Session 3: A Prayer of Surrender
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We haven’t changed all that much since we were children. Believing we know best what is good for us, we are not very willing to have others tell us what is best. In our study today, we are reminded to trust God and His will for our lives. This is not always easy, as giving up control does not come natural. Yet, God wants us to trust in His perfect will and surrender our own in order to accomplish His purposes.
Let’s look at - a prayer of submission
10 Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread,
10 Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
What is the kingdom of God?
6:9–15. An important point to be made about the “Lord’s Prayer” is that Jesus intended it to be a pattern for the servant of his kingdom, just as he intended much of his teaching in the Sermon on the Mount. It is not a magical formula. The specific words he used are not any more sacred than requests we might make expressing the same kinds of desires to the Father. We should seek to learn how to pray like Jesus prayed, not merely what Jesus prayed. That was his point when he said, This, then, is how you should pray (6:9). The pattern of meaningful prayer is to begin by majoring on the person and nature of God and his kingdom interests, coming to personal requests and needs only secondarily.
Broadly speaking, the kingdom of God is the rule of an eternal, sovereign God over all the universe.
More narrowly, the kingdom of God is a spiritual rule over the hearts and lives of those who willingly submit to God’s authority.
Jesus said His kingdom was not of this world (), and He preached that repentance is necessary to be a part of the kingdom of God ()
36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.”
17 From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
There is another sense in which the kingdom of God is used in Scripture: the literal rule of Christ on the earth during the millennium.
There is another sense in which the kingdom of God is used in Scripture: the literal rule of Christ on the earth during the millennium.
Daniel said that “the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed” ()
44 And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever,
21 Saviors shall go up to Mount Zion
to rule Mount Esau,
and the kingdom shall be the Lord’s.
14 For the earth will be filled
with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord
as the waters cover the sea.
2 and many nations shall come, and say:
“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
to the house of the God of Jacob,
that he may teach us his ways
and that we may walk in his paths.”
For out of Zion shall go forth the law,
and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
9 And the Lord will be king over all the earth. On that day the Lord will be one and his name one.
Christ has set up His spiritual reign in the church on earth, and He will one day set up His physical reign in Jerusalem.
The kingdom of God involves repentance and the new birth, as God rules in the hearts of His children in this world in preparation for the next. The work begun on earth will find its consummation in heaven (see ).
6 And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.
Your kingdom come. The kingdom servant sees God’s kingdom as not yet completely fulfilled on earth.
Our Father in heaven. The plural pronoun our indicates that prayer should be an expression of corporate desires to God, and should often be prayed in fellowship with other believers. The words Father and heaven together demonstrate the loving closeness and awesome transcendence of God to his child.
The presence of God’s kingdom in this age refers to the reign of Christ in the hearts and lives of believers, and to the reigning presence of Christ in his body, the church
Hallowed be your name. The verb hallowed means “to sanctify, make holy.” Because the grammatic form here is unknown in English, we tend to take this line in Jesus’ prayer as a statement of fact, when, in fact, it is a request. Jesus was teaching us to make the request, “Lord, may your name be sanctified.” Why should we pray to God that he would sanctify his own name? Probably as a reminder to ourselves to live a life that advertises a holy God. Also, this kind of greeting was a form of blessing on the one addressed.
The kingdom has present manifestations (see ) and a future cataclysmic coming (; );
1 And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying, 2 “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son, 3 and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come. 4 Again he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast.” ’ 5 But they paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, another to his business, 6 while the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them. 7 The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. 8 Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not worthy. 9 Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.’ 10 And those servants went out into the roads and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good. So the wedding hall was filled with guests.
11 “But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment. 12 And he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. 13 Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ 14 For many are called, but few are chosen.”
31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38 And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 40 And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’
41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ 44 Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ 45 Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ 46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
In both Old and New Testament thinking, a person’s name was equivalent to his or her very person (thus the careful choice in those days of children’s names for their meaning, not just their sound). For this reason, it is not important to know what name of God Jesus may have meant. To say that the word by which God is called is to be holy falls far short of Jesus’ meaning. Jesus was asking that God himself be set apart as holy, and so Jesus also modeled the attitude we should have toward God during prayer.
Is God’s will being done on earth? What about what happened in Pittsburgh yesterday?
Hallowed has to do with something or someone being different or set apart. We must come before God with an attitude of reverence for God’s perfection (in contrast to our imperfection), his wisdom (in contrast to our foolishness), his power (in contrast to our impotence), and his love (in contrast to our selfishness). God’s holiness is everything that sets him apart from us and all the rest of his creation. Addressing such a being should never be done casually or flippantly.
Your kingdom come. The kingdom servant sees God’s kingdom as not yet completely fulfilled on earth. This prayer is not only for the future coming of Christ (although this can be included), but it is also for the spreading of God’s kingdom around the world through his kingdom servants. Therefore, it is a prayer that we, his servants, would be faithfully obedient and effective in living his kingdom principles in our own lives and then spreading the kingdom through our actions and words.
Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. This request assumes that God’s will is done in heaven, but not yet on earth (in the same full way). Sin and rebellion are absent in heaven, but hindrances are present on earth.
Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. The Greek word for debts in the New Testament appears only here and . It is clear that Jesus and Matthew intended the word to mean “sins” here (). The choice of this word reflects the fact that all sins place us in debt to God. In a more extended treatment and parable on this same concept in 18:21–35, Jesus used the idea of debt to teach about sin and forgiveness.
This is the only petition that seems to have a condition prerequisite to its fulfillment and two full verses of explanation following (6:14–15). The context is the relationship of a child to a father. This is “family forgiveness,” not forensic or judicial forgiveness. Jesus is not saying that our forgiving is a necessary means to earning God’s forgiveness. The Bible makes it clear that there is nothing we can do to merit God’s judicial forgiveness, but that it is given freely (e.g., ; ).
One does not gain forgiveness by forgiving. But a person evidences his or her own forgiveness by forgiving others. Since this is family forgiveness, our sense of forgiveness is denied us when we deny forgiveness to others. As God’s children, we are commanded to be forgiving. When we fail to forgive, we reap the consequences of spiritual and moral defeat.
The will of God will be expressed in its fullness only when God’s kingdom comes in its final form, when Christ returns in power and great glory (see ; cf. ;
30 Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. 23 And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
Let’s go to : Humble Surrender to the Lord
6:9–10. Pray, then, in this way (ESV, “like this”) indicates that this prayer provides a pattern to follow rather than a prayer to recite (though see ). Verses 9–10 focus upon matters related to God’s program, while vv. 11–13 focus upon people’s needs. Father probably reflects an Aramaic word Abba, which was used both during childhood and adulthood and could be used for respected men outside of one’s family. “Daddy” is not quite the best English equivalent. This intimate Father is also in heaven, emphasizing His transcendence and divinity. Hallowed is not a call to worship but is an imperative of request or entreaty for God to cause His name (His “fame”) to be revered. The kingdom has present manifestations (see ) and a future cataclysmic coming (; ); this petition may incorporate both a request for more people to experience the present form of the kingdom (i.e., find salvation) and for the kingdom to come soon in its full eschatological form.
6:11–13. Daily bread probably means “bread for the coming day.” On forgiveness, see 6:14–15. Temptation refers to solicitations to moral infractions, and Do not lead us into temptation is informed by the second positive part—deliver [“rescue”] us from evil or better “the evil one.” It is the Devil, not God (Jms 1:13), who initiates the temptation, but God rescues us from his evil designs.
6 But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.
6:11 The people of rural Galilee were poor and oppressed, and resources such as food were scarce. This prayer reflects the real needs of people living in difficult times.
6:11 The fourth petition (see note on vv. 9–13) focuses on the disciples’ daily bread, a necessity of life which by implication includes all of the believer’s daily physical needs.
What is grace? How is it different from mercy?
| Bless the LORD, O you his angels, you mighty ones who do his word, obeying the voice of his word!
| Remove far from me falsehood and lying; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me,
| “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
mercy is God not punishing us as our sins deserve, and grace is God blessing us despite the fact that we do not deserve it. Mercy is deliverance from judgment. Grace is extending kindness to the unworthy.
Grace: being kind to someone who cuts you off in traffic
| Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.”
Mercy: not killing someone deserving of death
How does what James writes here have any bearing on doing God’s will and not your own?
| And since he would not be persuaded, we ceased and said, “Let the will of the Lord be done.”
5 Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
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29 Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.
34 Toward the scorners he is scornful,
but to the humble he gives favor.
How does tie into our study, in particular verse 7-8?
33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
Is the devil responsible for our sins? Is he omnipresent?
God resists the proud by opposing the life and practices of those who fail to follow him. He foils their plans and frustrates their dreams. God does not want our lives to be dominated by materialism, a search for prestige, selfish ambition, or deliberate forgetfulness of God. His aim is that we “seek first his kingdom and his righteousness” ().
4:6 God’s grace will be extended to those who are humble before him; cf. (cf. also ; ). God opposes means he resists and sends judgment, for the proud have chosen the praise and the methods of the world and are acting as God’s enemies ().
9 Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.
4:6 God’s grace will be extended to those who are humble before him; cf. (cf. also ; ). God opposes means he resists and sends judgment, for the proud have chosen the praise and the methods of the world and are acting as God’s enemies ().
13 And when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time.
4:6 God’s grace is greater than the human inclination to sin.
Resist is a military metaphor urging Christians to stand our ground against Satan’s attacks. We resist the devil when we refuse to surrender to the impulse of sin.
James quotes , highlighting God’s opposition toward the proud who disregard Him and despise others. The passage further stresses God’s kindness to the lowly—those who recognize their insufficiency and depend on Him.
4:7–10. Worldly Christians need to submit themselves to God by determining to be faithful and obedient only to Him. Then they can resist the devil (cf. ) and he will eventually flee from them (). The solution to worldliness and its disruptive effects in the church is to draw near to God (v. 8). He will reciprocate and draw near to believers. Cleanse your hands points to believers ridding themselves of selfish and sinful acts (), and purify your hearts denotes the cleansing of impure, self-seeking motives (). For double-minded, see 1:8. Brokenness over sin should cause Christ followers to mourn and weep (v. 9; cf. ). Worldly laughter and joy that come when one “gets his way” at the expense of others are inappropriate in a Christian setting, and one should instead mourn and weep over such tendencies. To grieve over sin, believers must humble themselves (v. 10) before the Lord. God promises that He will exalt the humble (v. 10), in this life and/or the next (cf. ). When a believer humbly sets aside his own quest to satisfy his cravings at the expense of others, and determines to serve others (the sense of being humble), God will cause him to be valued in the body of Christ.
