It is easy even for believers to drift away from the Lord. The proud Pharisee, who did not see his own need for forgiveness, had neither her tears nor her joy (Luke 7:36-50). So if you have drawn near to God for salvation, it was because God chose you and drew you to Himself. God’s way of salvation is totally opposed to man’s way. While it would be out of line to see a demon behind every quarrel, it is also out of line and naïve to think that demons are never involved. His ways are much higher than our ways, and often run counter to our ways. Every word and every action of God is born out of love. I know Christians who don’t like the doctrine of God’s absolute sovereignty in choosing some, but not all, for salvation. When Isaiah had his vision of the Lord, he was undone—personally shattered—and immediately aware of his own sinfulness (Isa. All rights reserved. The potential list is endless, but you can’t read the daily news without realizing that life is terribly unfair, from the human point of view. For all the saints. You mourn over how you have offended God, disgraced His name, and hurt your brother or sister in Christ (2 Cor. Are there signs? 12:10). Perhaps you had abusive parents or were the object of racial discrimination. New King James Version (NKJV). 5:6-7). All of our good works would never qualify us for heaven, because they cannot pay the debt of sin that we owe. 5:6). As Jesus said, “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me” (John 6:37). Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. His way for resolving conflicts is not to give us surface techniques that achieve outward peace. (1 John 4:16) Love is the very nature of God, going beyond His feelings and emotions – as mind-blowing as these are. To resolve conflicts, judge your selfish motives (4:1-3). 13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but () God is faithful, () who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to [] bear it. 57:15; 66:2; Ezek. But these words in James are written primarily to believers. But the “good news” is that God in His goodness has made possible one way by which men may escape judgment, have their sins forgiven, and spend eternity in the blessed presence of God. Unbelievers are unable to submit to God’s law, because they are unwilling to do so. To resolve conflicts, submit to God, resist the devil, and repent of all sin (4:7-10). Caught eating cookies, a toddler explained to his mother, … How do we know if our repentance is sincere enough or deep enough? So they just skip passages like Romans 9, which God inspired Paul to write for our spiritual edification. His penetrating question was, “Did she ever get any sorrow?” He knew that to truly experience the joy of sins forgiven, you first have to feel the grief of the sins. If it is, you must submit to it. 2: Trust Must Be Earned (Gen. 42:29-44:34). God has all of our days pre-numbered (Ps. 9 Then Jacob prayed, “O God of my father Abraham, God of my father Isaac, LORD, you who said to me, ‘Go back to your country and your relatives, and I will make you prosper,’ 10 I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness you have shown your servant. NKJV, Ancient-Modern Bible, Comfort Print: One faith. When our ways please Him, then we have a foundation for resolving conflicts with others (Prov. Used by permission. That will kill the one. If Peter later dies a martyr’s death, but John lives to a ripe old age, that’s God’s business (John 21:21-23). God has all of our days pre-numbered (Ps. If He allows James to be beheaded, but Peter to escape, that’s God’s prerogative (Acts 12). God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted above what you are able, but will with the temptation also make the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. If He allows James to be beheaded, but Peter to escape, that’s God’s prerogative (Acts 12). An integrated digital Bible study library - including complete notes from the NIV Study Bible and the NKJV MacArthur Study Bible, 2nd Edition - is just a step away! God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. (I have put a few quotes from it in today’s bulletin and on the church web site under “Helpful Resources.”). Read full chapter He said, “The only real argument against the Bible is an unholy life. God always makes the first move toward us. If God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6), then you want to make sure you’re not making yourself God’s opponent! 8:7), the mind set on the flesh “is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so.” (Subject is the same Greek word as submit in James 4:7.) (7) Which have the rule.--Rather, which were your leaders (Hebrews 13:17; Hebrews 13:24; Acts 15:22), who spake unto you the word of God. The Greek word for devil is diabolos, which means, literally, to throw against. Since He is “opposed to the proud” (James 4:6), verse 7 infers, “Submit therefore to God.” It is the only sensible thing to do! It is used of the obligation to submit to government authorities (Rom. A dour Englishman was seated on a train between two ladies arguing about the window. To resolve conflicts, repent of your sinful selfishness and humble yourself before God. He is love! Kent Hughes (James: Faith that Works [Crossway Books], p. 189) tells of an old preacher who was told that in one of his services a certain woman had gotten “joy in the Lord” (conversion). Resist the devil! 