Speaking with Wisdom

MEMORY SELECTION: “The wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.” —James 3:17

SELECTED SCRIPTURE: James 3:16-18

TRUE wisdom is the wisdom that is given to us from God. In the Old Testament we are told that God in a miraculous manner gave his special servants wisdom sufficient to perform the task that they were required to do.

In Exodus 31:3-5 we are told of the preparation of Bezaleel to construct the tabernacle, “And I have filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship, to devise cunning works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass, and in cutting of stones, to set them, and in carving of timber, to work in all manner of workmanship.”

This is an example of God-given wisdom to be used for a specific purpose. Another example was Solomon, who prayed for wisdom to enable him to be a good king over Israel. We read in I Kings 4:29, “And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the seashore.” God apparently in some way imposed upon the mind of Solomon the faculty of being able to exercise great wisdom.

The footstep followers of Jesus during the Gospel Age also have the great privilege of enjoying wisdom from God. But in the case of the followers of Jesus, this wisdom comes in a different way. Each of these prospective members of the church, having made an unreserved consecration, has been justified and begotten of the Holy Spirit. The effect of the Holy Spirit upon the mind of the consecrated is to give them understanding and discernment of the Word of God that they did not possess before.

The Apostle Paul, in I Corinthians 2:4-7, states, “And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought: but we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory.”

The wise man, by inspiration, was made to prophesy concerning this real wisdom that comes from God: “For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding. He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly. … Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity; yea, every good path.”—Prov. 2:6,7,9

The Apostle James in our selected scripture, verse 13, states, “Who among you is wise or clever? Let his right conduct give practical proof of it, with the modesty that comes of wisdom.” (NEB) True modesty or humility should be the first lesson that we learn as we are privileged to peer past the shrouds of secrecy with our spirit-begotten and enlightened minds. We alone of all people are privileged to know and appreciate something of God’s justice, love, wisdom, and power, as revealed to us in creation and in his beneficent plan of salvation. It is only when we have this knowledge that we are able to evaluate properly our true importance.

The wisdom of the world is summarized by the apostle as “earthly, sensual, devilish. For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.”—vss. 15,16

But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, that is, uncontaminated by the world. The true wisdom manifests itself in peaceableness, then it is gentle—meaning of a mild temperament, practicing moderation. One possessing pure wisdom is easy to be entreated, or open to reason, being straight-forward and sincere, rich in mercy and in the kindly deeds that are its fruit.—vss. 17,18

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