8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
C. Self-Centered Living Demands Repentance (vv. 7–10)
SUPPORTING IDEA: Believers should submit to God by following basic steps which the text explains.
4:8b–9 Cleanse and purify are OT terms for ritual purity (e.g., the priests at the bronze basin, ) and ethical purity.
4:7. These verses reflect the vigor of an Old Testament prophet as they express ten appeals to return to God.
Submit … to God calls us to subject our wills to his control. We can submit ourselves to the Lord only when we recognize that he is greater and worthy of more honor than we. The negative side of this command urges us to resist the devil. Resist is a military metaphor urging Christians to stand our ground against Satan’s attacks. We resist the devil when we refuse to surrender to the impulse of sin.
4:8b–9 Cleanse and purify are OT terms for ritual purity (e.g., the priests at the bronze basin, ) and ethical purity.
Double-minded people follow the practices of the world while they pretend to hold to God. Such people lack the purity of heart and focused purpose which the Lord wants in his disciples. The solution for this serious condition is a commitment of the entire personality to Christ and a fresh seeking of the power of the Holy Spirit.
What do you think of verse 9? What is James saying here?
9 Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom.
4:8. Come near to God involves approaching God in worship and commitment. Those who approach God in the obedience of worship find that he comes near to them. As our knowledge of the Lord deepens, we learn more fully his strength, power, and guidance for godly living.
Laughter shows how casually James’s readers were treating their sin. The only proper reaction to God’s impending judgment is to be wretched and mourn and weep, as is seen often in the OT (e.g., ; ; ).
Laughter shows how casually James’s readers were treating their sin. The only proper reaction to God’s impending judgment is to be wretched and mourn and weep, as is seen often in the OT (e.g., ; ; ).
Wash your hands uses the language of religious ceremony in a moral sense (see ). We cleanse our hands by withdrawing them from all evil actions and compromises. Perhaps obedience to this command called more for cleansing the outward life, while purify your hearts called for an inner purification (see ). The language here is soaked with words from calling for believers to have “clean hands and a pure heart.”
To change laughter and joy to mourning and gloom demands that we recognize the folly of our actions.
4:8 Because the church was fractured and needed healing, James calls the community to collectively approach God.
Here, James draws on ot language of sacrifice (; ), as the Septuagint (the ancient Greek ot) uses the term engizō (“to draw near”) to describe the priest offering sacrifices in the temple.
The Greek term used here, cheir, figuratively represents a person’s deeds (compare ; ). The command to cleanse them indicates that they were defiled with sin and required purification ().
4:7–8a The only way to resist the devil is by also submitting and drawing near to God (cf. ). Satan will be defeated and will have to flee, as indeed he did from Christ ().
4:9. This verse calls for open repentance. To grieve calls for sinners to experience a deep feeling of shame because of their disobedience. Mourning and weeping are the outward evidences of this sense of wretchedness. To change laughter and joy to mourning and gloom demands that we recognize the folly of our actions.
Laughter seems to describe the loud gaiety of worldly people. Their frivolity will become gloomy when they recognize their foolish choices. Laughter and joy are not evil. However, the particular moments when we meet God as sinners demand a serious repentance rather than hilarious celebration. Christians face times for serious repentance. Such times must not be laughed off.
24 Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?
There is a right time to rejoice and a right time to mourn. James called his double-minded readers to recognize their moral unworthiness.
Paul could write from a Roman prison cell for the Philippians always “to rejoice in the Lord” (). Under the burden of recognizing his disobedience, he could also cry out, “What a wretched man I am!” (). There is a right time to rejoice and a right time to mourn. James called his double-minded readers to recognize their moral unworthiness.
10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.
Those who truly humble themselves before the Lord will experience his exaltation and elevation. This “lifting up” involves moral and spiritual power to live this life. It may also provide hopeful encouragement about our glorious future in heaven ().
4:10. This final appeal contains both a command and a promise. To become humble before God demands a voluntary turning to God (see the words of Jesus in ). The picture is that of a person who falls prostrate before a powerful oriental ruler, seeking mercy.
6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you,
If we look at ourselves from our own perspective, we will invariably either be flattering or hopelessly pessimistic about ourselves. When we respond with insight provided by the Holy Spirit, we see our unworthiness; but we also sense God’s ability to forgive us and receive us. Those who truly humble themselves before the Lord will experience his exaltation and elevation. This “lifting up” involves moral and spiritual power to live this life. It may also provide hopeful encouragement about our glorious future in heaven ().
But as long as people exalt themselves, God will not exalt them.
