Submit to God (James 3:13-4:12)

Introduction

Has anyone here this morning never fought or quarreled with anyone? My guess is not. And if you haven’t, you have not lived long enough. It will come and come soon it shall. Maybe even on the way home or at the kitchen table later today. But have you ever taken time to consider some of the silly quarrels and fights that we have? Siblings with one another over who is playing with what toy. Quarreling over who is right and wrong over something? Fighting because one person made a point that we did not like? Whatever the quarrel, the fight, it happens. But now, have you ever considered the root of those fights?

This morning, as we continue our study through the book of James, James like a good physician diagnosis the root problem of our quarrels and fights and he points us to the medicine we need. So turn with me now to James 3:13-4:12. You can find our passage on page #1201 in the Red Pew Bibles in front of you.

Our text today continues the thoughts from last week from James 3:1-12 and the warning to bridle the tongue, picking up James 1:19 and the call to be slow to speak. And as I stated last week, the goal was originally to preach James 3:1-4:12 as one unit. However, that did not happen, for it was just so much ground to cover.

To this point, I want to take a moment and explain something about expository preaching, especially when it comes to expository preaching through books of the Bible. Each of these sermons are attempted as much as possible to stand on their own. Taking the main idea of a particular text and communicating that main idea in the sermon. This way, you, as the congregation, can pick up and understand at whatever point you were to jump in with us. That being said, there are times like this morning where we are greatly helped by what proceeded our text. With this in mind, let us hear the word of the LORD then from James 3:13-4:12.

If I have read and studied this text correctly, then the main idea of James 3:13-4:12 is this, “If we are to be wise and cured of our double-mindedness, then we must humble and submit ourselves to God.” We are going to look at this in two points: (1) A warning and (2) An invitation.

Point #1: A Warning

James 3:13 “13 Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom.”

James here asks a truly remarkable question, who is wise and understanding among us? Now, if James had stopped here, we could sit down and debate all day long about what are the marks of wisdom and who among us is the wisest. We could debate if the wisest is the one who had the highest GPA coming out of High School or College. For the record, it wouldn’t be me. I was an average student at best.

Or maybe the wisest among us is the one who has read the most books, knows the most languages, has had the most success. And we could go on and on debating at what makes one wise.

But the point in James asking this question isn’t for us to measure ourselves against one another and debate who is the wisest among us. James has a point, and a clear one one at that. If we are truly wise, it will be measured by our works.

In his book, James for You, Sam Allberry helps us to understand this. He writes,

James for You The Nature of Wisdom

Wisdom is something that can be shown, and does not exist if it is not shown. It is seen—not primarily in words, but in deeds. It is someone’s conduct and how they live, rather than their brainpower and what they know, that shows they are wise

And the measurement is the good works in the meekness of wisdom. Meekness is the gentleness of attitude and behavior. Therefore a very specific measurement of wisdom and understanding is given. True wisdom, according to James here, and the LORD himself since he is the author of all the Bible, is visible in the working out of meekness in their lives and actions, especially when it comes to relationships and interactions with others.

But there is a problem, for while meekness is prescribed by God as a sign of wisdom and understanding, the world in which we live considers meekness as weakness. And because meekness is despised, there is a pursuit of a false wisdom in which we are this morning going to call Mr. Worldly Wisdom from John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress.

And because of our following Mr. Worldly Wisdom, we are lead away into false thinking and given over to fights and quarrels from our foolishness.

Consider with me first that of Mr. Worldly Wisdom. A wisdom that is false to the truth and rooted in pride. A wisdom that is not to be boasted of. Just as the wisdom that we are called to here in James is measurable by meekness, Mr. Worldly’s wisdom is measurable too. It is measurable and identified by that of jealousy, strife, and selfishness.

James 3:14–15 “14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. 15 This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.”

Let it be made clear and plain here, Mr. Worldly Wisdom is not innocent. It is unspiritual and more important demonic. It is demonic because it is not just a by product of the world, but rooted in the Great Deceiver, Satan himself.

It is this Mr. Worldly Wisdom that was present in the garden and tempted Adam and Eve towards the in Genesis 3. For in the creation of the world in Genesis 1-2, all was good. God had created the heavens and the earth and it was good. God had created the land and the sea and it was good. God had created the lights and it was good. God created the animals both in the sea and the land it was good. He created man in his own image and it was good. God provided food and provision, all was good. Relational harmony without any shame was present in this very good creation.

Adam and Eve walked in the garden and had unbroken fellowship with their creator in all his glory there in the Garden of Eden until Mr. Worldly Wisdom entered. The Wisdom of Satan himself. For as a serpent, Satan came and whispered to Eve with Adam standing there convincing them that God was withholding from them the knowledge of good and evil, that they could be like God. And in this deception, Mr. Worldly Wisdom entered the world and has spread throughout.

