James 4:1-17

WORLDLINESS

CHAPTER 4 (A.D. 60)  1 From whence come wars and fightings among you? (When Believers look to anything other than the Cross, strife is the result.) come they not hence, even of your lusts that again, the only solution for this problem, which besets every Christian, is that we understand all things come to us from God through the Cross. Making the Cross the Object of our Faith gives the Holy Spirit latitude to work within our lives, in order that we might live the life we ought to live [Rom. 6:3-5, 12-13].) 2 You lust, and have not (such a person is not looking to God, but rather operating from self-will): you kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain (the word “kill” refers to destroying the reputation of another in order to gain advantage, and to do so by slander, etc.): you fight and war, yet you have not, because you ask not. (This refers to Believers who little seek the Lord for anything, but rather depend upon other sources that are irregular to say the least!) 3 You ask, and receive not (and there is a reason), because you ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. (Such a person is not asking in the Will of God, but rather from his or her own selfish desires.) 4 You adulterers and adulteresses (presents James using the same terminology as Paul [Rom. 7:1-4]; the Believer is to look exclusively to Christ and the Cross regarding all his needs; to look elsewhere, or rather for one’s Faith to be placed in that other than the Cross, presents the person as committing spiritual adultery), know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? (If the Cross of Christ is not strictly the Object of our Faith, God looks at everything else as “worldliness.”) whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. (Allow me to once again make the statement that if the Cross of Christ is not our Object of Faith, no matter how religious our efforts may be otherwise, it is still the Lord as “friendship with the world.” This means the Believer in essence becomes an “enemy of God.”) 5 Do you think that the Scripture says in vain (James was quoting several Scriptures [Gen. 15:6; 49:10; Ex. 17:6; Ps. 78:16; Ezek. 47:9; Joel 2:28-29]), The Spirit Who dwells in us lusts to envy? (This refers to the Holy Spirit, which means that the word “Spirit” should have been capitalized. The word “lusteth” here means “to earnestly or passionately desire.” Of what is He envious, and what does He passionately desire? The Holy Spirit is envious of any control the fallen nature might have over the Believer, and is passionately desirous that He control all our thoughts, words, and deeds. He is desirous of having the Believer depend upon Him for His Ministry to Him, so that He might discharge His responsibility to the One Who sent Him, Namely God the Father.) 6 But He gives more Grace. (Providing the Believer ever makes the Cross the Object of His Faith, by which Grace comes from the Lord.) Wherefore He said (Job 22:29; Ps. 138:6; Prov. 3:34), God resists the proud, but gives Grace unto the humble. (God resists those who look to that other than the Cross, and blesses those who themselves by looking strictly to Christ and the Cross, which develops humility.)

PRAYER

7 Submit yourselves therefore to God (to the Plan He has provided, which is the Cross). Resist the Devil, and he will flee from you. (We do this by strictly looking to Christ, and what He has done for us at the Cross, where Satan was totally defeated [Col. 2:14-15].) 8 Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. (Once again and ever so, this is done only by Faith which ever makes the Cross its Object.) Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double minded. (Without a proper knowledge of the Cross regarding the Sanctification of the Saint, it is impossible for the Believer to live a Victorious, Christian life.) 9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep (refers to consternation over our having looked to that other than Christ and the Cross): let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. (This refers to true Repentance, which our sin of looking to that other than the Cross, thereby, seeking forgiveness. We must repent not only for the bad, but for the good as well. By that, I’m referring to our dependence on good things for victory in our lives, but yet that which is not the Cross.) 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He shall lift you up. (As we have constantly stated, it refers to looking to Christ and the Cross, which is the only humbling process in which the Believer can truthfully engage.)

This next text, is speaking of Motives, meaning the heart. The Only thing that Reborn Again Christian's are allowed to Judge, is bad fruit and that's it. As you read this next text from the Word of God, keep that in mind, so you don't take the Word of God, way out of context.

JUDGING

11 Speak not evil one of another, Brethren (refers to self-appointed Judges [Mat. 7:1-5]). He who speaks evil of his Brother, and judges his Brother, speaks evil of the Law, and judges the Law (pertains to the Law of Moses, to which James is pointing; when a Believer judges another, he has taken himself out from under Grace and placed himself under Law, where he will only find condemnation): but if you judge the Law, you are not a doer of the Law, but a Judge. (In other words, such a person has placed himself in the position of God.) 12 There is one Lawgiver, Who is able to save and to destroy (presents God as the only One Who can fill this position): who are you who judges another? (The Greek actually says, “but you — who are you?” In other words, “who do you think you are?”)

THE SELF-WILLED

13 Go to now, you who say, Today or tomorrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain (proclaims the planning of individuals who don’t
include God): 14 Whereas you know not what shall be on the morrow (proclaims the fact that we don’t, while God does!). For what is your life? (Making plans without God proclaims the fact that we consider ourselves to be our own master.) It is even a vapour, that appears for a little time, and then vanishes away. (This means that if the Lord doesn’t guide our lives, then all is a waste.) 15 For that ye ought to say (presents the opposite of the “we will go” in Verse 13), If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that (proclaims our absolute dependence on God). 16 But now you rejoice in your boastings (pertains to rejoicing in one’s self-made plans): all such rejoicing is evil. (All rejoicing should be in the Lord, and only in the Lord.)

SIN

17 Therefore to him who knows to do good, and does it not, to him it is sin. (Sin is an offence against God, which He cannot tolerate. If we do not abide by the Word of God, then we sin.)