James 5:13-20 - On Your Mark, Get Set, PRAY!

13 Is anyone among you suffering?  Then he must pray.  Is anyone cheerful?  He is to sing praises. 14 Is anyone among you sick?  Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord;
15 and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him.
16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed.  The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.
17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months.
18 Then he prayed again, and the sky poured rain and the earth produced its fruit.
19 My brethren, if any among you strays from the truth and one turns him back,
20 let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.

Context and Main Points

James has filled his letter to converted Jews with miscellaneous instructions. 

In today’s passage, he finishes his letter with a long passage about the importance of prayer.  I see him making two main points: (1) we need to pray in all circumstances, and (2) we can all be prayer warriors – its power is not limited to the superheroes of the faith.

Praying in all Circumstances

We see in verses 13, 14, and 16 that we are to pray when we or others are suffering or feeling blessed.  Which means…pretty much every second of the day. :-)

With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints,  (Ephesians 6:18)

Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.  (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.  (Romans 12:15)

Whether we’re suffering or feeling super, “we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).  Even when we’re suffering, He has a really good reason for it – it may be to draw us back to relationship with Him through repentance (like in verse 15 of today’s passage), or it may be so that we can serve as an example to others:

People are watching us as we stay at our post, alertly, unswervingly…in hard times, tough times, bad times; when we’re beaten up, jailed, and mobbed; working hard, working late, working without eating; with pure heart, clear head, steady hand; in gentleness, holiness, and honest love; when we’re telling the truth, and when God’s showing his power.  (2 Corinthians 6:6 MSG)

Furthermore, regardless of whatever is going on around us, God’s will is for us to pray to Him.  After all, He died so He could spend time with us.  Let’s do that! :-)

You Don’t Have to be a Superhero…

In verse 17, James uses Elijah to make his point, but if he forget the original group to whom James was writing, this example can seem like it was pulled out of thin air.  Remember that to the Jews, Elijah and Moses were tied as *the guy* - the ultimate “faith man,” much like we look at Paul today. 

James’ point is that because Elijah genuinely sought after God, He gave him the power to affect all sorts of miracles – and that we are no different from Elijah!  If we have faith in God (Mark 11:22-24) and genuinely strive to live according to God’s will (verse 16b of today’s passage), there is no limit to what God can use us to do!

Are not the effects of prayer listed in this passage miracles, after all?  We’re talking about healing the sick and calling sinners to repentance!

(A side note on that and verses 19-20 – see post on Galatians 6:1, linked on the side-bar under “correction”.)

Remember – God, through his grace, has given us as His disciples great power:

Jesus summoned His twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every kind of disease and every kind of sickness.  (Matthew 10:1)

Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father.  Whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.  If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.  (John 14:12-14)

Discussion Starters

How do you keep it in your mind to pray in all circumstances, even when you’re suffering?

What effects of the power of prayer have you seen in your own life?
What things have really stuck out to you as we’ve journeyed through the book of James?

Housekeeping

We’ve now officially finished our second book!  We’ll have our usual weekend post, of course, and then starting next week, we’ll do a short topical series on spiritual gifts.  After that, we’ll return to our verse-by-verse format with the gospel of Matthew.  Sound good? :-)

James 5:12 - Swearing Oaths

12 But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath; but your yes is to be yes, and your no, no, so that you may not fall under judgment.

Context

James is wrapping up his letter of miscellaneous instructions.  This one only spans one sentence, but it is a weighty issue, so we’ll spend a great deal of time on it today.

Intro to Oaths

It seems kind of odd for James to mention the issue of oaths out of the blue, and particularly to give it the high ranking of “but above all.”  But, we must remember that the readers of James’ letter were Jewish converts, and oaths and vows were a major focus of Jewish culture dating all the way back to the book of Genesis.

The principle of abstaining from swearing oaths is also prevalent in the teachings of Jesus, such as:

“Again, you have heard that the ancients were told, ‘YOU SHALL NOT MAKE FALSE VOWS, BUT SHALL FULFILL YOUR VOWS TO THE LORD.’  But I say to you, make no oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is the footstool of His feet, or by Jerusalem, for it is the CITY OF THE GREAT KING.  Nor shall you make an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black.  But let your statement be, ‘Yes, yes,’ or ‘No, no’; and anything beyond these is of evil.”

