Living in recognition of who God is and in relationship with our neighbor...

This week we are looking at a section of a letter in the New Testament of the Bible called the book of James. And it is this section that we have discovered that the faith that works places God first. The faith that works willingly places themselves under God in a way that places God first as the One who is large and in charge of their lives.

So far this week, we have discovered that we place God first when we place ourselves in opposition to the devil. We have discovered that we place God first when we pursue a closer relationship with God. Instead of dancing with the temptation and the tactics of the Devil, instead of pursuing our selfish desires, we are to pursue a closer and deeper relationship with Jesus. We have discovered that we place God first when we pursue moral purity and truth. James point is that, as followers of Jesus, we are to pursue moral purity with our external actions and activities.

And we have discovered that we place God first when we demonstrate remorse for the selfishness within us. As followers of Jesus, the selfishness within us should distress us. As followers of Jesus the selfishness within us should cause us to grieve over its impact in our lives. And as followers of Jesus, the selfishness within us should cause us to take selfishness, sin, and rebellion seriously. Instead of attempting to minimize, manage, or tame those selfish desires within us, we should take those selfish desires seriously and put to death those selfish desires by placing God and His desires first.

Today, we will see James reveal for us two additional ways that the faith that works places God first. We see James reveal a fifth way that the faith that works places God first in verse 10:

  Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.

Now to fully understand James command here, we first need to understand what the word humble means. As one person famously stated “to be humble does not mean that we think less of our self; to be humble means that we think of ourselves less. To be humble means that we live our lives in light of the reality that there is a God and we are not Him. And to be humble means that we act according to that reality by placing ourselves under the Lord and by placing the Lord before ourselves.

And it is in this command that we see James reveal for us the reality that we place God first when we live our lives in recognition of who God is. James then explains that when we place God first by living our lives in recognition of who God is, then He will exalt you. Now the word exalt literally means to cause someone to have an enhancement of honor and fame. James point here to followers of Jesus throughout history is that the Lord responds to those who live their lives in recognition of who God is by placing themselves under the Lord and by placing the Lord first by enhancing their reputation in the eyes of others. James here is echoing the words of his half-brother Jesus that are recorded for us in Luke 18:14:

for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted."

So this morning, here is a question to consider: Who or what are you exalting? In other words, who do you think is God? Who is large and in charge of your life? Are you living your life in light of the reality that there is a God and you are not Him? Are you acting according to that reality by placing yourselves under the Lord and by placing the Lord before yourself? Or are you living life as though you are God and are large and in charge? Because the faith that works places God first when we recognize who God is. James then concludes this section of his letter by revealing a sixth way that the faith that works places God first in verse 11-12:

 Do not speak against one another, brethren. He who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks against the law and judges the law; but if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge of it. There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is able to save and to destroy; but who are you who judge your neighbor?

James begins verse 11 by commanding followers of Jesus throughout history to “Do not speak against one another”? Now the phrase “speak against” literally means to speak evil or ill of another. And here we see James reveal for us the reality that we place God first when we refuse to speak critically of others.

James then explains that the reason why he was commanding followers of Jesus to not speak critically of others was due to the fact that “he who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks against the law and judges the law”. But what does that mean?  When James refers to the Law here, he is referring to the first five letters that are recorded for us in the Bible today, which the Jewish people referred to as the Law, or Torah.

In addition, when James uses the word judge here, this word means to pass an unfavorable judgment upon something. This word conveys the sense of finding fault with or criticizing someone or something. And in a section of a letter that is a part of the Law called the book of Leviticus, we see God say the following in Leviticus 19:16-18:

'You shall not go about as a slanderer among your people, and you are not to act against the life of your neighbor; I am the LORD. 'You shall not hate your fellow countryman in your heart; you may surely reprove your neighbor, but shall not incur sin because of him. 'You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am the LORD.

James point here is that when we speak critically of others, we speak critically of the message of Jesus. But not only do we speak critically of the message of Jesus when we speak critically of others. In addition, James states that when we speak critically of others, we are not a doer of the law but a judge of it. James is revealing for us the reality that when we speak critically of others, we fail to follow the message of Jesus.

You see, as Jesus pointed out in Matthew 22:34-40, the most important command in the entire Law is to love God with our total being and to love our neighbor as ourselves, because we show and demonstrate our love for God when we love our neighbor. So when we speak critically of others, we disobey the most important command of the Law.

And as a result, as James points out, when we speak critically of others, we place ourselves over the message and teachings of Jesus. When we speak critically of others, we are not following the message and teachings of Jesus, but are instead sitting as judge over the message and teaching of Jesus. When we speak critically of others, we are placing ourselves in a position to judge others, instead of allowing Jesus and the message and teachings of Jesus to judge others.

