Guard Your Words with Godly Wisdom

Introduction

Good morning. I praise and thank God for each of you. God has blessed us with this fellowship of believers and, moreover, with His words that will give us counsel today. May God grant us understanding and clarity as we dive deep into His Word this morning and lead us in our worship of Him.

Welcome back to our series in the book of James. Please open your bibles and we will be reading from chapter 3, verse 13, to chapter 4, verse 6. Let’s all please stand and read this passage together.

Prayer

Almighty Heavenly Father,

We give thanks to You for the power and life found in Your eternal words. Truly, O Lord, Your words provide us with the sustenance, strength, and supplication that we need. Your words are like precious, rare jewels that cannot be contained, numbered, or valued by the currency of this world.

Father, we confess and repent of our sins before You. We acknowledge the constant struggle with our tongues that continue to defy You as its Creator. We are prone to rely on our corrupted judgment and wisdom. We easily speak hurtful and offensive words, and we are vulnerable to the spirit of bitterness rather than grace. Oh Father, we need Your help against the power of our tongues.

May we find You as the source of our peace rather than pursuing the fruits of bitter jealousy and selfish ambitions.

Father, as we study Your words, please grant us hearts of understanding. Illuminate our path with the brightness of Your word. Give us hearts of understanding and clarity through the Holy Spirit to know what You want us to hear this morning, so that we may follow them in our walk with You while we sojourn in this world.

Grant us, Father, Your blessings, and guidance.

We ask this in the mighty name of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Amen.

Guard Your Words with Godly Wisdom

Propositional Statement

Our goal this morning is to understand how Godly wisdom can guard our lips. By applying the wisdom given by God, we can reflect, pause, and consider our words before we speak. I want God’s word to reveal and expose the sinfulness of our corrupted motives and, moreover, to magnify His grace despite our failings, so that He will receive the honour and glory.

· Godly Wisdom Filters Our Speech v1

· Godly Wisdom Exposes Our Motives v2-5

· Godly Wisdom Magnifies God’s Grace v6

1 Godly Wisdom Filters Our Speech v1

James 4:1

1 From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?

In this passage, James continues his interrogation, which he began in chapter 3:13 with the word “Who”: “Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you?” And we determined from God’s word that none of us is wise and endued with knowledge. That’s why we need God for wisdom.

Now, in chapter 4 verse 1, he poses a new rhetorical question, that challenges what the Jewish Christians are presently engaging with in their heart, starting with the word “What”.

Have a look at the beginning of verse 1 chapter 4 as James address the worldly behaviour of this Jewish assembly.

“From whence come wars and fightings among you?”

Or in other words, “What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you?”

In our previous message, we learned how volatile and unpredictable our tongue is. Despite its small size, it can gain full control over us and even influence others. It has a duplicitous and unnatural ability to both bless and curse.

James posed this question to offer a wise, faith-applied solution to the tongue's volatile power because this question serves as a filter: "What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you?"

Beloved, is this the first question you ask yourselves before you speak with your spouse, with your children, with each other in this assembly, with your friends, families, and colleagues at work? Are you slow to speak by filtering your words with this question? I’m sure it rarely, if ever, crosses our minds. Typically, our initial question is, "Who’s at fault?" We quickly assume the role of judges, eager to assign blame to others with our selfish and corrupted judgement.

And we see in this question, James continues to expand and elaborate his previous exhortation.

In chapter 3 verse 15, James distinguishes between two sources of wisdom. He explains that wisdom characterized by bitter jealousy and selfish ambition does not come from above; instead, it is worldly, it is not spiritual, and is of the devil.

On the other hand, James identifies another wisdom that originates from above as pure wisdom. This pure wisdom embodies qualities such as peace, gentleness, openness to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial, and sincere. James concludes in chapter 3 verse 18 that those who pursue pure wisdom of righteousness would harvest abundant and lasting peace. Loved ones, how do you respond and react? Do you apply a filtering question before you speak? Do you first ask yourself, "What is the source of this wisdom? Where am I drawing from?"

