Taking Care of the Cause of Sin, rather than focusing about the result

James 4:7-10

Intro:

Think for a moment about the signs and symptoms of a cold

Stuffy/runny nose

Sneezing/coughing

Headache

Maybe a fever

What do they point towards?

Think about what we see in this world, what are the “symptoms” or evils of this world?

What do we see in this world

What do the symptoms point to?

Examples of the brokenness in your own life?

What areas of brokenness do you see in your own life—when you take an honest look in the mirror

What do the symptoms point towards?

The struggle for so many, is not recognizing that “symptoms” point to a deeper issue—the physical manifestation of sickness only reveals there’s a cause and an origin.

Spiritually speaking, for so many people, the struggle is not recognizing that sin is the result, not the cause. Sin is the product of and what is birthed from temptation.

Therefore, in order to have victory over sin, we must conquer temptation. In battling our sin, we must be people that deal with the cause, rather than the result.

Sin is born, when instead of trusting God, His Word and His promises, we run to ourselves and the frailty of our flesh. (Remember—Thought—>Attitude—>Action)

Tonight’s message deals directly with this: How do we deal with, do battle against, and have victory over the cause of sin-- temptation?

(Reminder: Temptation itself is not sin—it’s what we do with it, where we turn with it, and who we trust with it—which determines the result)

The way: (Submit to God, draw near to God, be disciplined and mournfully concerned, and humble yourself)

James 4:7-10 (READ)

I. (v.7-Step 1)—Submit to God—resist the devil

James 4:7 “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”

“Submit”—(Greek): means to:

Put yourself under God; under His care-power-strength

Yield to God; yield to His will-command-instructions, laws, behavior, and Word

What can we know about God’s Word and why we should and need to yield to it?

1. Psalm 19:7-11 “The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, Yea, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them Your servant is warned, And in keeping them there is great reward.”

David says God’s Word

Converts the soul (v.7)

Makes us wise (v.7)

Gives us cause to rejoice (v.8)

Provides direction (v.8)

Endures forever (v.9)

Is wholly complete (v.9)

More precious that the finest things this world can offer (v.10)

Surrender yourself to God, so that you will be strengthened to do what He says to do.

Give up control.

Surrender worry/anxiety/fear

It is holistic (you will hear this word again), meaning

We must not half-heartedly submit/yield/surrender

We must not do so from a divided heart

We must submit and follow with our whole heart (all of you to all of who He is)

“Resist”—(Greek) means to:Take a stand against the devil

To exert the energy and effort to oppose and defeat the devil and his temptation

To keep your mind and energy focused on counteracting/conquering the temptation of the devil

Submit and Resist—these words, in the original language of the Bible, are military words.

They are

Urgent and not casual

Imperatives/forceful

Not to be taken lightly

From our Commander—God Himself—these are not man’s suggestions or ideas—the command to submit and resist come from God’s very mind and wisdom, so we are to:

Do exactly what He says-b/c it is God grace and power which are the plans, the weapons, and the fire power needed to overcome the enemy

Submit and Resist—We must understand the “why” of why it’s so urgent

(Judah Smith) “You are no match for the powers of hell, you cannot overcome it, you will never overcome.…when are we (as people), “going to believe that it’s God and God alone.”

Urgency to understand the necessity of both

Both surrender to God AND resisting the devil are required

We cannot merely resist and then refuse to fill our minds with God’s Word and command.

We cannot merely surrender to God and then refuse to fight

The meaning behind Romans 8:13 lays this out for us: “For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.”

Explain Romans 8:12-13 “Therefore, brethren, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.”

In the urgency to understand what this means—we are told to submit and resist, but how, what does this mean?

We must start by focusing our mind upon God and His Word

Psalm 1:1-3 “Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper.”

Colossians 3:1-4 “If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.”