139:16) and He even has all the hairs on our heads numbered (Matt. He is calling you to draw near to Him, with the promise that He is ready and waiting to draw near to you. These spiritual guides had been removed from them by death. Copyright, Steven J. Cole, 2005, All Rights Reserved. (Isaiah 29:16; Isaiah 45:9).Hath not the potter power (rather, authority) over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour? Here James zeroes in on God’s way of conflict resolution, which deals with our hearts before Him. Receive your daily verse by email Subscribe By submitting your email address, you understand that you will receive email communications from Bible Gateway, a division of The Zondervan Corporation, 3900 Sparks Drive SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546 USA, including commercial communications and messages from partners of Bible Gateway. The other said she would expire of pneumonia if it was opened. It may be the untimely death of a loved one. It lies in some form of sin” (in Iain Murray, Spurgeon and Hyper-Calvinism [Banner of Truth], p. 8). The ladies called the conductor, who didn’t know how to resolve the conflict. To be saved, we must submit unconditionally to God’s way of salvation. 2:18). “Submit therefore to God” in His way of salvation, in His person, in His Word, and in His providential dealings with you. A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Psalm 34:18 promises, “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” In Psalm 51:17, where David laments his sin with Bathsheba, he writes, “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.” John Bunyan wrote a beautiful short book on that verse, The Acceptable Sacrifice [Banner of Truth], in which he explains how to know if your heart is broken before God, and how to keep it tender. One claimed that she would die of heatstroke if it stayed closed. You can fight against God for the difficult things that happen, or you can humble yourself under His mighty hand, casting all your anxiety upon Him (1 Pet. In the context of James 4, it may be a difficult person in your life who is always trying to stir up conflict. In fact, Thomas Jefferson, who was not a believer, literally took scissors and cut out the parts of the Bible that he did not like! James’ words show that there is an emotional element to genuine repentance. From 1977-1992 he was the pastor of Lake Gregory Community Church in Crestline, California. ), “The stars vanish when the sun arises; and our poor candle is slighted into a disappearance, when the glory of God arises in our thoughts…. James gives ten active commands in machine-gun fashion in these four verses: Submit to God! Weep! You’ve drifted. That will kill the other. God’s way to resolve conflicts is to submit to Him, resist the devil, and repent of all sin. The word means “to put yourself in rank under” someone, implying a hierarchy of authority. 3:1, 2; Rev. 3:34; 29:25; Isa. Take your pick: either Bultmann is right, or Jesus and the New Testament writers are right! Paul uses it with reference to spiritual warfare in Ephesians 6:13, “Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.”. 3:1, 5); and of slaves to masters (1 Pet. Yet the Bible is clear that nothing happens to us apart from God’s providential permission or care. Or, they explain it away by saying that God foreknew who would choose Him, so He chose them. But if God’s Word reveals that sinners will be punished eternally in hell, and if Jesus Himself taught it (and, He did, Matt. If you think that you’re close to God, but you’re angry and bitter, you’re deceiving yourself! First and foremost in any conflict, we must get right with God. Matthew 6:31-33. The mourning of biblical repentance is not opposed to the biblical joy that we are commanded to have at all times (Phil. Verse Concepts. But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. You may suffer from some terrible disease or deformity. 139:16) and He even has all the hairs on our heads numbered (Matt. 16:7). Bible Gateway Plus makes studying Scripture easier than ever. 4-5, cited by John Stott, The Cross of Christ [IVP], p. 231). The holy angels in His presence cover their faces (Isa. Instead, he said (Job 42:6), “I retract, and I repent in dust and ashes.” When the apostle John, who formerly had rested his head on Jesus’ chest, saw Him in His glory on the Isle of Patmos, he fell at His feet as a dead man (Rev. Be miserable! It could be unfair treatment at work or at school. He knew Jesus’ words, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted” (Matt. He graduated from Dallas Theological Seminary (Th.M., 1976 in Bible exposition) and Califo... More, 9. Matthew 24:36. James sounds like an Old Testament prophet as he proclaims, “Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. It gives the good person reason to boast. In Spurgeon’s day, there were many liberal critics attacking the truthfulness and authority of the Bible. Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? The theme of God humbling the proud, but exalting the humble, runs throughout Scripture (1 Sam. - Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? 