Let’s move on to : Humbly surrender to God’s Plans
4:11–12. James continued his warning about the need to control one’s anger in trials and its destructiveness in the body of Christ. If a Christian judges his Christian brother, he indirectly speaks against the royal law of love (; ), love being the essence of the “law of Christ” (cf. Gl 6:2; for the royal law, see 2:8, 9). He also judges the law of Christ (; Gl 6:2), supposing Christ’s commands to love are below him, or that he has sufficient authority to set aside “the royal law” (Jms 2:8). Only one has such power (4:12). As Judge, God is able to save and to destroy, i.e., to preserve one’s physical life or to take it in death (; ) as a discipline. Part of the humility that promotes accord in the church is the willingness to submit to and obey the royal law.
D. Self-Centered Living Produces Slander (vv. 11–12)
SUPPORTING IDEA: Human pride leads to disparaging criticism of others.
4:11. Warnings in verses 11–12 grow out of the rebuke of pride and the call for humility in verses 7–10. Verse 11 prohibits slander and insulting language. Pride and the lack of humility are the chief causes of slanderous, insulting language. Slander is critical speech intended to inflame others against the person being criticized. It involves talking against people, perhaps attacking them behind their backs. In this instance Christians were slandering Christians. Christians are brothers and sisters in Christ. For Christians to malign other believers is a living contradiction of the close family ties which should bind them together.
A slanderous Christian must face two charges. First, one who practices slander speaks against the law. The law that a critical Christian misrepresents is the law of love (see ). Christians are called to love our neighbors as ourselves. The slanderous Christian fails to do this.
13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— 14 yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. 15 Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” 16 As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. 17 So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.
Second, one who practices slander judges the law. With a fault-finding attitude I set myself up as a judge. I neglect God’s law, thus declaring that it is a bad law and worthy of being removed. God calls Christians to keep the law, not to sit in judgment on it. When we slander our neighbors, we show our opposition to the law of love and imply that we are exempt from observing it.
4:11 James restates the basic problem behind the issues discussed in 3:1–4:10: the misuse of the tongue to speak evil or to slander others. Speaking ill of others is the result of all the arrogant boasting (3:5), jealousy (vv. 14, 16), self-centered desires (4:1, 3), and pride (v. 6) that James is warning against. Such slanderous conduct is decried in both the OT (; ; ) and NT (; ; ). judges the law. The “law” likely refers to these OT laws against slander, particularly , which leads to 19:18, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” which James calls “the royal law” (). Yet it also includes in a broader sense Jesus’ kingdom laws regarding love for neighbor () and for one another (; , ). Those who inappropriately judge others (; ; ) break God’s law and show contempt for God.
4:11 The law requires that people love their brothers and sisters in Christ. To speak evil against them violates the kingdom command to love (see note on ).
4:12. God is the only Lawgiver and Judge, the one able both to save and destroy. Only God has the ability to enforce his laws and carry out his purposes. He allows no human being to share his role. A slanderous Christian attempts to play the role of God. God has no pleasure in those who practice slander.
Christians can easily come to the conclusion that we are free to show critical attitudes toward those who do wrong. The Bible warns us to leave this judgment with God. Only God has the competence to find and punish those who break his laws. Our calling is to respond in supportive love rather than biting criticism.
What are some mistakes we make when planning our future?
Is James saying planning is bad?
SUPPORTING IDEA: We must commit ourselves to discover the will of God as we make our plans for the future.
It is easy for Christians to make plans and goals, expecting God to fall in line with them. It is easy to plan our lives as if we controlled the future and had unlimited authority over all factors affecting our life. It is quite simple to plan our lives as if God does not exist. This paragraph warns against such self-centered planning. Worldly living does not always show itself in hatred for God. Sometimes it appears in the form of disregarding God as we plan life’s daily activities.
4:12 When a person begins to “judge the law,” he is usurping the place of the one lawgiver and judge. God alone gave the law, and he alone is judge of all (; ; ). to save and to destroy. Possibly an implicit message to the divisive boasters, warning them of future judgment.
4. Pride: The Accompaniment to Worldliness (4:13–17)
By saying If the Lord wills (v. 15; ; ), one recognizes and depends upon God’s sovereignty, and thereby avoids the world’s way for doing business.
21 But on taking leave of them he said, “I will return to you if God wills,” and he set sail from Ephesus.
7 For I do not want to see you now just in passing. I hope to spend some time with you, if the Lord permits.
4:13–5:12 The Sins of the Wealthy. James condemns the sins of the wealthy (arrogant presumption, 4:13–17; and robbing the poor, 5:1–6), then issues a call for patience in suffering (5:7–11).
4:13–14. These verses rebuke our self-sufficient attitudes. Probably the original recipients were strong believers in the existence of God but lived as if he did not exist. They did not consider his will for their daily lives.
1 Do not boast about tomorrow,
for you do not know what a day may bring.
).
Verse 13 shows these businessmen planned the time of their departure, length of stay, and profit without reference to the will of God. The parable of the rich fool in warns against living such a self-sufficient lifestyle (see also ).
What is verse 17 referring to?
What is verse 17 referring to?
Second, we do not understand the nature of human life which is like a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Life is both uncertain and brief.
