Study of James
Lesson # 13
Putting God First
Introduction
James has been discussing the results of godly wisdom – peace & righteousness.
As he begins chapter four his discussion turns to the cause behind strife & conflict among people. His answer is twofold – a love for self rather than a love for God; a friendship with the world & not with God. God must have 1st place in our lives or chaos & division are the result.
1. The results of giving self 1st place – vs.1-3
a. The source of fights & quarrels.
1. As we look at society we often see a continual barrage of hatred & war
& strife even in times of peace. Why is this a continual problem?
James has the root – desires that battle within us.
2. Fights & quarrels are in the plural indicating they are not isolated events
but continual problems.
3. Among you – he is not talking about the world around them, but the
lives of Christians. Personal struggles & tensions within the body
of Christ.
a) This could be rendered “in you” & thus refer to inner personal
struggles & tensions within the individual Christian.
b) It doesn’t matter because the person who is not at peace within
himself cannot be at peace with others.
4. Moralists have often asked themselves the source of human discord; but
are not willing to point the finger at the real cause – their own
lusts. They want to blame the environment people live in &
everything else, but not the individual themselves.
5. James points the finger at the desires that battle within us.
a) Greek word – hedonism – refers to a self-seeking philosophy
where pleasure takes first place in life. “If it feels good do
it” philosophy. To crave pleasure & gratification.
b) Desires battle – wage a relentless war. Worldly pleasure is
portrayed as soldiers in a battle out to win.
See 1 Pet.2:11 – fleshly lusts wage war against the soul
b. The lust for pleasure never gives full satisfaction
1. It is a hunger & thirst that are never satisfied
2. The NT is clear that the lust for pleasure damages our spiritual life
a) Mt.13 – cares & worries about riches chokes out the word
b) Passions for pleasure only enslave – Titus 3:3
c) Lust is strong & difficult to control – most don’t control it
d) Man is a walking civil war – Rom.7
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3. A pleasure-dominated life has certain irrevocable consequences
a) It sets men at each other’s throats
1) When we desire money, power, and prestige, life
inevitably becomes a competitive arena.
2) Men trample one another & will do anything to eliminate
their rival in order to get their desires filled.
3) Obedience to the will of God draws men together while
obedience to the craving for pleasure drives men
apart.
b) It drives men to shameful deeds
1) Envy, jealousy & even murder
2) A person may restrain themselves for a while, but the
fact remains that as long as that desire for pleasure
remains in his heart he is never safe.
(a) At any time it may explode in a ruinous action
(b) David’s lust for Bathsheba led to Uriah’s death
(c) Ahab’s coveting of Naboth’s vineyard led to
Naboth’s murder – 1 Kings 21:1-13
c) Constant craving for pleasure shuts the door upon prayer
1) When mans prayers are essentially selfish it is
impossible for God to answer them. He would be
contributing to man’s sin.
2) James assigns two reasons for an unsatisfied life
(a) You have not because you don’t ask
(b) You ask with the wrong motives – spend on self
(c) A satisfied life can only come from a right
relationship with God. True satisfaction
comes in asking God.
3) Ask not = in the present tense & indicates a repeated
failure to ask.
4) Several qualifications for answered prayer
(a) James 1:6 – in faith
(b) James 1:6 – nothing doubting
(c) Jn.16:24 – in Jesus’ name
(d) 1 Jn.5:14 – according to God’s will
(e) 1 Pet.3:7 - While in a right relationship with
others
(f) Ps.66:18 - When there is no iniquity in our hearts
5) James is writing to those who have their own selfish
ends in view when they pray. They are not
necessarily praying for sinful things, but rather they
are praying out of selfish motives – to spend it upon
themselves.
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2. The error of establishing wrong priorities – vs.4-6
a. One cannot be faithful to God & the world at the same time.
1) The two are diametrically opposed to each other – vs.4
(a) Adulteresses – common OT figure of unfaithfulness to God
(1) The breaking of a covenant
(2) Both God & the world are wooing the Christian
(3) The longing for pleasure leads to disobedience to God
(b) Friendship – Greek word phileo = Love
(1) 2 Tim.3:4 – lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God
(2) Lk.16:13 – no servant can serve two masters
(c) Neutrality is impossible – Rom.8:5-8
(1) Mind focused either upon God or the flesh
(2) Result – allegiance to world = enemy of God
2) The Spirit gives us the power to be wholeheartedly devoted to God
(a) God jealously desires the loyalty of His people
(b) The Spirit continuously battles with the flesh – Gal.5:17
(c) God does not want to share our affection – we are in a covenant
with Him.
(d) God is gracious – He knows our struggle & is merciful – yet
His grace is for the humble
Heb.4:16 – grace in our time of need
Rom.5:20 – where sin increased grace abounded
(e) Yet to the proud – God resists – stands against. If we won’t join
Him in the battle against worldliness, He resists us; fights
against us. However, if we humbly submit to His
sovereignty, He is full of grace to meet our every need.
3. Practical exhortations to make God our 1st priority – vs.7-10
a. Each exhortation is in the aorist tense suggesting urgency & decisive action
b. Exhortations
1) Submit to God - voluntary subordination (a readiness to submit)
a) God does not force us to obey Him
b) He desires voluntary allegiance & devotion
c) Submission is a key concept in the Christian life
(1) 1 Pet.2:13 – to the government
(2) 1 Pet.3:1 – wives to their husbands
(3) 1 Pet.5:5 – younger people to elderly
(4) Titus 2:9 – slaves to masters
2) Resist the devil – take your stand against
a) 1 Pet.5:8,9 – he is our adversary – seeks to devour us
b) Eph.6:10-12 – do everything to stand
c) Comforting promise – he will flee
(1) He has been rendered powerless – Heb.2:14
(2) As we put on the whole armor of God we too will be
victorious over Satan & his hosts – Eph.6:11-18
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3) Draw near to God – as a worshiper (see Heb.10:19-25)
a) His promise – He will draw near to you
b) Preparations need to be made to worship properly
(1)In The OT the priest went through a ritual of
responsibilities – Ex.30:19-21
(2) James gives two parallel imperatives
“Wash your hands you sinners;
purify your hearts you double minded”
(3) Ps.24:3,4 – who may ascend the hill of the Lord
(4) Both hands & heart are defiled & need cleansing
(a) Hands – outward deeds
(b) Heart – the inner life – thoughts
(c) A godly lifestyle flows from a pure heart
4) Grieve, mourn & wail – outpourings of inner misery
a) Sin is serious & & cleansing must not be taken casually or light
heartedly or in a frivolous manner.
b) Rom.7:24 – “O wretched man that I am”
c) Have an inner feeling of shame & misery because of your sin
d) Mourning is the outward expression of deep grief – intense hurt
that cannot be easily disguised
e) Wailing is the tearful expression of mourning
5) Change your laughter to mourning, your joy to gloom
a) Laughter is not sinful (Ps.126:2); but a flippant laughter of
unconcern about sin is sinful. True joy is a fruit of the
Spirit, but irresponsible frivolous joy is not considered
Christian behavior.
b) Gloom – downcast appearance due to a heavy heart. It suggests
dejection because of shame.
6) Humble yourselves before the Lord
a) Voluntary humiliation – acknowledge & deplore your utter
unworthiness – undeserving of His grace & gifts
b) Promise – He will lift you up – Lk.14:11; Mt.23:12
c) Self-exaltation leads to ruin, but humility brings divine
exaltation