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

Hello Friends!

This week we’ll continue to work our way through this serious “study” series solemnly surveying the powerful book of James in considering the TRUE calling of the “Christian” life as directed throughout this excellent Epistle – “Putting Faith to Work!”

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

¹ From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? ² 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. ³ Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. ⁴ 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. ⁵ Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy? ⁶ But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble – James 4:1-6

OPENING POINTS TO PONDER: Here “James” provides a PROVEN point in this excellent “epistle” addressing yet another TEST of true “living faith” found in “Jesus Christ” alone. It is ONE thing to say you “believe in Jesus “ and to say you're a “Christian” by going through the “religious” rigorous motions mandated. However, it is ANOTHER thing all together to practically prove it with – Your LIFE!

This is a KEY indicator of one's attitude toward the “world” system. WHY? Because to foster a fiendish “friendship of the world” of this wicked “world” is to be an outright “enemy with God” Himself. Therefore, “God” Almighty will literally become your antagonistic – Arch ENEMY!

TWO Friendships!

Now “James” will continue this powerful passage by asking TWO poignant questions for “us” to consider concerning the dangerous “desires” of worthless WORLDLINESS ways:

From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?  – James 4:1

To define WORLDLINESS in one simple way, “James” rightly refers to it here as willful “wars” and foolish “fights” resulting in MAJOR conflicts. There are “fights” fostered in families, marriages, employment and absolutely EVERY arena of human existence of which can ESCALATE ultimately to “wars” between nations battling against one another. WHY? Because they originate from the SINFUL hedonistic “desires for pleasure” that are vying for the WORLDLY narcissistic ardent affections of which inevitably CREATES conflict, specifically within the “assembly” of the “brethren” bemoaned – Fights WITHIN Fellowship!

This caustic conflict within the “church” body is definitely NOT of our great “God's” Divine design! In fact, “Jesus Christ” Himself proclaimed a completely “new commandment” confirmation of legitimate “love one to another” saying:

A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another – John 13:34-35

Ask RIGHTLY!

Then “James” continues to practically PROVIDE more detailed evidence of the looming “lust” that belligerently BRINGS about these factious “fights” and waning “wars” wrought within the caustically “consuming” congregation:

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. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts – James 4:2-3

HISTORICAL HINTS: Pastor “James” has utilized MANY different kinds of metaphorical vocabulary to make his point quite EVIDENT to his readers. And in this insightful incident, he chooses VIOLENT terminology such as “kill” and “lust” to greatly grab our attention. WHY? because it eagerly EXPRESSES the insolent intensity and demonic destructiveness of this constant CONFLICT cast within the “church” itself. These fitful “fights” and waged “wars” were happening evidentially because there were some “brethren” (believers) in the “assembly” of whom 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 factious “friendships” feverishly present among the beloved body, this MAJOR mess ensued – Tares AMONG Wheat!

WHO is the “you” spoken of here? WHAT does “James” mean when he says “ye have not, because ye ask not” as such. These fickle folks are the UNBELIEVERS embedded within the chosen “church” of whom were NOT really seeking “God” wholeheartedly. Rather, they WERE searching only for all the torrid “things” of which “God” Himself can give them. However, they do NOT at all really want “God” for themselves. They ONLY deceptively “desire to have” whatever their worldly lying licentious “lusts” diabolically dictate. Conversely, they “cannot obtain” and will NOT actually really “receive” what they willfully want according to their WARPED whimsical minds. WHY? Because they selfishly “ask amiss” to foolishly “consume” it all upon themselves and their OWN looming “lusts” languished. In other words, “James” is saying that our great “God” is the gracious “giver of all good gifts” if one would aptly “ask” humbly of HIM wholly upon HIS terms granted – Ask RIGHTLY!

Friends of the WORLD!

But much worse than that… This frenzied “friendship” with the wicked “world” willfully means BECOMING the eternal “enemy of God” granted:

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 – James 4:4

It is indeed IMPORTANT to note that “James” is definitely NOT speaking of circumstances related to our spiritual weakness of which can pull ANY true bold “believer” into the serious “sins” due to our “fleshly” nature. Rather, the kind of “friendship” of which he aptly addresses here implies a deep longing to be INTIMATELY  involved with the wicked “world” itself. It represents a languishing love bestowed upon the EVIL depraved drives and insatiable IMPULSES that are associated with this type of “worldly” affection. Incidentally, this term for "world" refers to the man-centered and satanically-directed system of which is wholly HOSTILE towards our loving “Lord Jesus Christ” and the chosen “Christian” body. Incidentally, the Greek word for “enemy” used here is very strong and represents a personal hostility and high hated held. Therefore, the unfaithful wanton Jewish ardent “adulterers and adulteresses” of whom “James” justly WARNS of are those of whom are GUILTY of sequestered spiritual harlotry against their special “covenant” made with “God” and are actually hotly HOSTILE towards Him – Friends of the WORLD!

