Good morning,
This week we will be walking through James 4. We will look at the causes for strife in the Christian community, Biblical solutions, and why we need a humble dependence on God. Our key verse is James 4:7-8.
THE HUMBLE DEPENDENCE OF A TRUE FAITH
JAMES 4
Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. (James 4:7-8)
A. The humble character of a living faith
1) Reasons for strife in the Christian community. v 1-3
“From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? 2 Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.”
- Wars and fightings v 1
- Lusts v 1
- Desire to have v 2
- Ye ask not v 2
- Ask amiss v 3
James accurately describes strife among Christians with the terms wars and fightings. Often, the battles that happen among Christians are bitter and severe. The source of wars and fightings among Christians is always the same. There is some root of carnality, an internal war within the believer regarding the lust of the flesh.
The types of desires that lead to conflict are described. Covetousness leads to conflict (you lust and do not have). Anger and animosity lead to conflict (murder).
The reason these destructive desires exist among Christians is because they are not seeking God for their needs (you do not ask). Or, when they do ask, they ask God with purely selfish motivation (ye ask amiss).
This is not how God wants us to live our lives. We will find God’s answers as we continue our study of James 4.
2) A rebuke of compromise and covetousness among Christians. V 4-5
“Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?”
- Friendship with the world is enmity with God v 4
- Friend of the world is the enemy of God v 4
- This is a rebuke in the Old Testament vocabulary. God spoke this way in the Old Testament when his people were attracted to some form of idolatry (Jeremiah 3:8-9, Ezekiel 6:9, Ezekiel 16:32, Ezekiel 23:37, and Hosea 3:1).
So the question for each one of us is who are we befriending? The world, the flesh, and the devil, or the God of creation, salvation, and sanctification. The answer to that question will help us determine our spiritual condition.
What is your answer?
3) The solution for strife: in humility, get right with God. v 6-10
“But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.”
- But God gives more grace v 6
- God resists the proud v 6
- God gives grace to the humble v 6
- Therefore submit unto God v 7
- Resist the devil and he will flee from you v 7
- Draw near to God v 8
- Cleanse your hands v 8
- Purify your hearts v 8
- Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord v10
The same Holy Spirit convicting us of our compromise will also grant us the grace to serve God as we should. But this grace only comes to the humble. In the light of the grace offered to the humble, there is only one thing to do: submit to God. This means to order yourself under God, to surrender to Him as a conquering King, and start receiving the benefits of His reign.
To solve the problems of carnality and the strife it causes, we must also resist the devil. This means to stand against the devil’s deceptions and his efforts to intimidate. As we resist the devil, we are promised that he will flee from you.
The call to draw near to God is both an invitation and a promise. It is no good to submit to God’s authority and to resist the devil’s attack and then fail to draw near to God. We have it as a promise: God will draw near to us as we draw near to Him.
As we draw near to God, we will be convicted of our sin. We are compelled to find cleansing at the cross.
As we come as sinners before God, we appropriately humble ourselves before God, then He will lift us up. Because God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble, and grace-the unmerited favor of God-always lifts us up.
Here James gives us practical things we can do deal the problem of strife. Apply these Biblical principles to grow in your relationship with God.
4) The solution for strife: get right with other people. v 11-12
“Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge. There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?”
- Do not speak evil of one another v 11
- Who art thou that judgest another? v 12
- As we study God’s word, we are told “Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.” (Matthew 7:1-2)
We are to restore repentant believers not condemn them. “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such a one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.” (Galatians 6:1)
The believer in Christ should: “Be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” (Ephesians 4:32)
Let us reflect on how we are doing.
B. A humble dependence on God
1) Caution against an attitude of independence from God. v 13-16
“Go to now, ye that say, Today or tomorrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that. But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil.”
a. We will v 13
b. Ye know not v 14
c. Life is a vapor v 14
d. If the Lord will v 15
The question begs itself, “Who is in charge?” Do we make our decisions in life with or without the direction of God?
2) A challenge to live according to what we know in the Lord. V 17
“Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.”
When we know we have sinned, we must repent, ask God to forgive us, and move on. Unfortunately, Satan has won this battle with many believers. These believers feel like they have done something that cannot be forgiven. They repent but feel totally unqualified for further service. That is straight out of the pits of hell! God forgives and equips ALL who are willing to serve Him. Please do not fall Satan’s lie.
CONCLUSION
Submit yourself unto God
Resist the devil
Draw nigh unto God
Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com
Leave a Reply