Submit Better

ME (A hook):

This morning,

We are looking at the second half of ch. 3,

And the first half of ch. 4.

In these passages,

James contrasts two kinds of wisdom,

And two kinds of friendship.

Slide

James’ point is that when we Submit Better,

We pursue Better Wisdom,

And a Better Friendship.

This passage is another communal exhortation from James.

WE Wisdom (ch. 3) (Why does this matter to us?):

He begins in vs. 13-18,

Telling us,

How we need to discern what is better wisdom,

Wisdom that comes from God.

This better wisdom,

Is both pleasing to God,

And is ultimately for our good.

However,

James warns about another kind of wisdom.

A wisdom that is not truly wisdom.

Because it is a wisdom that does not come from God.

And this is not pleasing to God,

It is not good for us,

Nor is it good for others.

Last week,

We looked at the first half of ch. 3,

Where James addressed the role of the tongue.

In our passage this morning,

He is continuing the same train of thought,

But in a more general sense,

Addressing the subject of spiritual maturity.

And we will notice in our passage this morning,

That speech does still play a role in spiritual maturity,

But James is now focused on the more broader reaching issues,

Of envy and selfish ambition.

His point is that like an uncontrollable tongue,

These things are not just minor character flaws,

Rather, they are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic.

Slide

Throughout this letter,

James has been exhorting us to display our faith through our works.

Now, he begins this section in a similar way,

Commanding us to demonstrate wisdom by godly living.

And from the jump,

He says the sign of wisdom is meekness,

A gentle and humble spirit.

His point is,

Just as pride and foolishness go hand in hand,

So, does humility and wisdom.

This, he is saying, is the spirit in which wise works are done.

Slide

But, he immediately shifts in vs. 14-15,

There is another “wisdom.”

A wisdom that comes from hell.

This is shocking to hear.

There is a “wisdom” that is of the devil.

Yes, James describes this kind of wisdom as earthly.

But he does not stop there.

Because the problem runs deeper than that.

This kind of wisdom stands in complete opposition to everything that is from God.

It is a subtle yet powerful demonic force.

The first example of it goes all the way back to Gen. 3.

Where the serpent tempts Eve to trust in this type of wisdom,

Instead of God’s better wisdom.

And it is not as if Satan has quit since then.

No, he still does the same thing to every single one of us today.

So, when talking about these competing wisdoms,

Our perspective becomes vitally important.

You see,

Satan tempts us to view life from a limited perspective.

He seeks to keep blinders on us,

That keep us from seeing an immediate moment in light of eternity,

And instead tempts us to focus on what is best for self-advancement and self-pleasure right now.

And this is dangerous.

It is a heart motivated by a mixture of bitter jealousy,

Selfish ambition,

Boasting in one’s self,

And an unrecognized falsehood.

That is why James condemns these things.

Envy and covetousness come from an entitled heart.

This posture of pride that longs for something that belongs to someone else,

Believing you deserve whatever that thing is.

This stands in direct contrast against the good conduct,

Against the gentleness that comes from wisdom.

Bitter jealousy and selfish ambition are like poison to our minds and hearts.

They are intrinsically linked by selfishness.

Many would argue that it is not a bad thing to be ambitious,

And that is true.

James is not warning against ambition in general.

He is talking about a self-serving ambition.

A ferocious drive for personal success,

That has no care or concern about the damage or destruction it might cost others to acquire.

Earthly wisdom measures everything by how it benefits you.

It is only concerned with how you can make your life in this world better.

It looks at people, conversations, and opportunities with this attitude of:

“What can I get out of this?”

So, James’ point is that this is from the Devil.

And it is a common attitude in our world.

But James is not writing to unbelievers.

He is writing to us, believers.

So, it is a common problem in us,

We are often just blind to it.

These vices that James is confronting keep us from a genuine understanding.

They work against the standard Jesus set for us to love our neighbors as ourselves.

It is an unwitting denial of truth that goes against God.

This question of “what is best for me?” is at the root of our struggles in marriages.

I have had multiple Christian men who I have met with in counseling,

Who have complained about having to work hard all day,

Only to come home and their wife didn’t do the dishes,

Or their kids didn’t take out the trash.

So, they stir up a fight or quarrel with their own family,

And feel right in what they are doing.

