James 4 - Religion without God

James 4:4–6 CSB

You adulterous people! Don’t you know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? So whoever wants to be the friend of the world becomes the enemy of God. Or do you think it’s without reason that the Scripture says: The spirit he made to dwell in us envies intensely? But he gives greater grace. Therefore he says: God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.

As we approach yet another difficult section in the book of James I think we should ask the question what’s going on with James? The section is intense and difficult. He uses very harsh words for people in the church.

He calls them adulterous people.

He calls them sinners.

He calls them double-minded.

He calls them arrogant.

He calls them murderers.

Is James difficult just to be difficult? Is he just being argumentative? Does he just have no patience? I would say no and it leads us to briefly talk about biblical interpretation.

You are a biblical interpreter and a theologian

That is our job, everyone who reads the Bible is a biblical interpreter everyone. The Christian the not yet Cristian. Those who believe in those who don’t believe yet. I say don’t believe yet because I’m optimistic that they will come to Christ.

Did you know that you are a biblical interpreter. You are and everyone is a theologian because the topic of God is too big not to have an opinion on, to not have thoughts on. The word theology means God talk.

Theology | Theos + logos | Theos = God & Logos = Speech or Talk

You may not be a very good biblical interpreter or a very good theologian, but that doesn’t change the fact that you are one. Most of us have seen the videos of people online talking about what the Bible says. Sometimes we hear what they say and think have you even actually read the text? Maybe they have or maybe they haven’t they are still interpreting the Bible I think it’s important to briefly review what I believe to be proper hermeneutics or the study of interpreting the Bible. That is going to help us as we approach this section in James.

I will use as I have before the 5 steps in the interpretive journey from Duvall and Hayes

Grasping the Text in Their Town

What did the text mean to the original audience?

Measuring the Width of the River

What are the differences between them and us?

Crossing the Principlizing Bridge

What is the theological principle in this text?

Consult the Biblical Map

How does this principle fit the rest of the Bible?

Grasping the Text in Our Town

How should we live out this principle today?

This is important for one because there are differences between James’ original audience and us. But also because we might not be having the same issues. There are four different major views for chapter 4,

The “Same Group, Intensified Diagnosis” View

The “Divided Community” View

The “Wisdom Contrast” View

A Minority View: “Believers Acting Badly”

The first group is people James is essentially calling non-believers. The second group is people is a mixed group some true believers who are not acting like Christians and some who fake believers. The third is that the section is just about wisdom, and the fourth is that they are believers but they are just not acting right.

I tend to read it as the second option of a divided community. We will almost always have a divided community anytime there is a gathering, it is just the nature of Church. Maybe you are here today and you are a true follower of Christ or maybe you are here and you have just been playing around.

James is condemning religion that operates as if God is optional.

Either way what we are ultimately called to do as biblical interpreters is find the theological truths of this section and apply them.

I believe that verses 7-10 are invaluable for us as believers and can provide help.

James 4:7–10 CSB

Therefore, submit to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be miserable and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.

We are going to look at a few ways this helps us.

Help for Unanswered Prayer

Help in Resisting Sin

Help in the Unknown Future

Help for Unanswered Prayers

Number one is help for unanswered prayers. If we find that we are struggling with chronic unanswered prayers then we should do some self-evaluation. This is not to infer that God will give a positive answer to all of our prayers. A no is still an answer from God. But if we find that all of ours prayers seem to go un answered we should ask why.

Are Our Hearts Wrong?

One reason can be us. We might not like that but one reason God might not be answering our prayer is because of us.

Proverbs 15:29 CSB

The Lord is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayer of the righteous.

1 Peter 3:12 CSB

because the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do what is evil.

Proverbs 28:9 CSB

Anyone who turns his ear away from hearing the law— even his prayer is detestable.

1 Peter 3:7 CSB

Husbands, in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with a weaker partner, showing them honor as coheirs of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered.

This last one has always been a big one for me. God does not listen to men who are disrespectful to His daughters. Some people seem to think the Bible has a low view of women and while that is a much bigger topic this verse alone helps us see that is not true.

The point is this, are you living in a way that causes God not to hear your prayers?

Students, if you ask your parents something and they always answer no, no questions asked just no. You should probably as yourself why. Maybe your parents really are just mean and don’t like you, or maybe you have given them reasons to not want to bless you.

Are we living in a way that displeases God? We will have a hard time receiving God’s blessing if we are running wild and being disobedient.

2 Chronicles 16:9 CSB

For the eyes of the Lord roam throughout the earth to show himself strong for those who are wholeheartedly devoted to him. You have been foolish in this matter. Therefore, you will have wars from now on.”

If we are thinking we can do whatever we want, live however we want, behave however we want and still receive God’s blessings we are mistaken.

This is not about earning answers — it’s about relationship and alignment.