Mr. Worldly Wisdom has brought great evil into the world in following his false wisdom and lies. In fact, James here uses stronger language. James 3:16 “16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.”

The damage from following Mr. Worldly Wisdom’s counsel leads to disorder and every evil thing. For Mr. Worldly Wisdom tells us to not trust and believe God, to not love him and love others, but to love self above anything and everything. Mr. Worldly Wisdom tells us that others in this world our enemy and keeping us from the glory we deserve. Therefore jealousy enters when others achieve what we desire and want.

Mr. Worldly Wisdom teaches us to not care for others, its all about us and what we want and desire. And it is from this selfishness and self-centeredness that all of the problems of strife James has been teaching us against come from. From what is at the root of favoritism? The root of the venomous and unbridled tongue? Evil within.

James 4:1 “1 What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you?”

Others are not the cause of our quarrels and fights. Our circumstances and hard situations are not the cause of our quarreling and fighting. The cause lies within us. They come from our passions at war within us.

James 4:2 “2 You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask.”

If we are at all familiar with the Bible, or at the very least the ten commandments, we know that we have to no-no’s here. For we know that from the ten commandments we are not to murder, that is the sixth commandment; and we are not to covet, that is the tenth commandment.

And yet, when we chase after the desires of our own hearts, these follow. We want and therefore when following our desires, we are willing to do whatever in order to fulfill that desire.

For our desires become our god. And when we follow it, we are led into rejecting the one true God and all his goodness.

Friends, this is a problem and a war for each one of us in this room. We are at war with the desires within us. And if we are not careful, we will give ourselves over to these desires and they will consume us to the harm of those around us and they will eventually kill us if we do not kill them.

If not already clear, our own desires and hearts make a poor and foolish god. They are not to be trusted and followed.

Parents, we must never teach our children to follow their hearts and their dreams. For our hearts have been corrupted by sin and rooted in selfishness. The heart is a poor counselor and a terrible guide.

Kids, teenagers, if your parents have already taught you this, be gracious towards your parents in this, but take this advice and counsel and throw it out. For to follow the desires of your own heart is foolish. Do not go and follow Mr. Worldly Wisdom and the ways of this world!

Our desires must be brought under check. For consider here the damage of such folly. James there at the end of verse 2 said, “You do not have, because you do not ask.”

But then he continues, James 4:3–4 “3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. 4 You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.”

Following Mr. Worldly Wisdom keeps us from turning and asking God for true wisdom. It hinders us from first even asking, but then when we do, we ask wrongly. We ask God to meet our passions instead of wisdom to live wholly in Christ.

Wishlists are found on Amazon shopping, Walmart, Etsy, Target, Ace Hardware, even my Logos Account has a wishlist. But this is not what we are to bring to God and asking him for. When we come to God, he has invited us to ask him for wisdom.

James 1:5 “5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.”

Or even when we do ask for wisdom, we ask in doubt as James has already warned us against. You see, in following Mr. Worldly Wisdom and the desires of our heart do not lead us well. They lead us to chasing the idols of our heart and committing spiritual adultery against God.

The warning is clear here, if we are to be at peace with God, we cannot be friends with the world. That is the things of this world. For friendship with this world is an offense to our God and leaves us at enmity with him.

God does not desire only part of us, he does not desire us to be double-minded and of the world while at the same time claiming we are his. He desires all of us. James 4:5

James 4:5 ESV

5 Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”?

As God calls us to himself in Christ through the working of his word and Spirit, he is jealous for us. Not in some evil way, but in the way a husband should be jealous for his wife.

Men, you would be enraged with a righteous jealousy if your wife was flirting with another man, or wives, vice versa. If your husband was flirting with another woman. It’s not good!

But we do this very thing to God when we go and chase after this broken world and all its sin, creating quarrels and fights because of our evil desires instead of pursuing God and the promises he has made of making all things new again in Christ!

But do we just sit and wait idly for that day? No! We must see here the invitation the Lord gives us.

Point #2: An Invitation

James has been inviting us to count trials and tribulations as joy because of our anticipated hope through the gospel, that the trials and tribulations are helping us to endure until the day of completion where we are made perfect. This is what Bible scholars sometimes refer to as the not-yet part of our gospel hope. It is promised, but not yet achieved in this life.

But here in James 3:13-4:12, our text this morning, James is calling us to live in the already part of our gospel hope, to live wisely as we wait, to live in the steadfast hope of what is to come. And that wise living is not done by chasing Mr. Worldly Wisdom, but in pursuing the wisdom from above, a wisdom that is from God himself.

James 3:17–18 “17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. 18 And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.”

