James 4:1-6 - More Grace Needed
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Introduction:
What makes you angry? What gets your feathers ruffled? What is it that makes you ready to pounce?
I'm sure that if we take some time and examine our hearts, we will think of a couple of things that really seem to set us off.
Most of us are pretty good at identifying what makes us upset or angry.
Unfortunately, most of us are not good at recognizing our personal sin behind our anger and frustration.
When things seem to go awry in our lives, we often point to externals. We blame it on our situation or on someone else, but rarely do we look within our own heart.
In a world marked by conflict, what do we need in order to maintain peace and unity? What do we need to remain godly in the midst of a crooked generation?
James has that answer for us today. We need more grace.
We have talked about grace many times in the past. Grace is getting what you do not deserve. Grace is unmerited favor.
Today we are going to be reminded of our need for the grace of God.
Let’s jump in and listen to this difficult rebuke James has for us today…
Read Full Scripture:
What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you?
You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask.
You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.
You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.
Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”?
But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
Prayer
The overarching theme today is that…
We Need More Grace to Fight the War Within:
We Need More Grace to Fight the War Within:
Grace is needed to battle in the war against our flesh. This war is a war that starts with what is not seen. It is a war fought within the hearts and minds of men and women. Yet, this war eventually rages externally.
The first battle line in which we need more grace starts with the…
I. The War of Our Passions (1)
I. The War of Our Passions (1)
What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you?
At the end of chapter 3, James addressed worldly wisdom versus godly wisdom. He discussed the chasm between these two types of wisdom. He discussed how worldly wisdom is all about advancing yourself, whereas godly wisdom is all about advancing the glory of God.
Now he presses in a little further on this and starts to talk about the result of human wisdom, which is worldliness.
He asks what causes quarrels and fights among you.
Who is this “you” that James is addressing? It is within the church. James refers to his brothers some 15 times in this great letter. By "brothers," he means brothers in the faith. He is writing this letter to believers within the dispersed first-century church.
However, his brothers were obviously having some problems.
The word "quarrels" here likely refers to prolonged disputes and can often be translated as war; whereas the word “fights” refers to the individual battles within this war of quarreling. Because of what we will see in a moment, the evil desires within those in the church seeking to advance themselves instead of the cause of Christ were leading to civil wars within the church.
James - again, the master of rhetorical questions - asks another one. He asks them, "Is it not your passions at war within you?"
James has a diagnosis for their condition. Namely sin.
What exactly does he mean by "passions"?
The Greek word for "passions" here refers to a strong desire for pleasure. It is where we get the term "hedonism" in English. It refers to the gratification of fleshly desires. In the New Testament, it is almost always used in an ungodly way. Hedonism means that one seeks pleasure no matter the cost. These passions are worldly passions and not passions of godliness.
The chaos that has been created in the early church has a clear cause. Namely - devilish desires.
These passions, or lusts, of the flesh are insatiable. They seek to be satisfied and to have their cravings fulfilled.
When people walk by the flesh and live by the flesh, they will be men and women of war (Galatians 5:16-25).
Unfortunately, we know that these kinds of quarrels are not limited to the world. As James has reminded us, they can occur within the church as well.
Many people have been hurt by people within the church - by some who are true believers and some who are false converts.
We cannot change how other people act, but we can pray that God works within our own hearts.
External conflict often reveals an internal problem.
As Jesus stated:
… for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.
What is coming out of your mouth? Are you someone who is quick to argue, or are you someone who seeks peace first?
We must realize that all confrontation is not bad. Jesus was certainly a confrontational figure at times. He confronted sin, but yet it was always from a heart that desired righteousness and a heart that desired to please His Father (John 6:38, John 14:31).
However, if everywhere you go there is conflict, then there is likely a problem within your heart.
What topics or subjects seem to get you riled up? Are there certain things that come up that really change your entire attitude and demeanor?
Are there certain things that are maybe just too important to you?
It is one thing to confront a grievous Biblical error, and it is another to confront a preference issue.
Although both should be done with love, humility, and respect, the one is a righteous cause, and the second is a self-righteous cause.
My friends, there are certain things that we will quarrel and argue about that are most certainly preferential issues.
We must never elevate preferential issues or personal convictions to Biblical authority.
Frankly, this is a form of blasphemy as we begin to seek to become God's New Testament prophets ourselves. We begin to add to the Scriptures by our own personal convictions.
Brothers and sisters, I personally have many convictions that I hold dearly and feel strongly about. There are certain things I would never do because of personal conviction that are not clearly or explicitly addressed in Scripture, and in these issues, I must give more grace.