James then hammers his point home by reminding followers of Jesus of a timeless truth that we should make sure that we do not forget: “There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is able to save and to destroy;”. James point is that there is only one being that gives us the standards to follow and there is only on being that reserves the right to judge. There is only one being that is able to rescue us from our selfishness and rebellion and there is only one being who has the power and authority to bring ultimate destruction. And that being is Jesus.

And because of that reality, James asks a very pointed question: “but who are you who judge your neighbor?” Now this question is rhetorical, because the answer to this question is so obvious that is does not need to be answered. James point here is that when we speak critically of others, we fail to recognize Jesus as the only One who has the right to judge. And because of that reality, we place God first when we refuse to speak critically of others.

So here is a question to consider: What do the words you say reveal about who is in first place in your life? Do the critical words that you say about others reveal that you are actually failing to follow the message and teachings of Jesus? Do the critical words that you say about others reveal that you place yourself as judge and jury over those around you?  Because the faith that works places God first when we refuse to speak critically of others.

And as we have seen this week, the faith that works places God first. The faith that works places God first when we place ourselves in opposition to the Devil. The faith that works places God first when we pursue a closer relationship with God. The faith that works places God first when we pursue moral purity and truth. The faith that works places God first when we demonstrate remorse for the selfishness within us. The faith that works places God first when we live our lives in recognition of who God is. And the faith that works places God first when we refuse to speak critically of others.

Placing God first in what we pursue and in what we feel remorse for...

This week, we are looking at a section of a letter that is recorded for us in the New Testament of the Bible called the book of James. Yesterday, in James 4:7-12, we discovered the timeless truth that the faith that works places God first. The faith that works willingly places themselves under God in a way that places God first as the One who is large and in charge of their lives. And in James 4:7-12 we will see James reveal for us six different ways that the faith that works places God first.

We saw James reveal for us the reality that we place God first when we place ourselves in opposition to the devil. James then explains that when we obey the command to place ourselves in opposition to the Devil by placing God first, the Devil will flee from you. And we saw James reveal for us the reality that we place God first when we pursue a closer relationship with God. Today, we will see James reveal for us two more ways that the faith that works places God first, beginning in the second half of James 4:8:

Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

Here we see James make two different commands that are tied to a common purpose or goal. First, James commands followers of Jesus throughout history to “Cleanse your hands, you sinners”. Now this word literally means to cleans or purify in a moral sense from sin. When James uses the word sinners, this word refers to activity that does not measure up to, but rebels against the message and teachings of Jesus. 

James then commands followers of Jesus throughout history to purify your hearts, you double-minded. This word purify conveys the sense of causing something to be morally pure. When James refers to the heart here, the heart refers to the center and source of our moral decisions. The heart refers to the core of our moral life. In addition, when James uses the phrase double-minded, this phrase refers to someone who is a doubter that is uncertain about the truth of something.

And it is here, in these two commands, that we see James reveal for us the reality that we place God first when we pursue moral purity and truth. James point is that, as followers of Jesus, we are to pursue moral purity with our external actions and activities. Our hands, what we are engaging in when it comes to activities and actions, should pursue what is pure and pleasing to God. And, as followers of Jesus, we are to pursue moral purity with an internal confidence in the certainty of God’s truth. From the core of our being, we are to pursue purity with a confidence and trust in the truth of the message and teachings of Jesus.

So here is a question to consider: What actions and activities are you pursuing? Are the actions and activities that you are pursuing and engaging in go against the message and teachings of Jesus? Or are the actions and activities that you are pursuing and engaging in are pure and pleasing to Jesus?

Are you pursuing from the core of your being what is pure and pleasing to Jesus with a confidence in the truth of the message and teachings of Jesus? Or do find yourself doubting the message and teachings of Jesus by saying things like “I know the Bible says, but?” Because the faith that works places God first when we pursue moral purity and truth. James then reveals a fourth way that the faith that works places God first in verse 9:

 Be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom.

Well isn’t that encouraging. James commands followers of Jesus throughout history to be miserable and mourn and weep. I mean why would James command us to do that? So is James saying that we should walk around like Eeyore? Is James saying that we should walk around saying “Oh bother, I’m just a sinner saved by grace.”

I do not believe that is what James is commanding us as followers of Jesus to do here. Instead, I believe James is addressing the temptation that we often have as followers of Jesus to minimize the selfish desires that are within us. I believe that James is addressing the temptation that we have to want manage our selfish desires. I believe that James is addressing the temptation that we have to want to tame our selfish desires as though they are a house pet. 

