James Chapter 4 Part
1
Warning Against
Worldliness
From
whence come
wars and fightings among you? come
they
not hence, even
of your lusts that war in your members? Jas 4:1
From
whence come...
Questions 16-17. Next, Jas. 4:4.
wars
and fightings...
About this time in Judea the Jews made many insurrections against the
Romans under the pretense of defending their religion and procuring
their way of life. Many factions among the Jews also fought
violently, massacring and plundering one another. In some provinces
Jews killed many heathens and brought destruction upon themselves.
These wars were undertaken through a spirit of covetousness and zeal,
trying to convert the heathen and destroy idolatry.
Quarrels; these are between people in the church, not internal
conflict in individual people. “Quarrels” speaks of the conflict
in general; “conflicts” of its specific manifestations. Discord
in the church is not by God’s design (John 13:34-35, 17-21; 2 Cor.
12:20; Phil. 1:27), but results from the mix of tares (false
believers), and wheat (truly redeemed people), that make up the
church.
Remember
from previous lessons that the church at this time was dominant
Jewish, the gentiles were just starting to come into the church.
of
your lusts... Or could be translated “pleasures”. The Greek word
(from which the English word “hedonism” derives), always has a
negative connotation in the New Testament. The passionate desire for
worldly pleasures that mark unbelievers (1:14; Eph. 2:3; 2Tim. 3:4;
Jude 18), are the internal source of the external conflict in the
church (1:14-15).
in
your members... Not church members, but bodily members. James, like
Paul, uses “members” to speak of sinful, fallen human nature
(Rom. 6:19; 7:5, 23). Unbelievers (who are in view here), fight
(unsuccessfully), against the evil desires they cannot control.
The
strongest statement someone can make is usually in the form of a
question. It gets us to thinking about figuring out what the problem
is. James is speaking to them about the “fightings” being caused,
because of the worldliness they still have in their lives and their
walks.
If
we are dead in Christ, there should be no reason to fight the
brethren.
Submit
with Contrition
Fights,
quarrels, lust, hate, envy, pride, and sin are words that stain this
portion of James’ letter like inkblots. In stark contrast with the
closing words of Jas.
3:1-18,
“peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness,”
Jas.
4:1-17
opens with “fights and quarrels.” James confronted this
despicable behavior with valor. Furthermore he gave clear advice on
how to quell the storms that are so detrimental to spiritual growth
and maturity. A believer must turn hatred into humility, judgment
into justice, and boasting into belief.
Turn hatred into
humility
The
appearance of conflict among the followers of Jesus stirred James to
intense indignation. The severity of his tone in this section is
accented by the absence of the words “my brothers,” which James
used so frequently in other parts of the letter. He revealed the
cause of conflict, outlined the consequences of conflict, and
proposed a cure for conflict.
Cause
Of Conflict
Characteristically,
James introduced this new section with a rhetorical question, What
causes fights and quarrels among you? Where do “fights” (lit.,
“state of war,” polemoi)
and “quarrels” (lit., individual disputes or “battles,”
machai)
come from? James answered his own question: from your desires that
battle within you. Conflict comes out of (ek)
inner sensual lusts or pleasures (hēdonōn;
cf. Jas. 4:3). Hedonism, the playboy philosophy that makes pleasure
mankind’s chief end, still wages battles in people’s hearts.
Ye
lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain:
ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. Jas 4:2
ye
kill, and... Here meaning murder, is the ultimate result of thwarted
desires. James had in mind actual murder and the gamut of sins (hate,
anger, bitterness), leading up to it. The picture is of unbelievers
so driven by their uncontrollable evil desires that they will fight
to the death to fulfill them.
ye
ask not... True joy, peace, happiness, meaning, hope, and fulfillment
in life, come only from God. Unbelievers however, are unwilling to
ask for them on His terms, they refuse to submit to God or
acknowledge their dependence on Him.
James
is speaking here, supposedly to believers in Christ. It is
unbelievable that Christians would be this caught up in the flesh.
Lust is of the flesh, and not of God. It seems they want things so
badly that are not their own, that they even kill to get them.
The
real truth here, is these people may profess Christianity, but they
really are not Christians. They have not crucified the flesh and its
lust. He gives them the secret in the last few words of the verse.