So the answer to James’s question and what seemed to be a sudden change of subject becomes clear when we reflect on his earlier rebuke.

- In chapter 1, James rebukes them for being only hearers of God’s word rather than doers.

- In chapter 2, James rebukes them for their sin of partiality and unfair treatment of the poor and their very own brethren, which contradicts the faith they claim to have.

- In chapter 3, James rebukes their aspirations to be masters of word while their tongues remain uncontrollable, uncontainable, and non-conforming.

What is the point of James’s question in this verse? James addresses the worldliness in which the Jewish Christians are living, pointing out that their lives do not reflect the faith they claim to have, thus rendering it valueless—what James calls a dead faith. The wisdom they are applying in their lives is neither from above nor filtered through the critical question James poses, revealing immaturity in faith and worldliness in behaviour.

He answered his own rhetorical question with another rhetorical question, have a look at the middle of chapter 4 verse 1: James 4:1

“come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?”

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

James identifies the source of conflict among them: "your lusts, your pleasures." This means the source is not from above; it originates from within them. They are the cause of quarrels and conflicts. James is proving his earlier exhortation about the two sources of wisdom. Since it didn’t come from above, it must be the fruit of bitter jealousy and selfish ambition. It is earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. James says, “You are the source.”

The uncontrolled power of the tongue, driven by worldly wisdom, leads to two fruits of bitter jealousy and selfish ambition, which are not of the spirit but of the lust within.

Conversely, pure wisdom from above produces seven fruits.

2 fruits not from above. 7 fruits from above. Do you realise how much we sacrifice and miss out on to satisfy the desires of our lusts?

Friends and loved ones, do you understand that when we sin, we forfeit blessings that lead to peace? We are a shortsighted and stubborn people. In our pursuit of satisfying our earthly desires—lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh, and pride of life—we willingly commit this grave sin against God, reaping only restless evil and poisonous fruits compared to fruits of pure wisdom that produce peace of God, peace with God and peace that passes all understanding.

Beloved, sin is deceiving us. We are being misled and robbed by sin, and the devastating reality is that not only do we indulge in temporary pleasures, but we also cherish and find satisfaction in them.

This is why James exhorts the Jewish Christian church to approach God in faith and ask Him for wisdom that leads to the purest joy in times of testing. This is why we need God. This is why we need to apply our faith. This is why we need to act upon the wisdom we have received from God.

Friends, please listen. Have you received the grace of God to commune with Him and ask for the wisdom that leads to peace?

If you believe you have the freedom to approach God simply because you can by your own will, you are mistaken. Access to God is only through Christ. Unless you have Christ, you cannot go to God freely.

The defining test to authenticate whether your faith is genuine is peace in the midst of testing. If you lack peace when facing tests, if you lack peace when you doubt your salvation, if you lack peace because you fear your sin is greater than His grace, if you lack peace about death and beyond, or if you lack peace knowing that Christ will soon return, alarm bells should be going off in your heart.

Place your hope and trust in God! Repent, turn to Him, and find salvation from sin and deliverance from this sinful life. True, lasting peace is only possible in Christ.

I urge you, dear Christian, to apply the wisdom of God that comes from above, which is pure, good, and perfect, by avoiding the wisdom that originates from within and is controlled by your own lusts.

We must be guided by the critical question that serves to slow our speech and filter our words: "What is the source?" If our speech is not guided by God's wisdom, we risk speaking from a place of earthly wisdom, leading to conflict and strife. Let us strive with God’s guidance to ensure our words are always influenced by divine wisdom, bringing peace and righteousness into our lives and relationships.

2 Godly Wisdom Exposes Our Motives v2-5

James 4:2–5

2 Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.

3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.

4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.

5 Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?

I want to direct your attention to the punctuation and sentence structure of verses 2 and 3, as this presents a challenge for translators. To assist with this, on the printed note with a block diagram I handed out, I’ve added the word “so” in parentheses to help us better understand how the sentences are structured and which part of the sentence is James’s asserted results.

And as you can see, James makes four assertions to expose the worldly, selfish and self-centred motives of the Jewish Christians.

