[:en]SCRIPTURE: JAMES 4 (2/28/20)
“When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures” (James 4:3)
“God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6)
“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come hear to God and He will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded” (James 4: 7-8)
“Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up” (James 4:10)
“Instead, you ought to say, ‘If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or do that'” (James 4:15)
“Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins” (James 4:15)
There were fights and quarrels among the carnal believers. They dwelled together in conflict and disunity because of selfish desires.
Causes of Disunity:
- Selfishness – We desire things that we do not have. In order to obtain it, we commit sin and hurt people.
- Worldliness – Friendship with the world is hatred toward God. Abraham was a friend of God because he did not love the world. Lot was a friend of the world because he coveted things of the world.
- Pride – Pride is evil. It can cause wars and fighting. It defiles our hearts and keep us at a distance from God. Instead of pride, James told us to humble ourselves so that God will lift us up.
- Criticism – Christians used their tongues to judge and speak evil of one another. Before judging others, we must first judge ourselves. If we judge, we became lawgivers, and God is the only lawgiver who has the right to judge and punish.
- Boasting & Bragging – The believers were boasting of their plans and anticipation success. They carried on business, made money and became wealthy. James warned about the danger of carnal self-confidence. Nobody knows when his life will end. Instead of boasting about tomorrow we should know our limitation and follow what the Lord wills. Bragging about an unknown future is sin. Many people make plans without praying or seeking God’s will.
- Sins of Omission – “Anyone who knows the good he ought to do and does not do it, sins” (v. 17). Many times, we think sin as an act of commission. But God’s definition of sin includes sins of omission. If we fail to do good, we already sin. And all of us are guilty of not doing the good that we should do. That is why God says we are all sinners. But for the unbelievers, they won’t consider themselves as sinners if they do not commit any wrong doings. God’s standard is of course higher, so we need Jesus to purify us.
LESSON:
All Christians have to face three enemies: – the flesh, the world and the devil. The fallen nature of our flesh has controlled our body to commit sinful acts of covetousness. The world has enticed us to become its friend. We love the world’s treasures and pleasures. We conform to the world and deviate from the truth. The devil took advantage of our pride to boast and brag instead of humbling ourselves before God. We ought to submit to God, resist the devil , come near to Him and confess our sins. We need God’s grace to fight against selfishness, worldliness, pride, criticism, boasting and bragging and sins of omission. May we make our lives worthy of our Lord by following God’s will.
Quote from Harold Lindsell:
“It is right for the church to be in the world. It is wrong for the world to be in the church. A boat in water is good; that is what boats are for. However, water inside the boat causes it to sink”
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