Christians, do not fight to get the things you want, pray for them
instead.
If
they are good for you, the Lord will give them to you. The answer is
prayer. They do not have these things, because they have not asked in
prayer.
War
is the fruit of illicit wants. Lust brings about murder. Covetousness
results in the frustration of not obtaining the hotly pursued
desires. It all leads to the “quarrels” and “fights,” that
“battle” against people, mentioned in Jas. 4:1. The last part of
Jas. 4:2, You do not have, because you do not ask God, is best taken
with what follows. James did not contend that the reason lust was not
gratified was because people failed to ask God to fill those desires.
He simply revealed the clear source of conflict deep in covetous
human hearts.
Ye
ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it
upon your lusts. Jas 4:3
Ye
ask, and... Twelve
reasons for unanswered prayer:
1.
Lusts (Jas. 4:1, 4:2, 4:3, 4:5; John 8:44)
2.
Murders (Jas. 4:2)
3.
Covetousness (Jas. 4:2)
4.
Fighting and war (Jas. 4:2)
5.
Asking amiss to satisfy lusts (Jas. 4:3)
6.
Adulteries (Jas. 4:4)
7.
Friendship
8.
Pride (Jas. 4:6)
9.
Rebellion against God (Jas. 4:7)
10.
Backsliding and sin (Jas. 4:8)
11.
Double mindedness or doubt (Jas. 4:8)
12.
Misuse of the tongue (Jas. 4:11-12)
This
passage should never be taken by the Christian as an excuse for
unanswered prayer. By so doing he automatically classes himself as
lustful, murderous, covetous, adulterous, worldly, proud, sinful, and
blasphemous. Is it any wonder that God does not answer the prayers of
such people? Would you? No man can ask amiss if he is in Christ and
asks according to the promises (John 15:7; Mar. 11:22-24; Heb. 11:6;
Jas. 1:5-8). The reason Christian prayers are not answered is
unbelief.
ye
ask amiss... This refers to acting in an evil manner, motivated by
personal gratification and selfish desire. Unbelievers seek things
for their own pleasures, not for the honor and glory of God.
Sometimes
we, like these Christians, pray for things that would not be for our
own good, or the good of those around us. God will not answer a
prayer to fill our greed. He will, however, answer a prayer for our
needs.
Consequence
Of Conflict
The
correct way for Christians to have their legitimate needs met is by
asking God. One reason a believer does not receive what he asks for
is that he asks with wrong motives (lit., “evilly” or “amiss,”
kakōs).
The verb ask is in the middle voice, meaning, “ask for yourself.”
The purpose clause that follows further clarifies, that you may spend
what you get on your pleasures. “Spend” could be translated
“squander.” “Pleasures” is again the Greek word hēdonais
(cf. Jas. 4:1). God will never provide for “hedonistic
squandering”!
Ye
adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the
world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the
world is the enemy of God. Jas 4:4
Ye
adulterers and...
Questions 18-19. Next, Jas. 4:12.
adulteresses,
know ye... A metaphorical description of spiritual unfaithfulness
(Mat. 12:39; 16:4; Mark 8:38). It would have been especially familiar
to James’ Jewish readers, since the Old Testament often describes
unfaithful Israel as a spiritual harlot. James has in view professing
Christians, outwardly associated with the church, but holding a deep
affection for the evil world system.
the
friendship of...
The
Greek word describes love in the sense of a strong emotional
attachment. Those with a deep and intimate longing for the things of
the world give evidence that they are not redeemed (1Jhn. 2:15-17).
The
Christian must:
1.
Be free from the cares of the world (Mat. 13:22; Luke 21:34-36)
2.
Not gain the world at the expense of his soul (Mat. 16:26)
3.
Not offend others as the world does (Mat. 18:7)
4.
Not be of it (John 15:19; 17:14, 17:16)
5.
Not love his life in the world (John 12:25)
6.
Be delivered from the world (Gal. 1:4)
7.
Be crucified to the world (Gal. 6:14)
8.
Shine as a light in the world (Phlp. 2:15)
9.
Deny its lusts; live godly in it (Tit. 2:12)
10.
Be unspotted from the world (Jas. 1:27)
11.