His first assertion is found in the beginning of verse 2. “Ye lust, and have not:”

He begins with the word "you" in each of his assertion to clearly identify the source of their fights and quarrels, placing the blame squarely on them.

Their conflicts stem from their own desires and lusts, not from divine wisdom. This selfishness is the root cause of their problems, and James emphasizes that this worldly wisdom, which leads to strife, did not come from above but originated from their own hearts.

James holds the Jewish Christians accountable for their behaviour. Their quarrels and conflicts are a direct result of their self-centeredness and lack of godly wisdom. By highlighting their personal responsibility, James challenges them to recognize the need for transformation and to seek the wisdom that comes from above, which promotes peace and righteousness.

The word "lust" or "desire" is often associated with affections, which can have either a positive or negative sense.

An example of a positive sense of desire is found in:

1 Timothy 3:1.

“1 This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.”

It is a noble desire of the believer who aspires to serve the office of a bishop or elder, that Paul tells Timothy, this man desires a good work and that desire is a noble desire.

But there’s also the negative sense of desire and this example is found in

Matthew 5:28

“28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.”

This lust or covetousness suggests a strong, insatiable, and unhealthy desire. James concludes that when a lustful person cannot fulfill their sinful desires—whether it be gaining prestige as masters of words or acquiring authoritative power—the resulting frustration can lead to destructive behaviour towards themselves and others. What is James’s asserted result or consequence of an unfulfilled lust? It leads to "murder." “So ye kill.”

Murder is such a shocking and unexpected result. Does unfulfilled lust truly lead to murder? We see examples of this with Cain and Abel, where Cain's jealousy and unfulfilled desires led him to kill his brother. Similarly, the men of Sodom, even after being struck with blindness, continued to grope their way in an effort to satisfy their lustful desires with the angels at Lot’s house. We also know of Joseph and his brothers, who, driven by jealousy, sold Joseph as a slave and lied to their father, claiming he was killed.

James uses the word "kill" in a metaphorical (symbolic) sense to illustrate the seriousness and gravity of this lust. And how unchecked and insatiable desires can lead to extreme and destructive actions.

This echoes the Savior’s words in Christ’s Sermon on the Mount, where He asserted that lusting yet not having leads to murder.

Matthew 5:21–22

21 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:

22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment:and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.

So James is echoing the words of the Savior, stating that being angry with a brother without a cause carries the same consequence as murder.

James’s second assertion is found in the middle of verse 2:

"and (ye) desire to have, and cannot obtain."

With these words, James continues to expand and explain his previous statements in:

James 3:14:

"But if ye have bitter envying (jealousy) and strife (selfish ambition) in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth."

James 3:16:

"For where envying and strife are, there is confusion (lawless chaos) and every evil work."

James highlights that their lusts are driven by selfishness. God's wisdom exposes their true motives, which are solely to serve themselves. This assertion displays the awful and evil effects of a self-serving focus on the god of self, leading to usurping God’s authority and acts of evil. The pursuit of fulfilling their selfish desires is in stark contrast to seeking God's wisdom, which would bring peace and righteousness.

What’s the result of bitter jealousy and covetousness? Look at the middle of verse 2.

“(so) ye fight and war”

Removing God from the stronghold of our heart and supplanting Him with lust would lead to absolute anarchy and chaos.

A self-serving desire that only fulfills lust leads to fights and quarrels. Selfishness serves lusts, resulting in uncontrolled, unrestrained, and non-conforming tongues. When selfishness drives our actions, it inevitably causes conflict and strife among us. James emphasizes that this selfishness is at the heart of their disputes and highlights the destructive power of a self-centred focus.

James’s third assertion at the end of verse 2 says, “yet ye have not, because ye ask not.”

What was James’s exhortation in James 1:5? James 1:5

“5 If any of you lack wisdom, (imperative) let him ask of God,”

The reason they do not have is because they did not ask. Let us take note here that the word "ask" in “because ye ‘ask’ not," is a verb in the present tense, suggesting that they must ask continually or persistently.