- Matthew 5:33-37

Why the Change-Up?

Now, this brings up the question – why would God flip a 180 and have his followers stop making vows as an act of worship?  One likely explanation is that the world had (and was going to) changed radically.  God’s followers would now be sacrificing their lives for Him by literally sacrificing their lives, not by giving Him a third of their sheep or acting as a Nazarite for a year.  Also, believers needed to be “all things to all men (1 Corinthians 9:20-22) to draw people from all around the world to Christ, and I don’t think strictly maintaining every facet of Jewish culture could have accomplished that.

What Does it Matter?

So, what’s the big deal about swearing oaths?  I can think of a few scenarios:

Here in the U.S., allowance in made in a courtroom setting for a Christian to “affirm in” rather than swear in, directly because of such teachings.  If I swear in, what I’m communicating is, “I am not normally bound to tell the truth, but here, I am bound temporarily – I am bound by your authority.”  If I affirm in, I’m communicating, “I am always bound to tell the truth, and He who binds me is a far higher authority than you.”  It is a way to bring glory to God by both separating ourselves from the court’s authority, and by pointing out that we are morally bound at all times.

Or let’s say you swear to give God a quarter of all your income…and then your daughter gets in a horrific car crash.  The insurance won’t cover it all, and she’ll die if she doesn’t get this care.  Because of your oath, you have put yourself in a moral dilemma – break your oath to God, or let your daughter die!  I don’t think that you being in this kind of situation is at all God’s will, which is why He commands us not to get tangled up in vows (consider Judges 11:29-40 for a real-life example of such a tragedy).

Or, going back to the Jewish culture and Jesus’ teaching, let’s say you make some flashy vow (maybe, half of your flock) to God, and you swear it on the temple.  Now, is the temple really going to fall down if you break your vow?  No.  Additionally, it’s not yours to swear by!  So, the Jews in Jesus’ day had found an easy way to make vows that would impress others by making them seem super holy and that wouldn’t end up costing them anything if they broke them.

Or let’s say (in an unstable country, historical time period of upheaval, or in a situation here at home if society were to collapse) that you swear allegiance to some militia group that you honestly believe is doing good.  Worse yet, you swore this oath “before God.”  Then, a bunch of stuff changes and your allegiance to this group requires you to sin.  Who, then, are you loyal to?  Now this is a mess you’ve gotten yourself into!  Because if you break your oath to avoid sinning, you break an oath made before God, and it dishonors God before others because to them, it looks like you’re chickening out and not fulfilling your oaths to God.

A Slight Tangent – but an Important One

A side-note on this last scenario – this is why some professed Christians (in some cases, cult members, and in others, genuine believers) refuse to say the Pledge of Allegiance or join the military. 

Where do I come down on the matter?  I say – it is a sin to some believers, and other believers are completely free to do it.  It all depends on what your conscience (a.k.a., the Holy Spirit within in) tells you to do.  Some of us may need that manifested reminder that our loyalty is to God, then country, whereas others may need that manifested reminder that obedience to our country is a direct act of obedience to God.

Let’s dissect these two examples:

The Pledge of Allegiance

Some contend that Christians should never “pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the country for which it stands” because, Biblically, our loyalty to our country should only remain so long as our country is loyal to God.  Others contend that saying the pledge is perfectly acceptable because that disclaimer is mentioned directly in the pledge: “…and to the country for which it stands, one nation under God.”  In this, you are placing your allegiance to America under your allegiance to God.

I believe both arguments are entirely valid, and that you can bring honor to God whether or not you choose to participate in the pledge.

(If you do not choose to, I would recommend bowing your head, folding your hands, and lifting up a silent prayer for America while others are saying the pledge.  This way, you are quietly refusing rather than making a huge scene, and still showing respect to both our country and those around you.)

Joining the Military

Some people believe that joining the military violates the command not to take oaths because you very well may be ordered to do something outside of God’s will; some add that now of all times in history – when we are speeding toward the End of Days – is a particularly bad time to join the military, because who knows if the U.S. military may at some point get involved in helping set up the Antichrist’s global kingdom?  Others, however, feel that joining the military is a very noble and godly thing to do, fulfilling the commandments to protect one’s wife and children, to defend the widow and the orphan, to set the captives free, etc.

