If Any of You Lacks Wisdom
James 1:5-8
January 10, 2021
Abraham Hong
Sermon Script
As we prepare and wait for the return of the Lord, we are going to need wisdom. We are going to need a lot of wisdom. This is so true because we go through trials of various kinds and because our faith is often tested. We need wisdom.
But let’s be honest with ourselves. And let’s be humble before God. We often don’t have the wisdom that we need. There are times when we do not know what to do. There are times when we do not have good judgment or understanding or awareness of what is wise and unwise. There are times when we hurt others. There are times when we do not fear the Lord and live for his glory. We lack wisdom.
But praise be to our God. He knows that we lack wisdom. He knows. And so he invites us to ask him for wisdom. For his wisdom that he gives to us. Verse 5 says this: “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.”
This is amazing. Our Father in heaven gives us wisdom… generously. He wants to provide for you and help you and bless you with wisdom. And he wants to do so generously. This is our God. Think of the mom or the grandmother who feeds everyone with a bountiful feast of delicious food. That is a picture of our God. Our Father in heaven gives us wisdom… generously. This is so amazing.
God loves you so much. You are not an orphan or a beggar before him. You are a part of his family. You are under his covenant of grace. God is generous toward you. This is so amazing.
This is also heartwarming. Our Father in heaven gives us wisdom generously… to all. He gives wisdom to believers of all ages and of all stories and of all past failures. This is our God. He gave wisdom to Rahab the prostitute. He gave wisdom to Zacchaeus the chief tax collector. He gave wisdom to the Apostle Paul as he suffered for the gospel. Our Father in heaven gives us wisdom generously… to all who are in Christ. This is very heartwarming.
God loves you so much. You are not excluded or withheld from his giving of wisdom. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. God gives wisdom to all who are in Christ. This is very heartwarming.
This is also reassuring. Our Father in heaven gives us wisdom generously to all… without reproach. He does not give us wisdom with a sense of disapproval or disappointment toward us. This is not our God. When we ask him for wisdom, he does not lecture us. He does not shame us. He does shake his head at us. He is not sarcastic toward us. Our Father in heaven gives us wisdom generously to all… without reproach. This is absolutely reassuring.
God loves you so much. You do not have to be afraid of him. There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. This is absolutely reassuring.
This is also a promise. “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, … and it will be given him.” Wisdom will be given to you if you ask. This is a promise. Our Father in heaven is true and his words are true. This is our God. He promises you resurrection life in his Son. He promises you the kingdom in the new heavens and new earth. And he promises you wisdom as you wait for all of this. Wisdom will be given to you. This is a glorious promise.
God loves you so much. You do not have to doubt his love for you. This is a glorious promise.
So Highland, I invite you now. First, I invite you to admit to your heavenly Father that you lack wisdom. Be honest and humble before him. Second, I invite you to ask your heavenly Father for wisdom. Ask him for wisdom to know what to do at times when you do not know what to do. Ask him for good judgment and understanding and awareness of what is wise and unwise. Ask him for wisdom in your relationships with people. Ask him for the fear of the Lord so that you can live for his glory.
And third, Highland, I invite you to see that wisdom is beautiful. There is Jesus’ wisdom and there is your wisdom. Jesus’ wisdom is beautiful. And your wisdom will be beautiful too.
In Luke 2, we are told that Jesus increased in wisdom. And in 1 Corinthians 1, we are told that Jesus’ salvation is his wisdom. Jesus’ wisdom, his perfect wisdom, is quite literally what saves you. You are saved by his merit that has been credited to you, by his righteousness that covers you, by his obedience to the law on your behalf. That is his wisdom. He fulfilled the book of Proverbs. He never sinned. That is his wisdom. Wisdom is beautiful because Jesus saved you with his perfect wisdom.
Thus it is written in 1 Corinthians 1:30, “And because of [your heavenly Father] you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption….” By his wisdom, the Lord made you a new creation.
And now, you who are in Christ and united with him are growing in wisdom. His wisdom was beautiful. Your wisdom will be beautiful too.
Dear Highland, may you see wisdom - Jesus’ wisdom and your wisdom - in a new light. May you admit to your heavenly Father that you lack wisdom. And may you ask him for wisdom.
Soli Deo Gloria