James 4:1-12; A Just War

Introduction

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https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/america-at-war-introduction-180971014/

According to the Smithsonian Magazine, the USA has been in some form of armed conflict 93.5% from 1775 to 2018. It really is part of being American, isn’t it? Roughly 13% of our federal budget goes to our military. We have become the world police. We are used to being in war and conflict.

But this is exactly what Jesus promised his disciples. Jesus said that there will be wars and rumors of wars until the end. Unfortunately, war and conflict are inevitable parts of the fallen world.

Thankfully, we are not minute men that must fight an invading army at a moments moment. However, we cannot be free from all confrontations.

Parents and spouses know that in this life, “You have to pick you battles.”

Need

As Christians, we are in community with our brothers and sisters in Christ. This means there will fights, scrimmages, and even sometimes literal or figurative wars between believers. We need to know what is a “just war”. What is worth going to war over.

Referent

James 4:1-12

Organization

Deadly Passions (vs. 1-5)

Godly Humility (vs. 6-12)

Sermon in a sentence:

I will fight against my passions for humility.

Deadly Passions (vs. 1-5)

James has been coming back to the same ideas again and again throughout his letter. Last week, James told us about two kinds of wisdom: demonic and divine wisdom.

The demonic wisdom leads to disorder and vile practices. In our text this week, James is going to tell us about the wars and fighting among the people of God.

(vs. 1) “your passions are at war within in you - among your members - just like James 3:6

James 3:6 ESV

6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell.

The passions and preferences of these church members have created warfare among the people of God.

There are many disagreements in the church that are legitimate. There can be disagreements on what paint would look best. There can be disagreements on which company to hire for repairs. There are so many decisions that need to be made that there will always be opportunity for rational disagreements. However, James is telling his listeners that they have fallen into fighting and murder because of the passions they have. That argument really wasn’t about the paint color, it was really about how was the power to make that decision.

2. (vs. 2) James says that these passions have caused some believers to murder their brothers and sisters.

Contextually, I don’t believe James is saying they literally ended the lives of their fellow church members.

Like his older brother, Jesus, James is saying that hatred and fighting among the saints is like murder.

Matthew 5:21–22 ESV

21 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ 22 But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.

1 John 3:11–12 ESV

11 For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. 12 We should not be like Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother’s righteous.

There have been a few times that church members and I have disagreed. That disagreement devolved into murder of my character. I am a liar, a phony, a fake. What was a disagreement, which was based on clear biblical principles, became an attack on my character. That’s exactly what James is talking about.

3. (vs. 4-5) James uses harsh language to get his point across.

He calls them “adulterous people”. Like Israel of the OT, the church has entered spiritual adultery by loving the world instead of God!

He also calls them “enemies of God” (vs. 4), “proud” (vs. 6), “sinners” (vs. 8), “double-minded” (vs. 8)

4. (vs. 4-5) James compares our desire for the world with God’s desire for his creation.

It’s like James is saying what the apostle Paul said but in a different way. Humanity has worshipped the creature rather than the Creator. (Romans 1:25)

James is not quoting a particular verse. Matthew and Paul do this in their writings:

Matthew 2:23 “23 And he went and lived in a city called Nazareth, so that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled, that he would be called a Nazarene.”

1 Corinthians 15:3–4 “3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,”

God is a jealous God! He will not share his people with another!

Godly Humility (vs. 6-12)

(vs. 6) God graciously gives his people humility.

Everything we have is by the gracious hand of God!

The entire Christian life is one that begins by God’s grace and ends by God’s grace.

We are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in and by Christ alone, to the glory of God alone!

1 Come, thou Fount of every blessing; tune my heart to sing thy grace; streams of mercy, never ceasing, call for songs of loudest praise. Teach me some melodious sonnet, sung by flaming tongues above; praise the mount! I’m fixed upon it, mount of God’s unchanging love!

2 Here I raise my Ebenezer; hither by thy help I’m come; and I hope, by thy good pleasure, safely to arrive at home. Jesus sought me when a stranger, wandering from the fold of God; he, to rescue me from danger, interposed his precious blood.

3 O to grace how great a debtor daily I’m constrained to be! Let that grace now, like a fetter, bind my wandering heart to thee. Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I love; here’s my heart; O take and seal it; seal it for thy courts above.

2. (vs 7-10) James always tells us how we are to do what is commanded of us.

We are humble by submitting ourselves to God. We submit ourselves to God by cleansing our hands and purifying our hearts.

I want to be careful and say that I think James is saying we are to be clean, every part of ourselves. From head to toe.

How can we purify ourselves? (Not salvifically, but practically!)

(vs. 9-10) Weeping, Morning, Humility

We live in a world that has ostracized mourning or sadness. Over diagnosis is a huge problem in modernized countries. Are there real mental conditions, yes! But there is a huge problem with the diagnosing mental health. We were lied to for decades that chemical imbalances in the brain were the cause of many of these conditions. There was no evidence for that. There were no studies to prove that. And even if there were studies, doctors are not running those studies on any of their patients. We are taking blood samples, scans of the brain, or scientific testing before we prescribe antidepressants.

Depression is a condition that must be removed. Saints, this can be true for some people. But generally, I think we try to run away from depression instead of allowing it to accomplish something in us. We need a good dose of sorrow and weeping over our sin!

Conclusion

James bring this section to a conclusion with verses 11 and 12.

He is warning his listeners that when they judge one another, they are judging which commandments of God they are willing to follow.

The two greatest commandments are to love God and love our neighbor.

Application

Repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ

Repentance and humility in the congregation!