Not be friends with the world (Jas. 4:4)
12.
Escape the pollution and corruption of the world (2Pet. 1:4; 2:20)
13.
Not love the world, neither the things that are in the world (1Jhn.
2:15-17)
14.
Be like Christ in the world (1Jhn. 4:17)
15.
Overcome the world (1Jhn. 5:4-5)
16.
Be chosen out of it (John 15:19; 17:6)
17.
Be not conformed to it (Rom. 12:2)
18.
Be dead to its ways (Col. 2:20)
enemy
of God... The necessary corollary to friendship with the world. The
sobering truth that unbelievers are God’s enemies is taught
throughout Scripture.
As
Israel was a spiritual adulteress, unfaithful to God, so the church
is a spiritual adulteress when she is the unfaithful bride of Christ.
(Hos. 2:5, 19, 20; Mat. 12:39). One cannot be both a lover of God and
a lover of the world.
Adultery
is one of the worst sins a Christian could commit, because it is a
sin of the body. The Christian, filled with the Holy Spirit, would be
involving the Holy Spirit in the sin. A person, who is still involved
in adultery, is not a friend of God. They have chosen the way of the
flesh.
The
flesh, or the spirit, rules over our will. If the flesh rules over
your will, you are of the flesh.
Instead
of the customary “my brothers,” James bristled with you
adulterous people. Again he asked a pointed question: Don’t you
know that friendship (philia)
with the world (cf. “world” in Jas. 1:27) is hatred toward God?
Then he added, Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes
(lit., “is constituted”) an enemy of God. The consequence is
worse than ending up empty-handed; a rebellious Christian who has an
illegitimate relationship with the world is at enmity with God!
Do
ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth
in us lusteth to envy? Jas 4:5
the
scripture saith... The quote that follows in not found as such in the
Old Testament; it is a composite of general Old Testament teaching.
This difficult phrase is best understood by seeing the “spirit”
as a reference not to the Holy Spirit, but to the human spirit, and
translating the phrase in the negative sense of “lusts to envy”.
James’
point is that an unbelieving person’s spirit (inner person), is
bent on evil (Gen. 6:5; 8:21; Prov. 21:10; Ecc. 9:3; Jer. 17:9; Mark
7:21-23). Those who think otherwise defy the biblical diagnosis of
fallen human nature; and those who live in worldly lusts give
evidence that their faith is not genuine (Rom. 8: 5-11; 1 Cor. 2:14).
The
spirit that...
There is no exact scripture quoted by James here. He must refer to
the basic thought of several passages, as Gen. 6:5; 8:21; Num. 11:29;
Prov. 21:10. That the spirit of man is designed to lust to envy, or
that the Holy Spirit who dwells in the Christian lusts to envy, is
contrary to all teaching of Scripture.
God
will not share you with any other. You are either 100% His or you are
not His at all. To lust with envy would not be Godly. We must choose
today whom we will serve. Is it God, or the fleshly lust, that we
serve?
2Cor.
11:2 “For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have
espoused you to one husband, that I may present [you as] a chaste
virgin to Christ.”
If
we are God’s we will not lust with envy.
Although
many believe that (verse 5), refers to the positive ministry of the
indwelling Holy Spirit, yearning jealously over the believer, the
tenor (of verses 4 and 5), is negative, speaking of man’s envy. The
good work of God begins at verse 6 (in contrast to 4 and 5), as the
conjunction indicates.
“But
He giveth more grace” is literally “greater grace” (Greek
meizona). God gives grace that is greater than the world’s
attraction of (verse 4), and the inner lust of (verse 5; Romans
5:20), and so can withstand both.
Cure
For Conflict
This
is one of the most difficult verses to translate in the entire
letter. A very literal translation would be, “Or think you that
vainly the Scripture says to envy yearns the spirit which was made to
dwell in you, but He gives great grace.” Is the “spirit” the
Holy Spirit or the human spirit? Is the spirit to be taken as the
subject of the verb “yearns” or as its object? Is “envy” to
be seen as “unrighteous desire” or as “righteous jealousy”?