Romans 12:1-2 “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

By quoting Scripture, fasting, and praying (just look at Jesus’ response to temptation in the wilderness)

We must resist at the immediate onset of trial/temptations, when sin crouches at the door—at this begins wiht our mind (which is our battlefield as believers—b/c the devil wants to deceive it and Christ desires to renew it)

We must surrender thoughts--Impure/unholy/evil thoughts which linger only fester and give a foothold for the enemy

2 Corinthians 10:5 “casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,”

We must do so holistically

1/2 hearted obedience is disobedience

Judges 1:21 “But the children of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites who inhabited Jerusalem; so the Jebusites dwell with the children of Benjamin in Jerusalem to this day.”

Judges 1:25-26 “So he showed them the entrance to the city, and they struck the city with the edge of the sword; but they let the man and all his family go. And the man went to the land of the Hittites, built a city, and called its name Luz, which is its name to this day.”

We must do so diligently

2 Peter 1:5-82 Peter 1:5-8 “But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

“Diligence” carries the meaning that one fully commits to something/activity/pursuit, without concern for the cost—going to extravagant lenghts to complete a goal

This is not diligence to teach salvation by works, rather we should diligently make Christ and His kingdom our focus, to run the race (with all efforts)

We must do so through prayer

James 1:6-8 “But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”

The prayer of a surrendered heart—a heart abandoned only to cry out and seek out the Lord’s help, is the weapon for which the devil has no answer—b/c in your seeking out the strength & deliverance from God—it is a strength that crushed him at the foot of the cross—this is where we fight from. We take our stuff, the lies, deceit, and we direct it all to the cross!

We must be forgiving of others

Matthew 6:14-15 ““For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”

2 Corinthians 2:10-11 “Now whom you forgive anything, I also forgive. For if indeed I have forgiven anything, I have forgiven that one for your sakes in the presence of Christ, lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices.”

Satan will use your lack of willingness to forgive others as bait: think about what’s created when you choose to resent, withhold forgiveness and grace

Bitterness

Anger

Entitlement

Attitude of retribution and vengeance

By not giving place to the devil

Ephesians 4:27 “nor give place to the devil.”

We must put on the whole armor of God

Ephesians 6:10-11 “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.”

The battle over temptation is one we will face our entire lives

God know this and He knew this…I found this fascinatin

The history of the Israelites in the Old Testament is a fascinating account. From 72 people, they grew to over 2 million in captivity. God delivered them through Moses in Exodus, eradicated their captures in the miracle of the Red Sea, provided, protected, and led through the wilderness (despite their bickering, moaning, and groaning), and ultimately through Joshua, led them into the promised land.

(There is tremendous symmetry with the Israelites)

But here’s the point we are drawing towards:

Prior to the Israelites crossing into the Promised Land, they were told and promised they would face enemies, same as believers are today.

The Lord knew that if every enemy came upon them at once, the Israelites would have been overwhelmed, so what does God say and promise, again this promise is the same is true for believers today?

Deuteronomy 7:21-22 “You shall not be terrified of them; for the Lord your God, the great and awesome God, is among you. And the Lord your God will drive out those nations before you little by little; you will be unable to destroy them at once, lest the beasts of the field become too numerous for you.”

This side of heaven you will never be rid of the enemy and his attacks…but the more and more we (you and I as believers) submit and resist, “little by little” we will walk more in victory.

II. (v.8) Secondly--Draw near to God and repent

James 4:8 “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”

What needs to be understood first is this: that we have the right to approach and draw near to God is the single greatest privilege a person can have—b/c it means that are known and saved by and through Him; yet its even more than a privilege:

John 1:12 “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:”

And what is even more amazing is the door to God’s presence is not only open—we are strongly urged and encouraged to draw near. The believer himself is actually encouraged by God Himself to draw closer!!

“Draw near to God,” as in“submit and resist,” an imperative

When the temptation strikes, it is often immediate and fierce, so we must react in the same manner, in our approach towards God: it is

Not casual but intentional/purposeful

Not mere submission, but to draw ever so near—to get as close as possible

It is not merely reading,

It’s how Jeremiah puts it:

Jeremiah 15:16 “Your words were found, and I ate them, And Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart; For I am called by Your name, O Lord God of hosts.”