Once again, I believe both arguments are valid – it all comes down to what the Holy Spirit tells you, specifically, to do.

Wrapping it Up, and Discussion Questions

Well, with all of that, I hope I’ve given you plenty of material to think about regarding what kind of situations to avoid and whether or not you think certain sticky situations qualify as taking an oath – and whether or not you should participate.

So, what do you think?  What other reasons can you think of why God would pseudo-reverse His position on oaths?  Can you think of other scenarios in which taking an oath would end badly?  What’s your opinion on the issues of the Pledge of Allegiance and joining the military?  (And as for the last question, I know that the debate can get quite heated at times, so let’s please keep it friendly. J  Thank you.)

James 5:7-11 - Patience in These Days

7 Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord.  The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and late rains.
8 You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near.
9 Do not complain, brethren, against one another, so that you yourselves may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing right at the door.
10 As an example, brethren, of suffering and patience, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.
11 We count those blessed who endured.  You have heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome of the Lord’s dealings, that the Lord is full of compassion and merciful.

Context

In today’s passage, John is making one more *big* point before he bolts into the rapid-fire exhortations with which he concludes his letter.

Into the Greek

As is often the case, looking into the original Greek of this passage sheds more light on it and reveals subtle but important nuances.

Firstly, let’s look at the word patient/patience (verses 7, 8, and 10), makrothumia.  This word means patient and long-suffering.  This isn’t patient as in sitting in the doctor’s waiting room for an hour without banging your head against the wall and chewing out the receptionist; this is patient as in enduring years of pain and hardship without complaining.  We are guaranteed that our Christian walk will involve suffering (2 Timothy 3:12 “And indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.”) – and we need to be long-suffering about it.

Secondly, the word for endurance/endured (verse 11) is ekdechomai.  This word means to wait, expect, and look (for).  In other words, it’s not just waiting around for something to happen; it’s more like when you’re waiting for an important phone call – you are obsessed with it, always thinking about it, and your ears are ready for that ring.  We are to live with this excited anticipation for our Lord, something the rich people in our last post’s passage (5:1-6) forgot.  It’s an active waiting.

Now that we’ve got that cleared up…

Alright, with that understanding, let’s see if we can outline James’ progression of logic for today’s passage.

* Verse 7  Be long-suffering as you wait for Jesus to come back.  There’s going to be a stretch of time when you work your fields and don’t get any food despite your sweat – when you work hard and suffer for His kingdom without yet experiencing your reward in heaven – but the rains are promised to come – but He has promised you both your reward and His return.

For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised.  FOR YET IN A VERY LITTLE WHILE, HE WHO IS COMING WILL COME, AND WILL NOT DELAY.
- Hebrews 10:36-37

* Verses 8 and 9  Strengthen your hearts against sin by expecting and looking toward the day when you will spend eternity with Him!  Don’t let that sin creep in because you lose track of how late the time really is.  One specific outlet for this kind of patience is to stop judging and accusing one another – remember what we just discussed (4:11-12)!  As the world is spinning toward the End of the Age, now is the time for godly action, not for wasting time on sin!

Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil.
- Ephesians 5:15-16

Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you may not grow weary and lose heart.
- Hebrews 12:1-3

* Verses 10 and 11  Look at all the people in the Old Testament who suffered for God, and He rewarded them – they are written down to be examples for us, to inspire us!  They are living proof that our heavenly reward is totally worth it.

For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.  Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus; that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

- Romans 15:4-6

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
- Romans 8:18

Let’s Talk

What other verses or Bible stories can you think of that relate to today’s passage?  What tactics have you employed successfully to remain patient?

I’d love to hear from you, whether question or comment! ^_^

James 5:1-6 - What's Wrong With Money?

