Log Out - Log in to God (James)

Log Into God (James)

Log out - We have identified areas that we need to log out of.

Now we must focus on Logging Into areas that will bring wholistic growth in our life.

I believe the book of James will allow us to jump into an area of Logging into God.

The book of James written by the half brother of Jesus

The book was written to Jews would had be dispersed from Jerusalem because of persecution.

it’s a book of commands for Christians to live.

James 4:1 ESV

What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you?

In order to understand verse 1, let look at chapter 3.

James 3:13–18 ESV

Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

James is dealing with how wise and understanding people operate vs people with bitter jealousy and selfish ambition.

He paints a picture of what wisdom looks like from above vs. a person who responds in an earthly, unspiritual and demonic way.

James then begins chapter 4 with a powerful question.

“What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you?

Quarrels - contention ⇔ war n. — a contention understood as if a battle in a war.

Fights - an open clash between two opposing groups.

If James is dealing with the tongue in chapter 3 and our actions. He is going to identify what causes us to be pushed to that place to say the wrong things or act out in bitter jealousy and selfish ambition.

James in 2020 would say.... What causes you to trip and flash on people?

It’s a rhetorical question - “Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you?”

William Barclay

The Letters of James and Peter The Consequences of the Life Dominated by Pleasure (James 4:1–3 Contd)

It sets people at each other’s throats. Desires, as James sees it, are fundamentally warring powers. He does not mean that they war within a person—although that is also true—but that they set individuals warring against each other. The basic desires are for the same things—for money, for power, for prestige, for worldly possessions, for the gratification of physical lusts. When everyone is striving to possess the same things, life inevitably becomes a competitive arena.

James 4:2 ESV

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.

The Letters of James and Peter The Consequences of the Life Dominated by Pleasure (James 4:1–3 Contd)

The craving for pleasure drives people to shameful deeds. It drives them to envy and to enmity—and even to murder.

James said you desire and do not have, so you murder…

You covet and cannot obtain, so you Fight and quarrel...

You don’t have because you rather get it yourself instead of asking God to provide it....

James 4:3 ESV

You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.

And the reason why you won’t ask God to provide because you know your asking wrongly and you want to spend it on your passions!

James 4:4 ESV

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.

The is heavy!!! You adulterous people! -

James calls them adulterous because you rather Log in to friendship with the world (World - False values / Egoism / Wrong principles / The system contrary to God’s word).

“Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God?

Enmity - hostility (state) n. — a state of deep-seated ill-will.

God has a major problem with our friendship with the “world” and the Friendship with the world has a major problem with God…

God is jealous towards it and the Friendship is hostile towards God…

“Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” - This is heavy.......

James 4:5 ESV

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”?

Two different translations

The Letters of James and Peter God the Jealous Lover (James 4:4–7 Contd)

He [that is, God] jealously yearns for the devotion of the spirit which he has made to dwell within us’, or ‘The Spirit which God has made to dwell within us jealously yearns for the full devotion of our hearts.’

The Letters of James and Peter God the Jealous Lover (James 4:4–7 Contd)

In either case, the meaning is that God is the jealous lover who will not tolerate a rival.

An Exegetical Summary of James 4:5

It means that the Holy Spirit jealously yearns for our love and devotion [Alf, EGT, Hb, Lg(M), Lns, May]: the Holy Spirit whom God caused to dwell in us yearns jealously over us.

James 4:6 ESV

But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

An Exegetical Summary of James 4:6

It shows that those who seek for worldly honors are God’s enemies but the humble receive his favors

Pride

The Letters of James and Peter The Glory of Humility and the Tragedy of Pride (James 4:4–7 Contd)

one who shows himself above other people

James 4:7 ESV

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Submit:

An Exegetical Summary of James 4:7

‘to obey’ [BAGD, LN], ‘to give in’ [NJB], ‘to enlist under

Log In - To God

Resist the devil - Withstand his attempts to tempt us with worldly desires

Log Out of things that cause distractions…

James 4:8 ESV

Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

“Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you”

‘to go near’ [NJB], ‘to come close’ [REB], ‘to approach’ [BAGD, LN]. This verb implies a return to communion with God

Greenlee, J. H. (2008). An Exegetical Summary of James (2nd ed., p. 160). Dallas, TX: SIL International.

“Cleanse your hands, you sinners”

Sinners: which means the hardened sinner, the one whose sin is obvious and notorious

Barclay, W. (2003). The Letters of James and Peter (3rd ed. fully rev. and updated, p. 124). Louisville, KY; London: Westminster John Knox Press.

An Exegetical Summary of James 4:8

It is an exhortation to make their outward conduct morally pure [EBC, Hb, ICC, Lns, Mit, My, NBC, NIC, NIGTC, TG, TNTC, WBC], to repent [Lg, TNTC]. The reference to their hands is symbolic of their deeds

“Purify your hearts, you double minded”

An Exegetical Summary of James 4:8

They attempted to be committed to both God and the world