It’s how Ezra elevated it

Nehemiah 8:1 “Now all the people gathered together as one man in the open square that was in front of the Water Gate; and they told Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded Israel.”

Nehemiah 8:3 “Then he read from it in the open square that was in front of the Water Gate from morning until midday, before the men and women and those who could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law.”

It’s not just ingesting/elevating it—we must be obedient to His Word

Matthew 7:24 ““Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock:”

James 1:22-24 “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.”

It is also in and through intentional and purposeful prayer

We must note this: the prayer which combats and conquers temptation is the prayer that doesn’t focus on the temptation, but rather focuses on the goodness of God, the provision of God, the promises of God, of His strength and mercy.

It is done in fellowshipping

Hebrews 10:25 “not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.”

It is done through service/worship

The glorious promise in this?

God draws near to you

God embraces you.

God strengthens you

God delivers you

1 Corinthians 10:13 “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.”

Hebrews 2:18 “For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.

Hebrews 4:15-16 “For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

Psalm 28:7 “The Lord is my strength and my shield; My heart trusted in Him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart greatly rejoices, And with my song I will praise Him.”

Drawing to God is conditional, b/c there is a person who God does not allow to draw close to Himself. Who?

The unclean person, whose hands are full of sin

The person whose heart is divided, impure, and wavering

You cannot expect a holy and righteous God to allow you to draw near if you are not entrusting Him with your sin—b/c a heart that is full of sin and darkness cannot draw near to Him.

You may think, “God knows the sin on my heart and in my life, so what’s the big deal?” God can forgive and cleanse you from your sin—BUT only if you repent and give it to Him—-He’s not Santa Clause and He’s not the easter bunny.

So what is a person to do then, in order to draw near to God—b/c this is missed by so many in this world and sadly in many churches around this world:

You must clean your hands (James pulls no punches here): Some had unclean hands, sinful hands and James called them just what they were: sinners!

If any of us have touched what God has forbidden—we have not only sinned, but we are sinners

The point—our hands must be cleansed of sin before we can approach God and draw near to Him.

God will not respond—He will not draw near to the person unless his/her hands are cleansed of sin

2 Timothy 2:21 “Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.”

1 John 3:3 “And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.”

You must purify your heart and quit wavering between God and temptation

A person cannot have divided loyalty b/t God and the world—God does not allow it

A person’s total allegiance must be to God and God alone—God demands total allegiance or nothing

A person cannot follow God some of the time and the world at other times

Mark 4:18-19 “Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.”

A person’s heart must be wholly and holistically turned over and surrendered to the Lord Jesus Christ—God will only accept and draw near to the hearts that is fully committed and loyal to Him

The believer who has the right to draw near to God is the believer who

First has his/her sin cleansed and washed

The only hope of being cleansed of sin, is to be covered by the blood of Jesus.

Walks in open fellowship with God,

Walks in open communion with God,

Walks in sincerity of faith,

Walks, keeping his/her hands off of what God forbids (remember Achan from Joshua 7).

Walks, in continuous confession of his/her sin

III.(v.9-Step 3)—Be disciplined, deeply or mournfully concerned

James 4:9 “Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom.”

Overcoming trials and temptations requires endurance, but it also requires us to be “mournfully concerned.” (Again this is descriptive)

“Lament” is to cry (GRK-a loud utterance of emotion.

“Lament” is to shout (GRK-loud utterance in opposition)

“Be afflicted” means to endure toils; to discipline and to voluntarily abstain; the picture is this: when temptation strikes, it is not time to be

Laughing/Joking around

b. Lighthearted/Complacent

c. At ease/Unconcerned

Lying around

Temptation is affliction-meaning it’s a time

To be disciplined and self-controlled

For righteous warfare

For battle and endurance

Temptation is usually immediate and unexpected—so our response must be

Immediate and expected

Hearts that mourn and weep under the heaviness of the temptation and the attack

What does his look like?