Numerous translations are possible: (a) “The Spirit who indwells
you jealously yearns [for you] and He gives more grace.” (b) “He
[God] yearns jealously for the Holy Spirit which indwells you and He
gives more grace.” (c) “The [human] spirit which indwells you
yearns to envy, but He [God] gives more grace.” The NIV favors the
latter idea: Or do you think… that the spirit He caused to live in
us tends toward envy, but “He gives us more grace?” (Jas.
4:6)
Not
only is the translation of the sentence a problem, but also the
apparent indication that it is a part of Scripture poses
difficulties. James’ question, typically rhetorical, “or do you
think Scripture says without reason” (kenōs,
lit., “vainly”), introduces the section. The ambiguous sentence
that follows is not a direct quotation of any passage in Scripture.
Rather than assume that James quoted some other sacred book, or some
unknown Greek translation of the Old Testament, or that he simply
referred to the general sense of Scripture, it seems more reasonable
to assume that he focused on the quotation in Jas.
4:6, a statement
clearly taken from Prov.
3:34 : “God
opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” (also quoted in
1Pet.
5:5).
But
he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud,
but giveth grace unto the humble. Jas 4:6
giveth
grace unto...
Quoted from Prov. 3:34.
The
only ray of hope in man’s spiritual darkness is the sovereign grace
of God, which alone can rescue man from his propensity to lust for
evil things. That God gives “greater grace” shows that His grace
is greater than the power of sin, the flesh, the world, and Satan
(Rom. 5:20).
The
Old Testament quote (from Prov. 3:34; 1Pet. 5:5), reveals who obtains
God’s grace, the humble, not the proud enemies of God. The word
“humble” does not define a special class of Christians, but
encompasses all believers (Isa. 57:15; 66:2; Mat. 18:3-4).
When
we humble ourselves before God, we are in a place to receive from
Him.
1Pet.
5:6 “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that
he may exalt you in due time:”
We
are saved by the grace of God, and we have nothing to be proud about.
Salvation for us is a free gift. His grace is sufficient for me.
Wherefore
he saith,... The exhortations that follow logically result from the
conditions (in verses 1-6). “Resist the devil”: Do not submit to,
fear, or flee from Satan, but stand against him (1Pet. 5:8-10). Satan
cannot lead into sin against one’s will.
We
must draweth nigh, God will not be unmoved; His welcoming response
is always near (Deut. 4:7; Lam. 3:57; Luke 15:20).
Our
hands and hearts before God, The cleansing of one’s life must
involve both outwards deeds and inner thoughts (Psm. 24:3-4).
Whatever
questions remain unresolved about Jas. 4:5, there is no question
about the clear truth of Jas. 4:6. God opposes the proud. The word
“opposes,” or “resists,” is antitassetai,
a military term meaning “to battle against.” To the humble,
however, God gives grace. Whether a believer is called to resist his
human spirit which tends toward envy or to rejoice in the Holy Spirit
who jealously yearns for each believer’s edification, the call is
to shun pride and to submit humbly to God’s authority. The cure for
conflict is a humble spirit which is rewarded by God’s unmerited
favor. James continues by showing in Jas. 4:7-12 how humility is
related to peaceful justice.
Submit
yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from
you. Jas 4:7
Submit
yourselves therefore... Ten
Commands for Backsliders
1.
Submit yourselves to God (Jas. 4:7)
2.
Resist the devil (Jas. 4:7)
3.
Draw nigh to God (Jas. 4:8)
4.
Cleanse your hands, you sinners (Jas. 4:8)
5.
Purify your hearts, you doubters (Jas. 4:8)
6.
Be afflicted, mourn, and weep (Jas. 4:9)
7.
Let your laughter be turned to mourning (Jas. 4:9)
8.
Let your joy be turned to heaviness (Jas. 4:9)
9.
Humble yourself before God (Jas. 4:10)
10.
Speak not evil of one another (Jas. 4:11)
Literally
“to line up under.” The word was used of soldiers under the
authority of their commander. In the New Testament, it describes
Jesus’ submission to His parents’ authority (Luke 2:51),
submission to human government (Rom. 13:1), the church’s submission
to Christ (Eph. 5:24), and servants’ submission to their masters
(Tit. 2:9; 1Pet. 2:18).
James
used the word to describe a willing, conscious submission to God’s
authority as sovereign ruler of the universe. A truly humble person
will give his allegiance to God, obey His commands, and follow His
leadership (Mat. 10:38).