What is James's assertion pointing to? They didn't dare to ask God because they knew their desires were rooted in selfishness and lust, not in seeking God's glory. They understood that what they wanted would not honour God but would only serve to fulfill their own lustful cravings. This reluctance to ask highlights their awareness that their motives were self-serving and thus unworthy of God's granting.

Then of course, there are those in the Jewish assembly, people who would argue and claim that they have been praying, they have been asking but God is not listening.

Have a look at verse 3 to see how James’s answer this objection.

James 4:3

“3 Ye ask, and (so) receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.”

James explains why God will not answer such prayer and he highlights why, he said “because ye ask amiss”. Again he puts the blame squarely on to them. You asked with a selfish self-serving motive.

People who rely solely on their own understanding, judgment, righteousness, and merit will not ask God for His good and perfect gifts. They do not ask for things to magnify God's goodness and grace or to honour Him. Why? James says at the end of verse 3, “that ye may consume it upon your lusts.”

My loved ones, this is why the prosperity gospel is not just theologically incorrect but also sinful. People who believe they can name and claim blessings because God has promised prosperity, health, and wealth are in sin. They treat God as a genie to be manipulated for their own self-gratification and self-satisfaction. Such motives are rooted in selfishness and self-centeredness, not in a genuine desire to honour and glorify God.

James exposes their motives and calls the Jewish assembly an adulterous people. Take a look at verse 4.

4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.

Why did James brand them as an adulterous assembly, such a harsh judgment? Because adultery is a sin against a marriage covenant. James used the term symbolically, as Jewish Christians understand it as spiritual unfaithfulness, a betrayal.

Didn't they claim to have faith? Didn't they claim to be saved by the law of liberty? Didn't they claim to have fellowship with God and worship Him? Yet here they are, consumed by their own lust, desiring only to fulfill the cravings of their hearts. This church, symbolizing the bride of Christ, is unfaithful to her groom.

Therefore, James poses this symbolic and rhetorical question in the middle of verse 4.

“know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God?”

Beloved, do you see how God's wisdom reveals the selfish motives of this assembly? A relationship with God is a complete, perfect, and pure bond between God and His people, between Father and His children, and, in the context of this Jewish assembly, between the Bridegroom and His bride.

There is no concept of a de facto relationship with God for Christians. We cannot profess allegiance as bond servants to God while also serving the world.

In our present time, when we use the term "friends," it often denotes a casual or even superficial acquaintance. However, the friendship to which James refers entails a bond between individuals who share values, loyalties, beliefs, and experiences. This implies a profound connection, as friends rely on one another, confide in each other, and share all aspects of life—not only the joys but also the challenges and difficulties.

When James declares that friendship with the world is enmity or hostility with God, it carries significant weight, this is serious. This signifies a deep-seated animosity. This friendship with the world, which opposes and is against God, is the highest betrayal of God’s faithfulness, loyalty, mercy, and grace. Therefore, their act of friendship with the world is an act of hostility against God.

And so James exhorts and question these Jewish Christians because their worldliness shows they've turned against God and are okay with things God hates.

James draws a logical conclusion based on these four assertions, look at the end of verse 4. James 4:4

“whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world (what’s the implication?) is the enemy of God.”

I want you to note the words “will be.” This is not just wishful thinking. It indicates that a decision has been made to choose to be a friend of the world and an enemy of God.

In this person’s heart, he has decided not only to be in a neutral relationship with God but has ultimately removed God from the stronghold of his heart and replaced Him with his own desires. He has usurped God’s authority and supplanted His rule with his own lust.

James concludes that lust leading to murder is of the world. Envy that leads to fights and quarrels is of the world. Not going to God and asking for His blessings is of the world. Asking God with wrong motives is of the world. Applying worldly things and identifying with the world is friendship with the world.

Friendship with the world symbolizes adultery.

Friendship with the world is an act of hostility against God.

Loved ones, please pay close attention to this.

A man declaring hostility against God is like a piece of dirt being hostile to its Creator. How foolish is that?

