James: Gaining True Wisdom

Brief Description

In a church on the outskirts of Waco, Texas, there is a beautiful display case hiding an architect’s mistake. In the corner of the foyer, a pipe, which should have been behind the wall, is instead located in front of the wall for all to see. Unfortunately, the mistake was not detected until after the foundation was laid and the pipe was set in concrete. Solution? Build a display case into the corner over the top of the pipe.

James is passionate about wisely laying a faith foundation. He doesn’t want us to get into trouble by starting out from the wrong place. All around him he saw people who were choosing faulty foundations for their lives,which must be replaced by “wisdom from above” (3:17). As you study this letter, you will see that for James there is a clear-cut ,one-or-the-other choice: either a good foundation or a bad one. James isn’t much into mincing words, either. He has a passion for building something worthwhile on a foundation once it’s laid. He rebukes those who talk about their wonderful foundation (their faith) but never get around to building anything (their actions): “But be doers of the word,and not merely hearers who deceive themselves” (1:22).

A warning label: Many modern preachers like me have become overly skilled at always providing a teaspoon of sugar to help the medicine go down, always softening the blow when we point to sin. But not James! James is honest and direct. If, however, we’ll be honest with God and ourselves as we study what James says, we can make great strides toward wisdom and a living faith.