1 Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries which are coming upon you.
2 Your riches have rotted and your garments have become moth-eaten.
3 Your gold and your silver have rusted; and their rust will be a witness against you and will consume your flesh like fire.  It is in the last days that you have stored up your treasure!
4 Behold, the pay of the laborers who mowed your fields, and which has been withheld by you, cries out against you; and the outcry of those who did the harvesting has reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth.
5 You have lived luxuriously on the earth and led a life of wanton pleasure; you have fattened your hearts in the day of slaughter.
6 You have condemned and put to death the righteous man; he does not resist you.

Review

First, remember the context – James is listing off a variety of instructions to his readers, and he has just switched topics from arrogance to wealth.

Second, a brief aside to recall what we discussed in the first post on James – that this epistle is considered to be the most “Jewish” book in the New Testament because many of its passages sound extremely similar to the rebukes of the prophets (which the original converted-Jew readers would have immediately picked up on).  This is one of those passages.

So What’s Wrong With Money?

Well…both nothing and everything – it’s another infamous Biblical paradox.  Throughout the Old Testament, it is made explicitly clear that wealth is a blessing from God.  Yet, in the New Testament, extreme emphasis is placed on sharing this blessing with other believers.  And then, if you look more closely at those instances in the Old Testament (such as King David and Boaz), you’ll see that they did, indeed, use their wealth for God’s glory and for the aid of His people.  As is the case with all sin and spiritual freedom, it is really a heart issue.

Additionally, the rich believers rebuked in this passage are not just any rich people; their wealth is linked to a few specific sins:

·         They have amassed this wealth through corrupt means – by stealing from others (verses 4, 6)

·         Their wealth has become their idol, and their luxury consumes all their time and energy (verse 5)
·         They lost track of what evil days we live in and that time is short (verses 3 and 5; see below)

Putting the Lord to the Test

Also notice the threat contained in verses 3 and 5 “…It is in the last days that you have stored up your treasure…you have fattened your hearts in the day of slaughter.”

These people James is rebuking had lost their fear of the Lord, forgetting that He is a just God.  “Lord of Sabaoth” (verse 4) means Lord of Hosts – or, literally, Lord of Armies.  They were living in willing sin, and testing God’s patience. 

Applications

Wealth should never become our idol, because all our treasures on earth will one day burn (a day very soon, I believe).

Let us share our resources with others – they are a blessing from God, intended to be given back to Him and used for His glory.  (This includes our time and our talents, not just material resources.)

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”

-          Matthew 6:19-21

Questions?  Comments?  Leave ‘em below – I’d love to hear from you! ^_^

James 4:11-17 - Arrogance in Various Forms

11 Do not speak against one another, brethren.  He who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks against the law and judges the law; but if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge of it.
12 There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is able to save and to destroy; but who are you to judge your neighbor?
13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.”
14 Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow.  You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.
15 Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.”
16 But as it is, you boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil.
17 Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin.

Context

Remember that James is addressing a variety of issues that the Jewish converts in Jerusalem were experiencing.  Lately, his instructions have been tying back to the issue of arrogance, and he will continue that today in two primary forms: (1) judging others, and (2) planning things outside of God’s will.

What is Judging, and What’s the Big Deal?

Verses 11 and 12 refer to judging your neighbor.  You are likely highly familiar with the scene in John 8:1-11 when a crowd is about to stone an adulteress, and Jesus famously proclaims, “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.”  Judging someone, however, commences far before you try to bring legal punishment upon them – it starts in your heart.

James emphasizes here, “Do not speak against one another, brethren…”  Jesus echoes this in Matthew 5:22 “But I say to you that everyone who is [unrighteously] angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever shall say to his brother, ‘Raca,’ [Aramaic for “empty-head” or “good for nothing”] shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever shall say, ‘You fool,’ shall be guilt enough to go into the firey hell.”

The issue is, when we judge others, we are essentially putting ourselves in God’s position, viewing ourselves as holier than our brother or sister and in a position to condemn them.  What blatant arrogance to make ourselves out to be God!  We forget that all that is good and holy within us is His Holy Spirit, and we ourselves are revolting sinners.

Additionally, by judging a fellow believer, we are judging the law (verse 11).  We are essentially saying that the payment for that sin on Calvary doesn’t cut it.  Ouch!

(Side note: some misapply such verses to mean we should not gently correct others in the faith – but such is a wholly anti-Biblical teaching!  See post on Galatians 6:1, under the tab "Correction" on the list to the lower right.)

