The Book of James: Putting Faith to Work! (Chapter 4:1-6)

Hello Friends!

Welcome Back! Let’s continue our journey through “The Book of James: Putting Faith to Work!”

The Book of James: Putting Faith to Work! (Chapter 4:1-6)

This week we will continue our reading of verses 1-6 in beginning chapter 4 as we consider Two Friendships…

James provides another potent point in this excellent epistle addressing yet another test of true “living faith” in Jesus Christ. It is one thing to say you “believe” in Jesus, to say you're a “Christian” and go through the “religious” motions. However, it is another thing all together to – Prove it with your life!

And now James comes to another key indicator of true “saving faith” and that is one's attitude toward the “world” because to be a “friend” of the “world” is to be an “enemy of God.” Therefore, God literally becomes your “enemy” – A fearful perception!

Two Friendships: Which One?

James begins this powerful passage by asking two poignant questions for us to consider concerning the dangerous “desires” of worthless worldliness:

Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? – James 4:1

If we were to define worldliness in one simple way, James refers to it here as “wars” and “fights” resulting in major conflicts. There are “fights” in families, marriages, employment and every arena of human existence of which can escalate ultimately to “wars” between nations battling against one another. Why? Because they originate from the hedonistic “desires for pleasure” that are vying for the worldly narcissistic person’s affections of which inevitably creates conflict, specifically in the “assembly” of the “brethren” – Fights within the fellowship!

IMPORTANT NOTE: This conflict within the church is not God's design! In fact, Jesus said:

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another – John 13:34-35

Then James continues to provide more detailed evidence of the looming “lust” that brings about these “fights” and “wars” within the church body:

You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures – James 4:2-3

Pastor James has utilized many different kinds of metaphorical vocabulary to make his point evident to his readers and in this incident he chooses violent terminology such as “murder” and “covet” to grab our attention. Why? because it expresses the intensity and destructiveness of this conflict within the “church” itself. These “fights” and “wars” were happening because there were some “brethren” (believers) in the “assembly” who were deeply in “love” with God and there were also “others” (unbelievers) who were deeply in “love” with the wicked “world” system. With these two opposing types of “friendships” present among the “brethren,” a major conflict is inevitable – Tares among the wheat!

QUIZZING QUESTIONS: Who is the “you” spoken of here? What does James mean when he says “you do not have because you do not ask.” What are they really searching for? These folks are the “unbelievers” within the church of whom are not searching for God, but they are searching for all the “things” that God can give them. Everyone is looking for that! But they don't want God Himself, they only want whatever their worldly “lusts” dictate. However, they will not “receive” what they want according to their warped minds. Why? Because they selfishly “ask amiss” to foolishly “spend” it upon themselves and their own “pleasures” but not for the glory and honor of God. In other words, God is the “giver of all good gifts” if you'd only properly “ask” of Him on HIS terms – You do not have what you REALLY NEED because you do not ask of Him!

Friends of the World

But much worse than that… This frenzied “friendship” with the wicked “world” means eternal “enmity” with God!

Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God – James 4:4

James is not speaking here of circumstances related to our spiritual weakness of which can pull any true “believer” into the “sins” of our “fleshly” nature. This kind of “friendship” that James addresses here implies a deep longing to be intimately involved with the wicked “world” itself. It is a falling in love with all the evil drives and impulses that are associated with this type of worldly affection. Incidentally, this term for "world" refers to the man-centered, Satan-directed system of which is hostile towards “God,” “Jesus Christ” and the “Christian.” Incidentally, the Greek word for “enemy” here is a very strong word which represents a personal hostility and hated. James has in mind a false “follower” with “dead faith” of whom is in “love” with the wicked “world” system. Therefore, the unfaithful Jewish “adulterers and adulteresses” James warns of here are those guilty of spiritual harlotry against their special “covenant” with God and are actually hostile towards Him – They make themselves an enemy of God!

THEOLOGICAL THOUGHTS: The word "adulteresses" would immediately remind James’ Jewish readers that Israel became an adulterous wife. They would remember the Old Testament Prophet Hosea writing of “Israel” as an unfaithful wife of Jehovah God. Incidentally, such a term was never used in the Old Testament Scriptures for Gentiles. Why? Because only “Israel” could commit spiritual “adultery” contrary to their “covenant” relationship with their God. Gentiles could be “fornicators” in a metaphorical sense but only Jews could be “adulteresses” to God Himself. The nation of “Israel” was the “covenant” bride of God as symbolized in the marriage relationship between Hosea and Gomer. And when Israel went whoring after other “false” gods, Israel became spiritual “adulteresses” in God’s eye. In the New Testament, this word "adulteresses" is also a term used for unbelieving and “professing” people who attach themselves outwardly to the “church” and “Christianity” without concern for the consequences. The Greek word for “friendship“ here means to make oneself or to take a stand against. Therefore, with their tremendous consuming “love for the world,” these “friends of the world” will give nothing to God but give themselves fully over to the wicked “worldly” satanic system – They are spiritual harlots!