Because, in their minds,

What they are asking is not unreasonable.

But they have unwittingly bought into the lie of earthly wisdom,

Because they are asking “what is best for me?” regarding their marriage and family.

It is hard to catch,

But this type of attitude has a subtle form of entitlement.

And that, James says,

Is not wisdom that comes from God,

It is demonic wisdom.

And unlike true wisdom from God,

Worldly wisdom is from the flesh.

It is finite, fallen, and limited.

And it reflects Satan’s deceptive nature.

But this foolishness is not limited to marriages and families.

It is also at the root of the American Dream, right?

Climb the ladder,

Achieve your dreams,

And step on whoever you have to in order to get there.

It is a dog eat dog world,

It is just the price of doing business.

That is what our culture promotes.

But Jesus’ wisdom says to deny yourself.

So, selfish ambition is not wisdom from God,

It is demonic wisdom.

It is filled with envy,

Always comparing yourself to others,

To see who is better or worse.

And the reality is,

To quote the Jedi, Qui Gon,

There is always a bigger fish.

In other words,

There is always someone better.

Slide

So, when we walk in this unspiritual wisdom,

James says in vs. 16,

It results in disorder and evil.

We talked last week,

About how the tongue has the ability to cause great destruction.

Well, when our hearts are fueled by envy and selfish ambition,

The tongue becomes a primary weapon used to cause disorder and evil.

But that is not all,

Jealousy and selfish ambition produces all kinds of evil:

Vandalism, murder, adultery, war, theft, slander, and more.

The point is that the destruction is twofold,

Yes, it causes chaos,

But also,

These evil practices are violations against other people.

Homes that are marked by self-centered ambition will have disorder and evil.

Churches filled with jealousy and self-centered ambition,

Will be a place of disorder and evil.

There is danger to be found,

Wherever we pursue our selfish wants and desires to the neglect of others.

So, James says,

Be on guard.

The only things this type of wisdom produces will be anger, bitterness, resentment, division, and divorce.

Because this earthly wisdom robs us of true love, intimacy, trust, fellowship, peace, unity, and harmony with others.

Slide

Therefore, we need better wisdom.

And that is what James turns our attention to in vs. 17-18.

Wisdom from above,

Wisdom from heaven,

Is a gift from God.

It reflects the holiness of God Himself.

This wisdom is a living out God’s godliness.

He is the source of this true and better wisdom.

And again, we need this!

So, what do we do?

Well, this takes us back to what James said in James 1:5

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

You see,

We don’t get wisdom through mere mental effort,

Or through practical experience.

You get it from God.

From fellowship with Him,

From being in His presence.

This type of wisdom has an eternal perspective.

Therefore, it can only come from an eternal God.

So, go to Him.

Constantly!

Pray to Him,

Read His Word to us.

Cry out to Him!

And He generously gives us His better wisdom.

This is the point of Proverbs 2, which was in the reading plan this week.

And this is something we must do,

Both as individuals,

And as a body.

So, let me give a plug here.

After service today,

We are having a meeting as a body,

To do exactly this.

To go before God,

To pray for wisdom,

And to seek after discerning His will for FBC Afton together.

So, if you are able to stay and be a part of that,

Please do.

As a church,

And as individuals,

We all must reflect the attitude of King Solomon in 1 Kings 3,

Where he confessed that he was a child,

And he needed God’s help.

He needed the kind of wisdom that only God could give,

A better wisdom compelled by a God-centered humility.

This is the type of wisdom James is describing in these verses.

And notice how they reflect the beatitudes from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5.

It is pure,

Blessed are the pure in heart,

For they will see God.

It is peacable,

Blessed are the peacemakers,

For they will be called sons of God.

It is gentle or meek,

Blessed are the meek,

For they will inherit the earth.

It is open to reason, compliant, or poor in spirit,

Blessed are the poor in spirit,

For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

It is full of mercy,

Blessed are the merciful,

For they will be shown mercy.

And it is full of good fruits, a harvest of righteousness,

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,

For they will be filled.

James is clearly inspired by the Words of Christ here.

It is a beautiful description of wisdom that comes from God.

This better wisdom is God-centered,

Not self-centered.

And it is humble,

It is gentle.

This is the exact opposite of worldly wisdom,

Which produces self-centered pride.

And remember,

James said earthly wisdom produces disorder and evil.

