Let us turn to God's Word again
in that portion of scripture that we read in James chapter
1 and directing your attention this
morning to the words that we find here in verses 5 and 6. James 1 verses 5 and 6. If any of you lack wisdom, Let
him ask of God that giveth to all men liberally, and that breaketh
not, and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing
wavering. For he that wavereth is like
a wave of the sea, driven with the wind and tossed. Speaking then of the needs of
wisdom, as the Apostle James sets it before us here, In the
words that we've just read, James 1, 5 and 6. If any of you lack
wisdom, let him ask of God to give it to all men liberally.
And the brave doth not, and it shall be given him. But let him
ask in faith, not in wavering. For he that wavereth is like
a wave of the sea, driven with the wind and tossed. In the context, and of course
it's always important when we come to God's words to consider
the setting and not to tear a verse out of context and make of it
what we will but to see to understand exactly what the Lord is saying
not just in the verse but in the passage as we see it in this
particular context and here it is evidence that the Apostle
is very much speaking of the trials that come to the people
of God My brethren, he says at verse 2, counted all joy when
ye fall into diverse temptations, knowing this, that the trying
of your faith worketh patience, but let patience have her perfect
work, that she may be perfect and entire, wanting or lacking
nothing. If any of you lack wisdom or
want wisdom, let him ask of God that giveth to all men liberally
and that braideth not. and it shall be given him, but
let him ask in faith." Well that's the context and although we have
that word temptations in verse 2, diverse temptations, it is
quite evident really that the word doesn't have evil connotations
here. It's not so much those temptations
to do evil that are being spoken of, but more particularly those
testings that God does bring his people to and bring them
also through. As he says in verse 3, it's the
trying of your faith, the trying of your faith that worketh patience
or endurance. There's nothing evil then about
the experience that is being spoken of by James. God does not tempt his people
to do anything that is contrary to himself, contrary to his holy
laws. Does he not say as much later,
verse 13, that no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of
God, for God cannot be tempted with evil, Neither tempteth he
any man, but every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his
own lust and entice." God is not the author of any sin. Sin is of man. And there, in
that 15th verse that follows, we have really a remarkable statement
because in the compass of a few words we see the whole history
of sin. When lust hath conceived, it
bringeth forth sin, and sin, when it is finished, bringeth
forth death." Within a few words then we see that what was conceived
by man's lust, that that was conceived in man's own heart,
only brings with it death, or that is contrary to God. And
so the temptation that we read of in verse 2 is not to be thought
of as anything that is evil, of the devil. It's interesting,
isn't it, when we read of Abraham, who is, of course, the father
of all believers, the father of all them that believe, and
how Abraham was tested back in Genesis chapter 22 with regards
to his son Isaac. and here in the Authorized Version,
the opening verse of that chapter says God did tempt Abraham. In some ways it's an unfortunate
rendering because God was testing him and that is made so clear
when in Hebrews 11 the Apostle Paul speaks of the experiences
of so many of the godly and amongst them of course he speaks of Abraham's
faith Verse 17 of Hebrews 11, By faith Abram, when he was tried,
offered up Isaac, and he that had received the promises, offered
up his only begotten son. Of him it was said that in Isaac
shall thy seed be called, accounting that God was able to raise him
up even from the dead, from whence also he received him in a figure. He didn't offer Isaac. There was provision. There was
a lamb. a ram caught by its horns in the thicket that was to be
sacrificed in place of Isaac and it was as if in a figure
he received his son again raised up from the dead. What a remarkable
type of the Lord Jesus there in Isaac. But Abraham was tested,
he was tested and this is what's being spoken of here in the opening
verses of this epistle, this general epistle of James. He's
very much speaking of the different trials and testings and tribulations
that God in his wisdom brings his people into. And these trials
are not without some profit. They're valuable. They're valuable.
