Think about a scenario for a moment. If a teacher were to ask a Bible study class, “Who is the wisest and most understanding person in this room?” what would you think of someone who immediately raised his hand and waved it proudly in the air for all to see? This person may think he is the wisest, but in actuality, he may be one of the most foolish ones in the room. The reason for this is that true wisdom is characterized by meekness and humility.
The Proverbs are full of passages emphasizing both wisdom and humility. Here are a few examples: “The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; pride and arrogance and the evil way and the perverse mouth I hate” (Pro. 8:13). “When pride comes, then comes shame; but with the humble is wisdom” (Pro. 11:2). “By pride comes nothing but strife, but with the well-advised is wisdom” (Pro. 13:10). “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. Better to be of a humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud” (Pro. 16:18-19).
True wisdom goes hand in hand with the virtues of meekness and humility. Earlier in James, he wrote that those who lack wisdom should “ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him” (Jas. 1:5). It takes humility to ask for something one needs, that which can only be supplied by Another. This Another, in the case of supplying wisdom, is God, and He gives wisdom through our fearing Him and studying His Word (Pro. 1:7; 9:10; 15:33).
This will be addressed more fully in other articles in this publication, but it is important to note here that there is a tremendous difference between true wisdom from God, and false wisdom that comes from other sources. James 3:15-18, as well as 1 Corinthians 1:18-31, show this very clearly.
With all of this in mind, the remainder of this article will focus on the fact that a truly wise person will not only be humble and meek, but he will also put his wisdom into practice. Again, James 3:13 says: “Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom.” James 1:21, recalling that all true wisdom comes from humbly receiving God’s Word, says: “Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted Word, which is able to save your souls.”
Unfortunately, most people are not willing to lay aside their filthiness and overflow of wickedness in order to truly hear the Word of God, which would produce faith in their hearts (Rom. 10:17), leading to the salvation of their souls (Heb. 10:31). Hebrews chapter 11 shows that true faith always follows through with obedience (“By faith Abel offered,” “By faith Enoch was taken away,” “By faith Noah … prepared an ark,” etc.; Heb. 11:4, 5, 7). If someone will not readily hear the Word of God, then he certainly will not have faith, will not obey God, and it will be impossible for him to please God (Heb. 11:6).
True wisdom, then, always leads to best-effort obedience. “Best-effort” needs to be emphasized since we are all imperfect creatures – just like all the people mentioned in Hebrews chapter 11 were imperfect. A great study of this idea can be found in the book of 1 John, which emphasizes walking in the light (1 John 1:7), admitting when we slip back into sin (1 John 1:8-10), and the importance of not continuing in willful sin (1 John 2:1; 3:4-9). When we do slip into occasional sin, “we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” Who “is the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 2:1-2).
Thus, true wisdom includes best-effort abstaining from sin, but it also includes being “doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving ourselves” (Jas. 1:22). Many Christians sadly can quote book, chapter, and verse on matters pertaining to evangelism, feeding the poor, worship, or the plan of salvation, but when it comes to actually living these principles out in their daily lives, they do very little with that knowledge, content to just sit on the sidelines. James would say, “to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin” (Jas. 4:17).
By way of conclusion, look at this lengthy but crucial further teaching from James 1:23-27:
For if anyone is a hearer of the Word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does. If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless. Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.
If we are going to be truly wise according to the standards set in God’s Word, then we will 1) be humble and meek, avoiding the sin of pride, and 2) be active in the work of the Lord, based on the teachings of the Lord found in His Word. “Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom” (Jas. 3:13).