Many of us have busy schedules. It is easy to plan those schedules without considering the will of God. Many of us have visionary goals for our business, our job, our church, or our family. God wants us to work diligently in all of those areas, but we must consider his will first as we plan our goals.
4:13–5:12 The Sins of the Wealthy. James condemns the sins of the wealthy (arrogant presumption, 4:13–17; and robbing the poor, 5:1–6), then issues a call for patience in suffering (5:7–11).
Sins of omission, not just commission offends God
4:13–17 Boasting about Tomorrow. James addresses merchants, showing that the sovereignty of God precludes presumption and arrogance in making one’s plans.
4:13 trade and make a profit. On the surface this sounds like good business sense, but it masks a secular worldview that ignores God. These people are probably Christians belonging to the wealthy merchant class, whereas the rich people mentioned in 5:1–6 are probably not believers (cf. 2:6–7).
4:13 The Greek phrase used here aims to gain the audience’s attention heading into a serious discussion.
4:14 James condemns rich business owners for their arrogant self-confidence; he accuses them of acting as though they alone determine the course of their lives, apart from God (; ).
4:14 you. These business people think they control events but fail to recognize God’s providential control and the temporary nature of life, which is like a mist that can fade away at any moment. Planning and investing are not wrong, but arrogant self-confidence and boasting are.
4:15 The key to vv. 13–17 is if the Lord wills, with “Lord” referring to Yahweh as the Creator who sustains the universe and whose will controls all that happens. Every business decision must be based on submission to God’s will.
4:17 Fails to do it describes what are commonly called “sins of omission.” It is not only what people do that matters; the good that they fail to do is equally important to God.
It is sin to know what is right and to fail to do it. These sins of omission refuse to make a right response to God. A sin of omission displeases God just as much as a sin of commission, that is, a blatant act against God’s will.
As we discuss the will of God, we must not let his will become a strictly formal expression which lacks any spiritual meaning for us. We must remain spiritually alive to the necessity of building our plans around his desires. We must also avoid legalizing our own will under the disguise of seeking God’s will.
Some years ago I was an avid collector of postage stamps. Often I received stamps from various companies on approval. This procedure allowed me to look at the stamps, select what I wanted, pay for them, and return the unwanted stamps to the company. Have you ever asked God to show you his will “on approval”? If we use this method of seeking God’s will, it makes us the ultimate sovereigns over our lives. God desires that we obey his will unconditionally.
Verse 17 states a specific principle applied to presumptuous planning about the future. It can also serve as a general principle applying to all areas of the Christian life: It is sin to know what is right and to fail to do it. These sins of omission refuse to make a right response to God. A sin of omission displeases God just as much as a sin of commission, that is, a blatant act against God’s will. We know to make our plans in reliance on God’s will. When we fail to follow this knowledge, we commit a sin of omission. God holds us accountable for more than merely knowing the right. He wants us to do the right.
James accused his readers of boasting and bragging. Brag describes the arrogant assumption they could handle the future as they wanted to do independently of God. Our boasting is to be in the Lord himself, in the blessings he gives us, and in the experiences which cause us to know him better. Paul boasted in his weaknesses that allowed the power of Christ to rest on him (). He gloried in the cross () because it represented the action which brought the blessings of God’s salvation to lost sinners.
Verse 17 states a specific principle applied to presumptuous planning about the future. It can also serve as a general principle applying to all areas of the Christian life: It is sin to know what is right and to fail to do it. These sins of omission refuse to make a right response to God. A sin of omission displeases God just as much as a sin of commission, that is, a blatant act against God’s will. We know to make our plans in reliance on God’s will. When we fail to follow this knowledge, we commit a sin of omission. God holds us accountable for more than merely knowing the right. He wants us to do the right.
The response of the lazy servant which Jesus condemned involved burying his money and failing to increase it by hard work and effort ().
Self-Reflection
Self-Reflection
What evidence is there in your life that you are submitting to the will of God for His honor and good pleasure?
MAIN IDEA REVIEW: God wants his people to live with a conscious commitment to follow the will of God.
III. CONCLUSION
Sadness—Getting What I Wanted
Takeaways
Takeaways
It was near a college, and I had children rapidly approaching their college years. It could be good for my family. Our entire family had been nurtured and helped by the churches I had pastored. It had been a family-friendly experience. We had loved the ministry of caring for the spiritual needs of people and seeing people trust Jesus, grow in him, and respond to his call.
I would have a high visibility in leading that church. Although I knew that this could produce pride and self-seeking, I realized that previous pastors of the church had been community and denominational leaders.
The church asked me to preach for them several times during the interim period. Each visit sent me away with prayer and excitement. I dreamed of what I might do if they were to call me as pastor. I dared to pray that God would see fit to call me there.
Truly praying to the Lord will include an attitude of surrender and submission.
But they called someone else. I remained where God had called me, teaching New Testament in a seminary. I watched that church over the next several years as it experienced a time of trial. The church seemed to lose its focus. Discontent appeared. How hard it would have been to deal with this!
At the same time God confirmed that I was to stay where I was. He expanded my opportunities for writing, teaching, and ministry to others. I came to see that God knew what he was doing to keep me where I was. My wife and children came to the same conviction.