Friends, I need the grace of God as much as anyone, and so I need to make sure that I extend that same grace to others.
May we be a people of both grace and truth. May we not bend on either, and may we stand firm on the Word of God.
Next we see that - We Need More Grace to Fight the…
Scripture References: James 1-3, Galatians 5:16-25, Luke 6:45, John 6:38, John 14:31
II. The War of Our Pleasures (2-3)
II. The War of Our Pleasures (2-3)
You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask.
James continues his accusatory tone by using the personal pronoun “you” some 7 times in verses 2-3. He tells them that because their passions and desires are not fulfilled, they murder, and because they covet and cannot obtain, they fight and quarrel.
These are quite stark accusations. He is blasting them because they are seeking their own glory. They are willing to do whatever it takes in order to get what they want.
They have bought into the world's ideology that true happiness comes from seeking to exalt oneself.
What does James mean by "murder" here? Does he mean truly to kill? It is obvious that the actual Greek word used here most often does refer to killing.
I do not think it is out of the question that this could refer to a possible incident of murder within one of the groups of the early church. Even a godly man like David resorted to the murdering of Uriah the Hittite.
However, we know that James has been greatly affected by the Sermon on the Mount preached by Jesus in this wonderful letter.
Time would fail us to discuss all of the parallels between Matthew 5-7 and the book of James.
But consider only a few examples. In Matthew 7:24 Jesus states:
“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.
Compare this to James 1:22:
But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
Or consider Matthew 5:7:
“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
and compare it to James 2:13:
For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
There are many others as well, but this may very well be one too.
Listen to Matthew 5:21-22
“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ 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.
Consider this in light of what James is saying.
Jesus has compared murder to hatred in one's heart. He has equated the two.
It makes sense to interpret this verse in light of Matthew 5 because of the many parallels between the two. It also makes sense because he then goes on to say, “You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel.” The progression would be somewhat backwards if he says “murder” first and then “fighting and quarreling.” It would make sense that “murder” would mean “hate,” which would lead to “fighting and quarreling” in context.
This makes this very applicable to us today as well. Although hopefully no one in here is considering actually murdering someone, we can all look back on our lives and see times when hate or anger began to well up in our hearts. And that hate ultimately will lead to fighting and quarreling.
A modern application of such hate and quarreling is the cancel culture movement. It has become very common for people to murder people from their lives whom they disagree with. And by murdering people from their lives, I do not mean actually murdering them, but instead canceling them and cutting them off. We have seen this as a really big movement among millennials and younger generations. Many have canceled their parents or other family members because of disagreements about religious or political issues or parenting disagreements.
Many people desire approval of whatever they do, so they cancel others who don’t agree with them.
Friends, this is nothing but hatred and murder. This comes from a heart that is not set on the things of God, but instead set on one's self.
Yet, we also see such hatred and coveting in our materialistic world as well. People desire what others have. The advertising industry feeds on this. Your neighbor has this so you need it too. When we allow the lusts of the flesh to control us, we are in grave danger. The flesh will stop at nothing to get what it wants.
May we check our hearts and make sure that our hearts are set on the things of the Lord and not on our own worldly passions.
James finishes verse 2, however, with an interesting statement. He tells them that they do not have because they do not ask.
The word "ask" here means to plead or implore the Lord.
The Bible actually gives explicit commands to ask God for certain things.
Jesus explicitly commands us to ask for our needs in Matthew 7:7-8.
Jesus tells us to ask things in His name in John 16:23-24.
James 1:5 tells us to ask God for wisdom.
1 John 5:14-15 reminds us that in all of our asking, we need to ask according to the will of God.
Matthew 9:38 reminds us to ask God for more workers to help us labor to advance the kingdom of God.
And now James has told us to ask for what we need as well. He tells us that we do not have because we do not ask. James has already told us in James 1:17:
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.
James is reminding them that they don't have to take matters into their own hands, but they need to have faith that God will provide for them.
A lack of contentment is first and foremost a faith issue.
When we do not ask and trust God to provide for us - we are in essence saying that we don’t think He has the ability or willingness to provide for us.
True and godly prayer involves asking with humble confidence in the Lord - seeking to advance the kingdom of God and not one's own kingdom.
James moves on to verse 3 and shows ungodly prayer:
You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.
James knows that some may say they did ask and haven't received. Knowing their question, he tells them they haven't received because they likely asked to spend it on their passions. Again, this word passions speaks of the sinful desires of the world.
Instead of using what God would give for good - He knows that they ask so that they can advance their own kingdom instead of the kingdom of God.
