James 3:17 But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.
If wisdom comes from heaven, it comes by way of the Holy Spirit and not mere human strength, intellect, or ability. Thus, it will reflect the character of God who became incarnate in Jesus of Nazareth. This means that the type of wisdom we should have is a reflection of Jesus. It will be “Christlike” in attitude and action. The qualities James lists in this verse can all be seen in Jesus. Heavenly wisdom is first pure. It is morally righteous and holy without the defilement of pride. That will require a pure heart cleansed from sin (1 John 1:9). Second, one of the fruits of the Spirit is peace. Wisdom from God will produce peace in relationships. Human wisdom often brings division as people try to outsmart one another because of pride. God’s wisdom is considerate, which is a close cousin to loving. Because this wisdom reflects Christ, it will consider others first (Philippians 2:1-4). It is submissive, meaning it is willing to listen and receive direction from God and others. It is merciful. Mercy is offering a way out of a situation when the law demands another response of justice. Mercy requires giving of grace to help a situation improve when other things demand retribution. Good fruit is another way of describing the loving actions that result when we follow the promptings of the Holy Spirit. There should be evidence that we are indeed the children of God. Impartial wisdom considers all possibilities against a common standard. In the case of godly wisdom, the standard is God’s laws. We understand the world through what God has revealed to use through the Bible. Finally, this wisdom is sincere. The opposite of this is hypocrisy, being two-faced. Sincerity means we have nothing to hide. We have integrity and honesty. We are careful with our words and make sure they are the truth, but also the truth is spoken in loving ways. There is no lie in our lips. People can trust what we say because we keep our word. Allowing God to grow these attributes within us can transform the world around us.
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