BOOK OF JAMES
STUDY PART 17 - GODLY JEALOUSY?
JAMES 4:5-7 (4)You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. (5) Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the spirit he caused to live in us tends toward envy. (6) but he gives us more grace? That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” (7) Submit yourselves, then , to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
INTRO: Unfaithfulness on the part of us as God’s children causes more sorrow to the heart of God and brings more grief to the lives of believers than most realize. James has warned us that friendship with God and friendship with the world is impossible. Gal 1:4 “Who gave himself for our sins that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father.” God’s Word cries out throughout its pages the futility of serving two masters.
I. God’s Word to be considered carefully (vs. 5) - (5) Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the spirit he caused to live in us tends toward envy- KJ version ” Do ye think that the scriptures saith in vain”- James here raises the question of the truthfulness and accuracy of the Bible. If God’s Word says that friendship with the world is our enemy, do we believe it? God told Eve not to eat of the fruit of the tree, she disobeyed. God told Lot’s wife not to look back, she disobeyed. God told the Israelites He would give them Cannan, the promised land, yet they did not believe. God told His people not to worship strange gods, they disobeyed. He told his people not to marry heathen women or women outside the Faith. In fact, the Old and New Testaments are full of men’s actions who disbelieved God. In every case, there was a consequence of this disbelief (Titus 2:11-12). So, the question is “do you consider this an idle word from the Scripture when it talks about being a friend to the world and an enemy to God? We are in great danger in our day of not believing Holy Scripture to be true. On every hand, people are disobeying God as if His law and ways are out-dated and old fashion. We need to be reminded that God’s Word does not speak in vain and its warnings are for a purpose even if we don’t understand what that purpose is. (II Tim. 3:16)(I Peter 1:21). To disregard God’s Word and set our affections on things of this world means trouble. Gal 6:8-“ For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption.” Last part of vs. 5 “that the spirit he caused to live in us tends toward envy---“ The Holy Spirit who takes up residence in our lives when we believe and accept Christ has a longing. That longing is to make us wholly Christ’s. To bring us to the place where we have no divided allegiance (Ps. 45:10,11). The Holy Spirit yearns for the child of God to be entirely devoted to Christ. God in the Old Testament warned His people to have no other God’s before them. I the Lord thy God am a jealous God-(Deut. 5:1-9) . God desires and longs to be loved by His own. Remember Paul in the New Testament writes, “For I am jealous over you with a godly jealousy for I have espoused you to one husband-“ II Corith. 11:2. Nothing hurts or is more painful then to have the love of one dear person in your life stolen away. So, the Holy Spirit is jealous that our affections be wholly for and on Christ alone. What happens when our allegiance or focus is on something other than Christ ?(worldly possession or other person). Answer, it will always fail you and disappoint you.
II.
Grace to
the humble (vs. 6)- (6) but he gives us more grace? That is why Scripture
says: “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” – He gives more
grace. Grace is given freely to all who will come to God. Salvation is by Grace
(Eph 2:8,9 and Titus 3:5). We who should die for our sin through grace can have
eternal life (Rom 6:23). Divine grace does not stop the moment we believe and
accept Christ, but rather we see here “more grace” in this verse. We notice that
“more grace” is offered right after some of the severest statements in the
Bible. Can anyone explain this fact? God stands ready to pardon those who in
humbleness and self-judgment come and confess their sin (I John 1:9). Second
part of vs. 6 refers to God’s war against the proud. God hates pride and the
proud look “God resists the proud” –Ps 138:6. This literally means, “he who is
proud has God fighting against him’- (Prov. 3:34). Pride caused Satan to fall
and sin to come into the universe. No wonder that God is so set against the
proud. Vs. 6 “but gives grace to the humble”-(I Peter 5:5 and Hebrews 4:16). A
humble man is quick to confess his shortcomings and show a real repentance for
sin. The Publican in the Bible who cried out “God be merciful to me a sinner”
went home a justified child of God. The Pharisees who were focused on the law
and not the heart still went home a sinner.
III. Submission to God (Vs. 7)- (7) Submit yourselves, then , to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.- Submit yourselves to God. This is the first step that every sinner must take. Only when we feel that we can do nothing to save ourselves, will God be able to save us. We submit ourselves by placing ourselves in His hands. Then by believing and trusting in Him we have eternal life (Rom 10:13). To submit ourselves is the first step a backslidden Christian must take. (I John 1:9). To try to withstand that which caused our fall by our own strength will bring failure once again. There is no hope or help available if caught in the grip of worldliness unless we renounce self and make God’s will our own will through submission (Heb 10:19). “Resist the devil/satan”- by submitting to God and resisting Satan, we can have spiritual victory in our lives . One cannot resist Satan who has not submitted to God. We can resist the Devil with Scripture (Eph 6:11). The Scriptures are the Sword of the Spirit (Eph 6:17). “Thy Word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against thee”-Ps 119:11. Satan can be resisted through prayer. As we live close to God, Satan will be put into flight (I John 4:4). Let us humbly submit to God and gain victory over Satan when we are under attack.
READ II Corinthians 1:1-11 and II Corinthians 12:1-10 (Both deal with grace and humility)