The Cure

Introduction

Alice Ball was an African American chemist who developed the first successful treatment for those suffering from Hansen’s disease (leprosy). Ball was also the very first African American and the first woman to graduate with a M.S. degree in chemistry from the College of Hawaii (now known as the University of Hawaii). Tragically, Ball died at the young age of 24. During her brief lifetime, she did not get to see the full impact of her discovery. It was not until years after her death that Ball got the proper credit she deserved.

Due to an accident of inhaling chlorine gas Alice Ball was unable to see the fruits of her study and labor dying tragically at the age of 24. Nonetheless, she will be heralded forever for finding the cure, even when people tried to steal credit for her discovery, we can credit Alice Ball for healing Hansen’s disease also known as leprosy.

As Christians we are exposed to a disease and that disease is sin, to be quite honest as it pertains to sin the first step to that cure is humility. Humility is the cure to worldliness. Ask yourself am I humble enough to submit to God? Do have the faith to surrender? Are you tired of hitting brick wall after brick wall? At some point we ought to get tired of finding out the hard way.

The practical purpose of this epistle was relevant then just like it is today. The overall goal was to strengthen Christians undergoing trial. In some regard we all have differences but in the grand scheme of life there are some things that impact everyone no matter who you are.

Temptation - James 1:13–14“Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.”

Law - we all have a standard, there is a sense of holiness and righteousness that God expects from us.

Faith - Faith plays an important role for each and everyone of us as we matriculate through life. Faith has the power to allow us to push through the toughest trials and the lack of faith has pushed the strongest of people and the most gifted humans to give up on life.

The Relational Impact of Submission

Our theme for the young adult conference is “Intimacy with God”. Closeness to God is truly dependent upon our ability to position ourselves under his mighty hand of power. It’s not about missing out on life. Submission to God is a form of protection! You aren’t missing out on anything. When we realize that the sole goal of the enemy is to kill us it should prompt us to depend on God is a greater way.

For starters submission in this text is an act of humility. A reference of similarity we see in Proverbs 3:34 “Surely He scorns the scornful, But gives grace to the humble.”

God has the power to grant grace to the humble. The first step to submission to God is resisting the devil. Submission is resisting! The intimacy with God we are seeking requires space. Have you ever been trying to have an important conversation with someone and a third party continues to interrupt and so the points you wanted to get across you could no longer get across because that person seems to find their points more valid than the purpose of your conversation. That’s the devil, he’s an interrupter, he’s a distractor. As we try to grow closer to God he puts temptation right in the purview of God in your life.

Submission is the medicine that coupled with the exercise of humility can lead to a closer relationship with God. It’s similar to being prescribed medication for a health issue. The medicine is an aid but at some point we have to make conscious life choices to get us to a greater place of health. Friends and family submission is more than acts and traditions, it’s more than perfect attendance and a two week streak on the Bible app it’s truly adding to our spiritual strength by resisting the one whose only goal is to kill, steal and destroy.

A Close Relationship Requires Self Discipline

Understand that self-discipline and repentance are lifelong practices for every believer. Just because your temptation doesn’t look like mine does not mean it’s any easier. Each and every one of us regardless of age fall into sin. Sin’s purpose is to undermine faith and my relationship with God.

Submission and repentance and go hand in hand! Submission is a position of protection! One of the challenges of living in the Midwest and here in Texas is tornados, in the midwest we have basements and when tornados hit the ground no matter how comfortable our bed is we have to go to the basement to protect ourselves from the eminent threat.

The fear of missing out is going to push a lot of us to a place of condemnation. Here’s the eye opening part about gratifying the flesh, there is no gray area, either we are submitting or we are opposing. When we give in to the flesh we disregard our opportunity to have a relationship with God instead of resisting the devil like we are commanded to.