Thus, their asking is sinful and their asking should not be assumed to be fulfilled.
Listen to this so-called prayer written by John Ward, a member of the British Parliament who had passed away. Among his papers, this prayer was found:
“O Lord, thou knowest that I have mine estates in the City of London, and likewise that I have lately purchased an estate in the county of Essex. I beseech thee to preserve the two counties of Middlesex and Essex from fire and earthquake; and as I have a mortgage in Hertfdordshire, I beg of thee likewise to have an eye of compassion on that county. As for the rest of the counties, thou mayest deal with them as thou are pleased.”
Brothers and sisters, may we be sure that we are fighting well in the war of our pleasures. May our lives not be set on advancing ourselves, but on advancing the kingdom of God.
Next we see that - We Need More Grace to Fight the…
Scripture References: Matthew 7:12, James 1:22, Matthew 5:7, James 2:13, Matthew 5:21-22, Matthew 7:7-8, John 16:23-24, James 1:5, 1 John 5:14-15, Matthew 9:38, James 1:17
III. The War of Our Priorities (4-5)
III. The War of Our Priorities (4-5)
You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.
Now James drops the hammer.
You adulterous people! Wow, that is a tough word!
Why does he call them adulterous?
He tells them that because they are friends with the world, they are at enmity with God.
The he restates it even more clearly - to be a friend of the world means to be an enemy of God.
We must note that this does not mean that we are to hate the people in this world. God so loved the world - John 3:16. We are to reach out to our world and share the good news of the Gospel as we see commanded in Matthew 28:16-20.
Instead, what James is telling us is that we must not be of the world.
Consider Romans 12:2:
Do not be conformed to this world...
or also 1 John 2:15
Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
We can also consider Matthew 6:24, another parallel with the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus said you cannot serve God and money. In other words, friendship with the world’s system is enmity with God.
So we see that:
We are to reach the world without resembling the world.
When our passions are for the things of the flesh instead of the Lord, we become idolaters and adulterers. We defame God Himself.
The Old Testament often compared Israel’s unfaithfulness to God with adultery.
Consider the book of Hosea where he takes a wife named Gomer whom he keeps chasing down despite her unfaithfulness to him. God was showing Israel how they had treated Him through the prophet Hosea.
We also see many similar comparisons in the books of Jeremiah (Jeremiah 3, 13:27), Isaiah (Isaiah 1:21; 50:1; 54:1–6; 57:3) and Ezekiel (Ezekiel 16:38, 23:45).
Friends, may we not be unfaithful to our Heavenly Father like Israel, but may we instead remain faithful and dedicated to Him alone.
What does friendship with the world look like today?
Friendship with the world means that you are buying into worldliness. You are setting aside the things of God for the things of this world.
There are countless examples that we could discuss that show the slippery slope of sinking into worldliness.
Many of these temptations to worldliness are often subtle.
One way we can fall into friendship with the world is to seek the world's approval. Unfortunately, many churches today have bought into the seeker-sensitive movement. They are trying to reach the world, but instead of reaching them with the Gospel, they are reaching them with a church that resembles the world. Instead of being holy and set apart and preaching the Word of God and the Gospel - churches have become carnivals of sorts.
Churches have sought to bring in pop culture and the things of this world to attract the world to church. Instead of the world becoming Christians, Christians are becoming like the world.
Friends, the church is for believers. We obviously want to invite people to church, and I encourage you to continue inviting unbelievers. We want people to hear the good news of the Gospel and be saved, but the church should not become worldly to reach the lost.
Jesus never denied or ignored the truth in order to seek a convert. If people wanted to follow Jesus, they had to count the cost of discipleship:
Take up their cross and follow Him (Luke 9:23).
Love the Lord by acknowledging and obeying the commands of God (John 14:15).
Repent of their sins and turn from their way and toward His (Acts 3:19).
Understand that He is the only way for salvation (John 14:6).
And understand that salvation is a free gift by grace and not by works - yet as we have seen in James - a truly saved person will do good works through the power of the Holy Spirit working in and through them (Ephesians 2:8-9, James 2:26)
The way of salvation is narrow, and we do no one any favors by acting like the way of salvation is wide. We can be hospitable and accommodating and loving without compromising the holiness of God's church and the truth of God's Word.
Moving to verse 5 James says:
Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”?
Before getting into the interpretation of this verse, you may notice that there is no direct or ‘word for word’ quote of verse 5 in the Old Testament. James is giving an overall teaching of the Old Testament Scripture, not quoting a definitive verse like he does in verse 6 where he quotes a direct Proverb. This statement is a principle of the Old Testament. God does jealously yearn for His people.