James is basically saying “Hey it is the selfish desires within you that are the source of the conflicts that you are experiencing among you. So are you going to attempt to minimize, manage, or tame those desires? Or are you going to recognize the impact that those selfish desires are having in your life and kill those desires by instead placing God first”. 

And it is here that we see James reveal for us the reality that we place God first when we demonstrate remorse for the selfishness within us. As followers of Jesus, the selfishness within us should distress us. As followers of Jesus the selfishness within us should cause us to grieve over its impact in our lives. And as followers of Jesus, the selfishness within us should cause us to take selfishness, sin, and rebellion seriously. Instead of attempting to minimize, manage, or tame those selfish desires within us, we should take those selfish desires seriously and put to death those selfish desires by placing God and His desires first.

So here is a question to consider: How do you view the selfish desires that are within you? Are you attempting to minimize, manage, or tame those selfish desires so that they can be a house pet? Or are you taking those selfish desires seriously and striving to put those selfish desires to death by placing Jesus first? Because the faith that works places God first when we demonstrate remorse for the selfishness within us.

Friday, we will see James reveal a fifth way that the faith that works places God first…

The faith that works places God first...

At the church where I serve we have been spending our time together looking at a letter that is recorded for us in the New Testament of the Bible called the book of James. James was the half brother of Jesus who repeatedly doubted Jesus claim to be God, but became a follower of Jesus who was the pastor at the church in Jerusalem and who was ultimately killed for believing that Jesus was God. James turned from being a doubter in Jesus to being a pastor of Jesus church and an author of this letter that is recorded for us in the Bible after seeing Jesus after He was raised from the dead.

And as we look at this letter that was written by the half brother of Jesus, our hope and our prayer is that we would be able to wrap our heads, hearts, and hands around several timeless truths that occur in a life of faith that works itself out in a way that results in us living lives that look like Jesus. Last week, in James 4:1-6, we discovered that the faith that works recognizes that conflict among us flows from the selfish desires within us. The faith that works recognizes that it is our selfish desires that drive us toward hostility with others. And the faith that works recognizes that it is our selfish desires that drive us toward hostility with God.

We then asked the question “Well Dave if that is the case; if our selfish desires drive us into hostility with God and others; then how are we to combat and overcome those selfish desires within us? How can we experience victory over those selfish desires so that we can experience the faith that works itself out in a way that results in us living lives that look like Jesus?”

This week, I would like for us to spend our time together picking up where we left off last week. And as we jump into the next section of this letter that the half brother of Jesus wrote to early followers of Jesus, called the book of James, we will see James reveal for us the answer to this question.

And it is in the answer to this question that we will discover another timeless and true principle when it comes to the faith that works.  So let’s discover that answer and that timeless truth together beginning in James 4:7:

Submit therefore to God.

James begins this section of his letter to followers of Jesus with a command. And that command is submit therefore to God. Now when James uses the word submit, this word, in the language that this letter was originally written in, literally means to place oneself in a submissive role in a relationship where appropriate respect is shown to someone based on the role that they have within an ordered structure. In other words, we are to willingly place ourselves under others by placing others first based on our role in the relationship.

For example, the quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals places himself under the coach of the Cardinals. Because the coach has been give the role of leading the team, for the team to be successful, the quarterback must demonstrate the appropriate respect for the coach and place himself under his leadership. The coach has a role and responsibility and the quarterback has a role and responsibility as part of the team. Conflict within the team can occur when either the quarterback or the coach do not function within their roles on the team.

So James is basically saying to followers of Jesus throughout history, “therefore, in light of all that I have just said about how the conflict among us flows from the selfish desires within us. In light of all that I have just said about the reality that it is our selfish desires that drive us toward hostility with others. In light of all that I have just said about the reality that it is our selfish desires that drive us toward hostility with God. In light of all that, I am commanding you to overcome those selfish desires within you by willing placing yourself under God in a way that places God first.  Instead of placing your selfish desires first, you are to place God and His desires first.”

And it is here, in this command, that that we see James reveal for us a timeless truth when it comes to the faith that works. And that timeless truth is this: The faith that works places God first. Just as it was for followers of Jesus in James day; just as it has been for followers of Jesus throughout history, the faith that works places God first. The faith that works willingly places themselves under God in a way that places God first as the One who is large and in charge of their lives.

Now, right about now you are thinking to yourself “Well Dave that sounds great in principle, but that seems so hard to put into practice. That sounds great to talk about, but so hard to do. So how do I practically place God first?” That is a great question.

And in James 4:7-12 we will see James reveal for us six different ways that the faith that works places God first. We see James reveal for us the first way that that the faith that works places God first beginning in the second half of verse 7. Let’s look at it together:

Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

Now when James commands followers of Jesus throughout history to resist, this command literally means to place oneself in opposition to someone or something. And who James commands followers of Jesus to place ourselves in opposition to is the devil.

