as we begin, and you may be wondering why. Well, the reason is that you will never be motivated to pursue wisdom if you underestimate the preciousness of the commodity. The richest man who ever lived, that being Solomon, says that wisdom is worth far more than gold. And yet you live in a world where people value wealth far more than they value wisdom. But then wise man understands that if you're to be wealthy in one thing, be wealthy

in wisdom, human experience and human perspective cannot guide you through this life. You need wisdom from another source. You need wisdom that is from above. In Job chapter 28, verse 12, Job asked the question, where can wisdom be found? And where's the place of understanding? Job then draws our attention in that chapter to the reality that we live in a world where people drill for oil. They dig for gold. They plumb depths. They search, they seek, they dive, they discover, and they hunt for treasure that is to be found in this earth. And yet, where do you search for wisdom? Is it in the heart of the earth or the depths of the sea? Is it in a cave, river, field, or mountain?

Or is it somewhere else? For this reason, Job says, wisdom cannot be discovered in a natural sense because the wisdom we need is supernatural. Therefore, the wisdom we need is not from this earth, but as James, the half-brother of Jesus and pastor of the Jerusalem church will say, it is the wisdom we need from above. This wisdom from above does not fall into your lap. Proverbs 2 says, it must be sought like silver. The wisdom from above is for those who seek it and pursue it. It begins with the fear of the Lord and manifests itself in the way that we live. And as you can expect, in order to receive the wisdom of God,

we must turn to the word of God. Proverbs 2 verse 6 says that the Lord gives wisdom and from his mouth comes knowledge and understanding. Now in the New Testament, the book of James functions as the counterpart to the Old Testament's section of wisdom literature. This half-brother of Jesus begins to feature many of the same nuggets of truth as does Solomon in both Proverbs and Ecclesiastes. Both James and Proverbs speak a great degree on the nature of the tongue, the brevity of life, the chaos of disunity, and they both speak at length on the subject of wisdom. In James 3, verse 13, James asks the question, who amongst you is wise? He is going then to

reveal the criteria by which you can ascertain if you are actually wise. Maybe you're not someone who claims to be wise and yet you live in a world where everyone criticizes everything and offers opinions. And in doing so, they elevate their own perspective and inadvertently claim to be wise anyway. And as James speaks to the subject of wisdom in the word of God, one of the things that once again becomes abundantly clear is that what he details here is not so much doctrinal in regards to what you know, but practical in regards to how you live. It doesn't matter what's in your head if it doesn't translate to the way you live your life. James says in chapter three, verse 13, who amongst you is wise? Then he says, let him show by his good deeds. James had previously

said that faith without works is dead, meaning that you can say you believe in God, but if you live like the rest of the world, that faith is no faith at all in a salvific sense. James says you believe in God. Well, so do the demons. But if that doesn't change the way they live, it doesn't even matter. Christians are saved by faith alone, but saving faith is never alone. It is always conjoined to the fruit of righteousness. It doesn't make any sense to say that you're a child of God if you have no characteristics of your heavenly father. So James says, if you have faith, show it by the way you live. And he will similarly here say, if you are wise, show it by the way you live. James is first going to contrast the wisdom that is from above with the wisdom that is earthly,

fleshly, and of the devil. James is going to say in James chapter three, verses 14 through 16, but if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant. And so lie against the truth. This wisdom, he says, is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural. Watch this. Demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder in every evil thing. So there are four at least distinctive characteristics that describe the wisdom that is from the earth and not the wisdom that is from above.

It's arrogant. It's self-centered. It's jealous, which is to say that the wisdom of the world is chippy and ambitious and all about the individual. And lastly, it's chaotic. Verse 16 says that the wisdom of the world produces a disorder and this evil that runs rampant in our world. The worldly system you live in, the natural man is so preoccupied with his own sense of wisdom that James says it's demonic. And the reason the world is so messed up is because they all think they're so wise. And Romans 1 says, professing to be wise, they have become fools.

And the outcome of this is that our world is full of disorder, disarray, turbulence, fragility, and brokenness. And all of that to say, there is no peace. But the wisdom from above begins in verse 17 with the word, but. This is a contrasting conjunction. James is asking you, you want something money can't buy, then listen here. And then he then gives eight characteristics of the wisdom that is from above.

James says the wisdom that is from above is first pure. This is the word hagnos. It refers to a purity of mind, a purity of thought, a purity of motive. It is more than just moral purity. It is the purity of the heart. It is the antithesis of the world in which you live. You live in a world where impurity is celebrated, where sin is not only allowed but applauded, but the wisdom from above is first pure, and this purity functions as the umbrella for the rest of the characteristics that are going to follow. The Greek word hagnos is closely related to the word hagios, which means holy, and holy

means to be separate. Therefore, we can understand that godly wisdom is altogether separate from the wisdom of the world. We live in a polluted, stained, darkened, and morally delinquent world, and yet the wisdom of God stands out because it is unmixed with the worldly system, unaffected by external pollutants, and unstained by corruption. This is a wisdom that is pure because it comes from a heart that is pure and longs to see and know God. Secondly, the wisdom from above is also peaceable. The Bible says that godly wisdom promotes peace. It does not desire to divide and conquer, but to be at peace with one another. In Ephesians chapter 4 verse 3, it says that we are to be

diligent to preserve the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace. Obviously, it's not saying that we pursue peace at any cost because we are not going to compromise on the truth, but it is to say that godly wisdom manifests itself in trying to be a bridge builder. If you are constantly stirring up controversy, gossip, dissension, and disunity, you lack wisdom. Wise people seek resolution and reconciliation, not estrangement and alienation. Jesus says in Matthew 5 verse 9, blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called sons of God. This second feature of wisdom, however, cannot be achieved without the third, that being gentleness. James says that the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, then gentle.

