May 15th, 2025
13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. 14 But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. 15 Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.
We know that wisdom is discussed at length within the scriptures and particularly within the book of Proverbs. In that book we are reminded that ultimately, all true wisdom comes directly from the mouth of the Lord (Proverbs 2:6). This would be defined as the wisdom that comes “from above”. However, today, James will teach us on the wisdom that comes “from below”.
Verse 13 begins with a rhetorical question to each one of us. Who is wise and understanding among you? The intention of the question is most clearly directed at those who might puff themselves up as wise and knowledgeable. Perhaps it is aimed at the long-term Christian or the Christian who had undergone some Bible training. It might even be aimed at the person who takes pride in the fact that they are highly educated or knowledgeable about many things. Nonetheless, James declares that knowledge and wisdom are only effective if it is shown by a good life and by deeds that are done in humility. In other words, true wisdom is expressly seen in the virtuous and humble conduct of our lives.
While this is where true Christians ought to be in their attitudes, James alludes to the fact that not everyone behaves in this way. Verse 14 exposes the person who claims to have Godly wisdom but instead harbors something completely different. That is bitterness, envy and selfish ambition. The fact is, if we hold such things in our hearts, we clearly have nothing to boast about. Our boasting is in vain because our secret attitudes and desires are fraught with worldly motivations. James notes in verse 15 that this kind of “wisdom” is certainly not from heaven but rather it is earthly, unspiritual and demonic. Let us just consider this very practically. James is speaking of a person who has longings to be noticed for what they know. They are those who seek to be “right” in every discussion. They are content with getting into debates and arguments so they can display an attitude of pride and selfish pretension.
I would think in our modern day, we might meet these people often within church circles. They infiltrate congregations not to serve humbly, not to love on others graciously, but to see who they can draw unto themselves. These motivations are stirred by becoming envious of others and desiring what they have. Perhaps it’s success they desire, or money, or fame, or even a position. No matter the reason, all of these attitudes have nothing to do with Christ and is in fact demonic.
How can we detect this sort of thinking in our own hearts? We might be quick to think that this passage is of no concern to us. However, we too can be tempted to treat God’s church like the world. We might try to compete against each other and climb the ladder of self-promotion. But this cannot be the state of our hearts. We must empty ourselves of those worldly passions and seek to be filled with the love of Christ for others. If our so-called knowledge will only make us proud, in God’s eyes it is nothing worth having. Ultimately, we will know we have a wisdom “from below” if we cannot sacrifice our pride for the sake of humbly serving one another.