Not the case with this better wisdom.

He says,

True wisdom is peaceable.

It produces genuine peace that is free from a quarrelsome attitude.

It is thoughtful and respectful of others,

And their feelings.

It is open to reason,

Willing to listen to,

And submit to others.

It is not stingy,

It demonstrates charity.

And it is fair.

It is without deception, deceit, and fraud.

And it produces,

A harvest of righteousness.

God’s wisdom results in a bountiful crop of righteousness.

It is this reciprocal relationship,

Where when we cultivate peace,

More peace is produced.

This taps into a beautiful OT picture,

Isaiah 32:17 ESV

And the effect of righteousness will be peace, and the result of righteousness, quietness and trust forever.

This better wisdom from above,

Results in what is true and right,

What is pleasing and honoring to God,

And what is ultimately for our good,

And the good of others.

This is what God wants for us,

Peace.

Peace in our relationships,

Peace in our homes,

Peace in our churches.

Not peace at the expense of truth,

But a peace that is pure and true,

Trusting in God’s truth to produce peace.

Think about how this might play out in a practical sense.

If you are in a relationship,

Picture you and your significant other.

If not,

Picture you and your parents,

Or you and a friend, employer, or teacher.

Now, let’s say you and that person are humbling yourself before God,

You are both pursuing this better wisdom,

That is pure and honors God,

And it produces peace in your relationship,

That spills over into peace at home,

Peace at work,

Or peace at school.

The same is true in the church.

When we all are humbling ourselves before God,

Setting aside our selfish ambitions, bitter jealousy, and entitled spirits,

And instead pursue better wisdom that is pure,

It produces peace and righteousness in the church.

This doesn’t mean we all automatically agree on every little detail.

But it does mean we come together,

To humbly discern God’s will,

And pursue after His wisdom.

The only way we do this is to submit better.

We must first humble ourselves before God,

Asking Him to take this worldly wisdom from us,

And asking Him to give us His better wisdom.

Pray that He would use us to no longer sow disorder and evil,

But to harvest peace and righteousness,

In our relationships at home, church, and in every facet of life.

GOD Friendship (ch. 4) (Teach the text):

Slide

Although editors have separated the next part of our passage into another chapter,

The fights and quarrels James talks about in ch. 4,

Come from the worldly wisdom that invades the church.

In fact, the word we translate to covet in vs. 2,

Is the same word James just used for envy in ch. 3.

So, we know he is continuing his train of thought.

His point at the start of ch. 4,

Is to illustrate the disorder and evil that is the result of the envy and selfish ambition he just warned about.

We can understand this by him calling the church adulteress people in vs. 4,

Asking the church if we understand that friendship with the world is enmity with God.

And adding that whoever wants to be a friend of the world,

Makes themselves an enemy of God.

So, in order to submit better,

James starts with the need to pursue better wisdom,

But he continues in ch. 4 with the need to pursue a better friendship.

The Bible teaches,

And experience confirms,

That pride and selfishness are a part of our fallen human nature.

And when it comes to the church,

James credits this part of our fallen human nature as the root cause of conflict and divisions.

He says quarrels and fights are caused by our passions.

Again, he is just flowing right into this lesson,

After teaching about jealousy and selfish ambition.

So, he still has these vices in mind.

Similar to the idea of an entitled spirit,

Is a spirit that is unquenchable.

In other words,

It is this posture where you are just endlessly dissatisfied.

No matter what others say or do,

It is not enough for you.

And when a person has a spirit like this,

That always wants,

Always desires,

Is motivated by passion after passion,

The destructive result is conflict and division among fellow believers.

That feeling of dissatisfaction,

James says,

Are your passions at war within you.

And sometimes you may be able to convince yourself that these passions are good, holy, right, true, or biblical.

But the reality is,

You are justifying the passions,

The pleasures of this life,

That are at war within you.

And that pursuit of those pleasures,

James says,

Causes conflict.

James illustrates this problem in vs. 2.

First, teaching how an insatiable desire can elevate to the level of murder.

Now, some historians say that at this time,

There were these zealous Jewish Christians who were killing other Christians over conflicts they believed were holy and righteous.

But James seems to build much of his letter off of Jesus’ sermon on the mount.

And in that sermon,

Jesus taught how anger in the heart,

Is equivalent to murder.