This verse is interesting, as we see that God is jealous over our hearts.
We are often taught that jealousy is a sin. We are not to covet. We've even seen it within the Scriptures that coveting is sin.
So how come God can be jealous and not sin?
When we covet, we covet things that are not our own that we want to have as our own.
God's jealousy is for what is rightfully His already. He has bought us with a price. We are His workmanship.
Just like a groom who would be jealous for the affections of his bride, God is jealous for our affections.
He deserves them. They are His, and when He does not receive our worship and He is not glorified by our lives, He is jealous for our good.
He is jealous with a loving jealousy. He knows that our affections are being wasted on things that are transient and will waste away. When we set our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:2), we are trusting in a God who never fades away and is eternal.
This jealousy of God is a loving jealousy. He desires what is good for us, and what is good for us is that our worship be for Him alone. What is good for us is that we are united with Him in soul and spirit.
What is good for us is that we commune with Him and walk with Him step by step.
We were made for so much more than the things of this earth. We were made for eternity.
And lastly, we see that - We Need More Grace to Fight the…
Scripture References: John 3:16, Matthew 28:16-20, Romans 12:2, 1 John 2:15, Matthew 6:24, [Israel Compared to Adulterers: Jeremiah (Jeremiah 3, 13:27), Isaiah (Isaiah 1:21; 50:1; 54:1–6; 57:3) and Ezekiel (Ezekiel 16:38, 23:45).], Luke 9:23, John 14:15, Acts 3:19, John 14:6, Ephesians 2:8-9, James 2:26, Hebrews 12:2
IV. The War of Our Pride (6)
IV. The War of Our Pride (6)
But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
I love this conjunctional statement here, “But He gives more grace.”
Anyone else here know that they need a little more grace? Anyone think that our world needs a little more grace? Praise be to God that He gives more grace!
Actually, listen to Romans 5:20:
Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more,
Isn't that wonderful news? Our sins cannot outdo the abundant grace of God.
There is no amount of sin that God cannot forgive through the blood of Jesus Christ.
Though the diagnosis James has given us here has been very grim - as he has told us that this early church was adulterous and idolatrous - he has told us that it was selfish and did not exalt God, and he has told us that God jealously yearns for his people - yet he goes on to tell us that God gives more grace.
How is this grace obtained? It is obtained by the humble.
If you want to experience the grace of Jesus Christ, you must humble yourself before Him, repent of your sins, and place your faith and trust in Him alone for salvation. You must admit that you are a sinner and fall upon the marvelous, wonderful, and matchless grace of Jesus Christ.
Citing Proverbs 3:34 and cross-referenced by 1 Peter 5:5, James asserts that God opposes the proud.
That is a difficult word. Opposes. It is a military word that was used for an army that was ready for battle. In other words, God is ready to fight against the proud. Those who are proud are those who are arrogant and see themselves as better than others. These people are spoken of in Romans 1:30 and 2 Timothy 3:2 and refers of those who are boasters in themselves.
Friends, we do not want to be opposed by God.
That is a scary place to be, as the author of Hebrews states so poignantly in Hebrews 10:31:
It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
Instead, may we humble ourselves before our Almighty God and receive His glorious grace.
The comparison of pride and humility has been a theme throughout James' letter.
The best gift of all is offered to those who humble themselves before God and place their faith and trust in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Those who repent of their sins and place their faith and trust in Jesus alone for salvation will spend forever with God in eternity.
Those who trust in what Jesus did on the cross, being crucified for the sins of the world - namely those who repent trust in Him - can find everlasting life through the atoning sacrifice of their Savior on that rugged cross.
Scripture References: Romans 5:20, Proverbs 3:34, 1 Peter 5:5, Romans 1:30, 2 Timothy 3:2, Hebrews 10:31, Isaiah 64:6
Conclusion:
As we come to a close…
Brothers and sisters, be sure that you take a moment today to humble yourself before Almighty God. Be sure that you are not proudly boasting in your own abilities and self-righteousness. Our righteousness is like filthy rags, as Isaiah 64:6 reminds us.
May we be sure that we have accepted the grace of God to fight the war of our pride.
May we also be sure that we have fought against the war of our priorities by the grace of God as well. May we be reaching the world without resembling the world.
Only by the grace of God can we also fight against our pleasures and our passions. Only by His grace can He regenerate our heart and give us a passion and desire for the things of heaven and not the things of the flesh and of earth.
Church, may we thank God that He always gives more grace.
And may we receive that free gift of grace humbly and thankfully.