Jesus and the other authors of the letters that make up the Bible teach us that demons are a group of supernatural beings who are under the leadership of the devil, or Satan. We also know that demons have superhuman, but limited knowledge and power. Demons are angels that were created by the Lord before the creation of the universe, who rebelled against God sometime before the fall of humans that is recorded for us in the very first letter in the Bible in Genesis 3.

And the Devil and the demons that follow the Devil are driven by a desire to destroy the Kingdom of God and the people of God. The Devil and the demons are driven by a desire to be worshipped as gods instead of worshipping God. And because of the reality, we are to oppose the temptations and tactics of the Devil and the demons that follow the Devil because the Devil wants to be first.

Here we see James reveal for us the reality that we place God first when we place ourselves in opposition to the devil. James then explains that when we obey the command to place ourselves in opposition to the Devil by placing God first, the Devil will flee from you. What is so interesting is that the word flee literally means to seek safety in flight.

You see, the Devil and the demons fully understand the fate that awaits them. The Devil and the demons fully understand who is large and in charge of the universe. And when we place God first by placing ourselves in opposition to the Devil’s temptations and tactics through the power of the Holy Spirit, the Devil responds to seeing the power of the Holy Spirit as displayed through us by fleeing for safety.

So here is a question to consider: How are you responding to the temptations and tactics of the devil? Are you placing God first by placing yourself in opposition to the Devil’s temptation and tactics? Or are you attempting to dance with the Devil’s temptation and tactics. Because the faith that works places God first by placing ourselves in opposition to the Devil. James then reveals a second way that the faith that works places God first part of verse 8:

Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.

Now when James commands followers of Jesus to draw near to God, this command conveys the sense of coming near to God. And it is here that we see James reveal for us the reality that we place God first when we pursue a closer relationship with God. Instead of dancing with the temptation and the tactics of the Devil, instead of pursuing our selfish desires, we are to pursue a closer and deeper relationship with Jesus.

James then explains that when we pursue a closer and deeper relationship with Jesus, that He will draw near to you. In other words, as we pursue a closer and deeper relationship with Jesus, Jesus will respond to our pursuit of Him by drawing us to a deeper intimacy with Him. This morning Jesus is not up in Heaven playing “catch Me if you can”. Instead Jesus desires to respond to our pursuit of Him by pulling us toward a deepening relationship with Him.

So here is a question to consider: Who or what are you really pursuing? What does your calendar, your checkbook, your conversations, and your contemplations reveal about what you are really pursuing? Are you pursuing your selfish desires? Or are you pursuing a closer relationship with Jesus? Because the faith that works places God first when we pursue a closer relationship with Jesus.

Tomorrow, we will see James reveals a third way that the faith that works places God first…

Our selfish desires drive us toward hostility with others...

This week we have been looking at a section of a letter that is recorded in the New Testament called the book of James. We looked on as James revealed for us the reality that the faith that works recognizes that conflict among us flows from the selfish desires within us. And in James 4:1-6 we will see James reveal for us two areas of hostility and conflict that our selfish desires drive us toward.

Wednesday, we discovered that our selfish desires drive us toward hostility with others. Today, we will see James reveal a second area of hostility and conflict in James 4:4. Let’s look at it together:

You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

Wow. I really wish James would tell us how he really feels. Here we see James paint for us a powerful word picture that reveals a second area of hostility and conflict that flows from the selfish desires within us. However to fully understand what James is communicating here, we first need to define some terms. When James uses the word friendship, this word actually refers to brotherly or sisterly love relationship that is reciprocal in nature. This is the same word where get the name for the city of Philadelphia, which is the city of brotherly love.

When James talks about the world, he is talking about those things in the world that are hostile to God and that set themselves in opposition to God and the kingdom of God.  With this question, James was introducing a well known and generally accepted fact that the readers of his letter should be aware of in the form of a rhetorical question. The reason why the question is rhetorical was due to the fact that the answer to this question is so obvious that the answer did not even need to be given.

This rhetorical question, if communicated in the language that we use in our culture today, would have sounded something like this: “You spiritual whores. You should know that when you choose experience a warm, friendly, and reciprocal relationship that expresses a love towards what is hostile to God and opposes God, you are demonstrating your hostility against God.”

And in case anyone reading this letter did not fully understand the point that he was making, James hammers his point in the second half of verse four, by stating that whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. James point is that whoever desires to live in a close association and reciprocal relationship with those things in the world that are hostile to God place themselves in a position to experience what those who place themselves in opposition to God experience from God as an enemy of God.

