Consider these two quotes:

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom…”

and:

“To conquer fear is the beginning of wisdom”

These two quotes are in direct opposition to one another. One says that fear must be overcome for wisdom. The other says that fear itself is where wisdom is found. The first quote comes from Psalms 9:10. The second comes from British philosopher Bertrand Russell in the 1800’s.

The philosophy of the world says that our fear is a hindrance. God says our stubborn confidence is.

This morning, while studying the Word with a good friend from church, we came upon the encouragement in James 3:17-18:

“But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.“

Just a few verses earlier, James went through pains to get across to teachers that their motives be weighed carefully, for they will be “judged with greater strictness” (3:1). Then, he goes on to expand on just what happens when that is neglected. He says that a teacher with “selfish ambition” is not practicing the “wisdom that comes down from above,” (3:14-15) but instead is “earthly, unspiritual and demonic”. And what’s worse than that, their fruit will not be “righteousness”, but rather, “disorder and every vile practice” (3:16).

Then, in contrast to these detrimental warnings, James offers his encouragement in 3:17-18.

James is contrasting “selfish ambition” with “true wisdom”. If we understand these terms in a true theological sense, I believe we’ll see that our contrast is not much unlike the contrast between pride and true God centered humility.

In James’ immediate context, he is speaking to teachers. He’s saying that you cannot stand up and teach in the pursuit of your own glory, in a selfishly ambitious (literally: “electioneering for yourself, attempting to put yourself foreword“) heart. When this happens, the result is inevitably “disorder and every vile practice”. Therefore, his inverse message found in 17-18 is that a teacher must pursue the humility (the wisdom from above). Any teacher who hopes to see a “harvest of righteousness” must sow in “peace” (true wisdom).

To be sure, this is a gross oversimplification of these verses. Please, don’t misunderstand what I’ve said as thorough. None the less I believe it does have some important words for our leaders today.

I believe there is a subtle pride that can exist in the church. One where ministers look out at their congregations, not desiring for the congregation to give them glory, but desiring the congregation to give God glory. But, to be the one seen as responsible for this great condition amongst the people. They don’t want the praise, they want to be praised for the praise.

It seems likely to me that this is a pervasive problem in church leaders today. And, it seems that it could easily go unchecked, unnoticed, even. But, if James’ words here are true, then we may be looking at one of the reasons the Church at large is in such a sad state right now.

Is it possible that our teachers, saturated in a world of instant communication and media, have sought their own glory in building a God glorifying church? And, if so, is it possible that this is the reason that there is so much disorder, and among so many churches there can be found “every vile practice”? And, if this is the case, will God hear our prayers for mercy, reveal our sin and return the offenders to their first love?

Yes. Invariably yes.

Do I want to see my generation love the Lord and live godly lives? Then I would be wise to live a godly life. This is the topic of conversation in the beginning of Thomas Watson’s The Great Gain of Godliness. I find that although I have godly compassion for the church and a desire to see her reformed and changed, perhaps to an earlier beauty, I have quite an ungodly method for seeing it come about. Judgment and an unmerciful attitude are among my largest weapons. This is not how it should be.

The times in my life where I have lain at the bottom of the barrel, completely absorbed in sin and a kind of detachment from God, it is a great blessing when I’m allowed the company of a godly believer. It almost never fails to convict and encourage and inspire. Although it’s met usually on the front end with pride, the backend is experiencing a great working from the Holy Spirit wishing to pull me from my darkened state.

Thomas Watson writes:

“To be good in a profligate age does much to animate weak beginners; it strengthens feeble knees (Isa. 35:3) and shores up those temples of the Holy Spirit which are ready to fall. One man’s zeal is a burning torch for others to light at. How did the constancy of the martyrs inflame the love of many to the truth! Though only Christ’s blood saves, yet the blood of the martyrs may strengthen. St Paul’s prison chain made converts in Nero’s court, two of whom were afterwards martyrs, as history relates.”

I feel convinced in saying that if we wish to see a generation in this church seek hard after the Lord, we will seek hard after the Lord. Yes, although in the face of true Spirit inspired zeal, people’s artificial faiths in Christ will fail them, many will be strengthened to live as they should.

Jesus, I pray that you would strengthen our knees. Give me and your church the strength to stand holy according to you grace, even in the midst cultural and religious laxity. Jesus, I pray that we would focus most pertinently on our own holiness and walk with you. If it is your will, I pray that our zeal would create true zeal in others. Jesus, I pray that where you will, inspire men to be godly and zealous mouthpieces calling your church to passionate devotion to you, for your glory.

            During small group last night a discussion about spiritual gifts arose. One of the guys in the group suggested that instead of just talking about them, that we should just crack open the Word and read about them. We read from 1 Corinthians 12 & 13 (with the intention of going through 14, but we ran out of time). We had a good conversation and then before spending some time in prayer together we were discussing whether or not we’d continue the current dialogue into the next few weeks or if we’d move onto something else. The decision was somewhat unanimous that we would remain in the discussion and in the Word about the topic. But just before the conversation closed, someone suggested that instead of just talking about it, that we take it home with us and pray earnestly to understand, because we could have a “year of conversations, or one good day of revelation.”

            I think his words couldn’t ring more true. I don’t want to suggest that there is not place for conventional learning and conversation. I think those things are usually (even by the will of God) essential. But rather, I’d like to make the point that those things alone are useless and lead nowhere apart from the revelation of Christ; like the Athenians who by all there philosophy and wisdom erected an alter to “an unknown God” (acts 17:23). We by our carnal wisdom cannot come to know God (1 Corinthians 1:21), and by the power of our own minds, we cannot understand Him or the things He does (1 Corinthians 2:14).

            So what do I mean by this? Not that we should abstain from conventional learning, conversation, reasoning. Rather, that we should abstain from that first. I believe it is a true statement that we could spend a year digging through the scriptures, pining over commentaries, engaging in conversations with the most learned godly men, but apart from the Spirit of God, it will end in useless intellectualism. I submit rather, that we put intention in our prayers and faith so that we would first trust in revelation from Christ for understanding, and second anticipate or even seek the vessel which it will come through. In that way, we might see God give us in one day, what we could not get in a life time of seeking on our own.