They're valuable to the believer, to his growth in grace to his
establishment in the ways of God. As Peter says, the trial
of your faith, being much more precious than the gold that perisheth
though it be tried in the fire, is found unto praise and honor
and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ. And William Cooper,
the poet, says, trials make the promise sweet. Trials give new
life to prayer. Trials bring me to his feet,
lay me low and keep me there. But in these trials there's a
need for heavenly wisdom. If we're going to understand
God's dealings, the rites, if we're going to be able to bear
with all these testings that God brings his people into, we're
going to need wisdom. And so that's the context here,
he says, but let patience have her perfect work, or endurance,
that endurance have her perfect work, you have to endure these
things, that she may be perfect and entire, wanting, it's really
the same word as we have as lack in verse 5, wanting or lacking
nothing. If any of you lack wisdom, or
want wisdom, let him ask of God that giveth to all men liberally
and that bravedeth not and it shall be given him but let him
ask in in faith the need of wisdom and that as I said is really
the subject matter that I want to try to address for a while
this morning as we turn to this particular part of God's holy
words the need of wisdom and first of all we have to recognize
our own lack of wisdom we lack wisdom if it says if any of you
lack wisdom and this word if is not used in a way of doubting
or uncertainty maybe or maybe not you stand in need of it some
might need it others might not need it we're not to understand
it in that sense but rather this word if supposes that they really
do lack it that all lack it and all really are in need of it
and from whence can it be found? it can only be found with God
and we need it, we need it in a variety of ways again in the
context of course we need wisdom to make sense of the trials that
are the lot of the people of God Christ himself said in the
world you shall have tribulation but be of good cheer I have overcome
the world again Paul tells us all that will live godly in Christ
Jesus shall suffer persecution these things cannot be avoided
but we need wisdom in order to to understand and to interpret
what God is doing, what God is saying to see that these things
don't come merely by chance well, nothing comes by chance the hymn
writer says the fictitious power of chance and fortune I define
my life's minutest circumstances subject to his eye God sees all
things and what Wisdom do we need from God then if we're going
to understand the strange ways of God, the mystery of his dealings,
the paradoxes that come with the life of faith? You know,
we have the Word of God and we have the example of the saints
of God, those things that are written for our learning, that
we through patience or endurance and comfort of the scriptures
that word again that we have here in verse 4 let patience,
let endurance have a perfect work the same that we have there
in Romans 15.4 the patience and the comfort or the endurance
and the comfort of the scriptures that we might have hope the things
that are written and we have of course that remarkable book
of of Job and the example of Job, all what diverse temptations,
what diverse trials and troubles that man had to endure and how
we see in him such resignation, how he is brought to bow before
the sovereignty of God to acknowledge God's hand in all those strange
events that befell him. The wonderful thing is it not
that spirit of real resignation, when his wife tells him to curse God and die,
but he won't do such a thing, that's a foolish thing. And we
acknowledge he's there at the end of the opening chapter, naked
came out of my mother's womb and naked shall I return, dear
the Lord gave. And the Lord hath taken away,
blessed be the name of the Lord. In all this Job sinned not, nor
charged God foolishly. Oh, we need wisdom to understand
and we need to pray that God would grant to us such a spirit,
that spirit of resignation. Does he not say, be still and
know that I am God? The sovereignty of God, it is
a great mystery to us. And we do confess that we believe
that. If we believe in God, we must
believe in the sovereignty of God. God must be God, and if
God is God, He is sovereign. But it's not easy to live that
life of faith before the sovereignty of God when those trials and
troubles and difficulties coming to our lives time and again be
still he says and know that I am God again Psalm 39 and verse
9 the psalmist says I was dumb I opened not my mouth because
thou didst it all we have to stand silent before the sovereignty
of God and yet in all that he sends is he not in his dealings
revealing something more of himself and the wonder of himself and
the goodness of himself the grace of God, the mercy of God, the
love of God Micah says the Lord's voice cryeth unto the city the
man of wisdom shall see thy name hear ye the rod and who hath
appointed it When we hear the rod, what are we to do? We are
to desire that we might see in that the name of God. Seeing the name of God, and what
is it to see that name? Why, God is love. In many ways
love is more than an attribute. Love is the very nature of God. because God himself is a God
of love when we think of the relationship between the three
divine persons in the great mystery of the trinity father, son and
holy ghost the father loves the son, the son loves the father
the father and the son love the spirit, the spirit loves the
father and the son without any object outside of himself God
is love in his very character and if we rightly understand
the rod of God we'll see we'll see his name there we'll see
his name there again as the hymn writer says for his correction
render praised he's given thee for thy good the lashes steeped
beyond the lace and softened in his blood sleeped in love,
softened in blood, ought to be those who do truly see the name
of God and understand something of God's character. Why does
He correct? He corrects us for our good.
Or no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous
nevertheless afterward. It yieldeth the peaceable fruit
of righteousness to them who are exercised thereby. But now we need wisdom. We don't
have that wisdom, naturally speaking. Wisdom to understand the ways
of God, especially in the midst of those trials and those tribulations. But then, we need wisdom, really,
regarding all of God's providences. All of God's providences. And
we see it, don't we, at the end of the 107th Psalm. Utho is wise. and will observe these things,
even they shall understand the loving kindness of the Lord."
