James Episode 10

James 4:1–3

Warning Against Worldliness

[1] What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? [2] You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet 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 wrongly, to spend it on your passions. (ESV)

Transcript

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James 4:1

[1] What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? (ESV)

Your passions are at war within you… James has already warned us by this time that,

James 1:14–15

[14] But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. [15] Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. (ESV)

The Word of God is full of such warnings.

Romans 13:14

[14] But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires. (ESV)

1 Peter 2:11

[11] Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. (ESV)

Unfortunately this is such low hanging sermon fruit, that preachers, including myself, will preach this and really not think about it. I’m not saying that it isn’t true, obviously, but we’ve driven these scriptures for so long, we never really look at what is behind it. I guess since I said driven, I’ll say we never look under the hood. 

There are scriptures that we preach so often, it becomes almost cliché. Another shining example of this is what has been done by “churchianity” with John 3:16. It has been used so lightly, in song, on t-shirts, it has even bled through into pop culture. I have to preface this and say I’m stepping outside of my knowledge base a bit, but there was a wrestler that was using 3:16 as his, I guess slogan. I have no idea what he was meaning, not that I had never watched wrestling as a kid, but that was years before he began this. Anyway, he used 3:16 almost assuredly because he knew the people would catch the personal reference.

These scriptures get used until they lose their punch.

“Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you?”

Something takes place when you receive the Spirit of the Living God within your mortal shell. So, back to Genesis for an illustration; Issac and Rebekah have conceived and she felt the struggling within her womb between the two children, so she asks God, “why are my babies brawling in my belly?”. So God informs her; The LORD said to her, “Two nations are in your womb. Two peoples will be separated from your body. The one people will be stronger than the other people. The elder will serve the younger.” (Genesis 25:23) 

I don’t want to go too far in this direction or it will end up taking the whole episode, but we can use this as an allegory for what happens to the believer when he receives God’s Spirit. You have, at that point 2 natures present within your being. One is holy and wants to do what’s right, the other tends to want to do what is convenient, or what is self-serving.

Romans 8:6–8

[6] For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. [7] For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. [8] Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. (ESV)

He is not saying you no longer have the flesh trying to have its way within your body. He is saying you have a choice to obey the flesh and inherit destruction, or you can obey the Spirit and have life eternal (and much more peaceful I may add)

Paul says; Romans 2:6–8

[6] He will render to each one according to his works: [7] to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; [8] but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury. (ESV)

1 Corinthians 9:26–27

[26] So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. [27] But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified. (ESV)

Some believe when they receive the Spirit, they should no longer have problems with the flesh, but Paul makes it pretty clear in Galatians 5:16

[16] But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. (ESV)

James 4:2

[2] You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. (ESV)

You desire, that’s pretty plain, but the desire they have is not a godly longing for something, it’s a carnal mind driven lust for, something, James is making a blanket statement so he’s not providing an example. 

It’s his next statement that I want to look at; “so you murder”. The book of James is clearly to believers. I don’t think the assembly would accept someone who is actively murdering. A former murderer yes, a current murderer, no. So what is meant here by James?

This is an exaggerated claim just to get his point across, I guess “hyperbole” technically. He had a good example for this.

Matthew 5:21–22

[21] “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ [22] But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire. (ESV)

The apostle John also learned this lesson from Jesus;

1 John 3:15

[15] Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. (ESV)

You do not have, because you do not ask. In a nut shell, it seems that the example James is giving are people, in the assembly, believers, that have a strong desire, but for that desire they are not seeking God. Their flesh is making them miserable. Paul comes along later and warns believers, 

Ephesians 4:29–32

[29] Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. [30] And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. [31] Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. [32] Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. (ESV)

James 4:3

[3] You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. (ESV)

This scripture is where the “name it claim it, blab it grab it” Word of Faith movement get it woefully wrong!

John tells us; 1 John 5:14

[14] And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. (ESV)

During Paul’s travels, he merely wanted to spread the Word everywhere, but; Acts 16:6–7

[6] And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. [7] And when they had come up to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them. (ESV)

Sometimes we want things that God just doesn’t want us to have. Maybe a nicer car, a bigger house, and there is nothing wrong with these things, but if your desire is dragging you into something that will distance you from God, God will often put a stop to it. If you want a bigger house, and “praise God, brother, look at my credit score, I can afford it”, but in truth you’ll be at work every time the church doors are open just to pay for that house and end up getting pulled away from the One you serve. Is there anything wrong with a bigger house, no, He wants us to have good things, but if He hasn’t made a way for you that isn’t a trap, forget it. Don’t become an example for James’, “consume it upon your lusts”.

We’re going to end here for this episode, so we can open this next statement and not be pressed for time.

Meanwhile, questions or comments?

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This is brother Jason, reminding you that Jesus is not in the godhead,

For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the might in bodily form. (Colossians 2:9 [RNKJV]

Until next time, goodbye and God bless.