Planning Without Seeking His Will

Verses 13 through 16 address another facet of arrogance: making plans without first consulting God.

I came up with a few reasons why we might do this:

·         We’re afraid He’ll say no
·         We don’t really believe He cares about that stuff
·         It’s a hassle to stop and pray about every little thing

As to the first, the arrogance is fairly obvious: even though we know in our hearts that God knows best, our minds still want to rebel because we think that we know best.  The best cure I’ve found for this mindset is to simply spend more time with Him in His Word and in prayer.  “You will know them by their fruits,” right (Matthew 7:16)?  Doesn’t it make sense that the more we get to know God, the more we’ll get it through our heads how wise and utterly trustworthy He is?

As to the second, I used to operate under this mindset, and then I came across the work of author John Eldredge.  It sparked what later grew into a roaring forest fire in me – the realization that God created us for an explicit purpose.  He had some grand adventure planned out for each of us when He first created us, using all our talents and passions – seriously, really exciting stuff.  But so many of us miss out on what He has planned for us because we simply don’t ask.

So now, in addition to asking Him about “big stuff” like college and career, I continually strive to seek His input on what many perceive as smaller things – which book to read first, whether to do x or y today, how to handle a given situation.  It’s difficult to do, but it’s critical…and it brings us to hindrance number three.

As to the third, all I can say is – that’s the point!  Stopping to ask His will is an act of humbling ourselves before Him.  It’s saying, “My time is not nearly as important as You” and “I submit my will to yours – no matter if it’s trivial or oh-so-important to me, and regardless of whether or not I understand Your command, I will obey.”  It also pulls us out of our little world where money and success are the foci of our attention and reminds us that there is something much grander to direct our attention to.

Again, it is definitely a fight to do this continuously, and I do struggle with it, but in my experience, things go so much better when I stick with it.  It’s almost as if He knows better than I do. ;-)

(Side note: Two book recommendations on this topic – Walking with God by John Eldredge and Soul Revolution by John Burke.)

Closing Thoughts

I think verse 17 sums up the entire passage perfectly: “Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin.”  Why do we not do it?  Because we are arrogant – we are putting our will above God’s.  So, what is the right thing to do?  To seek His will in all, and then follow it.

Discussion Starters

·         How can we beat down our arrogance and better submit to God’s will?

·         What strategies can we employ to better stay connected with God throughout the day, keeping the lines of communication open, and to remember to seek His will even on the “little” issues?

James 4:6-10 - Grace in this Spiritual Battleground

I’m really excited about today – tons of fascinating stuff in this passage.  Let’s dive right in! J

6 But He gives a greater grace.  Therefore it says, “GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE.”

7 Submit therefore to God.  Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.  Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
9 Be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy into gloom.
10 Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.

A Greater Grace

Let’s start with a couple of definitions.  Firstly, “greater” is the Greek word megas, meaning…mega.  Translated 34 different ways in the New Testament, its renderings include loud, mighty, fierce, and (my personal favorite) huge.

As for “grace,” it is the Greek word charis, and its primary meaning is simply grace.  Yet, we use that word a lot without really understanding what it means.  I recently read A.W. Tozer’s book The Attributes of God, in which he spends two chapters clarifying the matter: mercy is not giving us what we deserve (punishment), and grace is giving us what we don’t deserve (honor, opportunity, etc.).  He arrives at this conclusion (echoed by many others) based on the overall context in which the words are used: “mercy” is used primarily in the Old Testament, in which the major theme in transferring our guilt onto the Lamb, and “grace” is used primarily in the New Testament, in which the major theme is the Lamb transferring His holiness onto us. 

So, to summarize, “But He gives a greater grace” means “He gives us a gigantic spiritual present that we don’t even come close to deserving!”

And yet, as the latter half of the verse makes clear, we must acknowledge that we don’t deserve this gift in order for Him to give it to us – if we (falsely!) think we are religious, holier-than-thou, etc., of course He is not going to give us anything to puff up our pride any more.  Opposite to the thinking of this world, God is not in the market of giving gifts to those who deserve it most, but to those who acknowledge their dire need for it.

