(James 015) The Root of Animosity (Part 3)
Notes
Transcript
Handout
1. The source of animosity. (vs. 1-3)
1. The source of animosity. (vs. 1-3)
What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you?
A. The origin of animosity.
A. The origin of animosity.
B. The anatomy of animosity.
B. The anatomy of animosity.
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.
C. The prayerlessness of animosity.
C. The prayerlessness of animosity.
You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.
i. Animosity causes us to quit praying.
i. Animosity causes us to quit praying.
ii. Animosity causes us to ask for the wrong things.
ii. Animosity causes us to ask for the wrong things.
2. God gives more grace. (vs. 4-6)
2. God gives more grace. (vs. 4-6)
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.
Before grace we see something else first.
A. The abhorrence of God.
A. The abhorrence of God.
i. God sees pleasure-dominated believers as adulterers.
i. God sees pleasure-dominated believers as adulterers.
ii. God sees pleasure-dominated believers as adversarial.
ii. God sees pleasure-dominated believers as adversarial.
B. The jealousy of God.
B. The jealousy of God.
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”?
C. The grace of God.
C. The grace of God.
But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
We are a mess.
We are adulterers.
We become advisarial
We quit praying.
When we do pray we pray for the wrong things.
We fight and bicker.
But GOD GIVES MORE GRACE!
Always increasing grace.
“Note that contrast; note it always. Observe how weak we are, how strong he is; how proud we are, how condescending he is; how erring we are, and how infallible he is; how changing we are, and how immutable he is; how provoking we are, and how forgiving he is. Observe how in us there is only ill, and how in him there is only good. Yet our ill but draws his goodness forth, and still he blesseth. Oh! What a rich contrast!”-Spurgeon
3. The recipients of grace. (vs. 7-10)
3. The recipients of grace. (vs. 7-10)
We need to recognize how God’s grace works.
Grace is given to those who do not deserve it.
However, grace is given to those who are worthy of it.
God is not going to simply dump grace on everyone.
But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
Proverbs helps us understand.
Toward the scorners he is scornful, but to the humble he gives favor.
3. The recipients of grace. (vs. 7-10)
3. The recipients of grace. (vs. 7-10)
God sets Himself against the proud. (Like a soldier standing against an enemy.)
A boastful, unrepentant heart gains no benefit from God’s grace.
While God always has more grace to give, he gives it to the humble and repentant.
Our humility does not EARN God’s grace.
It puts us in a position to receive God’s grace.
First a single command then James teaches us what this looks like with 3 sets of paired commands.
A. Those who submit.
A. Those who submit.
Those who willingly and obediently come in alignment with God and His plan.
Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.
A. Those who submit.
A. Those who submit.
We are to set aside pride and line up under God’s plan.
We talk much about our rights as humans.
Spurgeon asks: what about God’s rights?
They are: “the first, highest, surest, and most solemn rights in the universe...”
Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust.
A. Those who submit.
A. Those who submit.
This is not simply obedience.
Obedience can be forced.
Our kids can obey but not submit to our will.
This is a willing, conscious, intentional decision that we will put ourselves in line with God and His plan.
Humility is the key to our relationship with God.
This is God’s universe and God does things his way. You may have a better way but you don’t have a universe. -Jay Vernon McGee
Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you,
casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.
A. Those who submit.
A. Those who submit.
Humble - submit.
Give up your cares.
Don’t try to do it yourself.
We don’t know better.
God’s rule is good for us!
B. Those who resist and draw near.
B. Those who resist and draw near.
The negative is to resist.
Resist is a military term meaning to stand against in combat.
This is war - we need to stand and fight against Satan.
Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
B. Those who resist and draw near.
B. Those who resist and draw near.
Every Christian has to struggle with the enemy.
Fight hard to stand against the schemes of the enemy.
How do we resist the Devil?
You must be intentional.
Soak up God’s Word.
Listen to and exercise Godly wisdom not worldly wisdom.
Your church has to be important to you.
The positive is to draw near.
Go after God and He will go after you.
This is more than tacking God on to your life and hoping for the best.
This is pursuing a deep and meaningful relationship with Him.
As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God.
B. Those who resist and draw near.
B. Those who resist and draw near.
Like the prodigal son returning home to his father.
We do this through repentance.
Prayer.
Bible study.
How do we draw near? What does it mean to draw near?
To worship God
To pray
To seek His wisdom and counsel.
To be quick to hear the Word.
Think about the reminder this was to the Jewish audience.
Once unable to enter the Holy of Holies.
Moses told not to come any closer.
Now God is inviting them in.
Come close to me and I will come close to you.
C. Those who wash and purify.
C. Those who wash and purify.
Now we have external and internal commands.
External - Wash your hands.
James is blunt - sinners quit sinning.
Internal - Purify your heart.
Meaning a two souled person.
Having double allegiance.
That doesn’t work.
The word for sinner means hardened sinner.
This is progressive sanctification.
The closer we get to God, the more sin we see.
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.
If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
C. Those who wash and purify.
C. Those who wash and purify.
The light exposes our sin.
We wash and purify by confessing and forsaking.
And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.
C. Those who wash and purify.
C. Those who wash and purify.
Foundations: the process of a christian becoming more christian.
D. Those who grieve and change.
D. Those who grieve and change.
Christians should be known as joyous people.
Solomon said...
A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.
However, there is also a time to grieve our sinfulness.
Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom.
D. Those who grieve and change.
D. Those who grieve and change.
4. Be careful what you say. (vs. 11-12)
4. Be careful what you say. (vs. 11-12)
The command is clear.
Do not speak evil against one another.
Humbling ourselves before God means humbling ourselves and having right relationships with others.
And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.
This is the great and first commandment.
And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”
4. Be careful what you say. (vs. 11-12)
4. Be careful what you say. (vs. 11-12)
The second commandment is just as important as the first.
On these two commandments hang all the law.
1-4 Love God.
5-10 Love your neighbor.
A. Self-elevation above the Law.
A. Self-elevation above the Law.
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.
A. Self-elevation above the Law.
A. Self-elevation above the Law.
It is helpful to understand what James is NOT saying.
He is not saying that we are never to judge another Christian.
I often hear that we should not judge others.
“Judge not, that you be not judged.
Don’t take this verse out of context.
For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you.
Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?
Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye?
You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.
A. Self-elevation above the Law.
A. Self-elevation above the Law.
The lesson is not don’t judge, but take care of your own sin first.
James himself is judging this group of Christians.
He is calling out their sin.
Make sure you are clearly understand the sin you are pointing out.
It is the Christian’s duty to judge other Christians.
To confront their sin and keep them accountable.
(Matthew 18)
Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.”
A. Self-elevation above the Law.
A. Self-elevation above the Law.
God is telling us not to judge others because we think we are so much more spiritual than they are.
B. Self-elevation above God.
B. Self-elevation above God.
There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?
B. Self-elevation above God.
B. Self-elevation above God.
Not only were they setting themselves above the law, but above God.
James is calling out God’s sovereignty.
God is able to save and destroy.
This truth runs through scripture.
“ ‘See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god beside me; I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand.
The Lord kills and brings to life; he brings down to Sheol and raises up.
And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
B. Self-elevation above God.
B. Self-elevation above God.
So if you don’t have that power, who are you to judge your neighbor?
Our own ignorance impedes our best judgement of people.
We don’t know the whole story.
We don’t know what’s going on in their heart.
Our own sin impedes our best judgement of people.