So, what seems more likely,

Is that James is once again tapping into Jesus’ lesson,

Connecting these insatiable desires to anger in the heart when they go unmet,

And that anger in the heart is on the same level of murder.

His point is that this mixture of dissatisfaction and anger is fueling fatal fights and quarrels among believers.

And even if they ask God for this desire, this want this passion,

It will remain unappeased,

They will remain dissatisfied,

Because, James says,

They are asking with the wrong motives.

We already noted how earlier James said that God gives generously to all.

But when a heart is filled with envy and selfish ambition,

That is sin against God.

It is a lack of gratitude toward God,

It is the idea of being dissatisfied with what God has given you,

Believing and expecting that you deserve more.

So, yes, God gives gifts to His people.

But when envy or selfish ambition is present,

It shows a heart that is failing to truly seek after those gifts from God,

And instead is seeking after gifts from the world.

Therefore,

God will not give us what we ask for.

Because that request is coming from a place of evil desires.

From a passion that we have mistakenly trusted,

Will provide for us a source of happiness.

So, James’ point,

Is that a prayer like this,

A prayer with wrong motives,

Is not a prayer of faith in Christ.

Paul warned in Rom. 14:23 that...

...whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.

Also, Heb. 11:6 clearly teaches that...

...without faith it is impossible to please [God].

This means on an even deeper level,

The source of conflict is a lack of faith in Christ,

Selfish desires,

An out of control jealousy,

And a seemingly endless pit of dissatisfaction,

Come from faith and friendship with the world.

Slide

That is why James calls his hearers adulterous people.

He is talking about this lack of faithfulness to God.

He is not talking about literal adultery,

Though that is a part of it.

He is talking about all forms of spiritual adultery,

Any type of unfaithfulness to God.

This is tapping into the OT language regarding Israel’s relationship with God.

But James isn’t even saying that a covenant relationship with the world is the only form of unfaithfulness,

He says just having a friendship with the world is not being faithful to God.

In fact, he says,

Friendship with the world is enmity—hostility toward God.

Because it is a friendship with that which is opposed to God.

Friendship with the world is not God-centered,

It is that self-centeredness we talked about already.

Because the world lies,

Saying it can give you your desires and passions,

It appeals to your sinful selfish nature.

And when you pursue this friendship,

You make yourself an enemy of God.

But friendship with God is a better friendship.

He doesn’t just say whatever,

And leave you as an enemy.

He loves you too much for that.

In fact, Romans 5:8 says,

Romans 5:8 ESV

but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Why?

Why would God do this?

Why would He do this for you?

For me?

For us all?

James answers this question,

With his own question.

In vs. 5,

He asks,

Do you think it is without reason,

That Scripture says,

“He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”?

Now, James is not technically quoting a passage,

But he is combining several OT passages into a single idea.

In Ex. 20:5, God says,

Exodus 20:5 (ESV)

You shall not bow down to [idols] or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God,

Similarly, Deut. 4:24 says,

Deuteronomy 4:24 ESV

For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.

So, we understand that God is a jealous God.

And after creating us in His image,

Giving us value and worth as His image bearers.

He breathed the spirit of life into us.

But after Eve trusted in the wisdom of the devil,

And humankind fell into sin,

There were consequences.

For example,

God said in Gen. 6:3,

Genesis 6:3 ESV

Then the Lord said, “My Spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years.”

But, as James says here,

God yearns jealously over the life He has breathed into us,

Despite the consequences of our sin causing death.

This is not the same type of envy James was talking about earlier,

This is a righteous jealousy,

And God has this strong and persistent righteous jealousy and desire,

For friendship with us that produces life in us again.

That is why He demonstrates His love for us,

By sending Christ to die for us while we are sinners.

Slide

James is not done pointing us to this better friendship.

In vs. 6,

He quotes Prov. 3:34 to show us the gracious character and nature of God,

A infinitely better friend.

Despite our friendship with the world,

Despite the conflict and quarrels our evil hearts cause,

Despite the greatness of our sin,

God gives more grace.

Yes, God opposes the proud,

But He gives grace to the humble.

This is James’s main point,

From which all his commands to us follow.

God’s grace is powerful enough to overcome our unfaithfulness.

Therefore, James calls us to repent,

To humble ourselves.

