James 3:13-17 NASB95
Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom. [14] But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth. [15] This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic. [16] For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing. [17] But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy.
There are only two kinds of wisdom in this world: the wisdom that comes down from above and the wisdom that is earthly, fleshly (soulish), and demonic. Remember, James is speaking to Christians here; therefore, it is possible for believer to operate in wisdom that is earthly, soulish, and demonic. Obviously, that is the only kind of wisdom that a non-Christian walks in, but James is here appealing to Christians to only live from the mind of Christ. Our transformation into Christlikeness is the consequence of having our minds renewed learning to operate from the wisdom that is continually (that is the grammar here in James 1:15) coming to us from above. The wisdom that comes from above is that which comes from our union with Christ seated in the heavenly places. When you’re operating from Christ’s heavenly wisdom, then the likeness of Christ comes forth from our emotions, our words, and our actions in a spirit of gentleness. When we operate from earthly wisdom, our life is filled with hypocrisy because we’ll talk Jesus but not reveal Him through our words and actions. When we see how Jesus sees things, then we will feel how Jesus feels, speak the way Jesus speaks, and behave the way Jesus behaves.
Jesus said in John 5:19, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself; unless it is something He sees the Father doing; but whatever the Father does, these things also does in like manner” and 5:30 Jesus said, “I can do nothing on my own initiative. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.” As the Son of Man, Jesus lived by the wisdom that came from above and the result was He told the truth about His Father in everything He did and said. We live by the words that proceed from the mouth of God. Jesus is continually speaking in us the wisdom from above. If we will just listen to, agree with, and surrender to the continual flow of wisdom that is ours as does seated in heavenly places in Christ, then we will know the glorious freedom of Christ- likeness in us and manifest the glory of Christ from us.