We are warned to not live of the world following Mr. Worldly Wisdom, but we still must live in the world until the day the Lord returns or calls us home. And we do this by pursuing a pure wisdom, wisdom that is rooted in the LORD, our God. A wisdom that does not merely chase our desires, but that which is actually good and right. A wisdom that works in pursuing a love of God and a love for others.

And this is why this pure wisdom then is also peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. All of these pertain to how we interact with others, they define how we are to display the meekness of wisdom in regards to one another.

We combat fights and quarrels from our desires by learning to prefer one another. By showing meekness in our relationships with one another. This means that part of a maturing Christian is to bear patience with others, even when they disagree or are difficult.

This means being willing to forgo our preferences in order to build one another up to ensure they too are encouraged. It is when we learn to live in peace with one another with meekness that the righteousness of God will be sown among us. Producing a great harvest! As the people of God love God and one another as we are called to.

But this display of meekness, like the bridling of the tongue, the showing of partiality is difficult. And before we can, we must turn and submit ourselves to God.

James 4:6–8 “6 But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”

If we are to resist the devil and Mr. Worldly Wisdom that comes from him, then we must submit ourselves to God. Submitting to God starts with us putting off our pride and putting on humility.

If we are prideful in thinking we are good enough, we will never understand our desperate need for God’s gift to us in Jesus. Friends, this is an important reminder that as we share the gospel, we must start with God as our Creator and the fall of man before we share the solution of Jesus. Until one understands how far they have fallen, they will never understand the beauty of God’s invitation to partake of his grace in Jesus!

Mr. Worldly Wisdom tells us we are good and have achieved great things. But the lie there is that we have done nothing but rebel against our Creator in following worldly wisdom and committing spiritual adultery. Therefore we do have a great need to humble ourselves before God in acknowledgment of such rebellion.

We humble ourselves before God by first feeling the grief and sorrow from our wrong doing, from our spiritual adultery. The first step of humility is this deep, godly sorrow for our wrong. This is why James calls us to this, James 1:9–10 “9 Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, 10 and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grass he will pass away.”

If we have not sorrow for our sins, we have not come to the place of genuine repentance and faith, that is turning from our sin to God. And therefore we are still living of the world rather than in submission to God.

To submit to God is to hate the things God hates. And part of hating sin is to be sorrowful for it. Oh friends, let us feel such deep sorrow for the sin that we have done and mourn because of it.

But this sorrow is not the end of humbling ourselves or the place in which we are to remain. Yes, we must be sorrowful for our sin, but we must see that God has called us to draw near by his grace. For this is the beauty of the gospel.

Hear the words of Charles Spurgeon

Notice that he would not call us to himself if there were no road by which we could come. Once there was a great gulf fixed between us and God, but Jesus bridged the awful chasm. So draw near. The road to God is open to all who believe in Jesus.

Friends, if we will draw near to God in his most gracious invitation, he too will draw near to us! For he has promised this!

Dear struggling and doubting Christian, this is a good reminder as well! For your hope lies not in your own efforts and doing! It lies in your drawing near to God in humility! Move from deep sorrow from sin to the arms of the Father in recognizing what riches of kindness he has lavished on us in Christ!

And friend, you who have not yet humbled yourself and submitted yourself to God, see that this invitation from God to draw near is there for you too. You need but humble yourselves and come.

For this is the echo of this invitation:

Come, ye sinners, poor and needy, weak and wounded, sick and sore;

Jesus ready stand to save you, full of pity, love, and power.

The glory we so often seek, the exaltation we desire and chase in following our desires comes not in the way of the world, it comes in our being reconciled to the Father, the LORD our God. When we humble ourselves and draw near and submit to him, then we will be exalted.

This is not isolated to James, we see the same in Proverbs 15:33 “33 The fear of the Lord is instruction in wisdom, and humility comes before honor.”

Let us then fear the LORD and submit to him. Let us bow our knee in allegiance to the King, the Creator of the Heavens and the earth. Let us let him be the one who knows Good and Evil and defines it. Let him be the one who then we hear and obey.

Anything less than this kind of submission is to remain double-minded. John Piper writes,

To be impure is to be divided in your heart. Part of your heart is cleaving to God, and part of it is cleaving to something that competes with God for your desires.

John Piper

As James closes this section regarding the tongue, he gives us a reminder and summary then of how this is to look.

James 4:11–12 “11 Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. 12 There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?”

Brothers and sisters in Christ, friends, the call is for us to not be judges, but doers of the law, of the instruction the Lord has given us. To obey all that he has commanded from an obedient and willing heart. We are not the judges of this instruction. Therefore we need to love others and point them to the one who is able to save, the Lord Almighty!

Let’s pray.....