And what does that Psalm, that 107th Psalm, speak of? It speaks
so clearly of God's providences in all the affairs of life, on
land, at sea, wherever we are. Read through the 107th Psalm
and see it. The experiences of men, those
that do business in deep waters, it speaks of. those that go down
to the sea in ships, those who are travellers over land. He
speaks of God's providence in no uncertain terms. There we
need such wisdom really to understand what the Lord is doing, what
the Lord is saying, the ways in which He is leading and guiding
and directing us. And yet the Lord says himself
during the days of his ministry here upon this earth, the children
of this world, he says, are wiser in their generation than the
children of light. Are we the children of light?
Well, we need a greater wisdom than this world can offer. We
need the Lord's wisdom to understand the Lord's ways and the Lord's
dealings in providence. but not just with regards to
God's providential dealings and we need wisdom when it comes
to spiritual matters when it comes to the word of God and
our understanding of all that God is saying to us in his word
and ultimately of course in his word God is revealing himself
all really leads up to the New Testament and the coming of Christ,
and that fall and that final revelation of God. He has spoken
unto us in these last days by His Son, says the Apostle. But
what wisdom? 1 Corinthians 2.7 Paul says,
we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom
which God ordained before the world unto our glory. Or what
is that wisdom of God, that hidden wisdom? It's that that centers
in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ and the work that the
Lord Jesus Christ came to do. What a work it is! It could never
be anything that would be devised by a man. That God should send
his only begotten Son. that God should so love the sinful
sons of men that he would not spare the son of his love that
sends him to be their substitute and to accomplish their salvation
and to die in their stead for this is the wisdom of God it's
all in the Lord Jesus. I believe my ye in Christ Jesus
who of God is made unto us wisdom and righteousness and sanctification
and redemption that he that laudeth most glory in the Lord. This
is that wisdom. He goes on to speak of it later,
doesn't he, in chapter 3. At the end of that chapter, the
wisdom that is from above, heavenly wisdom, is first pure, then peaceable,
gentle and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits,
without partiality and without hypocrisy, and the fruit of righteousness
is sown in peace of them that make peace. all that's wisdom
that we have then in the Word of God in spiritual matters,
it centers in Christ, yes but we're not just to seek to understand
those promises which are all Yah and Amen in Christ Jesus
but also the precepts and the wisdom of what God says when
He gives instruction and commandment with regards to how we're to
conduct our lives Oh, we need heavenly wisdom, but if a man
lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally,
and that breaketh not, and it shall be given him. Do we recognize
our lack? Or are we aware of that great
need? We need the wisdom of God. How can we conduct ourselves
as real Christians, except God make us wise unto salvation? But what we have here, you see,
is the promise. And turning to the second place,
let's consider something of the promise that's couched in our
text, the promise of wisdom. We see that God gives the wisdom
that cometh from above, it says there in chapter 3 and verse
17. It's from above. It's from heaven. is from that God who is the Heavenly
Father of His people. Verse 17 here in chapter 1, Every
good gift and every perfect gift is from above and cometh down
from the Father of lights with whom is no variableness, neither
shadow of turning. Were we not looking last Lord's
Day morning at that remarkable verse at the end of 2 Corinthians
9, thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift. All God has given, and what has
God given? He has given His only begotten
Son. And He that spared not His own
Son, but delivered Him up for us all, will He not also with
Him freely give us all things, says the Apostle? freely freely
God gives and again last Lord's Day we
refer to those words at the end of scripture in Revelation 22
almost the very last words of the Bible whosoever will let
him take of the water of life freely whosoever can take and
is invited to take of God's gifts freely or the freeness of God's
giving. The certainty, the sureness of
God's giving is a God who gives. And that's what we have here
in the text. The promise of God. The end of verse 5, It shall
be given him, it says. There's no uncertainty here. There's no ifs or buts or maybes
or possibilities or probabilities it shall be it shall be given
him that's the language of God isn't that the word of God in
the gospel of his grace all that blessed covenant of grace as
he says there at the end of Ezekiel 16 I will establish my covenant
and thou shalt know that I am the Lord. I will says God and
thou shalt that's the language of God's promise and those promises are all in
the Lord Jesus Christ for all the promises of God in Him we're
told I am and in Him are men for the glory of God by us God
is glorified as the fulfills his promise in the lives of his
people, and he does it even in the midst of all those trials
and troubles and difficulties. The time and again seem to be
the lot of God's people. He is a God who gives. He is
a God who gives. This is the promise. But look, James really explains something
more of the very nature of that promise, that giving God's. Let
him ask of God, it says, that giveth, and that giveth to all
men liberally, and that broadeth not. How does God give? He gives
liberally. He gives liberally, in other
words, that we have here, as the basic meaning of simply.