Luke 7:37-38 “And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil, and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil.”

Who: Woman “in the city, who was a sinner” (prostitute)

“When she knew that Jesus...” (Other translations say when she “heard”)

Knowledge of Jesus will confront you with your sin (conviction)

Where:: Pharisee’s house-surrounded by judgment and religion

What happened: In hearing about Jesus, this woman had come to the end of herself:

She was worn out and tired of her sin and how she had been living—it had brought her nothing but bondage and emptiness (she had to realize this).

She was under conviction: and she chose to have faith that Jesus was who He said He was and could do what He promised He would do—she confronted her sin and sought the mercy of a Savior…regardless of who was around or what others might/would say.

This confrontation with herself and her sin met the mercy and compassion of Christ and her only recourse was to mourn and weep for her sin and come.

esus was well aware of her sin, yet in His knowledge of her sin, Jesus’ response was mercy/compassion

You must understand, there are consequences for our sin—and this woman was living them out, but lets take a look at Genesis 3 and see a picture of God’s mercy in the midst of consequences for sin

• Genesis 3:22-24 “Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever”—therefore the Lord God sent him out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken. So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.”

• Our response to this brings us to our last point this evening:

IV. (v.10-Step 4)—Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord

James 4:10 “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.”

There is not a moment, glimpse, or iota of your existence that God does not see or know about. Even and especially in times of temptation--because temptation is a test designed to qualify your faith, so we best know He’s watching and knows).

So in times of temptation

God must not see us:

Continuing on in our activity and comfort, laughter and joy—He must see us drawing near to Him and mourning and crying out to Him for deliverance

With a self-sufficient spirit which things it can handle the temptation apart from Him.

With a spirit which ignores Him, His Word, His strength

Looking at temptation and picturing and picturing how attractive and enticing it is

Looking at temptation and revelling in the thoughts of the temptation and picturing how nice it would be

Dilly-dallying around—taking it lightly or fool-heartedly

God must see us

Humbly coming into His presence—with clean hands and a purified heart

Calling on Him and depending upon Him

Relying on His strength and wisdom

Struggling to subject every thought we have to Jesus Christ—despite the myriad of influences and the attractiveness of this sinful world

The point?

In times of temptation, the answer is humility:

To submit to God and resist the devil.

To draw near to God and repent

To be disciplined and deeply/mournfully concerned

To confess before you get caught

The result?

God will draw near to you and lift you up

Biblical humility also involves facing conviction; and in order to face conviction we must be reminded (or learn) the purpose behind it.

• I’d like to take a moment to encourage and remind you of something. In the times of conviction, whether tonight or any part of your study of God’s Word, what you need to know and/or be reminded of is conviction’s purpose—it’s purpose is to

• (1) Draw you closer to God (this is 100% accurate and we should continue to see it as such);

• (2) However, I’d like to share with you another perspective): Conviction is a picture of God’s grace and mercy. Conviction is mercy, in that God allows us, through the Holy Spirit, to see how we’ve wronged Him, to reveal our sin to us; it is at the same time grace, b/c He also provides us a way of escape—the cross. We come to realize it is mercy when we stop looking at conviction as God shaming and pushing you away, and see God as God fighting for you and pulling for you. When we see His mercy in this, we will also see His grace:

• Why does He fight for you?

• One—because He knows what sin has caused you and does not desire any one to be apart from him (2 Peter 3:8-9 “But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”

• Two--Because you are precious in His sight . You are His creation—the pinnacle of what He’s created. It would go against His very nature not to fight for something (someone) who was/is created in His very image and likeness.

(William Barclay)

“Only when a man realizes his own ignorance can he ask the guidance of God. Only when a man realizes his own poverty in the things that matter will he pray for the riches of God’s grace. Only when a man realizes his weakness in necessary things will he come to draw upon his strength of God. Only when a man realizes that he cannot cope with life by himself will he kneel before the Lord of all good life. Only when a man realizes his own sin will he realize his need of a Saviour and of the forgiveness of God”