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James 4:1

James 4:1. “1 Do you know why there are wars and struggles among yourselves? They come from within, from your own selfish desires which make war inside your bodies. James 4:2.

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James 4:1

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  1. James 4:1 • “1 Do you know why there are wars and struggles among yourselves? They come from within, from your own selfish desires which make war inside your bodies.

  2. James 4:2 • 2 You desire something, but you don't get it. So you are jealous and commit murder. And you still don't get it! You argue and you fight for it. Why don't you have what you want? It is because you don't ask for it from God.

  3. James 4:3-4 • 3 And even if you do ask, you don't receive, because you ask, so that you may use it in an evil way for your own selfish desires. 4 You spiritual adulterers! Don't you know that loving this world is hating God? The person who wants to be in love with the world becomes God's enemy.

  4. James 4:5-6 • 5 The Scripture says that there is a spirit living in you that makes you want to do wrong. Do you think the Scripture says this for nothing? 6 God will give you strength to overcome. That is why the Scripture says, "God is against those who are proud, but He gives help to humble people."

  5. James 4:7-8 • 7 So, put yourselves under God's authority. Resist the Devil and he will run away from you. 8 Get close to God and God will get close to you. Wash your hands of sin, you sinners. Make your hearts pure, you who have divided hearts.

  6. James 4:9-10 • 9 Be sad, be sorry, and cry. Change your laughter into crying. Turn your joy into sadness. 10 Be humble before the Lord and He will lift you up.”

  7. Introduction • GOOD evening. We thank God… • We are so very thankful for this congregation… • Visitors: you are always our welcomed and honored guest… • We are humbled and excited…

  8. THE CURE FOR CONFLICT • Loved ones, humanity is caught up in a near-constant state of unrest, quarreling, hatred, jealousy and war. Whole nations periodically go to war with each other.

  9. THE CURE FOR CONFLICT • When there is peace among the nations, there remains the internal strife between the various races of people, between labor and management, between husband and wife or between parent and child within our homes.

  10. THE CURE FOR CONFLICT • When there is peace within the family unit, there occasionally surfaces a struggle among brethren which turns the church into a battleground.

  11. THE CURE FOR CONFLICT • Many people despair of ever finding real peace and simply assume that conflict is an inevitable part of life. Is this fatalistic view the correct one? Must we view life this way and resign ourselves to living it as warfare?

  12. THE CURE FOR CONFLICT • The Bible says that our warring world is the logical consequence of the countless wars that rage within men's hearts.

  13. THE CURE FOR CONFLICT • Thus it is that if we would have peace with one another we must first be at peace within our own beings – at peace with God through Jesus Christ.

  14. THE source of CONFLICT • James declares that the root cause of all our strife and conflict is evil desire. "From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?" (James 4:1).

  15. THE source of CONFLICT • Our Lord taught this same truth in the Parable of the Soils. The cares and pleasures of this life, He said, serve to choke the gospel.

  16. THE source of CONFLICT • "And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection" (Luke 8:14).

  17. THE source of CONFLICT • When one becomes a slave to his lusts (i.e., evil desires), envy and hatred enter his life. Conflict with others is inevitable.

  18. THE source of CONFLICT • "For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another" (Titus 3:3).

  19. THE source of CONFLICT • Others seeking the same worldly goal or carnal pleasure become competitors to be beaten. This causes one to do all sorts of shameful and wicked things to others.

  20. THE source of CONFLICT • "2 Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. 3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts" (James 4:2-3).

  21. THE source of CONFLICT • For a Christian man, his goal may be success and money in his business or profession. • For a Christian boy, his goal may be a certain class office or acceptance by a particular group of his peers.

  22. THE source of CONFLICT • For a Christian woman, her goal may be career achievements at the sacrifice of her commitment to her family. • For a Christian girl, her goal may be popularity and frequent dates.

  23. THE source of CONFLICT • In all these cases, and with countless other similar examples which could be given, an evil desire (i.e., either a desire for something sinful in itself or the satisfaction of some legitimate desire by a sinful method) caused one to begin a downward spiral of wickedness.