BIBLICAL BACKGROUND: The word "adulteresses" would immediately remind these Jewish readers that “Israel” had become an adulterous wife. They would rightly REMEMBER the practical Old Testament prophet Hosea writing of “Israel” as an unfaithful wife of their great “God” Almighty…

Say ye unto your brethren, Ammi; and to your sisters, Ruhamah. Plead with your mother, plead: for she is not my wife, neither am I her husband: let her therefore put away her whoredoms out of her sight, and her adulteries from between her breasts; Lest I strip her naked, and set her as in the day that she was born, and make her as a wilderness, and set her like a dry land, and slay her with thirst. And I will not have mercy upon her children; for they be the children of whoredoms – Hosea 2:1-4

Incidentally, such a term was never used in the “scriptures” in reference to Gentiles in kind. WHY? Because ONLY insolent “Israel” could commit spiritual spurious “adultery” applied contrary to the coveted “covenant” righteous RELATIONSHIP with their “God” alone. Gentiles could be “fornicators” in a metaphorical sense but ONLY the jaundice Jews could be “adulteresses” unto their “God” Himself. The nation of “Israel” was the WIFE of their great “God” as was symbolized in the marriage RELATIONSHIP made between Hosea and Gomer in kind…

The word of the Lord that came unto Hosea, the son of Beeri, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel. The beginning of the word of the Lord by Hosea. And the Lord said to Hosea, Go, take unto thee a wife of whoredoms and children of whoredoms: for the land hath committed great whoredom, departing from the Lord. So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim; which conceived, and bare him a son – Hosea 1:1-3

And when “Israel” went whoring after other “false” gods, she then became spiritual “adulteresses” in the eyes of “God” as such – Spiritual HARLOTS!

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 any great CONCERN for the coming consequences conferred. The Greek word for “friendship“ here means to “make oneself” or to “take a stand against” something. Therefore, with their tremendous all-consuming lavished lame “love for the world,” these fiendish “friends of the world” will give NOTHING unto “God” as such. Instead, they gladly give of themselves FULLY unto the wicked “worldly” waning satanic system – Friends of the WORLD!

Lust & Envy!

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

Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy? – James 4:5

In other words, “James” is saying: “Do you THINK that the Scripture says for NOTHING that the fallen FLESHLY spirit of which dwells IN us actually LUSTS unto evil ENVY and that YOU are a living PROOF of the Scripture?” The ultimate “unregenerate” person has WITHIN themselves a “sinful” fallen natural spirit of which eagerly “lusteth to envy” for the affections of the “world” at large. In stark CONTRAST the true “believer” boldly born-again in “Jesus Christ” has living WITHIN themselves the Holy Spirit of Whom totally TESTIFIES to the – TRUTH of God!.

THEOLOGICAL THOUGHTS: It is interesting to note that “James’” quaint quote expressing “The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy” is itself NOT found to be anywhere else in the “scriptures” themselves. WHY? Because it is simply a composite thought from “James” taken from Holy Writ and rightly represents the essence of general TEACHING pertaining to the whole counsel of the “Word of God” in full. The constant CONTEXT considered here is surely “saying” that the “scriptures” themselves everywhere truly TEACH that the fallen “spirit” within man “lusteth to envy” the torrid “things of the world” and for their AFFECTIONS anticipated – Lust & Envy!

Friends of GOD!

Conversely, “James” now finishes this thought with a prominent PROMISE of our great “God’s” granted “grace” and full forgiveness found IN His wonderful “Word” willed:

But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble – James 4:6

“Wherefore” it is our glorious “God” of Whom “giveth” much “more grace” in spite of the WICKENESS of maniacal “man” and our prideful propensity to lavishly “lust” for the EVIL things of this life. Rather, it is “God” that mandates “more grace” given. But – To WHOM?

 

ONLY the highly “humble” will rightly receive the great “grace” of our glorious “God” and unlike the previous verse, here “James” quotes DIRECTLY from the Sovereign “scriptures” themselves…

Surely he scorneth the scorners: but he giveth grace unto the lowly – Proverbs 3:34

The “Apostle Peter” also quoted from Proverbs 3:34 when he said the very SAME thing in his first “epistle” concerning the PROUD of heart verses the “humble” of heart…

Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble – 1 Peter 5:5

THEOLOGICAL THOUGHTS: The Greek word for “proud” 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. WHY? Because he is EXALTED in his own mind. The “lovers of the world” are those of whom piously PARADE a certain kind of outward belief in “God” Almighty. They ardently attach themselves to the “church” but the rash REALITY is that their ardent “affections” are toward the waning “world” and they are controlled by the “evil” internal IMPULSES that caustically characterize absolutely ALL of mankind’s “unregenerate” hearts. The Greek word for "resisteth" is a military term that depicts a full scale ARMY prepared for battle and has the idea of “God” setting up His troops to do battle AGAINST the piously “proud” pundits. The wicked “world” is filled with PRIDE and therefore, “God” Himself Sovereignly sets up His ARMY in a military array to wage WAR set up aptly against the piously “proud” proponents – God OPPOSES Pride!

Beloved, “God” is indeed “gracious” but He “gives grace” granted ONLY to the “repentant” and “humble” of heart. The Lord “wars” against the “proud” – Friends of GOD!

In closing:

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

Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world – James 1:27

Absolutely ANYONE of whom is a fiendish “friend of the world” is the enthroned ENEMY of our glorious “God” guaranteed  Therefore, perfectly “pure” and “undefiled religion” will keenly “keep” itself ultimately “unspotted” and SET apart “from” this waning “world” of equated EVIL encampments – Satan’s LAIR!

And the “Apostle John” also aptly applies this very SAME telling “truth” in stating that if you “love” this wicked “world” you do NOT actually “love” the Heavenly “Father”:

Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world – 1 John 2:15-16

That is HOW it is for the pious “people” of whom “love the world” by the luring “lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life” for the torrid THRILL of the moment. And if you ARE indeed a foolish “friend” of this woeful “world” then you ARE indeed the arch ENEMY number one of “God” in full-dressed garb – Straight to the POINT!

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!

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Blessings!
Shane K. Morin <><

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