Introduction:
The book of James is about translating your faith into obedience and action…
Chapter four is specifically about solving problems in that Endeavour…
It can be broken into three distinct sections:
The Reason for Our Problems (vv.1-3)
Hedonism, Self-centered
Search for Pleasure
The Result of Our Problems (vv. 4-6)
Hostility, Towards God
and Others
The Remedy for Our Problems (vv. 7-10)
Humility,
Submit
· Not Salvation
· He is speaking to the Church…
Addressing problems that exist among even those who profess to be saved
· Not Partial
· “Submit” is a military term with two
distinct components:
§ “to be subordinate to”
· Accept the leadership and decisions
of
§ “to render obedience.”
· To intentionally act on that
leadership
· Not Hidden
· Story of the good Samaritan… You have
a Pharisee, an expert in the law, a
person who feels he is right with God by birth and position, Trying to trap
Jesus how to inherit eternal life… Jesus tells him to go and do likewise
· Paul called this the fruit of the
Spirit
Strategy
· Draw
· The word James uses means to approach
and join…
§ Comes from a word that means squeeze…
§ Verb, finite, second person, plural,
aorist, imperative, active
§ aorist = an inflectional form of a
verb typically denoting simple occurrence of an action without reference to its
completeness
§ Imperative = a command
§ Active = Do
· Cleanse
· The cleaning of outward sin
· Imputed righteousness
· Purify
· Double minded… One who wants the
world and God two
· Purify the inner self
§ Imparted Righteousness
So
· Resist
· This is one of those verses that are
often taken out of context and misapplied… 7b is impossible without 7a
§ Ephesians 6:10-11 - Finally, be
strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so
that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.
· Lumber jacks and increase in
production
§ Submitting to God empowers us to
resist Satan and submitting to God Obligates us to Resist Satan!
· Exalted
· Lift myself vs. God Lifting (Means to
elevate or lift up)
§ I can spend my time trying to find
out what I believe I am good at and “elevate myself”
· I can only lift so high….
§ I can humble myself
· Recognize that my view of myself is
not as good as God’s
§ Submit myself
· Trust in His Authority
§ Let Him lift me up…