Monday, July 1, 2013

Faith that Works is Humble and Wise (James 3.13-4.12)

Scripture: James 3.13-4.12
Translation: 13Is there someone wise and learned among you? He had better show his actions from his good lifestyle in the humility of wisdom. 14But if you have bitter jealousy and selfishness in your heart, don’t boast and lie against the truth! 15This isn’t the wisdom from above that has come down, but earthly, personal, and demonic! Because wherever there is envy and selfishness, chaos and every base/wicked thing are there. 17And the wisdom that comes from above first of all is holy/pure, then peaceful, tolerant, obedient, filled with mercy and good fruits, undiscriminating, unhypocritical. 18And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace to those who practice peace.

4.1Where to wars come from? And where do battles come from among you? Isn’t it from this? From your pleasures that wage war among your body parts? 2You desperately want, but you don’t have, you kill and envy and you can’t get [it], you war and battle, you don’t have because you don’t ask. 3You ask and you don’t receive because you ask wickedly, so that you can blow your money on your pleasures! 4Adulteresses, don’t you know that the friendship of the world is hostile/an enemy of God? So whoever would want to be a friend of the world, is made [to be] an enemy of God. 5Or do you think that for no reason the Scripture says the Spirit Who lives in you desperately wants with jealousy, 6and gives greater grace? Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble. 7So, subordinate/submit to God, stand against the devil, and he will flee from you! 8Draw near to God and He will draw near to you! Clean [your] hands, sinners, and make your hearts holy, doubters! 9Feel miserable and mourn and cry! Your laughter had better turn into mourning and your happiness into dejection/depression. 10Be humbled before the Lord and He will raise you up. 11Don’t speak against one another, brothers. The person who speaks against a brother or judges his brother speaks against to the Law and judges the Law. But if you judge the Law, you’re not a doer of the Law, but a judge. 12There is One Lawgiver and Judge, the One Who can save and destroy, but who are you who judges the neighbor?

The Point I’m Stressing: What is the source of all the evil in our tongue? The evil in our hearts! What is the evil in our hearts? Pride, Selfishness, and bitter jealousy! What are those things really, just manifestations of hostility towards God and unbelief in God’s Word!

Interpretation
1.      Structure
a.       The Humility of Wisdom vs. Selfishness and Pride
                                                              i.      Real Wisdom Comes with Humble Actions
                                                            ii.      False Wisdom comes with prideful selfish actions
                                                          iii.      Real Wisdom Looks Godly and Peaceful
b.      The Source of the Problems: Selfishness and Pride
                                                              i.      The Source of Conflict among Believers Comes from Our Desires that Try to Rule Us
                                                            ii.      The Problem is when our desires are so strong that we’ll do anything to get what we want
                                                          iii.      The problem is also that we don’t ask God for what we need or want
                                                          iv.      The problem is when we do ask it is often with selfish foolish desires or plans
c.       The Implication of the True Problem: Being so Close to the World, means you’re against God, and God is against You
                                                              i.      You can’t love the world more than God and be God’s friend
                                                            ii.      We often forget that as much as we jealous of others and others’ stuff, God is jealous for us, and wants to give us grace, but that God is opposed to evil and supportive of the humble
d.      The Appropriate Response to the Revelation of our evil heart: Repentance
                                                              i.      BE HUMBLE!!! HUMBLE OURSELVES!!! TO GOD
                                                            ii.      Resist the Devil
                                                          iii.      Draw near to God
                                                          iv.      Turn away from sin and receive God’s cleansing
                                                            v.      Be sorry for what we’ve done
                                                          vi.      Instead of trying to make ourselves so important and exalted, we must let God do it and be humble
e.       The Manifestation of Selfishness and Pride that is not Obvious: Self-Righteous Judgment, Putting others down
                                                              i.      Don’t put others down to make yourself seem higher, that is the opposite of humility
                                                            ii.      Don’t play God and tell everyone who’s wrong and who’s right, Only God gets to judge others: He will save and Destroy
                                                          iii.      When you judge your neighbor, you’re taking God’s role, and that is just another form of insane pride

2.      Themes
a.       Real Faith produces Godly Actions
b.      Wisdom
c.       Humility
d.      Pride
e.       Speaking
f.       Jealousy
g.      Selfishness
h.      Judgment/Judicial Setting
i.        Repentance from the heart
j.        Sadness
k.      Scripture quotation
l.        Law
3.      Doctrines
a.       Real Faith produces Godly actions
b.      Wisdom is part of the Christian life, and real Christian wisdom results in a humble lifestyle, not arrogance
c.       God doesn’t like proud people, but will raise up the humble
d.      God as the Ultimate and Final and Sole Judge
e.        

Applications
1.      When we are having a conflict, we should ask ourselves, why that conflict exist, the true is it because of the evil in our hearts
2.      Behind every desire is the subtle belief that if I have that or do that I will be happy, it will feel good
3.      What are the desires that we will do anything to have?
4.      BE HUMBLED!!!
5.      REPENT!!!
6.      FEEL SORRY ABOUT YOUR SIN!!!
7.      Trust God and His Word

8.      Don’t play God by judging others

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