James is basically saying “Hey if you desire to live in close reciprocal relationship with those who oppose God, then you have demonstrated your spiritual adultery against God. You desire to experience a close reciprocal relationship with those who hate God so that your selfish desires can be satisfied. You would rather satisfy you own selfish desires with those who hate God than look to God for the love and fulfillment that He offers you. And because of that, you are revealing the reality that you really do not love God, but that you would rather cheat on God so that you can experience the pleasure that comes from the close relationship with those who are hostile to God.”

And it here that we see James reveal for us the reality that our selfish desires drive us toward hostility with God. It is our selfish desires that drive us toward a hostility with God that flows from our spiritual adultery with that which is opposed to God. Instead of allowing God to fill the deepest desires of our lives that only He can fill, we allow our selfish desires to drive us to fill those deepest desires with the things that oppose God and that can never fill those desires. In addition, it is our selfish desires that drive us toward hostility with God that flows from our spiritual pride. We see James reveal this reality in James 4:5-6:

 Or do you think that the Scripture speaks to no purpose: "He jealously desires the Spirit which He has made to dwell in us"? But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, "GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE."

Here we see James provide the evidence to back his claim that our selfish desires drive us toward a hostility with God that flows from our spiritual adultery with what is opposed to God by quoting from the letters that make up our Bibles today, which James refers to as the Scripture. When James asks “Or do you think that the Scripture speaks to no purpose” he is basically saying “Do you think that what is said in the letters that make up the Bible are empty and devoid of meaning?

James then makes a statement that is not an exact quote of a single verse in the Bible, but is instead a summary statement of the teachings of the Bible when it comes to what place God is to have in the life of a follower of Jesus: "He jealously desires the Spirit which He has made to dwell in us." Now right about now you are wondering “what does that even mean?”

This statement literally means “The Spirit which He has caused to dwell in us desires to jealousy.” With this summary statement, James is reminding followers of Jesus throughout history that God jealously desires to be first. God, who created everything that exists from nothing, and who created you to live in relationship with Him, desires to be your first love. This morning, God desires, deserves and demands our worship and our love. God desires, deserves, and demands first place.

And as followers of Jesus, we commit spiritual adultery against God when we place our selfish desires over our love for God. And when we commit spiritual adultery against God by placing our selfish desires over our love for God, we place ourselves in a position to experience what those who place themselves in opposition to God experience from God as an enemy of God.

And unfortunately, all of us, at some time in our lives have committed such spiritual adultery against God by placing our selfish desires over our love for God. However, fortunately for us, as James points out in the first part of verse six, but He gives a greater grace. James point here is that in spite of our spiritual adultery against God, God’s transformational intervention and activity in our lives is able to extend a greater favor that overcomes our selfish desire to be first.

James here is revealing for us the reality that, as Augustine once said “God gives what He commands.” In other words God commands to be first in our lives and God is able to be actively at work in our lives so that we are able to place Him first in our lives. James then quotes from the Greek translation of a section of a letter that is recorded for us in the Old Testament of the Bible called the book of Proverbs. In Proverbs 3:34, the wisest man who ever lived, a man named Solomon, reminded his son that God’s activity and favor in our lives requires a response.

For the person who responds to God’s activity and favor by selfishly and arrogantly rejecting God, that person will find themselves in opposition to God as an enemy of God. However, for the person who responds to God’s activity and favor by humbly placing God first,  that person will experience God’s favor in their lives as they live in the relationship with Him that they were created for.

So here is a question to consider: Are your selfish desires driving you towards hostility against God? Are you experiencing a hostility against God that flows from your spiritual adultery against God? Are you experiencing a hostility towards God as a result of you choosing to allow your selfish desires to drive you to attempt to fill the deepest desires of your lives with the things that oppose God instead of with God? Are you experiencing a hostility towards God that flows your selfish pride that arrogantly places yourself in opposition to God and the word of God?

Because, it is our selfish desires that drive us toward hostility with God. And because of that reality, the faith that works recognizes that conflict among us flows from the selfish desires within us. The faith that works recognizes that it is our selfish desires that drive us toward hostility with others. And the faith that works recognizes that it is our selfish desires that drive us toward hostility with God.

Now a natural question that could arise here is “Well Dave if that is the case; if our selfish desires drive us into hostility against God and others; then how are we to combat those selfish desires within us? How can we experience victory over those selfish desires so that we can experience the faith that works itself out in a way that results in us living lives that look like Jesus?”  Next week, we will see James provide the answer...

Our selfish desires drive us toward hostility with others...

This week, we are looking at a section of a letter that is recorded in the New Testament of the Bible called the book of James. Yesterday, in James 4:1, we saw James reveal for us the reality that the source of hostility, animosity, and conflict that humanity experiences is not external in nature. Instead, James explains that the source of this hostility, animosity, and conflict is the pleasures that wage war in our members.

