Lesson 11
James 4:4-10
4 You adulterous people,[a] don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. 5 Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us[b]? 6 But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:
“God opposes the proud
but shows favor to the humble.”[c]
7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.
First Impression?
My first question was how we could be friends of people if we were not friends of the world. I eventually realized the difference, but it did take a second.
As opposed to friendship, what would be a better description of the correct relationship with the world?
‘In, but not of’ is the common phrase. We are to know that we are bound for heaven but recognize there are consequences to our actions here.
Enmity with God. How would you characterize enmity with God?
My Bible study answer is that enmity with God is simply following our sin nature. It would seem to be a big leap from just following our own desires, but the fact of the matter is that it is a coin, one way or the other, and there is no in between.
Wishes. Chooses. Why do we have the opportunity for wishes?
Again, the simple answer is so that we can wish for better and choose the better. The deeper reality is so that we can chose God and thereby glorify Him.
NIV says our spirit envies intensely. NRS says yearns jealously. How does this strong drive impact our wishes?
I once wondered why our cats loved their treats so much when they had food available all the time. Research showed me that the treats had carbohydrates and their little bodies crave the hit from them. Basically, they are addicted to a high. We become addicted to the highs provided by various things in this world be that as blatant as sex or drugs or as deceptive as a second look or an extra bite.
Grace – How do we get it?
Accept it. It is truly that simple. The hard part is how to use it once we have it.
Submit. How big a word is this?
As far as the East is from the West. Hard to comprehend.
Resist. How?
Based on my new paradigm, by either walking with God or standing against the devil with God. The with God part being the common denominator.
Draw near. How?
I am not comfortable with a few things at my church. I sometimes want to respond by changing churches, but mainly I act out by staying home on Sunday. I excuse my failure by blaming the things that make me uncomfortable. But in reality, those things pale in comparison to my want to be in the special position of submission that I identify with being at a corporate church service. I liked the family time of participating together online during the pandemic, but I was kind of put off that our church seemed to bow to the pressure of the state to not hold in person services. I believe now that we were really trying to protect ourselves from the dangers of spreading a relatively unknown virus among our friends and family. Anyway, for me to draw near is to seek out interaction with God.
Cleanse your hands. How?
Repent of the past and seek to sin no more.
Purify your hearts. How?
Ditto.
Laughter to mourning. Joy into dejection. Is it as bad as it sounds?
The odd thing about laughter is that it most often comes at the expense of another. I love to hear the phrase ‘Tow Mater, Average intelligence.’ It makes me laugh, but it comes at the expense of Tow Mater. He is a made-up truck, so no big loss, but if I laugh at the expense of a real person, I should be mourning the loss that comes of making fun of them.
I struggle with the joy aspect. I understand joy to come from our abiding in God, so I am not sure how I should ever turn that into dejection. The only out I see is that I should use my possession of joy to be sad for others and propel me to help them come to a saving knowledge of Christ and be joyful also.
Humble. Cure all?
Did this make you laugh? In my mind the basis for humility is placing God’s desire for our lives above our own. If we have done this, then everything else should be better. All these other topics becomes an outgrowth of our humility. If only we were good at it.