You Have to Resist the Craftiness of Satan

The reason the enemy is able to trap so many people is people really do not understand how dangerous the enemy is. Resist is a strong word! Resist in this text means to actively oppose pressure or power! Resist in a number of contexts means to fight back against or to oppose in return.

Ephesians 6:13 “Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”

When we give in to Satan we essentially resist the everlasting power and comfort of the Holy Spirit to be a guide and a protectorate for the people of God.

Acts 7:51 ““You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you.”

His Character and Influence

The challenging part about resistance is we fight two battles in one. We have to resist devil in itself and the influences of the devil that exist around us. Humility is great in nature but healing does not cause the devil to flee, what causes the devil to flee is resistance.

James set the stage accordingly by giving the same attributes to God as it pertains to our character of humility versus pride. God resist the proud, but gives grace to those that are humble. In the same vein, God expects us to submit to him and resist the one who desires to kill us. How sinister is it that the devil uses tools of physical enjoyment as a method to kill us and destroy our faith.

Here’s where the power of Jesus enters the chat, Jesus died so that we would be free from the bondage of sin, His sacrifice gives us the power of conquering. Understand that evil does not have the ability to force you to do anything but evil is dependent on human will and the more we resist the greater the community becomes. We need more people to show grace, kindness, and peace! The more characteristics of God we show the greater the world becomes and the closer we become to God. Do you want to know why you have the victory! it’s because the devil has no power to fight back! If he is consciously resisted in submission to God he cannot fight back and he must flee!

See this brings a little more power to Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

I can resist the devil, I can say no to temptation because my trust in the Lord! It may be challenging, it may be difficult, but I know when I resist the devil he has no choice but to flee! He’s has no power of me, he cannot overtake me, my power rest in the Lord!

Draw Near to God

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.”

One of the greatest parts of God is His promises. The promises of God give us space to depend on him so much more!

When we draw near to God, He draws near to us! It’s a process that requires patience! To draw is the process of coming near, as long as I live I’m striving to get as close to God as possible! I’m trying to be as close to God as possible and anything that gets in the way of me being close to God I have to remove!

Don’t lose a game you are supposed to win because of pride! No matter how successful you deem yourself to be, understand that the devil is a dangerous specimen and anytime we recognize the acts of the enemy it’s time to resist!

The Charge

It’s time to clean up our act! “Clean your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts”!

Sin has pushed some of us to make a mess of life it’s time we recognize the mess we have made and take the necessary steps to cleaning it up! Understand that if God gave you the power to recognize your mistakes the grace that is apparent is the fact that He’s given us an opportunity to get things right with Him!

Here’s where we miss the point, we get this out of order! we think we have to be cleaned up before we submit to God, to be honest your life is never going to be cleaned up unless you submit! This analogy resonated with jewish converts because they understood the fact that ritual purity was required for worshippers and priest at the temple! Understand that God has you in this place because He’s already chosen you, so let us make the most of our choice and submit to his will!

God chose you! God loves you!

John 13:8 If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.””

See we try to do Jesus’ job for us! There’s no way we can clean ourselves! Jesus has the power to do that! Stop trying to do the job of Jesus and just submit! Devote yourselves to righteousness, submit to the will of God and dedicate your life to the cause of Christ!

Understand that our hands and our hearts are reflections of each other! What we do and what we give in to is a reflection of what we have purposed in our heart! Unless our heart and the will of God comes together in close relation we will never overcome the devil!

James (2) Exercising for Humility (4:7–10)

Attacking that which pollutes the heart will remove that which divides the mind. The means for this attack against the self that leads to gracious relation with God

Harold Lindsell once stated ““It is right for the church to be in the world; it is wrong for the world to be in the church. A boat in water is good; that is what boats are for. However, water inside the boat causes it to sink.”

Warren W. Wiersbe, With the Word Bible Commentary (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1991), Jas 4.

The cross was a sacrifice of resistance so that we could overcome the power of SIN! The cure to overcoming sin is the humility to admit that I cannot do this without an intimate relationship with God!