Are you not really praying?

James 4:2 CSB

You desire and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and wage war. You do not have because you do not ask.

Are we really praying or are we just talking about prayer? Are we humbling ourselves before the Lord, are we seeking Him in prayer, or are we just giving lip service to prayer?

"Satan does not care how many people read about prayer if only he can keep them from praying - Paul E. Billheimer

We talk about prayer a lot in the church but are we going into our own person prayer closet, whatever that might look like in your life, and actually praying.

I say this as someone who feels the conviction of not praying enough. I find myself wanting to pray, desiring to pray, craving prayer, and being so busy I cannot or will not make the time to pray. I get it we are all busy but if we do not make time to pray we will not pray.

You make time for what is important.

How can we get upset with our heavenly Father for not answering prayers we do not take the time to pray?

Are you praying with the wrong motives?

James 4:3 CSB

You ask and don’t receive because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures.

This ties back into the first part of prayer but are we praying with the wrong motives? Are we asking for things that God would never give us? I could give a hundred examples but instead I will just say this,

If it does not align with His known revealed will, you shouldn’t ask for it.

Help in Resisting Sin

Number 2 is help in resisting sin. If we are struggling with sin there are things we can do. A few weeks ago when looking at chapter one I mentioned examining the genesis or beginning desire of that sin right after you sin. Here in chapter 4 see see that if we submit to God, resist the devil, and draw near to God we have help.

James 4:7–8 CSB

Therefore, submit to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

I think we could also read it like this, resisting the devil is submitting to and Drawing near to God.

If we are struggling with a sin we should press into God in doing that we resist the devil.

If you don’t want to eat fast food for lunch you have two options, be hungry or bring your lunch. If you just go hungry you might resist the fast food. Maybe, but probably not. The hunger takes over, your stomach rumbles, you start getting hangry, your spouse or your co-workers are say will you please eat something, you finally give in and cave. Next thing you know you are making your way through a number 1 with no pickle. You tried to resist but you had nothing else to hold to.

The same thing happens with sin. You try to resist, to just be strong but if you do not have something to cleave to you are less likely to make it.

We can try to just not sin by shear will power and maybe that works for a time or two but ultimately you are just not strong enough on your own. So instead of just resisting submit to God and humble yourself under His hand. Pray honest prayers.

Honest prayers are the best prayers. I find that instead of saying Lord I am tempted to X and I do not want to, an honest prayer is;

God I really want to get a drink.

God I really want to go to that website.

God I really want to call my ex.

God I really want to, fill in the blank.

Be honest. We sin partly because it is fun or feels good in the moment. Just be honest about that.

Don’t just resist to resist but resist by submitting and drawing near to God.

Help in the unknown future

Number 3 help in the unknown future. We do not know what the future holds and we have little control but we sure do get mad when our plans are interrupted.

James 4:14 CSB

Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring—what your life will be! For you are like vapor that appears for a little while, then vanishes.

We can make plans I think that is fine, but we should submit our plans to God, but we also have to be aware that we do not know the future. We do not know what will come around the next corner. We talked about this when we looked at the Lord’s Prayer and lead us not into temptation. We do not know what will happen tomorrow. Things change and as Christians we should be the most fluid and open people to change.

For example, I had planned to start our series on Mark right after James. That was my plan and it was a good plan. But I also wrote a short little book to go along with the series. It is almost done but not done yet, so we adjust the plan a little. After James we will do a two week series on relationships and intimacy and start Mark on March 1st.

The Christian faith is a solid yet seasonal faith. What I mean by that is it is solid because it is grounded and founded on Christ the Rock of Ages. That cannot change. Our faith is focused on and in Him. He is sure and He is solid.

But it is also seasonal meaning life situations change. You can be blessed and living one way today and tomorrow things can change. Maybe you had plans to be a teacher and God led you to that but now in this new season, life is different and you feel a stirring to go into something else. God does that. This is also why I am very hesitant to ever say God said because I know I can get it wrong. I like the way James says it.

James 4:15 CSB

Instead, you should say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.”

So what do we do with all this? I think we search our hearts and our lives. We ask if we are submitting to God, if we are drawing near to Him? Are we being humble? Humility is the key. Are we regularly acknowledging our need and dependance on God.

I once worked with a guy who said he does not pray before he eats because God did not provide that food he did. Friends that is a dangerous place to live. Yes you might go to work, or have an idea, or do something that makes you a million dollars but

Job 1:21 KJV 1900

And said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, And naked shall I return thither: The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; Blessed be the name of the Lord.

Everything we have we owe to Him so we will humble ourselves before Him or will we be prideful and think we can do it on our own?

The last thought I leave you with this morning is this,

James 4:6 CSB

But he gives greater grace. Therefore he says: God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.

I don’t ever want to be humbled by God so I will chose to humble myself. What will you chose?