God Gives Greater Grace To The Humble

James 4:1-10

I want us to discuss, humility this morning. I am not talking about acting humble or talking humble. True humility is abandoning all selfish agendas, relying not on yourself but on Someone else to provide what is needed.

Sounds backward, in a sense of what we are dealing with today! Relying on someone else......people today seem to be relying on other people to provide their lively hoods, but that is not what we are discussing today!

If you are thinking that direction here is a verse for you: 1 Thessalonians 4:11 “And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you;”

No body owes you anything, mind your own business, provide for yourself!

I give you that so we can move on to the greater matters in life, our spiritual life!

James is the writer of this epistle, he is the half-brother of our Lord Jesus and he also brother to Jude.

James, like all of his brothers, rejected their half-brother as Messiah.....John 7:5 “For neither did his brethren believe in him.”

He later believed: 1 Corinthians 15:7 “After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles.”

Pau would refer to James as a “pillar” of the church, along with Peter and John......Galatians 2:9 “And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision.”

James was martyred for Christ’s sake in AD 62.

James wrote with authority of one that had personally seen and experienced the resurrected Christ!

That brings us to our text......It seems that James’ entire epistle is dealing with those that claim to be a follower of Christ, but has no fruit to show. Proof is in the pudding, so to speak. James 2:18 “Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.”

So, here we come to chapter 4.........James, through the Holy Spirit, is speaking to an audience of Jewish “Christians” about humility, calling into question their motives. That is the true definition of humility, removing our agenda’s and relying on the right one! Understanding that I am not, but Someone else is!

Let’s read......James 4:1-5 to start off with.......

James starts off with the “wars and fightings” among you....disagreements among believers......

Conflicts amongst believers should not happen! Some have said that this is a letter to unbelievers, because it seems that James is calling their faith into action, not because he is better than they but because their motives do not seem to be that of Jesus Christs!

Tares amongst the wheat....that is what James is seeming to speak about!

Tares are only good to be burned and the wheat to be harvested.

These conflicts arise, because your “members” (fallen nature) has lusted or desired after your own agenda or pleasures! Whatever tickles your fancy, you go after. Whatever seems right to you, you go after!

You desire, kill, set your heart after, fight, and war.......you do all of these things and still are not satisfied......even if you did obtain anything, you want more!

None of this is settled within yourself because you ask not!

Even if you ask, you are still unsatisfied because you ask amiss!......

“Ask amiss” means to ask with wrong motives!

Those motives are seeking the pleasures of the world, not the truth of Jesus Christ!

That is the true meaning of lust!

Notice the next verse.......James calls those living this way, adulterers and adulteresses.....what is he saying there?

If your life is consumed with your lusts then you have found pleasure in the world more than God!

I heard a young preacher talking about this......he said that his wife married him when he was dirt poor and I know she loved me for me!

That is the essential truth of our relationship with God........God is a jealous God. He created us fro His Glory.......in that, God has provided us with the greatest life that could ever be given!

Being in the presence of God and having lived experience with God is greater than any worldly pleasure!

This, however, is not sought after by many! We will spend all our energy and time seeking after something else, rather than what is truly the greatest for us!

That is the definition of adultery!

If you are friends with the world, then you are no friend of God!! It is such to the point now, that we have folks, unashamedly, declaring friendship with the world, but will also claim some sort of spiritual connection to God! I heard it straight from a judge this week!

If you are friends with the world then you are enemy of God!!! Chew that cud of truth around for few minutes!!!

Such as it is for those who are still living in the fallen nature......that fallen spirit is bent on anything that is opposite of God!

Now we come to an invitation part of James’ letter.........So far, James has laid out some things that we might say well I am not that! We probably thought of people like that and said not us...........For a moment let us look at ourselves and that is only who we can truly account for................Friendship with the world can be defined in many ways.......better said a desire for the worldly......I can define the world for you, the Holy Spirit through John actually what the world is, it is the world system, but this is the true identity........Hold your place and turn with me to 1 John 2:15-17...............

Lust meaning the strong desire for evil things, through what you see and the pull of your inward fallenness!

The worldly can be defined in so many ways....the devil has been tempting people with a multitude of things ever since the beginning. Some of those temptations to us today do not seem like that big of a deal...........

In Matthew 4, when satan tempted our Lord, He proposed three temptations that sounds subtle to most folks today.....

