4 Adulterers! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. 5 Or do you suppose that it is for nothing that the scripture says, “God yearns jealously for the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”? 6 But he gives all the 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.
James 4:4-8 NRSV
As we enter into another year it is a time to reflect and think about, and praise God for all He has blessed us with. It is a time to be thankful for all that God has brought us through. This is not to say it has been easy, but God’s grace is sufficient for all our needs.
It is easy to have a sense of self-sufficiency and an attitude of being strong in difficult times, but the truth is that without God we are incapable of making it very far.
James asks in V.4 “Did you not know friendship with the world is enmity to God?”
When Israel violated the terms of their agreement with God by worshiping other gods, God declared her an adulteress, a friend of the world but an enemy of God. As a matter of course, friends were supposed to be friends and enemies of one other’s friends and enemies. Those who claimed to be friends of God yet held onto the ideals of the world were being unfaithful to their heavenly Father.
James asks a second question here in V.5 of our passage for today.
“God yearns jealously for the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”?
According to some, James indicates that “this human soul jealously longs,” maybe thinking of the Jewish idea of the wicked urge. (Also, but less probable, he could indicate that one’s spirit or soul should long—but for God,.).
Secondly, God’s Spirit within us may become jealous of our affection because of our desire to please Him.
According to a third possible interpretation, “God is jealous about the spirit He gave us” and “will tolerate no competition for its devotion,” James quotes from various Biblical verses.
V.6 God opposes the proud. James’ translation of Proverbs 3:34 is nearly identical to the usual Greek form, except that “the Lord” is replaced by “God.” Being humble is submitting and surrendering to God in this context.
James is instructing us that the devil will flee IF we do something. The problem we often encounter is that we want the evil to bypass us but we don’t take advantage of the provision God has given us.
Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. V.7
When incantations were represented in ancient magical literature, demons would sometimes retreat in fear, but this time, the message was one of morality, not magic. There is a choice to be made between God’s values and those of the world (v. 4) or between God’s wisdom and demonic wisdom.
So we can see that we are continually faced with a choice of worldly wisdom and that of God. Not only though are we presented with a choice, it is not always obvious and we must continually put God first in our lives which is more than a choice but a willful effort and decision.
Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. V.8
Prior to prayer, Jews cleansed their hands, and they also employed the language of purity metaphorically, such that clean hands may represent not having committed sin with them
3 Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord?
And who shall stand in his holy place?
4 Those who have clean hands and pure hearts,
who do not lift up their souls to what is false,
and do not swear deceitfully. Psalm 24:3–4.
Individuals, even if just acting on behalf of a corporately sinful group, should have washed their hands of the bloodshed they caused or were indirectly a part of. (cf Matthew 27:24). Double-minded and hypocrites were despised by the general public.
When studying the Old Testament, we may be perplexed as to why humans would worship objects they had constructed as gods. In the same way, we place a great value on material possessions such as money and relationships. There is nothing wrong with things in and of themselves but if we place them above God, they might become idols. As a result, he is extremely concerned about what happens to it.
In order to keep His children’s devotion in check, God forbids them to do so for two reasons. First, He loves us and only wants the best for us. He is deserving of all the praise. Because praising God above all else is in our own best interest, He disciplines us when our hearts are not in Him. This could be a way for God to remind us that he is the only one who can satisfy our needs. We can be comforted by the fact that God is completing us in Him, even in the midst of our trials.
Consider where you put your energy this week, as well as what’s on your mind. Don’t be fooled into thinking you’re doing the right thing even if your interests appear to be beneficial on the surface. Be honest about your affections and pray for God’s aid in changing your heart to be more devoted to Him.
There is power in the name of Jesus. The phrase “pray in the name of Jesus” is often used by Christians, and it refers to the practice of praying to God and asking for His help, guidance, or protection.
Two things about the death of Christ. The first was that since one person died for and in place of everyone else, everyone had died. What is this death at the end? Either the death they deserved because of their sin.
It’s odd how we often acknowledge that we take on too much, and try to accomplish things in our own strength, and need to rely more on Jesus. And yet we continue to do the same thing over and over.
The conscience is a divinely given moral compass that can be swayed by many factors, such as our background, experiences, and thoughts. What is important is the truth that one has to inform their conscience.
Life is rough for most people today. Just when we have hope of a life returning to normal, we are seeing things none of us have ever seen in our lifetime.
To grasp the magnitude of our deliverance, we must first comprehend where we came from. We are not exempt from the repercussions of our actions because we are descendants of Adam.