James says that a person who becomes friends with the world makes themselves an enemy of God. It is God who declares hostility against those who befriend the world. If God is not the object of our love, and we instead turn away from Him to pursue fallen, corrupt, and sinful worldly values, this, my loved ones, is betrayal and unfaithfulness, and therefore spiritual adultery.

Matthew 6:24 says,

“No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”

That’s why I said in my previous message that the duplicitous nature of our tongue, which blesses and curses, should concern and bother us because it’s not natural. We, as God’s church, His bride, must not fall into the sinful idea that we can have intimate fellowship with God while setting our hearts on the things of this world. This, my loved ones, is spiritual adultery.

I want us to pause for a moment and reflect and take in those four verses, as they are like James hammering nails loudly, clearly, and forcefully into their hearts.

After explaining that bitter envy and selfish desires are worldly, corrupted wisdom and spiritual adultery, James changes his tone from harsh judgment to a heartfelt appeal to the Jewish Christians in verse 5.

James 4:5

“5 Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?”

James begins with the words “Do you think.” Just as he clearly states that their sin originated from within them and that they are the source, James appeals to their proven and tested experience. He directs them back to God’s word, where the pure wisdom of peace, gentleness, humility, mercy, good fruits, impartiality, and sincerity is found. He points them back to the scriptures as this is the source they should be drawing from.

I want you to remember that. James is talking to believers who have proven and tested the faithfulness and pure wisdom of God’s word.

Unlike the duplicitous nature of the tongue, God’s word is unchanging; it’s the authority, the source, the fountain of spring that faithfully produces unblemished, untarnished, true, and faithful wisdom. They know this.

He asks, “Do you think the Scripture speaks without reason? Does the word of God speak to no purpose?” What does the Scripture speak of without any purpose? Look at the following line in verse 5 “The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?”

If we carefully study whether James is quoting or alluding to an Old Testament Scripture, we’ll find that there is no specific passage in the Old or New Testament. In other words, James is not quoting or alluding to any particular passage of Scripture. Rather, James is essentially saying, "Don’t you realize that your selfish and worldly behaviour proves what Scripture teaches, that the old sinful nature tends to be envious?"

Loved ones, do you understand that bitter envy and selfish ambition are not just earthly wisdom, not spiritual, and inspired by the devil, but are the very sinful nature we keep returning to? Our old sinful nature is the cause, the origin, the source we draw from when we quarrel and have conflicts with others. It is also the cause of our spiritual adultery against God.

James is highlighting that, although the pure wisdom of God is readily available for us to draw from and apply in our lives, we are like a dog returning to its vomit, finding pleasure and satisfaction in sin. Sin not only deceives us, but sin is also ripping us off. We have nothing within us to carry us through and give us strength against the deception of sin.

Loved ones, do you see how God’s wisdom exposes the sinful motives of our old nature? His words illuminate our darkened hearts and brings to us His amazing grace found in verse 6.

3 Godly Wisdom Magnifies God’s grace v6

James 4:6

6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.

I love the turnaround in this verse. This is where our hope is found and where we can anchor ourselves.

After James repeatedly hammers them with rebukes, pointing out that the source of their sin is their sinful desires and that God is hostile against the sins of envy, self-centeredness, and worldliness, he makes a stark contrast. It's like lighting a darkened heart with the brightness of God’s word: God gives more grace!

Despite our sinful nature, despite our tendency to sin against God, despite our willingness to choose corrupted wisdom over God’s pure wisdom, despite our bitter envy and selfish ambitions, God gives more grace!

Beloved, please listen carefully and put these things in your heart.

God’s grace is greater than the wisdom of this world!

Where bitter envy and selfish ambition exist, God’s grace is greater!

When there’s quarrels and conflicts between people, God’s grace is greater!

When there is lust, envy, or not going to God, or asking God with the wrong motives, God’s grace is greater!

Praise God, my beloved! Write this in your hearts: God gives more grace than we deserve! What more can you ask for? Why continue drawing from the wisdom of this world? Why would you find lust, selfishness, and worldliness more satisfying when God’s grace is greater, and He lavishes it abundantly on you!

James previously says in chapter 2 verse 13 that God’ mercy triumphs over God’s judgement.