James explained that our selfish desires to experience pleasure battle within our bodies in such a way that we act outwardly to satisfy those desires to experience pleasure. And when our selfish desires to experience pleasure are blocked, either by our circumstances or by other people, the result is hostility, animosity, and conflict with those who block our ability to experience the pleasures that our selfish desires desire.

James revealed for us a timeless truth when it comes to the faith that works in that the faith that works recognizes that conflict among us flows from the selfish desires within us. Just as it was for followers of Jesus in James day; just as it has been for followers of Jesus throughout history, the faith that works recognizes that conflict among us flows from the selfish desires within us. And in James 4:1-6 we will see James reveal for us two areas of hostility and conflict that our selfish desires drive us toward. Today, we will look on as James reveals the first area of hostility and conflict in James 4:2-3. Let’s look at it together:

 You lust and do not have; so you commit murder. You are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures.

Here we see James provide three specific examples that reveal the first area of hostility and conflict that our selfish desires drive us toward. However, to fully understand these examples we first need to understand a few things. The first thing that we need to understand is what James means when he states, “You lust and you do not have; so you commit murder”. Now when James uses the word lust here, this word refers to a strong desire for something that is forbidden. So James is referring to a strong, selfish desire for something that we are unable to experience or possess.

In addition, when James uses the word murder here, this word refers to the willing and premeditated act of taking the life of another. James point in this first example is that throughout human history, human beings have responded to a strong a selfish desire for something that was forbidden by willingly depriving others of life by willingly taking their life.

Now that leads to the second thing which we need to understand, which is what James means when he states “You are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel.” Now to be envious is to experience intense negative feelings over another’s achievement or success. To envy is to want what others have or to not want others to have what they do have. 

James point here is that throughout human history, human beings have wanted what others have and yet have been unable to have what others have. And as a result, human beings have engaged in heated disputes and been hostile to others as a result of not being able to have what others have.

The third thing that we need to understand is exactly what James is referring to when he states “You do not have because you do not ask.” The word asked here literally means to ask for or demand something from someone. But who is being asked and what are the people asking for?” When it comes to who is being asked, James here is referring to asking God in prayer. So James is basically saying, “You do not have from God because you have not asked of God”.

But what are they supposed to be asking for? Is James referring to the things that others have that they do not have? Is James referring to the things that they are lusting for? In other words what have they not asked God for?

I believe that the answer to this question is found by looking at the context of James statement in this letter. Last week, we looked on as James asked the question “Who is wise among you?” James then unpacked what the wisdom from God produced as opposed to what the wisdom from the world produced. Here James is going back to this idea of what wisdom produces when it comes to our relationships with others.

James point is that throughout human history, human beings have lacked the wisdom to distinguish what God wants for them from what they want for themselves. And the reason that they do not have the wisdom from God to distinguish what God wants for them from what they want for themselves is because they have failed to ask God for that wisdom.

We see James further unpack this reality in verse three, when he states “You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures.” What is so interesting is that the word wrong here literally means wickedly. In addition, the word spend, in the language that this letter was originally written in, conveys the sense of using something up wastefully.

 So if James was making this statement in the language that we use in our culture today, this statement would sound something like this: “You also do not receive what you ask for from God because the motive behind you asking God is wicked. You just want God to give you what you want for yourself so that you can waste what God gives you on yourself.”

And it is in these verses that we see James reveal for us the reality that our selfish desires drive us toward hostility with others. Our selfish desires drive us toward a hostility with others that flows from our selfish desires that are forbidden and that drive us to deprive others of life. Our selfish desires drive us toward a hostility with others that flows from our selfish desire to want what others have and not want others to have that they do have.

And our selfish desires drive us toward a hostility with others that flows from our failures in prayer. A hostility that flows from our failure to ask God for the wisdom that we need to distinguish what God wants for us from what we want for ourselves. A hostility that flows from our failure to ask God with the right motives, but to instead be driven by the selfishness within us so that we can selfishly waste whatever we are given on us. 

So here is a question to consider: Are your selfish desires driving you towards hostility with others around you? Are you experiencing a hostility with others that flows from a selfish desire that you have that is forbidden for you to have? Are you experiencing a hostility with others that flows from a selfish desire to want what others have and not want others to have what they do have?

Are you experiencing a hostility with others that flows from a failure to ask God for wisdom to distinguish between what God wants for us and what we want for us? Are you experiencing a hostility with others that flows from a failure to ask God with the right motives? Because our selfish desires drive us toward hostility with others.

James then reveals a second area of hostility and conflict in James 4:4. We will discover this second area on Friday...

