Study in the Book of James – Part 7
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What has been the things that have stood out to you the most through the first three chapters of James?
Why Christians Fail!
Through the first three chapters, James has focused on a few primary areas of teaching. Overall, however, his primary purpose was to provide practical knowledge about how a Christian should act. We saw him address such things as living out your faith by the works you perform, guarding your tongue against the things you say, and finding joy in the challenges you face.
Now, he addresses another issue that often arises among believers. In this case, he specifically looks at quarrels that occur. James 4:1-3 reads:
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.
The first three verses of this text examines the heart condition of the believer. What is James telling us about the way that we act?
What fuels the conflicts and quarrels that we face?
James addresses three causes of conflict, including:
- Our passions creating quarrels within each of us.
- Our desires leading us to murder others.
- Our coveting and desires leading us to fight.
Do you find that these types of things are affecting your behavior with others?
When James talks about murdering others, do you think that he is specifically talking about killing another person?
Read Matthew 5:21-22. What does Jesus tell us about “murder?”
Using the teaching of Jesus, what do you think James is talking about here?
At the end of the verse 2, what does James tell us is the reason why we don’t have what we want?
He makes it clear that the primary reason why we don’t receive the things we want from God is because we simply don’t ask. Do you find yourself asking God for the things that you want?
If not, what is hindering you from doing this?
James makes it clear that we should ask God for the things that we want, however, in verse 3 he explains why we do not receive from God. We discussed this early on in our lessons on prayer. Why is it that sometimes we do not receive the things we ask from God?
Have you found yourself asking “wrongly” for things based upon your passions or flesh?
Why do you think God does not grant these requests?
Who Is Your Friend?
In James 4:4-5, he begins by asking a very simple question. Who is your friend?
4 You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 5 Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”?
One is either friends with God or with the world. There is no in between. Who would you say is your friend?
Can you find other places in the Bible where it talks about choosing the ways of God or the ways of the world?
James begins verse 5 by quoting “Scripture.” However, this particular statement is not quoted in the Bible. That has left many scholars questioning what exactly James is referencing.
It appears that he is talking about what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 6:19, where it reads that we are the temples of the Holy Spirit. As you learned in your class on the Holy Spirit, God is residing inside every believer. Why then do you think that God “yearns jealously” over us when He is living inside each of us?
Changing Your Heart
James gives a series of instructions related to changing our hearts in James 4:6-10. Here it reads:
6 But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” 7 Submit yourselves 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 wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.
In these five verses (James 4:6-10), James provides seven different commands that help to act in opposition to pride. According to verse 6, who receives God’s grace?
Who does God oppose?
Verse 7 tells us to submit to God. What do you think it means to submit to God?
He continues by telling us to resist the devil, and he will flee as a result. How can one resist the devil? What is he asking us to resist?
What do you think is the challenge in submitting to God and resisting the devil?
Verse 8 tells us to draw near to God and He will draw near to us. How do you think that drawing near to God keeps you humble?
He then states that we should cleanse our hands and purify our hearts. He calls us both “sinners” and “double-minded.” Back in James 1:8, he used the term “double-minded” there as well. Return to James 1:7-8 and explain what he meant by this term. Do you think he is using it in the same way in this verse?
James also commanded sinners to “cleanse your hands.” Do you think he is literally talking about washing your hands? If not, what do you think he means by this?
Verse 9 is very interesting. Read this once again. In relating this verse to pride, what do you think James is talking about here?
If you consider the prideful person for a moment, this verse becomes clearer. A wretched person should mourn and weep for what he or she has done. This is a person who has resisted God instead of resisting the devil. As a result, that person should repent and feel remorse for the things he or she has done. The laughter and joy felt should be turned to mourning and gloom. It will only be through reflection and acknowledgment of that person’s evil ways that he or she will turn away from the ways of the devil and toward the ways of God.
It is with this understanding that leads us to verse 10. Here James tells us to humble ourselves so that God will then exalt us. Keep in mind how verse 7 began. God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble. We also were told that when we draw near to God, acknowledging that we need Him, then He draws near to us. Put these three verses together and describe how God lifts up those who are seeking Him.
Judging Others
Judging others is a topic that is frequently discussed in the Bible, particularly in the New Testament. Before reading this text, go to Matthew 7:1-5. What does Jesus tell us about judging others?
Before continuing on in James, it is important to understand what Jesus is saying here. He is not saying that we cannot accuse or judge people based upon the Law of God. God has judged sin, and it is perfectly acceptable for us to point out the errors others are making.
However, Jesus is making it clear that we should not judge others for the sins they are committing when we are doing the same things. This is hypocrisy. It is something that God detests. He is telling us that we must first acknowledge our own errors, repenting of them and correcting them before judging the errors of others.
Now, let’s read James 4:11-12:
11 Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. 12 There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?
Jesus spoke specifically about judging fairly, where we are not pointing out the sins of others while ignoring the same sins in our own lives. James, on the other hand, is addressing why we should not speak evil or judge our brothers.
In Galatians 6:1, Paul tells us, “Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.”
It may seem like James is contradicting what Paul said. This may seem confusing, so a little clarity is needed. James is not speaking about judging the wrongs that another has committed. Instead, he is talking about the action related to that judgment. In other words, he is talking about seeking revenge.
In Leviticus 19:18, God told His people that they were not to take revenge, but were to love their neighbor as themselves. Paul reiterated that in Romans 12:19, where he explained that we should never avenge ourselves but “leave it to the wrath of God,” because God declares that “vengeance is Mine.”
This is what James is talking about here. It is not that we are judging the wrongs that people have done but taking action to retaliate for the wrongs they have committed. James is telling us that only God should be seeking vengeance for the wrongs committed against us.
What are the challenges of leaving “vengeance” to God?
We turn vengeance into vendettas. Why do you think God is against this kind of thinking?
Back in James 2:8, he talked about how loving our neighbor as ourselves was a fulfillment of the royal law. How do you think this relates to what James says in these two verses?
What do you take away from the first 12 verses of James 4?
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