Resisting the Devil

I’m going to put a larger disclaimer than usual on my commentary on this verse, because this is an issue I continue to debate my stance on and am not entirely comfortable teaching.  However, it is in today’s passage and I do not believe in skipping over topics in God’s Word just because they are “difficult.”  So, I will share what I have found so far, but again, please bear in mind that I am not solid on this issue, so pray about it and study it out for yourself, as well.

This is a subject that sparks fairly intense debate.  Some contend that to resist, you should meditate on God’s word and not give in to temptation; others argue that you can and should order Satan and his demons to leave you alone in the name of Jesus when you feel oppressed.  Based on my study, I think both are correct, and that those who stick exclusively in one camp are making a mistake.  Here’s why:

1.      When you look up the Greek word rendered here as “resist,” it is anthistemi, meaning to withstand, to oppose, to resist, to cope, and to set against.  Most of the times this word is used, its context indicates that it means resist as in don’t give in, but we see exceptions in Matthew 5:39 where resist means a verbal fight escalated to a physical altercation, and in Galatians 2:11 where resist (translated as “opposed” in the NASB, but still anthistemi) means an intense verbal rebuke.

2.      In Matthew 4:10, after Jesus has been tempted by Satan, He commands him, “Go, Satan!  For it is written, ‘YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD, AND SERVE HIM ONLY.”  Remember that in John 14:12 Jesus teaches, “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father.”  We as disciples are also given authority to cast out unclean spirits from possessed people in Matthew 10:1, Mark 3:15, and Luke 9:1 (side note – Christians can not be possessed [Luke 11:24-16], but teachings throughout the New Testament demonstrate that demons can oppress us through temptations, illnesses, and problems in our lives – and we know for a fact that Biblically, we do have the authority to order off demons making us sick).  So, my thinking here is that, in Jesus’ name, we have the authority to command Satan and his demons to stop something specific they are doing, if it is God’s will (sometimes He allows it to continue for a reason – see 2 Corinthians 12:7-10).

So, based on all this, the balance I have arrived at so far is our primary defense is, indeed, to not give in to temptation by meditating on God’s word (we see this modeled in Ephesians 6 in the passage on spiritual armor, and in Jesus’ example of how He resisted temptation in Matthew 4 and Luke 4).  However, when I become particularly aware of spiritual oppression (e.g., repeated temptation or particularly intense temptation that I sense comes from the spiritual realm, and not from my own flesh or the world), I feel completely comfortable praying that God would take it away, and, at times, ordering the demonic influence to leave me alone by saying something to the effect of, “If it is my Lord Jesus Christ’s will, [name it – pride, fear, whatever], leave!”

Personally, I feel this approach is Biblical, and I employ it only with much prayer.  However, once again, I am not *solid* on the issue, so I again strongly encourage you to pray about it and study it out on your own.  A final word of caution: some people take this to a “name-it-and-claim-it” extreme where they think there’s a demon behind every piece of furniture; remember, meditating on His Word and not giving in is our primary defense, so don’t go nuts with this.  Getting too obsessed and too comfortable with the demonic realm is opening you up for some bad juju magumbo.

Drawing Near and Repenting

“Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.”  I again point to A.W. Tozer’s teaching, who explains that as God is omnipresent, He is never actually physically/materially far from us, because His presence is always everywhere.  But, just as you can be in the same room with someone and feel relationally very distant from them, so it is with God – when we pull away from Him emotionally and spiritually, the relationship is strained and we no longer have access to what Tozer terms His manifest presence.  The solution?  Repent!

James’ appeal in verses 8-9 sounds much like the prophets of the Old Testament – sin is not something to be dealt with lightly; we need to genuinely mourn it, knowing that it deeply wounds our Savior (physically once, and emotionally always).

Verse 10 ties back to verse 6 – we need to humble ourselves, admitting our sin, and He will extend His grace to us – he will exalt us by extending His Son’s holiness to us.

Discussion Starters

1.      What are your thoughts on the issue of resisting the devil?  Sharing your personal experiences and relevant Scriptures are both welcome. :-)

2.      What is your experience with feeling emotionally distanced from God?

A Heads-Up

I anticipate four more posts in James, then we’ll do a short topical series on spiritual gifts, and after that we’ll return to a verse-by-verse format in the gospel of Matthew. 

