THE EPISTLE OF JAMES
Chapter Four
** A prerequisite to understanding
this teaching and the type of study pattern used makes it necessary for you to
first study The Epistle of James Chapter One. Please read at least the first
three paragraphs of The Epistle of James Chapter One before
proceeding.
CHAPTER FOUR:
1) HUMILITY
2) PRAYING AMISS
3) THE CONSEQUENCES OF JUDGING OTHERS.
4) THE CONSEQUENCES OF BEING FRIENDS WITH THE
WORLD.
1, 2. From whence come wars [social quarrels] and
fightings among you? come they not
hence, even of your lusts that
war in your members? 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.
Literal: What is the source of
wars and fightings among you? Isn't it from your pleasures, (gratification and
enjoyment), which war in your members? You lust or desire and have not. You
murder and desire to equal or surpass -- you are emulous and yet you are not
able to obtain your goals or acquire what you want. You fight, strive, and war
but you have not because you ask not. This word 'ask' means to supplicate in a
humble manner and expresses a petition from an inferior to a superior. ASK
God in a serious and intense, determined manner to answer your prayers. We do
not make demands of God. We ask and claim what is rightfully ours according to
the Bible and then God will always answer our prayer/need. Simply ask God in a
humble manner, earnestly, and seriously.
3. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss,
that ye may consume it upon your
lusts.
Literal: You ask but yet you
don't receive because you ask with evil and wrong intentions such as intending
to use the answered prayer to satisfy your own pleasures.
4, 5. 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. Do ye think that the scripture
saith in vain? The spirit that dwelleth it in us lusteth to envy. [Note the exchange in the question
mark and the period in verse 5. Remember, punctuation was added by man.]
Literal: You adulterers and
adulteresses, don't you know that the love, affection and friendship of this world,
of which man is the center, results in conflict and opposition to God? If
you love this present world, you are at conflict with God. Whosoever
therefore will be a friend, a loved one, of this world which is alienated from
God, is actively opposite to and is the enemy of God. Do you think that the
Scripture was written and speaks in vain? The soul life or natural life that
dwells within us desires to be envious which is jealousy of another's success.
Envy led to the first murder. The Interlinear interprets this verse
differently. "With envy does the spirit long which took up his abode in
us?" You
should know that there is a devil spirit of envy which often takes up its abode
in a man of body and soul. This spirit is deadly if allowed to control to its utmost.
As you now know, it was envy that led to the very first murder when Cain slew
his brother Abel. [See Genesis 4: 8]
6. But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith
, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.
Literal: But He gives greater
grace. Wherefore He says, God sets Himself in opposition to the proud and
arrogant, but He gives grace (kindness or an inclination towards -- unmerited
favor) to the lowly who are modest or humble in mind.
7, 8, 9,
10. Submit [addict] yourselves therefore
to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he
will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your
hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your
laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and
he shall lift you up.
Literal: Subject yourselves
therefore to God. By your own free will, be under the authority of the Word of
God and let it be your sole source of guidance in all (without exception) areas
of your life.
I John 5: 21 -- Little
children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.
You are to seek no help,
guidance or instruction from any other source other than your Heavenly Father.
Back to James . .
Literal (continued): Either in words or deeds or both, resist,
stand against, withstand and oppose the devil and he will flee from you.
I Peter 5: 8 -- Be sober, be
vigilant (watchful and awake); because your adversary the devil, as a roaring
lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Back to James . . . .
Literal (completed): Be ready with the Word, not only in your
mind, but in your actions. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.
Cleanse your hands you sinners, missing the mark, disobedient to God's Word.
Purify the innermost part of your being, your heart, you double-minded, or
two-souled separated within yourself with indecision, strife and unbelief. Be
afflicted and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to grief or mourning,
and your gladness and joy to heaviness or dejection. Humble yourselves in the
sight or presence of the Lord God Almighty and He shall exalt you -- He shall
lift you up above all the negatives and anything that tries to defeat you. He
will elevate you above it all.
But you must be humble in
the sight or presence of God. Never demanding, proud, haughty or high-minded,
boastful and clamorous. You must pray earnestly with joy but yet in a serious
manner for truly praying to God for your needs is a serious matter. God is now
teaching us about the shortcomings of many prayers and why they are not
answered. God is also stressing the importance of being humble in contrast to
being proud. Being a friend of the world and its consequences are also
mentioned in this Chapter 4. God does not like heady or high-minded people who
are arrogant in their ways, but in contrast it is better to be lowly and humble
relying on God who will answer your prayers and bestow His favor or grace on
you.
11. Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He
that speaketh evil of his brother,
and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if
thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge.
Literal: Do not speak against
one another in a hostile manner, brethren. He that speaks against another
member of the human family and comes to a decision and judges or condemns
others speaks against the Law of God and transgresses the Word by his own
judgement or decision. But if you pass your own judgement or decisions
concerning the Word of God, you are not a DOER, you make nothing happen, but
you are a judge.
You become a hearer and
not a doer passing judgement and making decisions or pronouncing final
judgement concerning the Word. You think about it, you consider, but you never ACT
ON THE WORD with believing and with no hesitation. This point relates back to
the faith without works issue. It all ties in. Especially the above part about
speaking against one another and what was previously studied concerning the
tongue and how it is an unruly evil. Also, the part of God resisting the proud
and giving grace to the humble. We are not to make decisions about the Word or
pass judgement. We are to study, believe and act. God is saying that those who
speak against the community of life (people), speaks evil or against what God
says. He passes judgement on others and also on the Word. Do you think this
type of person is proud and arrogant as described in the previous verses of
this chapter? I would say it is safe to make that assumption. You are not to be
this way. You are to train your mind, renew it to do and say what God's Word
says. That is our guidance. God gave us our life. Do you think He knows how to
live it to the fullest? When it comes to this subject area of judgement,
REMEMBER, many things are better off left unsaid. Speak and think on
Philippians 4: 8 and turn your back on carnal thoughts.
12. There is one lawgiver, who is able to save
and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?
Literal: There is only one lawgiver
who is able to save and to allow utter destruction. Who are you to pass
judgement and reach decisions concerning others? Who are you to MAKE A
DISTINCTION (be partial)?
Here is the teaching
regarding partiality all jelling together with this subject of judgement. It is
amazing how God ties all of these subjects together in James. It is not your
job to pass judgement -- it's God's job. Mind your own business or face the
consequences. God is speaking to you and to all believers in this great
Epistle of James. Continue to make an effort and God will take care of all the
other details in your life. Remember what you are studying. Don't
just study for the sake of study.
13, 14,
15. Go to now, ye that say, To day or
to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and
sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that
appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live,
and do this, or that.
Literal: Come now, you that
say, today or tomorrow we will go into such a city and we will continue to work
there for a year and buy and sell and come away with a profit. While on the
contrary, you do not know what tomorrow will bring. For what is your life? It
is even a vapor, like a breath of air being exhaled that appears for a little
while and then disappears. Instead you should be saying and praying, "If
it's God's Will, we shall live and do this or do that".
(The thought here is being
continued from verse 13.) Instead of going to God with humbleness and asking
Him what to do, we brag and boast about what we want to and will do. God
comments on this in the next verse.
16. But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all
such rejoicing is evil.
Literal: But now you shoot off
your mouth and boast about your false pretensions -- your false claims or
allegations. In reality, you are boasting and bragging about being an imposter.
How often have you boasted about what you will do or can do any time you felt
like it? Why has it not come to pass? Because you have not been applying the
Word of God to every application of your life. That is the important difference
between mental ascent and actually believing the Word. You
can learn this lesson in almost any area of your walk with God. A good example
would be in 'studying'. Are you really studying like you study in areas of your
career or school or do you think you are some great Christian because you go to
church on Sunday or watch a TV preacher once in a while? At times this renewed
mind process is not easy. Why? Because if you are breaking a bad habit that has
been defeating you for year after year, you are going to get some pressure.
This pressure is normal and you should rejoice in it because you know you
are doing something right. Resist the devil and he will flee (take flight)
from you. This does not necessarily happen immediately but it must happen.
Throughout the Bible, God
mentions this subject about boasting, being evil.
I
Corinthians 5: 6a -- Your glorying (loud-tongued, boasting, vaunting one's
self) IS NOT GOOD. [emphasis added]
Literal: I
Corinthians 5: 6a -- ALL SUCH GLORYING OR BOASTING IS actively evil and malicious
causing pain and harm.
17. Therefore to him that knoweth to do good,
and doeth it not, to him it is
sin.
Literal: Therefore to him that
knows enough to do something good and beneficial and does not do this, he
misses, fails, transgresses the Word of God -- he sins.
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~ Remember to keep it simple and to watch your confessions. ~
PROVERBS
4: 24 -- Put away from thee a froward [ stubbornly contrary and
disobedient ] mouth, and perverse lips put far from
thee.
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