What to Do if You Lack Wisdom
James 1:5-8
Pastor Jerry Koller

The word “but” is a conjunction. Conjunctions are used to connect words, clauses, sentences, or ideas. Here in verse 5, it connects encountering trials (vs 2) with lacking wisdom (vs.5).

Knowledge is the accumulation of facts and information acquired through experience or education, while wisdom is the ability to apply that knowledge with good judgment, insight, and understanding, often drawing on experience.

When James makes the statement that if anyone lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, he is referring to the ability to take what we already know and apply it to the situations we are facing.

Example of Job (1:20-22; 2:10)

From verse 5, we can know three immediate things about God’s character.
• God Gives
• God is Generous.
• God Gives Without Reproach.
• The idea here is a lack of criticism or reprimand.

When we ask God for wisdom, God promises that it will be given to him. However, this is a conditional promise.

The Reformers in the mid-1500’s came to the conclusion that faith has three essential elements: knowledge, belief, and trust, which they called Notitia, Assensus, and Fiducia.

Faith is taking God at His word.

Faith is always received from God.
• ...God has allotted to each a measure of faith. (Romans 12:3).
• Measure means a limited portion or a limited degree.

See Luke 17:6; Matt. 17:20

Why we can’t generate faith:
• God told Adam not to eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, for in the day that he eats from it, he will die.
• The death God referred to was two-fold: physical and spiritual.
• Because Adam was the representation of humanity, this spiritual death passes on to all mankind.
• In order for someone to come to saving faith, God must regenerate that person. In other words, one must be born again (born from above).
• Unless one passes from spiritual death to spiritual life, they cannot come to a place of belief in what God has revealed.
• Unless one passes from spiritual death to spiritual life, one cannot take the truth that is believes and internalize it, making it their own.

The phrase that not of yourselves is a reference to faith.

We must ask in faith ...without any doubting.
• Why?...for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. (James 1:6)
• As for those who doubt, For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, (James 1:7

Doubt is a spiritual cancer. James refers to the doubter as ...being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. (James 1:8)
• This word double-minded appears two times in the New Testament and it literally means two-souled, a person of two affections.
• You could say this person is a spiritual schizophrenic.

Trials and adversity that result from external circumstances are tough to face. As such, we must keep them in proper perspective.
• God uses them to help us grow spiritually.
• They help us develop spiritual endurance.
• When the struggle is great, we can ask God for the ability to take what we know and believe and apply it to the situation we are facing.
• Don’t allow the winds of adversity to toss you about like waves on the sea.

• Susan Seitz has surgery on 5/19 for SI joint fusion.
• Miriam Bryant & Family upon the loss of her sister, Edna Fruge, on 4/16.
• Vincent Bryant (Miriam Bryant's son) is recovering from foot surgery.
• Jeremy Price is recovering from back surgery.
· Marialice Quinn (former FBC member) has completed cancer treatments and will have a follow up MRI in a few weeks.
• Bill Foskett Sr. (Bill Foskett's dad) was diagnosed with leiomyosarcoma, a rare aggressive cancer in muscle cells. Praise God that surgery to remove the cancer is all that is required for treatment.
• James Thomas (friend of Bruce & Vasha Ferguson) has been diagnosed with ascites; a very serious disease often associated with cirrhosis.
• Louann Pranger (Tracy Marshall's mom) continues to recover from a C Diff infection
• Derrick (grandson of Bruce & Vasha Ferguson) is recovering from a stroke.
• Beth Bocock continues to recover from ulcerative colitis.
• Judy Jones (wife of Pastor Grady Jones/friend of Pastor Jerry) has cancer.
• Lennon McKamey (son of Kyle & Sarah) needs surgery on his shoulder. Please pray that preparing for surgery goes smoothly.
• Check out our monthly prayer card on-line at southhavenfbc.com under “Weekly Bulletins” for a list of those with on-going needs.

First Baptist Church
1635 76th Street
South Haven, MI 49090
269-637-1291
southhavenfbc@gmail.com