James 4:1-5 - Indulging in Sin Cannot Make Us Truly Happy

1 What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you?  Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members?

2 You lust and do not have; so you commit murder.  You are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel.  You do not have because you do not ask.

3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask with the wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures.

4 You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God?  Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

5 Or do you think that the Scripture speaks to no purpose, “He jealously desires the Spirit which He has made to dwell in us”?

Context

As always, the first thing we need to establish is context.  Remember that the epistle of James doesn’t exactly have one consistent theme – it jumps around from topic to topic that James wants to address with the Jewish converts to Christianity he is writing to.  Although today’s passage can certainly be related to some of the issues that James has addressed previously in his letter, it is, for the most part, a new topic.  Additionally, some may believe that since he refers to “you adulteresses” in verse four, he is speaking to a group of women; however, I do not believe that this is the case.  In the Old Testament, there are frequent references to the nation of Israel being an adulteress to God by pursuing other gods and other things in life – exactly what today’s passage is addressing.  Because James wrote to Jewish converts, they would have immediately recognized this reference, thus requiring James to do less explaining.

The Problem

So, we can see clearly now that this congregation as a whole is arguing with each other, and James is quick to point out the cause – they are all focused on themselves and on what they want – they are not keeping an eternal perspective.  It makes sense that when we allow the devil a foothold in our lives through indulging in sin (Ephesians 4:27), we are granting him permission to influence us, and he will wreak as much havoc as he can in our lives before we snap to our senses and go running back to God – including destroying our relationships with other believers.  Additionally, when we are focused on ourselves, we are obviously not going to be thinking about others and selfishness inherently destroys friendships.  The key to staying connected with our vital spiritual family is to not indulge in sin (thus allowing Satan to interfere with our lives) and to go out of our ways to be others-centered.

Pleasures of this World versus True Happiness

I looked up the Greek word for “pleasures” in this passage and discovered that it is hedone, which comes from a verb literally meaning “to make happy.”  In other words, James is acknowledging that sin seems fun at the time – and truly, if it weren’t, we’d never do it.  But the pleasures of this world cause impermanent happiness, as verses two and three make clear – we will always be seeking for more, more, more, never satisfied!

James states in verse three that we ask for God to grant us happiness in these various forms, but he does not grant it to us because our focus is all wrong!  We’re asking for Him to provide us happiness in this world, but we are supposed to be seeking happiness in Him.  God designed us to crave the joy that can only be found in Him – so of course we will be left unsatisfied when we try to find it elsewhere.  To seek joy elsewhere is to go against His very design for humanity – and that is not something we want to do.

When we give our lives to Christ, we suddenly have access to permanent joy – but we don’t always experience it because we don’t tap into it, because we still seek lesser joy elsewhere.  It’s like getting free meals for life at a five star restaurant and still choosing to go through the McDonald’s drive-thru on your own dime.

Matthew 6:19-24

19 Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.

20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal;

21 for where your treasure is, there you heart will be also.

22 The eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is clear [focused on Him], your whole body will be full of light [holy joy].

23 But if your eye is bad [focused on the world], your whole body will be full of darkness[lack of joy].  If then the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

24 No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other.  You cannot serve God and wealth.

John 15:10-12

10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.

11 These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.

12 This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you.

Enemies

When we cheat on God, of course we become His enemies.  He is jealous for us to love Him (verse five), and it both hurts and angers Him deeply when we have an affair with the world.  Yet, unlike many earthly lovers, He will forgive us.  Let us run to Him now and receive His grace.

Discussion Starters

1.      Have you noticed before that when you allow Satan that foothold by indulging in a little bit of sin, he takes over in more ways than just that one area of your life?

2.      What experiences can you share with us regarding the difference between temporal, earthly joy and eternal, heavenly joy?

3.      Remember, please feel free to comment on anything else – don’t feel restricted to my questions! J

Finally, a Bit of “Housekeeping”

You may have noticed that I changed the blog’s appearance just a tad to try to make it more visually appealing and useful for you.  I now have a list of posts (Bible studies only, not weekend editions) categorized by topic on the right-hand sidebar for your convenience.  If there’s anything else you’d like me to add that would be helpful, please leave a comment or send me an e-mail. :-)

James 3:13-18 Living with Wisdom

13 Who among you is wise and understanding?  Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom.

14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth.

