James: Living Faithful to God

James 4:1-6

Questions: What did you guys talk about the last couple weeks? From those lessons what is something that stood out to you?

Intro: We are in James 4 now and as you guys have studied the last couple weeks James has been having a discussion of conflict and he continues that discussion here in chapter 4. He presented worldliness as the root of the believer’s sin, the expressions of worldliness and the solutions to the problem of worldliness. The counsel that James gives on conflict and worldliness still applies to us today.

1. Symptoms of Worldliness (vs. 1-3)

James was really concerned and attempted to bring his readers to repentance and recovery. Their problems that they were having all began in their hearts and proceeded to disrupt their relationships and destroy their church unity.

A. Losing the internal struggle (vs. 1)

James in this verse uses the imagery of war. He did this to express the level of hostility among the believers in the churches. James specific reference to fighting suggests the hand-to-hand combat of one solider with another and describes arguments between individuals. These conflicts were not merely spats but full blown disputes.

James then goes on and asked a second question. This question revels the source of conflict. These disputes that were happening in these churches resulted from internal lusts that warred within each person. Conflict began with in them as their sin natures struggled against the Holy Spirit. Paul spoke of the warfare between the Spirit and the flesh (Gal. 5:16-26) and Peter referred to lusts of the flesh that war against the soul ( Read: 1 Peter 2:11)

Lust are sinful desires for gratification. The English word “hedonist” which means “someone whose life is primarily devoted to the pursuit of pleasure and self-gratification” is the transliteration of the Greek word translated in verse one. Our flesh craves the control of the body so that its lusts, or appetites might be fulfilled. The Spirit seeks to destroy the sin nature in the believer. As believer we have two choices it is to please God or to please self. Our purpose in life is to submit to God’s will and not to satisfy our own desires

Ask: What happens when we try to quiet our sin nature by satisfying it? It just craves more control over the person’s life.

B. Constant interpersonal struggles (vs. 2)

Verse two elaborates on the outbreak of interpersonal conflict. As believers sought to satisfy their sinful desires bitter quarrels arose within the church.

James main point in the whole passage is clear. The believers that he was writing to were engaging in sinful behavior because of their desires. The context then supports the following interpretation: You burn with desire but have not so you kill other. You desire to have things that you can’t get so you fight and war against each other.

Now these believers were not actually murdering each other. Likely what James referred to murder here was figuratively since he also used figurative language refrencing battles and combat. These conflicts and hatred no doubt was causing murder of peoples relationships within their churches.

Ask: Why would lusts for satisfaction of ones sinful desires create disagreements and fights between people? They see other people as in the way of their fulfillment of their sinful desires.

The believers desired to have what they could not obtain, so they fought and warred. In other words they were engaged in intense interpersonal disputes to wrangle what they wanted from others. Their conflicts arose due to covetousness and pride. Having this problem does not help believers grow in Christ also even for non believer it can give them a bad picture of what it means to be a Christian.

At the end of verse two James turns the readers attention to the graver problem of worldlines. Instead of asking God to provide for their needs they had pursued human means to fulfill their needs. Believers should always pray trusting God to meet their needs instead of seeking to satisfy worldly desires. When we remain in communion with God always seek His will, sinful desires will not rule our hearts if we seek His will.

C. Ineffective prayer (vs. 3)

James in verse three confronts those who abused the privilege of prayer. First James said God had not answered their prayers because they were asking amiss or asking in the wrong way. When they would pray and ask God for something they would have the wrong motives. They prayed to satisfy their hedonistic desires.

Ask: What did these believer who prayed selfishly think about God what was their view of God?

The people that James was writing to their appetite for personal gratification exceeded their concern for God’s glorification. Clearly they did not seek God’s will but their own will.

2. Seriousness of worldliness (vs. 4)

A. Counted unfaithful to God

James in this verse calls his reader adulterers. James uses this term because Worldliness is like adultery, or unfaithfulness to God. Just like how a husband or a wife is unfaithful in their marriage we can be unfaithful to God. These people that James was writing to began well in their relationship with Christ but then they wanted to seek their own gratification. James likened these people to a spouse who, though secure in marriage, sought fulfillment from another.

B. Considered an enemy of God

Ask: What words in verse four shows that God does not take spiritual unfaithfulness to Him lightly? Enmity and enemy

James pointed out that friendship with the world is “enmity with God”. When a spouse decides to break the marriage vows and enter into a different relationship with another person assumes the position of enmity or hatred. When we align ourselves to the world we become worldly. Worldliness affects everything we do in life what we buy what we own the people we hang out with. When we do give into worldliness the things of this world will start owning us. Things of this world will start to become idols in our heart.

Ask: What are some things that people consider worldly?

Some people take pride in themselves assuming they live above the world by not participating in certain activities. Yes pushing certain activities like drugs or getting drunk or sexual activity is good but it does not mean you are automatically godly.

Read: 1 John 2:15-17

Worldliness is believing the world’s lie that God is withholding what is rightfully ours. This belief leads us to believe that God does not love us because He is not giving us what we want. We should not be living for material things on this earth and be living for the philosophy of this world.

Ask: How do you see the philosophy of worldliness in society today?

We must not accept worldly philosophy as believers we must be faithful to God and follow His will and not our own.

3. Solutions to Worldliness (vs. 5-6)

A. God’s Grace (vs. 5-6)

The holy Spirit acts behalf of the Father to reestablish fellowship with Him. James choice of words in this verse relates the intense eagerness with which the Holy Spirit pursues the wayward Christian.

Read: verse 5

We see in this verse the Holy Spirit’s lusting or yearning speaks of a great longing for the company of another. We see this kind of yearning used in 1 Peter when Peter describes how we are to be desiring the Word like a baby desires milk. The idea of envy and jealousy also indicates the Holy Spirit has a consuming passion to rescue and restore us as believers.

For those who have wandered off from the Lord this verse ought to be struck by the Holy Spirits longing. They should also be aware that God knows what is going on in their life and that He loves them.

Some people just give up on God because they are convinced God wouldn’t want them back. But James statement at the beginning of verse 6 God gives more grace means His grace is more sufficient for our sins. God is willing to forgive us restore us and use us to do His will.

B. The believer’s humility (vs. 6)

Ask: Why does turning from worldliness to God take humility? Worldliness comes from prideful and inflated view of ourselves.

God calls believers to humbly respond to His offer of grace. When we pursue things of this world we are pursuing things that will not last. The only things we should be pursuing are the things of God.

Con: Here in the beginning of James 4 we see that if we pursue worldliness it will destroy our churches and it will lead us down a path away from God. We must be pursuing God and not worldliness. If we are going to go out and put our faith into action we must be pursuing God’s will.