That's how God gives simply. And we have it again in Romans
12 and verse 8. He that giveth, let him do it
with simplicity. That's the exhortation. Romans
12 is where Paul really begins the practical parts of that very
doctrinal epistle. The first 11 chapters of Romans,
as you know, are full of doctrine, great doctrine. the doctrine
of justification by faith, amongst other great truths set forth
there, but as he is wont when he comes to the conclusion, Paul
spells out the implications, the practical implications. He
has spoken much in the earlier chapters of God and the grace
of God in the Gospel, all that God has given, and he gives that
exhortation there in Romans 12 AD that giveth, let him do it
with simplicity. with singleness of I. That's
the idea really, a single I. Not looking after what we part
with and expecting something back in return. That's not simple
giving. Where the I is single, you see,
there's no looking for what we might receive in return. No,
it's that giving that proceeds from a willing heart, a straight
arm, an open hand. It's simply the act of giving
and nothing more. Not grudgingly, not sparingly,
but at once, as an immediacy. It's giving readily, it's giving
freely and bountifully. This is the sort of giving that
is being spoken of in our text. This is how God gives. He gives
to all men liberally. He gives to all men liberally. The wonder of God's wine. But
He says more than that, doesn't He? And upbride us not. God doesn't upbride us with our
former sins, with our former transgressions,
He doesn't upbraid us because we've received again and again
at His hand and we've misused His gifts and we've abused His
gifts. No, He is that God who simply
keeps on giving. It shall be given Him. That's
the language of God in the text. God is ever ready to give. The words of the Lord Jesus,
remember, in the Gospel, if ye, being evil, know how to give
good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your heavenly
Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him? Well, we are
evil, we are sinful in our very nature, but we know how to give
gifts. and we understand how it is really more blessed to
give than to receive we can't understand it may be in our childish
days we think it's much better to be receiving the gifts but
when the Lord favours us and we have our children how we love
to give our children gifts and we're evil Well, if you being
evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more?
How much more, says the Lord Jesus Christ, shall God give
the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him? Ask and
it shall be given you. Oh, we only have to ask. Ask
and it shall be given you. Seek and you shall find. Knock
and it shall be opened unto you. Everyone that asks gets received.
He that seeketh findeth, and to him that knocketh it shall
be opened. That's the words of Christ himself. But do we believe these things?
The promise of God is a giving God. And we have not because
we ask not. That's what James goes on to
say later in the epistle. we have not because we ask not
we ask we receive not because we ask amiss we may consume it
upon our lusts nor that we might know how to ask to address this God who gives
such a gracious word of promise and encouragement if any of you
lack wisdom let him ask of God that giveth to all men liberally
and that braideth not and it shall be given him. And then
finally this morning to say something with regards to the prayer for
this wisdom. And we have it in verse 6, but
let him ask in faith. Nothing wavering, for he that
wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and
tossed. Let him ask, it says in faith, if any of you lack wisdom let him ask of God
as were the opening words of verse 5 ask of God and then opening
words of verse 6 ask him in faith how important it is that we come
to this God who will hear the prayer of faith and answer the
prayer of faith God himself, of course, ultimately is the
source of wisdom. He is wisdom. And now we see
him there in the great wisdom literature. The writings of that
wise man King Solomon. Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, the Song
of Solomon. You know the language that we
have there in the very first chapter of that book of Proverbs.
In Proverbs 1 at verse 20, Solomon says, Wisdom crieth without.