This is why he quotes this proverb here.

Because the idea of opposition here is a military term.

It describes an army standing ready for battle.

So, if you remain in your sinful pride,

Keep pursuing your friendship with the world,

Then you are asking God to take up arms in battle against you.

And that is foolishness.

But in contrast to this,

God will give grace to the humble.

So, in light of this,

James issues a series of commands centered around the idea of repentance and forgiveness.

The first, and most encompassing command,

Is to submit yourselves to God.

True submission requires a willing act of trusting God and accepting His authority.

Because the reality is,

We are under His authority whether we submit to it or not.

So, to submit better,

You must willingly obey Him,

You must humble yourself,

You must rely on Him.

From this command,

James seems to just rapid-fire the next several commands.

Next, resist the devil.

This compliments the command to submit to God.

I say compliment because Satan is not equal in power or authority to God.

Satan is powerful,

Way more powerful than us!

But he is not invincible.

So, when you actively resist against temptation,

You are putting on the armor of God,

And in response,

Satan will flee from you,

To avoid God.

This is the unseen battle going on in each and everyone of us right now.

If you came in today,

Having an unseen internal battle,

You are not alone.

This battle is going on right now in each and every one of us.

And resisting the devil often doesn’t feel good in the moment.

A sinful temptation comes to mind,

And as you resist it,

Your thoughts can start to feel out of control,

Your stomach can feel like it is knots,

You can feel shortness of breath.

There are a variety of not-good feelings you can experience in that moment.

And Satan wants to take that resistance and say,

“See, just give in to what you really want,

It is not worth it to resist.”

But that unpleasant feeling is evidence of God’s yearning jealousy for you,

His love for you,

His desire for friendship with you.

Because His Spirit is with you in that moment,

His Spirit is stirring resistance to the devil in that moment.

So, let that momentary discomfort,

Stir in you better thanks,

Better worship,

And better friendship with God!

That is what James is saying in vs. 8.

Not just to resist the devil,

But to draw near to God.

Come close,

God invites you near,

Rely on Him,

Trust in Him.

Next, James says to cleanse your hands,

You sinners.

Change from your sinful state to a state of righteousness,

By repenting in Christ’s Name.

This is something that happens at the heart level.

Therefore, James says,

Purify your hearts,

You double-minded.

He continues in vs. 9,

Be wretched,

Mourn and weep,

Let your laughter be turned to mourning,

And your joy to gloom.

This is the idea of genuine repentance,

Mourning over your sins.

Slide

Therefore, in vs. 10,

James ends his series of commands centered on repentance,

With the command to humble yourselves before the Lord,

And He will exalt you.

This is another idea Jesus taught.

And it is the path to receiving forgiveness from God,

That pours over into reconciliation with others.

YOU (Response):

Slide

Our passage ends with James circling back to what we talked about last week,

Evil speech.

His point is how friendship with the world will continue to feed conflict,

That will manifest this evil speech against one another.

James is addressing a critical spirit,

That seeks out fault in others,

Maliciously judges them,

Then uses slander against them.

James’ point comes full circle,

Because this type of behavior flows out of the envy and selfish ambition James condemned from the start.

His point is that speaking like this reflects the work of Satan.

I mean,

The word for devil literally means slanderer.

So, James condemns slander,

Because it destroys fellowship,

It breaks the royal law.

Because instead of being a doer of the law,

You are putting yourself in the place of being the judge over the law.

This is what you are doing when you speak in an accusatory way against another believer,

You are not just speaking against that person,

You are ultimately speaking against God and His gospel.

You are setting yourself above God and His law.

But James warns in vs. 12,

That there is only one lawgiver and one judge,

The One who is able to save and to destroy.

Only the One who gave the law,

Is able to judge according to the law.

His point is that there are never grounds for critical speech directed toward another.

That is why he asks,

Who are you to judge your neighbor?

Similarly, Paul asked in Romans 14:4,

Romans 14:4 ESV

Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand.

Slide

WE (Paint a picture of the future):

So, instead of exalting ourselves to the place of judge,

Which happens when we pursue worldly wisdom,

And friendship with the world.

James says to humble ourselves,

Repent,

And Submit better.

And when we submit better,

It is because we pursue better wisdom,

And a better friendship.

Friendship with God.

Pray.