How sad it would have been if I had gotten what I wanted. I did not know what I needed. God knew better. If I had followed my own hopes and plans, I could have left a place of productive ministry for a location in which God did not want me. How important it was for me not to make and follow my own plans but genuinely to say, If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that (v. 15).
God yearns for us to give him our undivided allegiance.
God yearns for us to give him our undivided allegiance.
The will of God must be the hub of our decision making. If we build our lives around any other plan, we will find ourselves saying, “How sad it is that God gave me what I wanted and not what he wanted.”
Seeking the will of God must be the goal of our personal planning.
Be concerned not only about what you do but also about what you fail to do.
• We sometimes scheme and fight to obtain what God would give us if we would only ask.
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• God exalts those who humble themselves before him.
• Only God has the ability to judge and evaluate our motives.
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• We must beware of sins of omission as well as those of commission.
APPLICATIONS
• Don’t ask with wrong motives, or you will not get your requests from God.
• Seek grace from God to love him with your whole heart.
• Resist temptation, and God will enable you to overcome it.
• Don’t slander other believers, for in so doing you set yourself above God’s laws.
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Humbling Yourself to Seek God’s Will
Richard Greenham was a model English pastor from a Puritan background. From 1570 to 1590 Greenham served as pastor in the small village of Dry Drayton, five miles north of Cambridge. During twenty years of ministry, Greenham arose on most days of the week at 4 a.m. to begin to minister among his rural congregation. After delivering an early morning sermon, he tramped through the fields of his parish, talking with farmers in his congregation as they worked the fields. On Sundays he preached twice, and he held a meeting with children before the evening service. Regularly he prayed, visited, and wept over the needs of his small congregation.
He led farmers in his parish to store corn and barley in times of plenty for the needs of the poor in times of lean harvest. He freely gave money to impoverished prisoners. He was a skilled master at providing comfort for wounded consciences. Many who came to him weeping went away with joy in their souls. By nature he avoided controversy, although his age was a time of great agitation in the churches. He felt that personal religion was much more important, and he urged his listeners to make it their ambition to seek God.
Greenham’s reputation for pastoral skill made him a legend among Puritans of his age. His location near Cambridge made it easy for travelers to beat a path to his door. Many of those who came wound up staying, spending the night, eating at his table, and participating in his times of instruction. His commitment and spiritual zeal became a source of encouragement and inspiration to godly pastors seeking a human model to imitate.
Despite his consistent zeal, Greenham did not reap much fruit among his people. The legend among Puritan pastors of his time was that “Greenham had pastures green but sheep full lean.” Many in his parish remained so ignorant and stubborn that little spiritual progress was possible. Greenham left his parish in 1590 and commented that he could see no fruit from his ministry except in one family.
But fruit he did have. Many of those visitors who came to his home became leaders in the next generation of English ministers. They ate freely of the spiritual feast he gave them as they visited his home. Although he saw little fruit in his parish, God saw to it that Greenham’s teaching and influence spread far abroad in the next generation. His faithful persistence produced among the next generation fruit which remained.
Many of us would find it easy to leave a task as difficult as Richard Greenham faced. We would seek more responsive ministries or people. Greenham stayed, taught those whom God sent him, and produced much fruit, chiefly in the next generation. He humbled himself to seek God’s will.
Doing God’s will is not always easy. It demands humility, repentance, discipline, and unflinching commitment. Not everyone wants to give this type of response to God. Doing God’s will always brings good. The good may take time to appear. It may not always be good in the sense that the individual who does good receives honor and recognition. It will be good in that God will receive honor. It will be good in that you will see peace, righteousness, and purity appear. When we submit ourselves to do God’s will, he will always produce a good result ().
To those who want to quit in the face of a hard task, James says, Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you (). Those who follow James’s commands will find stamina to do God’s will and will receive honor from the Lord () for a job well done.
V. PRAYER
Lord, life seems so hard at times. So many things out there tempt me to seek them instead of seeking you. So often life seems meaningless and hopeless. I want to quit. The world seems so friendly. You seem so far away. Forgive me. I know I have moved. You have not. I will flee Satan. I will come back to you. Help me be humble in your presence. Help me see what you want me to do and never fail to do it. Show me your plans and how I can participate in what you are already doing. Amen.
VI. DEEPER DISCOVERIES
A. Desires, Pleasures (vv. 1, 3)
The niv translated the same Greek word (hedone) as desires (v. 1) and pleasures (v. 3). The Greek term stands behind our English derivative, hedonism. The word describes both the desire for pleasure (v. 1) and the pleasure itself (v. 3). The word appears only in three other New Testament passages, always carrying the suggestion of a self-centered, pleasure-filled lifestyle.
In it describes people “choked by life’s worries, riches, and pleasures.” In it pictures people “enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures.” In it portrays people whose “idea of pleasure is to carouse in broad daylight.”
Christians can legitimately enjoy the pleasure of a moment of relaxation, listening to inspiring music. They can relish the joy of fellowship around a table with beloved family and good food given by God. However, the New Testament warns that Christians must not seek the pleasure which consists of self-indulgence, cheap thrills, and gains obtained by greed. Christians who seek these pleasures will forever live with unanswered prayers.