She uttereth her voice in the streets. She crieth in the chief
place of concourse, in the openings of the gates, in the city. She
uttereth her words, saying, How long, ye simple ones? Will ye
love simplicity? And the scorners delight in their
scorning, and fools hate knowledge. Turn you at my reproof. Behold,
I will pour out my spirit unto you. I will make known my words
unto you. Wisdom crying. And then again,
we see it in that great 8th chapter of the Proverbs. Doth not wisdom
cry? And understanding put forth her
voice, she standeth in the top of high places, by the way, in
the places of the paths. She crieth at the gates, at the
entry of the city, at the coming in at the doors, Unto you, O
men, I call, and my voice is to the sons of man. How God calls. The cry of God. What is to be
the response? as God comes and God speaks,
are we not to return words to Him? Are we not to turn to Him
and take with us words and say, take away all iniquity, receive
us graciously? Oh God invites us in to come
and to pray and to seek Him and what is to be our response? There's
to be that faith in God But not only faith in God, but faith
in the promise of God. As I said, what we have really,
in verse 5, is the promise of God. He giveth. He giveth liberally. He doesn't
upright. It shall be given. The promise
is so clear. When we come to God, we are to
come as those who believe that He is. and that he is a rewarder
of all them that diligently seek him that's what it says in Hebrews
11 6 but we have the the promise of God not just the
persons in the Godhead Father, Son and Holy Ghost we are to
believe in God for who he is but in order to encourage us
to come to him he gives us his promises And those promises, as we've
said, they're all centering in the Lord Jesus, they're exceeding
great and precious promises. They're all confirmed by God's
oath, by swearing by Himself, He has confirmed them and He
has sealed them in the blood of Christ, who is the testator. Oh, we're to come, and we're
to come, you see, it says here, nothing wavering. For he that
wavereth He's like a wave of the sea driven with the wind
and tossed. Doesn't it remind us of that
language that we have back in Isaiah, in the end of chapter
57, where the prophet speaks of the ungodly, the wicked. The
wicked are like the troubled sea, he says, when it cannot
rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. There is no peace,
says my God, to the wicked. So wavering, like the troubled
sea which cannot rest. We're not to come then doubting
that God will hear us or answer us. He has appointed prayer. It's His own ordinance. He will
answer prayers. What do we need? We need faith,
and we need faith to believe in God, to believe in God's promise,
to believe in God's willingness. Not our wavering. Oh, we're so
full of sin, so full of that cursed unbelief. It's so bound
up in our fallen nature. It was there when our first parents
sinned and fell in the Garden of Eden. It was unbelief, the
root of all their sins, the root of all our sins. we are so wavering
in ourselves what we are to do is look to God as he has revealed
himself in the Lord Jesus Christ and do we not see there one who
is willing the willingness of God or think of the words of
the Lord Jesus Christ John 6.37 all that the Father giveth me
says shall come to me and neither cometh to me I shall he know
why he is cast out The Lord Jesus, you see, He knew that in the
covenant the Father had given Him a people. All that the Father
giveth Me, they were given to Him. And because that was the
gift of the Father to the Son, there was never any possibility
He could lose any of those that were given to Him. They would
come to Him and He says Himself, All that cometh to Me, I will
in no wise cast out. There is His will, He is only
willing to receive them. There's no way in which He will
ever cast them out. He will receive them and He will
give unto them everlasting life and they shall never perish.
We just believe in His willingness. Because in Christ we have God
manifest in the flesh and God is a giving God. it shall be
given him." Remember back in 1 Kings 3 when the Lord God grants
that vision, that word to Solomon, ask what thou wilt. Ask what
thou wilt says God. What does Solomon ask there in
1 Kings 3 verse 5 following? He asks a wise and an understanding
heart. You can read it, but let's just
read a little of that lovely chapter. In 1st Kings chapter
3, we have the response of the king there at verse 6. Solomon said, Thou hast shown
unto thy servant David, my father, great mercy. according as he
walked before thee in truth and in righteousness and in uprightness
of heart with thee and thou hast kept for him this great kindness
that thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne as it is
this day and now O Lord my God thou hast made thy servant king
instead of David my father and I am but a little child I know
not how to go out or come in and thy servant is in the midst
of thy people which thou hast chosen are great people that
cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude give therefore
thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people that
I may discern between good and bad for who is able to judge
this thy so great a people and the speech please the Lord that
Solomon had asked this thing And God said unto him, Because
thou hast asked this thing, thou hast not asked for thyself long
life, neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the
life of thine enemies, but have asked for thyself understanding
to discern judgment. Behold, I have done according
to thy words, lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding
heart, so that there was none like thee before, neither after
thee shall any arise like unto thee." Well, what he asked was
so pleasing to God. And what did he ask? He asked
wisdom. He asked wisdom. God delights it when His people
come and ask wisdom. And here we are invited thus
to come and ask that He would make us wise and make us wise
unto salvation. that great salvation that is
in the Lord Jesus Christ. If any of you lack wisdom, let
him ask of God that giveth to all men liberally and that breaketh
not, and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing
wavering, for he that wavereth is like a wave of the surf, driven
with the wind and tossed. May the Lord be pleased to bless
His word to us. Let us conclude by singing that lovely
hymn of John Newton's based of course on the passage we just
read there in 1st Kings chapter 3 the request of Solomon 692
the tune Williams 436 if Solomon for wisdom prayed the Lord before
had made him wise I'll see another choice had made and ask for what
the worldlings prize. And thus they say, ask what they
will, Lord I would seize the golden hour, I pray to be released
from guilt and freed from sin and Satan's power. 692, 2 and
436.