Resist
the devil,... The flip side of the first command, “Resist”
literally means “take your stand against.” All people are either
under the lordship of Christ or the lordship of Satan (John 8:44;
Eph. 2:2; 1Jhn. 3:8; 5:19); there is no middle ground. Those who
transfer their allegiance from Satan to God will find that Satan
“will flee from” them; he is a defeated foe.
he
will flee...
Four promises to backsliders:
1.
God gives more grace to the humble
2.
The devil will flee from you
3.
God will draw nigh to you
4.
God shall lift you up
This
is just saying that it is within the willpower of every man to resist
the devil and the temptations that he puts before him. We have been
given the power of attorney to use the name of Jesus to defeat the
devil. The temptations that the devil brings before us are really
temptations of the flesh. The temptation will leave, if we say no to
it.
God
will not over-rule our will. He gives us the power to choose. We must
decide right, or wrong, for ourselves. The minute you emphatically
say no to the devil and his temptations, he will go on to someone
else and leave you alone.
Flee
means leave in a hurry. A heart and will controlled by God will have
no difficulty in saying no to the devil and his temptations.
There
are no unconditional promises or covenants in Scripture. One must
obey the ten commands of the note above to receive the promises.
Turn
judgment into justice
Apparently
the Jewish believers to whom James wrote tended not only to conflict
and jealousy but also to condemnation and judgment. Justice, not
judgment, is what God requires. Upright, righteous relationships are
essential to spiritual growth. Pointed advice for justice is given,
the clear advantage of justice is revealed, and the divine author of
justice is named.
Advice
For Justice
In
Jas. 4:7-9 a whole series of commands (10 aorist imperatives) are
given which, if followed, contribute to harmony and holiness. James
called for commitment (Jas. 4:7), cleansing (Jas. 4:8), and
contrition (Jas. 4:9).
Like
a magnet, the call for commitment has both positive and negative
poles: submit…
to God and resist the devil.
“Submit” is a military term “to be subordinated” or “to
render obedience.” “Resist” (antistēte)
means “take a stand against.” Take a stand against the devil, and
he will flee.
Draw
nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your
hands, ye
sinners; and purify your
hearts, ye
double minded. Jas 4:8
Draw
nigh to... Pursue an intimate love relationship with God (Phil.
3:10). The concept of drawing near to God was associated originally
with the Levitical priests, but eventually came to describe anyone’s
approach to God. Salvation involves more than submitting to God and
resisting the devil; the redeemed heart longs for communion with God
(Psm. 27:8; 42:1-2; 63:1-2; 84:2; 143:6; Mat. 22:37).
Cleanse
your hands,... Cleansing
the hands was a symbol of innocence and purity (Mat. 27:24). The
Old Testament priests had to ceremonially wash their hands before
approaching God (Exo. 30:19-21), and sinners (a term used only for
unbelievers), who would approach Him must recognize and confess their
sin.
and
purify your...
Greek: hagnizo,
to make pure (Jas. 4:8; John 11:55; Acts 21:24, 21:26; 24:18; 1Pet.
1:22; 1Jhn. 3:3). Here it means to separate from the world and
consecrate to God, renouncing all sin. Cleansing
the hands symbolizes external behavior; this phrase refers to the
inner thoughts, motives, and desires of the heart.
ye
double minded...
Double-mindedness refers to doubting God (Jas. 1:6-8). To
be double minded means you cannot make up your mind just what you
want to do. We see from the following verse, that we cannot ride the
fence. We must decide who we will serve, God or man.
Luke
16:13 “No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate
the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and
despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”
Cleansing
of the hands means the work you put your hands to must be clean, as
well as your heart being pure, stayed upon God. When we make a step
toward God, we will find that He has been there to help us all along.
He just wanted us to reach out to Him.
On
the other hand draw near to God and He will come near in response. To
draw near to God, however, demands His cleansing. Wash your hands,
you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Both “wash”
and “purify” are verbs that refer to ceremonial cleansing, a
figure that spoke eloquently to Jewish converts. The need for
cleansing is clear from the way James addressed his readers, “you
sinners” and “you double-minded” (dipsychoi;
cf. Jas. 1:8).