B. God’s Conditions for Answering Prayer (v. 3)
God does not answer all prayers Christians address to him. Scripture specifies at least four conditions which we must meet to receive answers to our prayers.
First, we must come in an attitude of faith. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt ().
Second, we must approach God with a commitment to obey him. “Dear friend, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him” ().
Third, we must pray in accord with God’s will. “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him” ().
Fourth, we must make our requests with a right motive as James tells us in 4:3. Self-centered motives prevent us from receiving God’s answer to our requests.
Even though we may meet the above conditions, God is not obligated to meet our request in the way we ask. He still may answer as he answered Paul. Paul asked God to remove the “thorn in the flesh” (). God left the thorn with Paul but gave him a plentiful supply of grace so that he understood both his weakness and God’s power.
C. The World (v. 4)
World (kosmos) carries several possible meanings, depending on its context. Sometimes it describes the inhabitants of the world whom God loved (). In other contexts it can refer to the planet earth () or to the universe ().
In it refers to the lifestyle of a world regulated by goals and aims contrary to God’s commands. As Christians we live in this world, but we must not pursue its ideals. The Bible calls on believers not to “love the world” (). We must never cultivate friendship with the world.
This does not suggest we must avoid contact with other human beings, and it does not indicate that we must live a monastic existence. We must not allow the goals and purposes of the world to become our goals and purposes. In all our actions we must “seek first his kingdom and his righteousness” ().
D. Friendship with the World (v. 4)
When are we making friends with the world? How can we know if we are setting ourselves up to be at enmity with God? This is a condition we want to avoid. Here are some suggestions to help us discover when we are treading too closely to making friendships with the wrong people or institutions.
1. We make friendship with the world whenever we act in a way which is characteristic of the world such as displaying envy, strife, selfish ambition, jealousy, and hypocrisy (see ).
2. We make friendship with the world whenever we tolerate a rival to the absolute lordship of Jesus Christ. What is most important to you? If it is job, pleasure, recognition, personal accomplishment, or personal gain, then you have set yourself at enmity toward God.
3. We make friendship with the world whenever we cherish a relationship with persons, institutions, or organizations which are indifferent to or hostile to God.
Above all, we must avoid making our friendship with the world and falling out of friendship with God. Our goal in life is to love God supremely and to permit our lives to be channels of obedience to him.
E. God’s Jealousy (v. 5)
Human jealousy is reprehensible because it is fueled by envy, greed, and mistrust. When we develop jealousy of others, they usually have an appearance, possessions, or a position we want. Our envy of their appearance, material possessions, or public prominence comes from discontent with our situation and a desire to possess what they have.
In , we read a description of the jealousy of God. The term jealousy does not appear in the niv text, but it does appear in the niv textual note. Jealousy is one characteristic of the God who is the only true and proper object of our worship. It became a part of a major confession of faith about God in the Old Testament (; ; ; ; ; ).
God is jealous in that he will allow us to have no rivals for commitment to him. He is unapologetic in asking for our complete obedience (). We sometimes speak of a jealous husband or wife. We recognize that it is entirely proper for a spouse to expect the complete commitment of a partner who has pledged to show love until “death do us part.”
God’s grace supplies us the strength to give him undivided allegiance. He provides us the strength to serve him with an obedient heart. As the followers of the risen Lord Jesus Christ, we should daily count it a privilege that we can render to him our full commitment.
F. Resisting the Devil (v. 7)
“Devil” (diabolos) literally means “slanderer.” The word pictures the devil as one who misrepresents God to human beings (see his action in ) and human beings to God (see his action in ). The devil refuses to submit to God and is determined to prevent believers from obeying God. We must resist the devil incessantly and unrelentingly.
How do we resist the devil? We must surround ourselves with God’s strength. Paul urged the Ephesians to “put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes” (). The act of resistance includes our making a commitment to practice righteousness, live in truth, demonstrate faith, use God’s Word, and exercise assurance of salvation. As we live in conflict with Satan, we must pray strongly for one another ().
The act of resisting the devil requires determined opposition to him. We must also submit to God and draw near to him. As we submit to God and live in obedience to him, we will experience his guidance, strength, and protection as we face temptations.
James promised that those who resist the devil will learn that he will flee from us. As we oppose Satan’s strategies, we must not doubt or waver, but remain bold and confident in the Lord. As we confront him with a determined will and unflinching confidence in God, we will expose him as a coward. Jesus’ death on the cross has made the devil a defeated foe (). As long as we draw our strength from the Lord and refuse to consent to Satan’s temptations, we can remain victorious against the devil’s deceitful deeds.
G. Christian Laughter (v. 9)
The Bible recognizes that laughter and good humor are a great gift from God. The Book of Job states approvingly that God will “fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy” ().
The Bible also recognizes that some laughter comes from flippant attitudes and from indecent jokes. Jesus pronounced a woe on those whose laughter showed a culpable ignorance of their true condition (). Paul warned the Ephesians to avoid “obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking” ().
