There is a stark contrast in tone from chapter 3 to chapter 4
Chapter 3 (taming the tongue) closes with words like peace, gentleness, mercy, good fruits…it kind of ends on a good tone…but CH 4 contains words like fights, quarrels, lust, hate, envy, pride and sin. In CH 4 James gives clear advice on how to quell the storms that are so very detrimental to our spiritual growth and maturity.
CH 4 really is a prescription for a lot of the heartache that we bring upon ourselves as Christians in this world. Hatred, judgment and boasting are three internal struggles that can radically affect our outward lives.
There is a constant and often tragic strife that exists among God’s people. We as Christians struggle with many things. James is simply pointing out a pattern in some of our lives and offering a solution to save us some heartache. What is that solution? The answer is simple.
So many times our constant pursuit to satisfy our lust for pleasures and possessions…mixed with this compelling need to ‘outdo’ others, blurs our focus on what God wants for us.
James teaches us in CH 4 that a Christian must learn to turn HATRED into HUMILITY, JUDGEMENT into JUSTICE, and BOASTING into BELIEF.
You wouldn’t believe what getting these three elements out of your life will do for your walk with Christ. HATRED, JUDGMENT, BOASTING.
In verses 1-6 we learn how to turn hatred into humility. Inwardly we all struggle with some form of hate, whether we’ll admit it on the outside or not.
James tells us in verse 1 that our desires that we battle inside of ourselves is the very thing that causes fights and quarrels amongst us. We are constantly struggling to be SATISFIED. This pursuit of satisfaction cannot be quenched in worldly possessions or desires.
It’s just engrained in our culture. Some of us always need more ‘things’, while others are obsessed with climbing an endless ladder of status constantly trying to add value to our names. This struggle to find satisfaction outside of Jesus Christ gives birth to more hatred than you may be aware of!
We are never satisfied it seems, we always want more. There’s always something bigger, better waiting right around the corner. It seems we are constantly frustrated in our attempts to get what we want. This unfulfilled longing leads us to trample on anyone who gets in our way.
I’ve said this a million times so DON’T GET ME WRONG. God blesses some with wealth, there’s nothing wrong with that. But with that wealth comes a greater responsibility to give away. To help those in desperate need. It’s the times that we covet what others have that, that we try to live outside of our means to keep up with someone else has, that we start to lose humility. Humility seems to be the last thing we are looking for BECAUSE HUMILITY ONLY GETS IN THE WAY OF OUR SELFISH DESIRES. It’s hard to be humble when you’re never satisfied.
For the Christ follower this selfish pursuit for worldly satisfaction often leads to us demanding things from God that He never intended us to have. We start to argue with God. How ridiculous is this concept??
Don’t argue, don’t fight to get what you desire…James says, simply ASK! Pray! V3 So many times we ask with the wrong motives. Do you want things like possessions and status for the glory of God or for your own gain? Jesus, prayer on the Mount of Olives…not My will, but Yours.
Remember, we are to be IN the world not OF the world. A concept taught by Jesus in John 17:15-19
This can lead to a little confusion for the Christian sometimes…something James deals with in v 4
V4 is often misunderstood. Whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God? Isn’t this counter what the likes of Jesus and Paul taught? Go into the world, and stop at nothing short of sin to tell the world about Jesus?? For God so loved the world John tells us.
What is James saying here? James is reinforcing what Jesus said in Matt 6:24…We cannot serve both God and money. I would lump the desire to achieve worldly status in with money.
We can’t effectively serve God while our true desire is to gain worldly possessions and status. The question isn’t ‘how difficult is it Kyle to have one foot marching with God and one foot planted in worldly desires?’ …it’s not difficult…it’s impossible.
Look, we display what we value by our use of time, energy and money. All are in limited supply. And God wants control of all of them.
Let me put it this way…a rebellious Christian who has an illegitimate relationship with the world…is not serving God.
It’s only when we humble ourselves at the feet of the Almighty God that we find divine satisfaction. As His grace fills the humble back up time after time…hatred and jealousy is miraculously transformed into humility.
Judgment is also transformed into justice through this very process.
Satan wants us to judge, he wants us to point fingers.
Look what this person has, look what this person did…Satan is always attacking us, how do we get him to go away?? V7 – resist the Devil and he will flee! Now that’s one to memorize!
In contrast, V8 - draw near to God and He will draw near to you! Drawing near to God not only brings Him closer, it moves Satan away…again, it’s not rocket science. Yet so many people get caught in this simple trap.
ILL child being abducted walking home from school, child resists, no matter what kind of candy they are offered by the abductor…sees policeman…gets nearer to policeman, policeman draws closer to child…abductor flees.
We pound this into our children’s heads…you don’t go with the law breaker, you go with the law giver. You run to the one that will save you.
We see throughout scripture that, as Christians, we are called ‘children of God’…we as God’s children are in a fight with Satan to be sidetracked, led astray, led into situations where it seems easy to point fingers and judge others…Satan is trying…how do we deal with this? Again, James says the answer is simple: Remove the temptation.
