James 4
By Pastor Mark Hudson
James 4:1-3 invites us to ponder these truths for ourselves individually as well as corporately. Anytime there is one person, let alone many, there are conflicts. James wastes no words in asking why are there so many quarrels and fights among you? James lays the blame internally or inside us. It is our passions (desires or pleasures)? We desire or want something and since we don’t have it, we will do anything to get it (“so you murder’). It is not wrong to want something. What is wrong is how far we will go to get whatever we want. What we will do to get what we want is the issue.
James is callings us idolaters. He will call us adulterers in the next verse. But our problem is that we act, think, speak, and believe like we are the most important being. If we want something we should get it. I am therefore treated unfairly at work. Other people get things that I do not get. My family does not treat me as I deserve. God has not given me what my neighbor has. I wish, want, and need more. It is all about me. I correct people, demand people, and treat them like my slaves. Of course, because they should serve me.
James is saying all this comes from within. Even when we ask God for things, it is not a prayer in Jesus’ name or for his glory but we “ask wrongly, to spend it on (our) passions” 4:3. This is damning indictment. We are selfish and self-centered in our faith. We are so twisted that we can take something as pure as Christianity and pervert it, so it serves me. Will we stop at nothing?
In the next section, we get hit with a second punch. We are married to Christ (we say) yet live like we are married to the world. We are unfaithful to God. We love the world and its ways. This does not mean we love the earth, the birds, the sky, etc. We love the values of a world in rebellion against God. We love its beauty and allurements. We crave the acceptance of the world. We want to be in – included in the right groups, respected, and loved.
James reminds us that if you are a friend of the world, you are an enemy of God. This section explains all the different responses to discipleship: monasteries, Mennonites, teetotalers, homeschooling, home churches, anti-Hollywood, and anti- (fill in the blank). These are all ways we try to practically live this verse out. I hope those of us in the super affluent West consider how we should resist the world. I remember learning that I am in the world not of it. But the world is often in me. It worms its way inside my heart, my mind, and my affections. I hear its songs, music, movie, values, and its gospel. The world’s evangelists woo and convince me. James’ warnings are for me.
James’ quote from Proverbs 3:34, “Toward the scornful he is scornful; but to the humble he gives favor.” Here are two Greek dictionaries’ meaning for this word ‘opposes’: “to draw up in order of battle, to form, array, marshal, both of troops and ships, or o appoint to any service, military or civil” (Louw & Nida). In Liddell & Scott, “to set opposite to, range in battle against, also to set oneself against, meet face to face, meet in battle.” This is God’s posture toward the proud! This is a serious warning to us. We never want to have God in opposition to us. We do not want God warring against us or meeting us face to face in battle! Instead of God opposing us we want Him to give to us. It is one thing to have a friend oppose me, another to have my spouse or friend oppose me, my boss, or someone in the media or the President of your country. But to have God oppose me? How can I escape?
On the flip side, God gives grace. People have been given me money so I can buy things I need and things I want. Most of the time I must work for money, but I also have received gifts. Who doesn’t like to give or receive gifts? But I don’t know anyone who has an unlimited amount of money. I only know people who are limited and therefore they give generously but there is a limit to their giving. So, I don’t know anyone like God who has no limits. I cannot fully grasp this. I have limited time, limited resources, and limited money. Everything I know is limited. If God gives, He can give to anyone as much as He wants. If a radio, billboard, or internet ad tells people to buy a certain car, not everyone who sees the ad could purchase that car. There are not enough to go around. Not so with God. He has enough grace for everyone in the world. He can forgive anyone. He has no limit to His Spirit that He gives to us. What He gives can never be taken away (Mt 6:19-20). No one needs a security system for God’s gifts.
Notice verses 11-12. If we are honest, we have all spoken evil against others. We did not intend to speak against or judge the law. We were merely pointing out the obvious. It had to be said. After all, it is the truth! James reminds us, in clear and unambiguous terms, we are not the speak evil against our brother or neighbor. There is only one lawgiver and judge and according to v. 12. And the lawgiver and judge is not us.
Dear heavenly Father, how can we thank you enough for transforming us from the inside out, so our desires are more and more becoming Your desires? We have a long way to go. We know that the moment we die, if we are in Christ, we will be glorified and finally done with sin. We long for that day. We humble ourselves before You and others because we never want You opposed to us. Rather, give grace to Your humble, repenting, thankful people. Keep our lives from speaking out of frustration, a desire to have our own way, or out of an unkind graceless heart. We ask this in Christ’s name. Amen.