15 This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic.

16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing.

17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy.

18 And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

Let’s do a bit of review…

You may remember us discussing wisdom back when we studied James 1:5-11.  You can go back and read the whole post here http://elijahsbunker.blogspot.com/2011/09/james-15-11.html , but I will also summarize what we learned about it here:

* Wisdom is a spiritual gift (1 Corinthians 12:8, 1 Kings 4:29).

* Wisdom is the ability to discern good and bad, right and wrong in your own life, and to pass this on to others (1 Kings 3:9).

So what is James saying here?

First, remember that James was most likely writing to Jewish converts, so they had a very works-based background. 

The point I see James making in this passage is that the Christians he was writing to thought they were spiritually mature, thought that they knew everything spiritual and were experts in righteous behavior --- but they didn’t live it.  They knew the right thing to do, but they didn’t do it.

James will say shortly thereafter (in 4:17), “Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin.”  Also consider what Paul said in Romans 2:6-8, “[God] WHO WILL RENDER TO EACH PERSON ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS: to those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life, but to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath and indignation.  Also remember how Jesus concluded a parable in Luke 12:20, “But God said to him, ‘You fool!  This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?’”

It seems to me that if the Christians to whom James was writing were truly wise, they would have realized that testing God by living in unrepentant sin is playing with fire, quite literally.  Rather, they were acting like fools!

How can we apply that to our lives?

The answer is simple: DO THE RIGHT THING.  And, because wisdom includes sharing it with others, ENCOURAGE OTHERS TO DO THE RIGHT THING.

Obviously, it’s not quite that easy in practice, but the stark simplicity of God’s message to us in the passage remains.

Another Infamous Bible List

As I always like to do whenever I run across a “Bible list,” let’s evaluate what each item in verse seventeen means, individually.

Pure:   Greek hagnos.  Meaning free from defilement, holy, sacred, chaste, free from sin, innocent, pure.  In other words, living out wisdom means staying far, far away from sin – don’t joke about it, don’t condone it, don’t hang around with others when they’re engaging in it.

Peaceable:  Greek eirenikos.  Meaning peaceful, peaceable.  In other words, living out wisdom means not getting worked up about stuff that doesn’t matter from an eternal perspective, and not getting in fights with people.

Gentle:   Greek epieikes.  Meaning seemly, equitable, yielding, gentle.  In other words, living out wisdom means acting in a classy, dignified, appropriate manner – in your life, and in your relationships.

Reasonable:   Greek eupeithes.  Meaning ready to obey, reasonable.  In other words, living out wisdom means always being willing to obey God’s will – after all, He knows everything and has the best planned for us, so it is *reasonable* to trust His guidance.

Full of Mercy:   Greek eleos.  Meaning mercy, pity, compassion.  In other words, living out wisdom means that when others screw up, forgive them rather than judging them.

Full of Good Fruits:   Greek agathos and karpos.  Meaning good, generous, goodness, kind, kindness; meaning benefit, crop, fruit, descendants, fruitful, grain, harvest, proceeds, produce, profit.  In other words, living out wisdom means producing love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23); it means showing noticeable changes in the way you live – proof that God’s Holy Spirit is working in you.

Unwavering:   Greek adiakritos.  Meaning indistinguishable, without uncertainty, unwavering.  In other words, living out wisdom means that you need to practice what you preach – what you do should be indistinguishable from what you say and what you profess to believe.

Without Hypocrisy:   Greek anupokritos.  Meaning unhypocritical, unfeigned, genuine, sincere.  In other words, living out wisdom means that your good deeds stem from a true passion for God in your heart, you’re not just putting on an act to impress the church crowd.

If you’d like to dig more into this topic, I’d suggest reading the book of Proverbs – pretty much its entire focus is wisdom (both spiritual and practical) versus foolishness. J

Join the Discussion!

Did any item on the list jump out to you particularly?  Are there any personal experiences with wisdom you’d like to share with us?  Any other thoughts on the subject?