The faith that works recognizes that conflict among us flows from the selfish desires within us...

At the church where I serve, we have been spending our time together looking at a letter that is recorded for us in the New Testament of the Bible called the book of James. James was the half brother of Jesus who repeatedly doubted Jesus claim to be God, but became a follower of Jesus who was the pastor at the church in Jerusalem and who was ultimately killed for believing that Jesus was God.

James turned from being a doubter in Jesus to being a pastor of Jesus church and an author of this letter that is recorded for us in the Bible after seeing Jesus after He was raised from the dead. And as we look at this letter that was written by the half brother of Jesus, our hope and our prayer has that we would be able to wrap our heads, hearts, and hands around several timeless truths that occur in a life of faith that works itself out in a way that results in us living lives that look like Jesus.

This week, I would like for us to spend our time together picking up where we left off last week. And as we jump into the next section of this letter that the half brother of Jesus wrote to early followers of Jesus, called the book of James, we will see James reveal for us a timeless and timely principle when it comes to the faith that works.  So let’s discover that timeless truth together beginning in James 4:1:

What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you?

James begins this section of his letter to early followers of Jesus with a timeless and timely question: “What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you?” Now this question, if communicated in the language that we use in our culture today, would have sounded something like this: “What is the source of the hostility and animosity that you have toward others? What drives your desire to fight and quarrel with one another? Where does all this hostility come from that is flowing out of you?” 

Now the reason why this question is a timeless and timely question is due to the fact that throughout human history, there has been hostility and animosity among human beings. From Cain and Abel, humanity has been marred and marked by conflict. And the events from this past week reinforce this reality. Whether it is at a Jr. College in Oregon, whether it is in the Middle East, whether it is in the shootings in major cities in our country, humanity is marred and marked by conflict.

And this hostility, animosity, and conflict are not a modern problem. Instead, hostility, animosity and conflict have been a problem throughout history. And here James is asking a question that has resonated throughout history: Where does all this hostility, animosity, and conflict that human beings seem to have with one another come from? James then provides the readers of his letter throughout history the answer to that question in the second half of verse 1. Let’s look at that answer together:

Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members?

Here we see James reveal for us the reality that the source of hostility, animosity, and conflict that humanity experiences is not external in nature. Instead, James explains that the source of this hostility, animosity, and conflict is the pleasures that wage war in our members. When James refers to pleasures, he is referring to the selfish desires that we have to experience pleasure in our lives.

And these selfish desires wage war in our members. In other words, our selfish desires to experience pleasure battle within our bodies in such a way that we act outwardly to satisfy those desires to experience pleasure. And when our selfish desires to experience pleasure are blocked, either by our circumstances or by other people, the result is hostility, animosity, and conflict with those who block our ability to experience the pleasures that our selfish desires desire.

And it is here, in this section of this letter, that we see James reveal for us a timeless truth when it comes to the faith that works. And that timeless truth is this: The faith that works recognizes that conflict among us flows from the selfish desires within us. Just as it was for followers of Jesus in James day; just as it has been for followers of Jesus throughout history, the faith that works recognizes that conflict among us flows from the selfish desires within us.

And in James 4:1-6 we will see James reveal for us two areas of hostility and conflict that our selfish desires drive us toward.

 

Tomorrow, we will see the first area of hostility and conflict revealed for us ...

The wisdom that is from God is proven by the positive results that it produces...

This week, we have been looking at a section of a letter that is recorded in the New Testament of the Bible called the book of James. So far this week, we looked on as James asked early followers of Jesus “Who among you is wise and understanding?”

With this question, James is addressing a timeless issue. And that timeless issue is the issue of wisdom. James here is addressing the timeless question “what is true wisdom? And how does wisdom actually demonstrate that it is wisdom?  How does one distinguish what is wisdom from that which is not truly wisdom?          

James then began to answer his question by basically saying "Let the person who thinks that they have true wisdom demonstrate that wisdom by a way of life that is not full of themselves but that through their actions demonstrates the developed skill for living life that produces positive results in their relationship with God and others." James point here is true wisdom is proven by the right lifestyle. James is revealing for us the reality that true wisdom results in a lifestyle that flows from not being overly impressed with themselves but that reveals the wisdom that produces positive results in their lives.

James then revealed for us the reality that one of the ways that we can distinguish true wisdom from that which is not true wisdom is through what motivates and drives a person when it comes to how they live out their lifestyle. James explained that those who have a lifestyle that is driven by a bitter desire to want what others have or to not others to have what they do have should not boast about having wisdom, because such a boast would be to tell a lie. And those who have a lifestyle that is driven from the core of our beings by selfishness should not boast about having wisdom, because such a boast would be to tell a lie. Instead of possessing true wisdom, such a lifestyle reveals a faulty and false wisdom.