We who rightfully deserve the justice of God have been spared because God poured His wrath on His own Son instead on us. He judged His Son, the sinless, pure and holy One and treated Him as if He’s the one who sinned.

And now, we see here the Godly wisdom of God magnifies His grace.

We don’t deserve His mercy. We don’t deserve His love and unfailing kindness. We don’t deserve His grace, but He gives it freely, He gives it abundantly, His grace is constant, never waning, and never failing. His generosity goes beyond what we deserved.

James quotes

Proverbs 3:34

“34 Surely he scorneth the scorners: But he giveth grace unto the lowly.”

Loved ones, our hope lies in the grace of God. And because God’s grace is greater than our sin, God’s grace would also oppose those who are proud.

In other words, if we are consumed with lusts, if we willingly choose our desire over God, that’s pride consuming our hearts. And if pride consumes our hearts, God’s word says “God resisteth the proud,”

The word "resisteth" means to oppose. God's opposition to the sin of pride is so strong that the imagery here is of God in full battle array, fully armed, and completely ready for battle, poised to oppose the sin of pride.

Just as God’s grace is greater, His judgment against sin will not hold back, because pride is the most fundamental and basic of all sins. It was pride that caused Satan to rebel against God. It was pride that led the people to build the Tower of Babel.

And this is interesting here. The concept of pride in Hebrew is often expressed symbolically by height. And the word arrogance is often associated with pride. Satan used the term “I will be like the most High”. That’s arrogance and pride. The people who built the tower of Babel also said let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth. That’s arrogance and pride.

My loved ones, when we align ourselves with the sinful values of this world that oppose God, don’t be fooled! It is not a neutral act; it is an act of hostility against God.

Proverbs 6:16–17

“16 These six things doth the LORD hate: Yea, seven are an abomination unto him:

17 A proud look, a lying tongue, And hands that shed innocent blood,”

God hates the sin of pride so much that He puts it first on His list, followed by lying (which again refers to the power of our tongue) and then murder.

He considers them an abomination, a defilement, and detestable unto Him.

Do you see what James is doing here? He is describing a proud man as someone who is not just defying God and being self-centred, but as someone who is lifting himself up like the Most High.

A proud man finds no use for God in his life and sets himself up to be worshipped. Therefore, he becomes God’s enemy. God opposes him and is ready to war with him. He will bring down this proud man and put him in his place, under His feet.

And then James concludes with another turn around. Look at the end of verse 6.

James 4:6

“but giveth grace unto the humble.”

What a wonderful truth we find in God’s word.

The first foundation that Christ laid on His Sermon on the mount

Matthew 5:3

“3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

John MacArthur says in his commentary on James.

Just as pride is the root of all sin, so humility is the root of all righteousness.

James echoes the Saviour’s word in Matthew 23:12

Matthew 23:12

“12 And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.”

My loved ones, do you see that God’s wisdom magnifies His grace? When we no longer seek after the things of this world, when we find bitter envy and selfish ambition repugnant and abhor them as God does, when we do away with lust and the desires of our flesh, when sin no longer attracts and satisfies us, that, my beloved, is when God is working in your heart, sanctifying you, setting you apart from this world, and maturing you for His glory.

God’s mercy and grace are poured upon you as He changes you from being His enemy to being His friend.

Conclusion Application

Prayer

Father Almighty,

We give You all the glory and praise. We worship You for Your unfailing and faithful kindness, mercy, and grace.

Father, please move our hearts toward holiness and righteousness. Give us, O Father, the spirit to resist bitter envy, pride, and worldliness. Equip us with Your words, and grant us the spirit of discernment to see and recognize sin approaching so that we may flee from it and pursue You and Your wisdom instead. Let us not rely on our wisdom but default to Yours.

Father, we thank You that Your grace is greater than our sin. How marvelous it is, exceeding and abundant, leading us to everlasting peace.

Be with us, O Father, as we meditate upon Your words. May we dwell on them throughout the week, finding strength and comfort in them.

We magnify You and give You all our worship.

We pray these things in the name of our Saviour, Jesus Christ.

Amen.