  24. THE source of CONFLICT • A Christian who gives way to evil desire has broken his vow to God.

  25. THE source of CONFLICT • "Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God" (James 4:4).

  26. THE source of CONFLICT • The church is Christ's bride (2 Corinthians 11:2), and every member of the church is pledged to be faithful to Jesus as Lord.

  27. THE cure for CONFLICT • What is the solution to this critical problem? How can one be at peace with God, himself and the people around him? How can he maintain unquestioned loyalty to Christ in order to fulfill his covenant vow of faithfulness to God?

  28. THE cure for CONFLICT • James answers by saying that one must submit himself totally to God and His will and consciously resist the devil and his snares.

  29. THE cure for CONFLICT • "5 Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy? 6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you" (James 4:5-7).

  30. THE cure for CONFLICT • First, the Christian struggles against and, by the grace of God, overcomes his evil desires.

  31. THE cure for CONFLICT • Whether the lust is for material things (1 Timothy 6:19-20) or for sensual pleasure (1 John 2:15-17), the child of God recognizes that the craving is antagonistic to spirituality.

  32. THE cure for CONFLICT • He knows that these desires "war against the soul" (1 Peter 2:11), so he tries to be content with the opportunities and blessings God provides him and "keeps the lid on" his selfish impulses.

  33. THE cure for CONFLICT • Second, he prays. One who is serving self cannot pray. He short-circuits the route of prayer by his sin.

  34. THE cure for CONFLICT • Third, he believes the Scripture and heeds its warnings and exhortations. The faithful Christian knows that to reject the Word of God is to reject the Lord himself (John 12:48).

  35. THE cure for CONFLICT • Whereas the person who is serving self rather than God may act as if the Scripture says without reason that evil desires will destroy us.

  36. THE cure for CONFLICT • Some are rejecting God's claim for our full devotion with a high-handed, arrogant and careless attitude.

  37. THE cure for CONFLICT • In time they shall be made to learn the painful truth declared in Scripture that GOD RESISTETH THE PROUD (James 4:6).

  38. THE cure for CONFLICT • However, sometimes our failure to give God His due does NOT spring from arrogant defiance and stubborn unconcern for His claims, but from our human frailty and weakness.

  39. THE cure for CONFLICT • In that case, when we come before Him penitent and ashamed, we shall find that there is forgiveness with Him, for HE GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE (1 Peter 5:5); that is, forgiveness for the past and delivering power for the future.

  40. THE cure for CONFLICT • Yes, one's salvation and experience of peace is attributable to God's infinite grace. • But he bestows such mercy only on the striving, prayerful, believing child of God who comes humbly to receive a free gift. He forces it on no one.

  41. The Disposition Which Makes for Peace • Loved ones, it is not that we shall ever achieve perfection in this life. Neither is it that we take sin lightly and regard our failures as matters of no consequence.

  42. The Disposition Which Makes for Peace • Rather it is a matter of one's heart and disposition before God. This is why James closes this section of text with a description of the disposition which makes for peace.

  43. The Disposition Which Makes for Peace • "8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. 9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up" (James 4:8-10).

  44. The Disposition Which Makes for Peace • In Christ there is a priesthood of all believers (1 Peter 2:9). Every Christian has constant access to God through Christ.

  45. The Disposition Which Makes for Peace • Only the Christian possessed of such purity can have the peace which God gives his faithful people.

  46. The Disposition Which Makes for Peace • The command is "Draw near to God. The prerequisites of doing so are (1) a pure life, (2) a pure heart, (3) a penitent spirit, and (4) humility.

  47. The Disposition Which Makes for Peace • First, to "cleanse your hands" is to cease all conscious acts of wrongdoing. It is to purify one's whole life of any evil still being tolerated in it.

  48. The Disposition Which Makes for Peace • Second, to "purify your hearts" is to cleanse the inner spring of life. For one to contend that it does not matter what goes on in his heart so long as his actions are respectable is to be guilty of doublemindedness (Matthew 7:21-23).

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