Read through verses 13-18

Continue considering the question that James asks: Who is wise and understanding among you? Look at the second part of verse 13.

By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom.

What seems to be the principle and the command being taught here?

Meekness is the way in which the one who is wise and understanding shows his works.  This meekness comes from wisdom.

Whoever truly is wise and understanding, he must not only do the works that come from true faith, but he must also beware of how he does these works. 

Taking this in the context of James, and all of Scripture, this is a test of faith for the one who is wise and understanding.  God himself proving that this person has true faith when his works are done in the meekness of wisdom.  From this comes the command to the one who is wise and understanding to live out his faith in the meekness of wisdom.

To understand this better, we can look into and ask questions about the phrases used by James.

Why By his good conduct…? What does it mean?

It’s interesting that he starts with By his good conduct instead of just letting the rest of the statement stand as the principle.  This seems to point back to what was taught about the tongue.  That how we speak must be in keeping with our identity in Christ (3:9-10). 

We have not left the teaching on the tongue behind us.  This can be seen in verse 13 and throughout James. [For an extra benefit (not extra credit…sorry 😊) assignment, you may want to go through all of James and look for the explicit and implicit references to conduct in speech]

Consider these verses we have studied already – 1:26, 3:2, 3:5-12.

One who is truly wise and understanding will have good conduct in speaking.  This good conduct then flows into the other works done in obedience to God.  The implication is that wisdom works in believers in such a way that it causes us to do our works in meekness.  That we have the wisdom of God (the wisdom from above which is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere) working in us is evident primarily in how we speak.  We are called to right conduct in our speech that is in keeping with the righteousness of God himself.

[More study to be done here by looking into other scripture for teaching on this]

For now, continuing with:

…let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom.

What is meant by meekness?

A definition of meekness found in Webster’s 1828 (not inspired, I know 😊, but I often find it helpful):

MEEKNESS – n. softness of temper; mildness; gentleness; forbearance under injuries and provocations.  In an evangelical sense, humility; resignation; submission to the divine will, without murmuring or peevishness; opposed to pride, arrogance, and refractoriness.

Already in James, the need for meekness in the life of one who has true faith has been commanded:

Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word which is able to save your souls (1:21).

With meekness is how we are to receive the word of God.  Note how doing this is contingent on putting away sin.  As we studied this, we also considered the work of God by His Holy Spirit in the salvation of our souls from its beginning to its completion.

And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you.  And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.  And I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. [Ezekiel 36:26,27]

Where does this meekness come from and how is it working?  It comes from wisdom by the work of the Holy Spirit.  It is the fruit of the Holy Spirit.  And it increases wisdom in the heart of the believer.

How do we know this?

Looking within the context of this verse (James 3:13), the implication is that meekness is a fruit of wisdom.  Later, James gives a description of what wisdom is.  Studying each aspect of wisdom can give us more of an understanding of the meekness that it brings about.  Lord willing, we will get into to that more as we move through this passage.   However, a read through the attributes of wisdom that are listed can be a helpful start.  Skip down to verse 17 for a moment:

But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. 

We are told that this is what wisdom is.  Notice how all the attributes are given. They are as one, distinct from each other, but not separate.  They are all active.  Not just one or the other.

[Note: this is similar to the description of the fruit of the Spirit which is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control (Galatians 5:22,23) and the same as with the qualities of the blessed in Matthew 5]. 

Ultimately, of course, to learn about meekness, we look to Jesus, who is the wisdom from God (1 Corinthians 1:30, Colossians 2:3): 

• What he taught about himself: …learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart… (Matthew 11:28-30).  Christ teaches in the meekness of wisdom.
• And how he lived: a life of perfectly humble obedience to God, the Father, setting aside what he rightly deserved and laying down his life on the cross (Isaiah 42:1-4; Philippians 2: 6-8). He lives in the meekness of wisdom.

In Matthew 5:5, Jesus says: Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.  For those who are the blessed, those who are the chosen in Christ (Ephesians 1:4,5), Jesus calls to live in meekness and, in him, are the meek. 

In Galatians 5:24-26:  And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.  If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.  Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

Ephesians 4:1-3:  I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

And in Philippians 2:1-3:  So if there is any encouragement in Christ any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.  Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit but count others more significant than yourselves.

Where there is meekness in the believer, there is gentleness and humility and willing submission to God and to other believers, but at the same time there is the love of Christ and the strength that comes from that love.  This is what we have and is working in and through us by the work of the Holy Spirit, we who are one in Christ, in order that we would glorify him in what we say and do.  It is not something we can have ourselves in our own hearts. It comes from God in Christ through the Holy Spirit.