Living Wisely, Living Well. The book of James

Have you ever wondered what James was thinking about as he wrote the first chapter of his letter? Perhaps he was reflecting on the Proverbs or examining his own life in Christ. But perhaps James was remembering the qualities he saw in his older brother Jesus. In Jesus, James saw a constant living example of authentic biblical wisdom. Whether or not James was consciously thinking of Jesus as he penned the first chapter of his letter there is no doubt that Jesus fully and completely embodied and demontrated all of the qualities of a wise godly life of which James wrote.

And this is why the wisest decision you can or will ever make in and for your life is to place your faith in Jesus Christ.
Jesus is the only one who can save those of us and that includes all of us who at one time lived foolishly disobedient lives and because of our foolishness have earned God’s judgment. Living wisely to live well starts with a worshiping relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ in which we place our lives under His gracious authority and commit to re-orienting our lives around His worship, obeying His word and promoting His gospel.

What did James see in his older brother Jesus that may have moved him to encourage the saints to live in this way? To put it another way how did Jesus live wisely and live well?

Starting from the end of the chapter Jesus lived wisely by taking God seriously.
Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. James 1:27.
Jesus did this by demonstrating the two aspects of biblical holiness which are right living according to God’s word and humble service to others. Jesus didn’t claim to know, honor and obey the Father and then live a life in rebellion against the Father’s express will.

Jesus lived wisely by practicing what He read in scripture. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. vs 22.
By doing this Jesus showed that He didn't seek to manipulate the Father to serve His own ends, but was fully committed to serving the Father's agenda.

Jesus lived wisely by watching what He said and how He said it. what you say and how you say it.
Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; vs 19
Jesus never retreated into unbiblical anger to manipulate others just to get His way. He never used words or tone to hurt, demean or humiliate anybody.

Jesus lived wisely by being consistent with His actual godly nature.
Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. vs. 18
Jesus was born with a holy, godly nature that craved the things of God. His appetites were for the things of God and therefore His actions followed His appetites. He honored the Father in worship, read and lived by God’s word, promoted God’s agenda and was in constant, formal fellowship with God’s people.

Jesus lived wisely by watching out for and resisting any and all forms of temptation completely.
But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. vss. 14,15.
Jesus didn’t give in to the first sin that leads to a pattern disobedience that gives birth to foolish lifestyle that yields the fruit of a wasted, destroyed and unfulfilled life.

Jesus lived wisely by having a biblical understanding of wealth.
For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits. vs. 11.
Jesus was more aware of the lives of wealthy godly men such as Abraham and Job. And yet Jesus also knew that wealth was not wealth was not a sign of godliness. Jesus didn’t speak against the acquisition of wealth but He never taught that the point of knowing God was to get more wealth.

Jesus lived wisely by growing in godly wisdom. At each stage of His life he grew in wisdom so as to put the word of God into practice during that time of His life.
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. vs. 5

Finally, Jesus lived wisely by enduring suffering without abandoning the Father or the Father’s express will.
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. vss. 2,3.

Jesus fully and faithfully lived out a life of wisdom before the Father and thus fulfilled all of the requirements for righteousness that God requires from us. Jesus therefore offers a bailout to all of us who've lived foolishly and have not only made a mess of our lives but have earned God's fair judgment on our sin.

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