(James 4:1-12)
“What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? 2 You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. 3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.
4 You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. 5 Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us? 6 But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:
“God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”
7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
9 Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.
11 Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister or judges them speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. 12 There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?”
In Hymn 364 verse 1, written by (Sarah Flower Adams, 1805-1848) “Nearer, my God, to Thee, Nearer to Thee!
E’en through it be a cross That raiseth me;
Still all my song shall be, Nearer, my God to Thee, Nearer, my God, to Thee, Nearer to Thee”
It is joy and thankfulness to submit to God, but it is not always peaceful and pleasant.
Sometimes there is persecution from the people around us and tribulation follows. When we are trying our best to serve God and live a life that pleases Him, we are sometimes cursed and condemned from others.
Verse 1: “What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you?”
In the Bible, jealousy, fights and arguments often happen between brothers.
Cain was jealous of Abel, Jacob and Esau argued, the sons of David were fighting for the throne.
There are many examples in the history of the church where the churches struggled against each other and killed.
It is unfortunate that the churches didn’t encourage each other but should have during the persecution and martyrdom from the Roman government. After the death of all the apostles, the second century churches had a battle of authority between European churches such as Rome, (which inherited the Jewish heritage of Peter and James), and the churches of Asia Minor, Macedonia and Achaia, (which inherited Paul’s heritage).
This battle continued until the second through fourth centuries, when the church in Rome was empowered, and the churches in the area where Paul preached fell under heresy.
In Asia Minor (where Paul’s churches were destroyed) it is now Turkey’s center of Islamic culture. The fighting between churches, and fighting from Christians did not end here. Afterwards doctrinal quarrels continued, and those who won condemned the defeated side as if it were a witch hunt.
When Paul wrote to the Corinthian church, he said that there was division or a denomination in the church. 4 For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos.” (1 Corinthians 3:4)
“22 Whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, 23 and you are of Christ, and Christ is of God. (1Corinthians 3:22-23)
This shows an example of destroying the church.
In verse 1 today, James tells us that there are times when there is unnecessary fighting or conflict among the members of the Church, the members of the Body of Christ. These quarrels and struggles always harm the church and destroy the church. They are based on the evil of greed and lust.
Verse 2-3: “2 You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. 3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.”
Other church members became jealous of each other’s status, profession, gifts, recognition, acceptance, or in any other area and it brought envy.
But James said that “You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God.”
James points out that there is a fighting and arguing among these members.
Many in the church do not get because they do not pray about what they want to get. Some seek only for what they want like money, status, job status, gifts or acknowledgment and not for the glory of God. We cannot receive it because we ask with greed and the wrong motives.
Verse 4: “You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.”
How many of those who come to church and believe in God, still follow worldly greed and want to deal with the things of the Church
in their own worldly thoughts and ways instead of through the Word of God in the Church?
“You adulterous people” means they love the worldly things and are following them.
“Don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.”
God wants us to be close to Him, to be friends with Him, to listen to His Word and to follow Him.
Verse 5-6: “Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us[b]? 6 But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:
“God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”
The Holy Spirit, whom God places in the hearts of the Christians, wants Christians to live such a faithful life where we come near to God, have fellowship, and become friends.
To live such a life, Christians should not be arrogant but humble. James quoted Proverbs 3:34 and said; “He mocks proud mockers, but shows favor to the humble and oppressed.”
“God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”
Verse 7: Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
James said that God would give grace to the humble. Those that are humble to God, are submissive to God. When we surrender to God, God is with us and works with us. In doing so, we can overcome the devil who is always trying to overtake us.
What is the devil doing? The devil wants to overthrow the Christians and overtake the Church, the Christian’s gathering.
1 Peter 5:8-9 said: “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the
family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.”
A person who approaches God and submits to God and His Word is a guarded and wise person. They can overcome the devil with the power of God.
Verse 8: “Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”
The relationship between God and us is similar to the relationship between myself and the mirror.
The closer I get to the mirror, the closer I come to myself in the mirror, I submit to God and get closer to Him.
James also says, “Wash your hands” as a process of approaching God. Why are your hands dirty and need to be cleaned?
It means that it is a dirty and sinful condition that touches the unclean thing of the world. It touches the unjust things.
When the priests approached God and entered the holy place, which was the symbol of the presence of God in the Old Testament, they washed their hands in the water basin before they entered the holy place.
Those who want to come near to God will have to wash the old world of injustice and the unclean life.
“purify your hearts, you double-minded.”
You cannot come near to God with two hearts.
Those who have half a heart in the world, and half a heart for God, are not a person who comes near to God even though they come to worship in the temple of God in the flesh.
They have to abandon their heart with the world first.
The Korean Bible is translated as “two hearts,” but in the Greek original words it says “two spirits.” Just as there is no one with two spirits, one who has a spirit is either loving God or loving the world with one spirit.
It means that the person who is still engaged in worldly life is not someone who loves God.
1 Kings 18:21 says: “Elijah went before the people and said, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal is god, follow him.” But the people said nothing.”
We will have to follow God completely or the world completely like Baal. As a follower of Jesus Christ, we cannot go back and forth between God and the world.
Verse 9: “Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom.”
A person who wants to get close to God must, “Grieve, mourn and wail”
Why should we have to weep and mourn?
Even though we taste the grace and mercy of God without exception, it is still lacking. We are still foolish and there is still sin in our hearts, words, and actions.
Psalm 34:18 says: “The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”
David was a man of prayer, but he committed the sin of murder by sending Uriah a devoted servant to battle to die because David committed adultery with Uriah’s wife, Bathsheba.
Though his sins were incomprehensible, David confessed his sins to God so God did not despise him, and He came near David again.
The mourning before God instead of the pleasure and laughter of the world is the way of gaining nearness to God and compassion from Him. It is feeling sorrow for our sins before God instead of enjoying the devilish pleasures of the world.
Verse 10: “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.”
A person who is close to God is a person who humbles themselves before the Lord.
In verse 6 it says God: “shows favor to the humble.” In the presence of the Lord, God will exalt a person who humbles themselves in the presence of the Word.
Verse 11-12: “Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister or judges them speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. 12 There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?”
A person who wants to get close to God does the following, “Do not slander or judge your brother or sister.” Why shouldn’t we slander or judge our brothers and sisters?
To slander or judge a brother or sister is like committing a sin of slander and judgement. We do not have the power to judge the word of God.
Only humility can obey the Word. What does the Bible say?
Matthew 7:1-2 says: “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
If we continue to slander or judge our brother or sister, it is like we are taking the role of God and bringing Him down from the place of the legislator and judge of the law and putting ourselves in His place. This is a great sin against God.
He who is near to God can triumph over the devil. He who defames or judges his brother or sister is against God who has given us the word.
We have no authority to judge or condemn others.
Paul said in 1 Corinthians 4:3-4: “I care very little if I am judged by
you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. 4 My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me.” Judging others comes from the power of God, the legislator and judge. If we judge others we are judging ourselves.
We need to submit yourself to God.
When we approach God, God said that He would come near us. God is not far away, but He is near us.
However, when we seek God with a repentant and confident spirit, God meets us.
When we surrender to God, we can see the Lord near us.
When we abandon our old self, when we come to God with one heart and not two hearts, we can find the Lord near us.
When we humble ourselves before the Lord and the Word, he will lift us up and we can hear the voice of the Lord near.
When we do not slander or judge our brother or sister, we will receive His mercy and compassion to be near God. He will overlook our sins and transgressions.
Do you want to meet God near you?
I pray that we can be one who comes to God wrapped with a belt of truth with regret, confession, sorrow, mourning and crying.