In , the Lord’s brother saw some of his readers showing a casual, tolerant attitude toward sins and disobedience. Only those who mourned and wept over their sins would enjoy God’s blessedness and laugh with a joy that was pure, satisfying, and blameless. His warnings have great application to people today who show a careless, accepting outlook toward disobedience when they should flee from it instead.
H. Judging Our Neighbors (vv. 11–12)
These verses warn us against slandering one another. They lead us to ask, Is any criticism of another person wrong? If any criticism were wrong, how could a church carry out the type of discipline advocated by Paul in ?
What James denounced was critical, insulting speech intended to belittle someone else and to embarrass that person before others. The evil lay in the hostile intention of the speaker. The speaker wanted to destroy the character or position of the person being criticized.
James warned that such vicious insults violated the law of love. The speakers implied by their criticism that they were acting under higher principles than the one they criticized. They set themselves above the law as a judge. In their pride and arrogance they were acting the role of God.
The Bible calls on believers to remove evil from their midst (). This will demand clear exposure and confrontation of evil deeds and evil people. James, however, recognized that it is easy for Christians to lapse into a harsh, unjustified, self-promoting criticism of one another. He denounced this type of action.
I. The Will of God (v. 15)
The Lord’s will involves God’s plan for our lives, actions, and accomplishments. Christians must actively seek this will and do it. We must not merely mouth our obedience to the Lord’s will as a device to mask our own plans. It is imperative for Christians earnestly to seek God’s desires for their plans, goals, and actions. Paul wished farewell to the Ephesian Christians with the words, “I will come back if it is God’s will” (). He indicated to the Corinthians that he would visit them “if the Lord is willing” ().
To early Christians the sovereignty of God was a deeply personal reality. We who live today must make the seeking and doing of God’s will our chief aim in life. We must not allow our advocacy of doing God’s will to degenerate into a glib, formal expression empty of all spiritual reality.
Our recognition of our dependence on God for the future should not lead to inactivity, nor should it discourage future planning. We must plan our future with a zestful seeking of God’s will. When we commit our plans to him and seek his will, we can proceed into the future with a conviction that God’s grace sustains and empowers us. He will show us where he is actively at work and will draw us in to join him in that work.
J. Sins of Omission (v. 17)
This verse introduces us to a new category of sins, often called “sins of omission.” This category emphasizes that what we fail to do in obeying God is just as important and significant as our acts of open disobedience.
The preceding verses warn us that God holds our future in his hands. Our life and prosperity are dependent on God and his grace. If we continue planning our lives without demonstration of dependence on God, we fail to know the good and are guilty of sin. Failing to seek God’s will is a sin.
These words introduce the possibility of a broader application. Whenever we fail to follow a conscious commitment to Christ, we have omitted a deed of obedience and are involved in sin. Any action in which we reduce or omit obedience becomes sin in God’s sight.
Our failures to seek God by prayer, Bible reading, and worship are sins of omission. Our omission of helpful acts of service to other human beings constitutes an act of disobedience. We must be people who confess to God our overt acts of disobedience. We must also ask him to show us those things we have forgotten to do.
VII. TEACHING OUTLINE
A. INTRODUCTION
1. Lead Story: Should Christians Use Prayer “Hit Lists”?
2. Context: Chapter 3 concludes the discussion of the tongue with an appeal for Christians to demonstrate heavenly wisdom which produces peace, purity, mercy, and righteousness. Chapter 4 provides some examples of the evil results of living in worldly wisdom rather than in heavenly wisdom.
Verses 1–3 show that self-will leads to fights, quarrels, and a vitiated prayer life. God does not answer the prayers of those whose requests are motivated by a desire for pleasure rather than obeying God.
Verses 4–6 show that self-will leads to friendship with the world and enmity with God. God’s demand is for the unbroken commitment of his children.
Verses 7–10 shoot out ten rapid-fire commands to call us to repentance. We need to respond to God with humility, submission, and steadfastness rather than with contentment, complacency, and compromise.
Verses 11–12 warn of the prideful effects of slander. When we heap insults on Christian friends, we are guilty of setting ourselves above the law rather than submitting to it.
Verses 13–17 issue a concluding warning to those who practice a self-sufficient lifestyle. Such a lifestyle makes us guilty of attempting to plan life without seeking God’s will. The Bible denounces this prideful behavior and calls it “sin.”
3. Transition: Disobedience to God’s will does not always produce immediate pain such as we see when people touch a bare hand to a hot stove. The burn warns you that a hot stove is dangerous. Disobedience to God’s will often requires longer to “burn” us.
James has outlined the long-term results of self-centered living which does not seek to obey God. The descriptions are filled with tragedy. Disobedience to God produces fights, quarrels, enmity with God, compromise with Satan, backbiting insults, empty boastings, and habitual sin. These actions lead to misery, aimlessness, poor health, and deception about the future.
James’s solution to this progressive problem is to call for submission to God, resistance to the devil, spiritual mourning, and humility before God. His promise to those who respond is fellowship with him, triumph over Satan, and honor from God.
The battle lines are drawn. The choices are clear. The outcomes are visible. The decision is ours. The benefits of obedience are indescribably good. May God give us the grace to choose wisely.