James then continues with another powerful question for these spiritual “adulterers and adulteresses” to seriously “think” about:

Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, “The spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously”? – James 4:5

In other words, James is saying: “Do you think that the Scripture says for nothing that the spirit that dwells in us lusts to envy and that you are a living proof of the veracity of Scripture?” The “unregenerate” person has within themselves a “sinful” natural spirit that “yearns jealously” for the affections of the “world.” In stark contrast, the true “believer” in Jesus Christ has within themselves the Holy Spirit of Whom also “yearns jealously” for the “truth” of God. It is interesting to note that James’ quote “The spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously” isn't found anywhere in the Bible, either the Hebrew or Septuagint. It is simply a composite thought from Scripture by James and represents the essence of general teaching pertaining to the whole counsel of God’s Word. The context here is that the Scriptures everywhere “teach” that the fallen “spirit” within man “lusts to envy” the “things” of the “world” and “yearns jealously” for their affections. This “evil” impulse is there within – And we must fight against it!

Friends of God

Conversely, James finishes this thought with a prominent promise of God’s “grace” and forgiveness found in His Word:

But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” – James 4:6

God gives “more grace” in spite of the wicked heart of “man” and our propensity to “lust” for evil things. God gives “more grace” in spite of man's evil “desires” and thus “makes himself” God’s “enemy” by choice. God indeed gives much “more grace” – But to whom?

Only the “humble” will receive God’s “grace” and unlike the previous verse, here James quotes the Scripture directly:

Surely He scorns the scornful, but gives grace to the humble – Proverbs 3:34

Therefore, if you're consumed with your “lusts” and “pride,” parading that you're a true “believer” but are passionately in “love with the world” and controlled by “envy” which is the diagnosis of the heart of the “unregenerate,” you are never going to “receive” God’s “grace.” These people will only “receive” God’s “scorn” because He “resists the proud” – They are His enemies!

The Apostle Peter also quoted from Proverbs 3:34 when he had this to say in his first epistle concerning the “proud” of heart verses the “humble” of heart:

Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” – 1 Peter 5:5

POINTS TO PONDER: The Greek word for “pride” is quite interesting. It contains the word “above” and the word to “show off” and refers to somebody who shows himself as if he were above everyone else because he is exalted in his own mind. The “lovers of the world” are those who parade a certain kind of outward belief in God. They attach themselves to the “church” but the reality is that their “affections” are toward the “world” and they are controlled by the “evil” internal impulses that characterize all “unregenerate” hearts. The Greek word for "resist" is very interesting as well. This word is a military term that depicts a full scale army prepared for battle. It has the idea of God setting up His troops to do battle against the “proud.” The wicked “world” is filled with pride. Although it isn't always pompous external pride, it is a pitting of one's own “will” against the “will” of God. Therefore, God “sets up” His army in a military array to do war against the “proud” – God opposes the proud!

Beloved, God is indeed “gracious” but He “gives grace” only to the “repentant” and “humble” in heart. The Lord “wars” against the “proud” – But He gives His great Grace to the humble!

In closing:

It was back in chapter 1 where James originally introduced this test of true “faith” when he said:

Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world – James 1:27

So James says here that “pure” and “undefiled religion” will “keep” itself “unspotted” and unstained “from” the “world” of evil – Satan’s lair!

GOD’S WORD IS CLEAR! Anyone who is a friend of the “world” is the “enemy” of God! The two are – Incompatible!

In fact, the Apostle John aptly applies this same “truth” in stating that if you “love” the “world,” you don't “love” the “Father”:

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him – 1 John 2:15-16

Straight to the point!

That's how it is for people who “love the world.” They “lust” for “pleasure” and the thrill of the moment. If you're a “friend” of the “world” then you're an enemy of God. In other words – There's no place for compromise!

REAL REFLECTIONS: Where does your “love” and “affection” go? What do you “love” most in life? Who do you “love” more, gracious God or this wicked “world” system? You don't want to be the “enemy of God” because the “day” is “coming” when God is going to “put all His enemies under the feet” of Jesus Christ for eternal “judgment” – Don't be an enemy of God!

With this information as a foundation for your personal studies, please read through verses 1-6 of the fourth chapter of James.

Keep looking up and sharing the Gospel while there is still time… Hallelujah and Maranatha – come quickly Lord Jesus!

We are not guaranteed tomorrow – tomorrow may be too late! If you haven't yet made that most important decision of your life, won't you make Jesus Christ your personal Lord and Savior today - before it's too late? Today is the day of Salvation!

If you have been blessed by this message or have a specific question, prayer request or testimony, please send me a note to: encouragingconcepts@live.com

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Blessings!
Shane K. Morin <><

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