10:30). This is one reason Calvin’s Institutes are so spiritually rich—he is always lifting up God’s majesty and showing how man’s only proper place before Him is to lie prostrate in awe. There’s a second aspect of submission: James gives a command and a promise: “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” Before I comment on what this means, let me clarify what it does not mean. It does not mean that God is waiting for sinners to make the first move toward Him, and then He will respond. At the heart of worldliness is finding joy and pleasure in things other than God, or while disregarding and disobeying God. The liberal German scholar, Rudolph Bultmann, wrote, “It is impossible to use electric light and the wireless, and to avail ourselves of modern medical and surgical discoveries, and at the same time believe in the New Testament world of demons and spirits” (in Kerygma and Myth, pp. That’s why immediately after teaching how serious the sin of anger is, Jesus said (Matt. Pride is at the heart of all disobedience to God and of almost all relational conflicts. But what we could never do, God in His mercy did. Then close it. 10:30). There are people in evangelical churches who are outwardly happy in their positions of power in the church; happy with their abundant material possessions, and happy with their self-centered lifestyles. 5:4). How can we know if the devil is actively involved in a relational conflict that we are experiencing? Psalm 16:11 ESV / 13 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. God does many things in our lives that are not especially pleasant or to our liking. Purify your heart! Agree/disagree: Almost all relational conflicts are rooted in one or both parties not being fully in submission to God. through the greatness of thy power shall thine enemies submit themselves unto thee. It is to these types that James shouts, “Be miserable and mourn and weep!”. There are many such trials that we will never in this life fully understand God’s reason for them. 2:8-9). 13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but (A)God is faithful, (B)who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to [a]bear it. To resolve conflicts, turn from all spiritual adultery and humbly entreat God’s grace (4:4-6). God’s way allows no one to boast before Him. 17:24; Matt. We must submit to all of who God is as revealed in His Word. To resolve conflicts, stop judging others and submit to God’s Word (4:11-12). Of course, God is the ultimate and only sovereign authority in the universe, and it should be obvious to everyone that it is most unwise to rebel against His authority. God offers His salvation as a free gift, received by faith alone, apart from any human works or goodness (see Eph. 4:31; 1 John 4:20. The world’s way is, “Work hard, be the best person you can be, and you’ll go to heaven.” Such teaching feeds human pride. It is not just a glib, “I’m sorry that I offended you.” Or, “I’m sorry that you’re upset” (implying, “it’s your fault!”). Whose faith follow.--Better, and, contemplating: the end (or, issue) of their life, imitate their faith. Nobody has a problem with God’s great love, but many have a problem with His hatred of all sin and His absolute justice that demands that all unrepentant sinners be punished for eternity in hell. If Satan attacks the godly Job, killing all of his children and taking away his possessions and health, it is only because God permitted Satan to do it. 1:17). 6:5). It’s not a popular concept, but it is a biblical one. God tells us that His ways are not our ways (Isa. 4:4; 1 Thess. We don’t literally cut out the difficult parts, but we just ignore them or don’t work at understanding and submitting to those parts! 5:5); of mutual submission of husbands and wives to one another, and of wives to husbands, in marriage (Eph. 13:1, 5; 1 Pet. 2:13); to elders in the church (1 Pet. Using the same word in Romans 10:3, Paul asserts, “For not knowing about God’s righteousness and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God.” In pride, fallen man wants to set up his own righteousness as good enough, but it falls far short of God’s absolute righteousness. The Puritan Thomas Manton paraphrases Calvin’s opening line from The Institutes: “The soul becomes humble by the true knowledge of God and ourselves” (Exposition of the Epistle of James [Sovereign Grace Book Club], p. 348; I updated his English). We can sum up three of James’ commands under this one head: Submit to God unconditionally (4:7); draw near to God (4:8); and, humble yourself before God (4:10). He satisfied God’s justice by dying in the place of sinners. The woman who wet Jesus’ feet with her tears knew the joy of sins forgiven. NKJV, Journal the Word Bible, Large Print, Red Letter Edition: Reflect, Journal, or Create Art Next to Your Favorite Verses, NKJV, Open Bible, Red Letter Edition, Comfort Print: Complete Reference System, NKJV, Chronological Study Bible: Holy Bible, New King James Version, NKJV, Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible, Red Letter Edition: Bringing to Life the Ancient World of Scripture. He declares that we all have sinned and deserve His judgment. 3:10-12). Are You Looking for God's Help? 1 Make a joyful noise unto God, all ye lands: 2 Sing forth the honour of his name: make his praise glorious. Commanded to have at all times ( Phil in any conflict, we must right... 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Which deals with our loving Lord should move you to clear up whatever stands between you drew... In this life fully understand God ’ s not a popular concept, but,...
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