This word is closely related to meekness, which is not weakness, but strength under control. The idea here is that you are sensitive to other people's needs and patient with them. The word in the Greek means that you lack harshness. You lack sternness. You lack violence. You're not easily provoked. It refers here to a steadfastness and sweetness to others. I'm afraid sometimes that in a world of hyper femininity, many men today have swung to the other side of the spectrum and have all but forgotten that wisdom is gentle. The manliest man in the world, Jesus, defined himself as one who is gentle and lowly in heart. We are only like Jesus as to the degree that we possess the character trait by which he defined his very heart,

that being gentleness. Remember that this is one of the distinctive fruits of God's Holy Spirit in your life. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and gentleness, and self-control. So that's the third feature or characteristics of the wisdom that is from above. The fourth is reasonableness. This means that you are willing to yield. It refers to a teachability. James is getting after something that wise people are not know-it-alls. They are those who recognize that they do not know it all and are therefore teachable. The person who is wise is someone who is willing to defer to others and adopt someone else's view so long as it does not violate biblical doctrine or moral principles. If you cannot recognize the good sense in anyone else's point of view,

that is not cause for celebration. That is a cause for concern. Wise people are humble. They're eager to listen. They have a humility about them and are therefore poor in spirit. And they desire to be sharpened by others. Being reasonable does not mean you're gullible, but it does mean that you are not stubborn and rigid. It means that you're easy

to talk to and other people can offer you perspective. The fifth feature in James is that it says that the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, then gentle, then it says open to reason, and then it says fifth here, full of mercy. Wise people are those who have compassion on others. Jesus says, blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. Those who have received mercy provide tangible evidence of that mercy by extending it to others. So that's the fifth. The sixth feature is that it says that they are then full of good fruits. The genuine believer hungers and thirsts for righteousness. And those who hunger and thirst for righteousness long to imitate their Savior, Jesus Christ,

who was the epitome of wisdom, and yet he did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many. One of the fruits that provide tangible demonstration of the wisdom in our own heart is that wise people aren't seeking for people to serve them, but are those who are seeking for opportunities to serve others. The seventh feature here, James says that the wisdom from above is unwavering. This is to say that the wisdom that operates itself in godly execution shows no partiality. It's not like you are a kind to some people but not to others. You show no favoritism but treat all people equally well.

And then the eighth and final feature of the wisdom that is from above is James says it is without hypocrisy. Jesus pronounces woe towards those who claim to be wise and yet live like fools. Jesus condemns hypocrisy four times in his Sermon on the Mount. And it says in Matthew 15, eight, that the Pharisees were like those who honor God

with their lips, but their hearts were far from him. You can't be wise and live a life that is divorced from integrity. That being a hypocrite. Why? Because remember, wisdom is not what you know. It's how you apply what you know to how you live. In scripture, the biggest fool is not the one who doesn't know anything, but the one who knows the truth and fails to apply it.

It doesn't matter what you know if you do not know and obey God himself. In short, godly wisdom here, being non-hypocritical, is sincere. What you see is what you get. It's never a half-revealing or half-concealing of the truth. It's transparent. So that's how James describes the wisdom from above.

And that wisdom in James chapter 3, 18 manifests itself in the fruit of a righteous life. Now, maybe you're asking, as we conclude, where can this wisdom be found? If these are the manifestations of wisdom, how can I grow in this regard? Well, a few short answers. Number one, you need to come to Christ. Paul declared that Christ in 1 Corinthians 1 is the power of God and the wisdom of God, who verse 30 of chapter 1, became to us wisdom from God and righteousness and sanctification and redemption. If you want wisdom, you need to come to Jesus Christ. In Colossians 2, 3, it says that in Christ are hidden all of the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

So number one, come to Christ. Number two, you need to come to God's word. Paul says in Romans 11, 33, oh, the depths of the riches, both of the wisdom and knowledge of God, how unsearchable are his judgments and unfathomable are his ways. Oh, the depths of the riches, both of the wisdom and knowledge of God. How unsearchable are his judgments and unfathomable are his ways. If you want to understand the depths of God's wisdom, you must explore the depths of his word.

Jesus says in Matthew 7, verse 24, Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine, that's the truth of scripture, and puts them into practice is like a what? Wise man who builds his house on the rock. So you come to Christ, you come to his word. And then third and finally, you come to God in prayer. James 1 5 says, if anyone lacks wisdom, let him ask of God who gives generously. Paul says in Ephesians 1, 16 and 17, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayer. Why?

I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you a spirit of wisdom. We come to God in prayer for the wisdom we do not possess, but that he alone can provide. Listen here. You need wisdom. In Proverbs, it says that wisdom shouts, it calls, it's available, but it's only available to one type of person, the one who seeks for it, the one who comes to Christ in faith,

the one who treasures the word of God, and the one who bows down in humble prayer and says, Oh God, give me the wisdom, not of this earth, but the wisdom that is from above. Now in our following episode, I want to look at just one final element of this little series on wisdom. And it's found in Proverbs chapter one, because many people, you know, and maybe you yourself have grown up in an environment where you know the truth, know the answers and no biblical wisdom in theory, but have not yet applied it to your life. Now, Proverbs one is going to say that there is a real danger of neglecting this wisdom and putting it off

when wisdom continues to make it shout in the streets. And Proverbs 1 is going to grab us by their proverbial collar and tell us, oh, listen, listen before it's too late. We'll look at that in our following episode. For now, stay dialed in.