Food.....a person that hasn’t eaten for 40 days and 40 nights that would seem like a “God send”, however satan told Jesus to make some bread.....Jesus refused by saying Matthew 4:4 “But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.”

He was doing His Father’s will, I have heard one so-called “preacher” say that he refuses to be apart of a faith teaches that the righteous will suffer.......well he didn’t read Jesus’ temptation.

Next was a challenge in Jesus’ power and authority...... satan tells Jesus to jump off the high place and the quotes Psalm 91:10-11…which basically says the angels will keep Him from striking a stone.....Jesus quotes back from Deut. 6:16 “Ye shall not tempt the Lord your God, as ye tempted him in Massah.”

Lastly satan told Jesus that all of the kingdoms of the world would be His if He would bow down and worship him.......Jesus responded again with God’s Word Deut. 6:13 “Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God, and serve him, and shalt swear by his name.”

Everything, well mostly the 1st 2, seemed not so bad.....but the temptation was to go out of the will of God, to remove yourself from what is God’s! Everything in the world seems so inviting for us.....that is on purpose.....I can set my kingdom up down here and I will be good! That is exactly what satan is wanting you to do because it will be your eternal destruction!!

That is the world, everything that opposes God and His Will for man!

The believer is praying and desiring...... “Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done.....

This is how we get to the wars and fighting....the lusting after......it is already in our fallen nature.....so we must overcome that pull, so how do we do that........this is our invitation......James 4:6-10.....

The only ray of hope is God’s marvellous Grace, which alone can rescue humans from their fallen nature!

And the only way to receive the “greater grace” is through humility!!

God resist those that rely on themselves, we cannot save ourselves!

The first part of this humility is to recognize that we need saving from ourselves and the destruction that is approaching us because of our pride!

Yes, ourselves is the problem and we must be “Born Again”, born into a new man which is created in Christ Jesus, which has been the only One to refuse the pleasures of the world, that are posed against the will of God, because of His desire to be with God!

I define humility this way, by Scripture.......It is an understanding of these truths John 15:5 “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without Me (Jesus) ye can do nothing.”

John 6:63 “It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.”

Philippians 3:3 “For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.”

These are powerful truths that we need to understand.....summed up in “no confidence in the flesh”, do not trust yourself, we must live by every Word that proceeds out of the mouth of God! We Trust Jesus Christ!

This is why verse 7 tells us to submit to God........submit meaning come under the authority

In other words, my life is now dictated by the Will of God through Jesus Christ, I cannot trust myself!

Resist the devil.........rebel against the prince and the power of the air, the god of this world.......oppose everything that he is and come under a completely opposite way and be ruled by the truth and power of Jesus Christ!

The next 3 verses are the signs of repentance........2 Corinthians 7:10 “For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.”

Draw nigh to God, understanding that I can do nothing and He has and will do everything!

Cleanse your hands....the act of a sinner wanting to be rid of their sins against God......not a physical act but an inward one......

Purify your hearts....seek after a single pure motive......which is to follow Christ!

Double-minded speaks to us serving God and mammon..........God and our own kingdoms....you will love one and hate the other.

Jeremiah 29:12-13 “Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.”

Afflicted and mourn and weep.......those things most people try to avoid.....but when I measure myself to God and if I have any care for God, any care, I will be all of those!!!!!

Laughter and joy in the worldly, let that be turned to sackcloth and ashes......mourning and heaviness

Mourning and heaviness over how unworthy and unholy that I am! This is humility!

Much like the publican that prayed in Luke 18:13 “And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.”

He was not proud was he? Jesus, however said that this man went away justified verses the proud man, that was proud of his accomplishments and all the he had!

Much like some teachers and preachers teach today!

“Give me the good things, Lord” Instead of be merciful to me a sinner!

God’s mercy is the greatest, the greater grace belongs to those who do not believe they deserve it!

Hence our last verse today....Humble yourself.....get over yourself........submit all of your wills and desires to God’s desire, and in God’s perfect purpose through Jesus Christ, you will be exalted!

I do not see the God of all the universe, God of all grace and mercy, God that has our lives in His Hands, being exalted anymore.......He is left out of our plans, in which we shouldn’t even have any plans but His!

I think we are scared if we let go of our stuff, we will lose it......the rich young ruler couldn’t let go of his stuff.........it is not that giving those things up is our way to God........it is summed up in Christ’s Words.....Matthew 16:24-26 “Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?”

Back to 1 John 2:17 “And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.”