ILL (my Great Dane is 9 months old) Bear likes to destroy anything resembling a paper product. He won’t eat it, just likes to tear it up into microscopic pieces. He won’t eat furniture, when left alone, just paper…how have we dealt with it? You can’t just keep leaving things out for him to stare at when we leave, then wait for him to eat it and smack him every time we come home…we have had to remove the temptation…remove the buffet of homework papers and notebooks when we leave…eventually he grows out of it…because the temptation was removed.
If you’ve been struggling with judging – keep in mind that there is only one judge, only one law giver…and it isn’t you or me:)
I mentioned humility earlier…
Humility is the key. V10 – Humble yourself before the Lord and HE will lift you up. The way up is down. This is not what the world teaches.
Christianity is different. It’s only when we settle in at the dust of Jesus’ feet, in humility, that we find justice, not judgment. True justice is only found when a believer subjects himself to God in humility and obedience.
Simple advise…start a discipline of praying for others, not for what you want, what you desire. Pray for others and their needs…you’ll see the temptation to judge people get swallowed up by humility, and it’s a beautiful thing!
Turning boasting into belief. (4:13-17)
In addition to conflict and a judgmental spirit…bragging was also prevalent in James’ time. Surprise, surprise.
READ James 4:13-16
This person is a fairly typical businessman or woman in that time. A simple analogy that hits us all right between the calendars and dayplanners.
Listen to his travel plans: HE WILL GO TO THIS OR THAT CITY…SPEND A YEAR THERE …CARRY ON BUSINESS AND MAKE MONEY.
This businessman is not getting called out by James because they’re ambitious, or because they want to have a plan, or because they want to work hard to be successful…NO…
This person forgot to pencil God in. Oops. How easy this is!
We are all busy, we have all made some serious plans without consulting God. We are all guilty at times of making some huge decision in life without speaking to the ONLY one that can really decide what’s best for us.
This businessman that James talks about would rather boast in his own plans and success than humble himself in the belief that God demands Himself be thought of, trusted and sought after first and foremost.
Why is this important, to seek God first? It helps to be reminded that our ‘busy and important’ lives are completely in His hands. When we feel the need to brag about ourselves, it’s mainly because we ‘think’ that we’re in control…that we have done something great. It’s a false premise that we make up to fee the we are in control. And we’re not.
V 14 our lives are but a mist…a vapor. Want to get a handle on your bragging problem? Let God remind you that not only are you NOT in control like you think you are, but that all you are bragging about…all you are worrying about…all that you are clinging to…is…here…and then…(BREATHE)…gone.
They key is to maintain a Godly perspective. Instead of making plans on the human canvas, expand a bit to include God in the picture.
ILL – ever been trying to do a job you don’t know how to do while someone who is an expert is there supervising you…watching you? You’re taking 1 step forward and 20 steps backwards…finally you yell in frustration…OK, YOU DO IT!!! Yeah, God’s like that times a billion.
The truth is…there’s not much to brag about when we truly realize how big God is. It’s silly actually. V 16 James just comes out and says it…bragging is evil. Case closed.
The cure for boasting is belief that God is in control, that He alone provides and protects.
Lastly, we get to v 17
V17…one of those verses that you don’t want to come across in the Bible…sort of ruins a lot of things for us!
READ V17 (NIV)
Anyone who knows the good they ought to do…and doesn’t do it, sins.
Oh…man!! I could have done without that one James! Thanks for nothing. Chapter 4 was cruising along with some great advise, some great remedies for everyday struggles we get involved in…everything was fine…until V17! ha
You can’t plead ignorance once you’ve read it or heard it.
In any area of life, the opportunity to do good makes us responsible to do it! You can’t turn a blind eye or deaf ear to God’s commands. You can’t justify a belief that isn’t in the Bible, you can’t excuse an action that goes against God’s Word, no matter how good your reasoning.
Not only is disobeying, sin…but so is not taking action.
In CH 4 James puts us on trial for coveting and conflict…for evil speaking and judging…and for making plans that exclude God.
We have to ask ourselves these questions:
Do I continually want and crave more or am I content with what I have?
Am I envious of those that have what I desperately want?
Do I pray before purchasing, before planning?
When God speaks, do I submit or resist?
Do I speak against other Christians?
James is on a mission here. He’s not making anything confusing. He’s going straight to our houses, our jobs, our churches. He’s pointing out some things that make us hang our heads. It feels like we just got out of the ring with Mike Tyson. We’re beat up, tired, ashamed…ear bit off and hanging…haha
BUT, he doesn’t leave us there. He offers hope, he gives practical answers to common problems. Remember, the crowd James was speaking to were very much like many of us. Churched folks who were letting themselves go, getting beat up by the world, chasing selfish desires, leaving God out of the equation in a lame attempt to prove themselves.
James knows this life isn’t going to be easy. He knows we are going to have to fight with everything we have. One battle after another. One finger point after another. One round of coveting followed by another one of jealousy and hatred.
The answer to life’s difficulties is just not found in ourselves. Not even close.
Challenge : to read CH4 everyday this week. Only takes 1 minute.
Ask God to let it soak in, it will change your life.