Wednesday, we looked on as James then revealed that “wisdom” that was informed and shaped by human philosophy, by our old nature apart from God, and by the spiritual forces that oppose God will result in a developed skill for living life that produces a lifestyle of jealousy and selfish ambition that is marked by a rebellion against authority and a low standard of morality.  And such a lifestyle reveals the reality that such “wisdom” is not from God.

James explained that the person who considers themselves to be a follower of Jesus that possesses wisdom from God and yet lives a lifestyle of selfishness that wants what others have and that does not want others to have what they do have really does not have the faith that works. They do not have the faith that works because they are relying on wisdom that results in the wrong kind of lifestyle. They do not have the faith that works because they are relying on wisdom that is from the wrong source.

Instead, we discovered that the faith that works requires the wisdom that is from God. And today, we are going to see James answer the question "how do I know that this wisdom, this developed skill for living life that produces positive results in my life, is from God? How can I distinguish what is wisdom from that which is not truly wisdom? And how do I find this wisdom? How do I discover this developed skill for living life that produces positive results?" We see James provide the answer to these questions in James 3:17:

 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

Here we see James provide a list of qualities that are produced by the wisdom, by the developed skill for living life that produces positive results, that flows from God. And it is in this list that we see James reveal for us the reality that the wisdom that is from God is proven by the positive results that it produces.

James explains that the first positive result that the wisdom that comes from God produces in that the wisdom that comes from God is pure. The word purity conveys the sense of being without moral blemish. James point is that the wisdom that flows from God produces a desire to do the right thing, regardless of our circumstances.

James then reveals a second positive result that the wisdom that comes from God produces in that the wisdom that comes from God is peaceable. James point is that the wisdom that flows from God produces harmonious relationships with others. James then explains a third positive result that the wisdom that comes from God produces in that the wisdom that comes from God is gentle. Now the word gentle conveys the sense of not insisting on every right of the letter of the law or custom. James here is revealing the reality that the wisdom from God does not always insist on having one’s own way, but is courteous and kind toward others.

James then reveals a fourth positive result that the wisdom that comes from God produces in that the wisdom that comes from God is reasonable. Now the word reasonable conveys the sense of being compliant and obedient. James point is that the wisdom that flows from God is reasonable and defers to others in the open handed areas of life.

James then explains that the wisdom that is from God is full of mercy and good fruits. When James uses the word mercy here, this word refers to a kindness and concern for those who are in need. In addition, when James talks about fruit, her is referring to the results that wisdom produces in the lives of those who are wise. James point here is that the wisdom from God expresses concern for those in need and produces a high standard of results that can been seen by others.

James then reveals a seventh positive result that the wisdom that comes from God produces in that the wisdom that comes from God is unwavering. The word unwavering conveys the sense of not being judgmental or divisive. James point here is that the wisdom from God is not judgmental or divisive but is impartial in its dealings with others.

James then states an eighth positive result that the wisdom that comes from God produces in that the wisdom that comes from God is without hypocrisy. The word hypocrite literally means to join in playing a part of pretending and was used to describe someone who was an actor in the Greek theatre. In our culture today, we would refer to such a person as a poser. A hypocrite, by definition, is someone that says “here is the message and teachings of Jesus, and you need to follow them, but I am not going to follow them”. A hypocrite fails to follow the message and teachings that they impose on others. James point is that the wisdom that flows from God is without pretense, but is genuine and sincere.

James then concludes this section of his letter in verse 18 with a seemingly strange statement: “And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.” To which we all think to ourselves “What does that even mean”? The word righteousness is a big fancy church mumbo jumbo talk word that simply means that quality or state of being right.

James point here is that the wisdom from God produces what is right when it is used to bring harmony by those who desire harmony in their relationships with others. When people who desire to live in genuine and authentic community with one another use the wisdom that flows from God to foster that genuine and authentic community, the result is what is right in God’s sight.

Because the timeless reality is that the faith that works requires the wisdom that is from God. The faith that works requires that wisdom that is from God because the wisdom that is from God is proven by a right lifestyle in relationship with God and others. And the faith that works requires that wisdom that is from God because the wisdom that is from God is proven by the right results that is produces.

So here is a question to consider: Do you think you are wise? Do you think that you have developed a skill for living life that produces positive results in your life? Does your lifestyle reflect that you are wise? Does your lifestyle reflect that you have developed a skill for life that produces positive results?

What wisdom are you relying on? What does your lifestyle reveal about the wisdom that you are relying on? What does what is being produced by your life reveal about the wisdom that is driving your life? Because, as we have discovered this morning, the faith that works requires the wisdom that is from God....