Tiago 4
Kenneth Wuest · Citado em PreceptAustin
Tiago 4
Wuest adds that Paul's "idea is not to make best use of time as such, which is what we should do in the sense of not wasting it, but of taking advantage of the OPPORTUNITIES that present themselves." The time/opportunity for bringing forth fruit is the spring SEASON (kairos) in which the tree bears fruit, in contrast to late autumn, when there is no fruit. And so kairos is the time which God allots to each believer to bring forth for themselves "spiritual fruit." This truth calls for us to "Seize the Day" (Carpe diem) because "Time flies" (Tempus fugit). As Horace Mann put it "Lost yesterday, somewhere between sunrise and sunset, two golden hours, each set with sixty diamond minutes. No reward is offered, for they are gone forever." Kairos represents the best time to do something, the moment when circumstances are most suitable. Kairos can be a moment or a season, but always refers to specific times in which opportunity is "ripe", so that when the time passes, so does the opportunity - "Opportunity only knocks once." The word OPPORTUNITY is derived from the Latin "ob portu." In ancient times before modern harbors, ships had to wait for the timing of the tide before they could make it safely to port. Thus "OB PORTU," described the ship waiting "FOR PORT," ready to seize the crucial moment when it could ride the tide into safe harbor. The captain knew that if he missed the passing tide, the ship would have to wait for another tide to come in. God gives each of us many "ob portu's", but we must be spiritually wise and Spirit filled in order to see and seize them. As Charles Swindoll said "We are all faced with a series of great opportunities (ob portu's) brilliantly disguised as impossible situations." Shakespeare's famous line from Julius Caesar conveys the same thought: "There is a tide in the affairs of men (an "ob portu"), Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune; Omitted, all the voyage of their life Is bound in shallows and in miseries. On such a full sea are we now afloat; And we must take the current when it serves, Or lose our ventures." In short, KAIROS conveys the sense of an "opportune time," a "window of opportunity". John Broadus said "Opportunity is like a fleet horse that pauses for a moment at one's side. If you fail to mount him in that moment, you can hear the clatter of his hoofs down the corridors of time. That opportunity is gone forever." Jonathan Edwards America's greatest theologian understood Paul's charge to REDEEM THE TIME and as a young man wrote "Resolved: Never to lose one moment of time, but to improve it in the most profitable way I possibly can. Resolved: to live with all my might while I do live." "Time that is past you can never recall, Of time to come, you are not sure at all; Only the present is now in your power, Therefore, redeem and improve every hour." John Piper reiterates that the "OPPORTUNITY will never come again. The days are evil; opposition is great; be wise as serpents (Mt 10:16). Understand what the will of the Lord is (Eph 5:17+)… These words ring with a sense of urgency. They are like the words of a platoon leader addressing his unit just before they enter combat. The air is tense and your heart is beating fast and, even if you love battle, your hands are sweaty. “Watch your step; be smart; don’t miss your opportunity; keep yourself lean for the battle!”… In other words, the Christian life is a vigilant life, defensively guarding itself from the subtleties of the evil days and offensively redeeming the time to strike for love and righteousness again and again. We are a vigilant people at war with unbelief and evil. O to be a faithful steward of the breath God has given me… Surely God means for our minutes on earth to count for something significant. Paul said, "In the day of Christ I will have reason to glory because I did not run in vain nor toil in vain" (Php 2:16+). In the same way, I have good hope from the Lord that my "labor is not in vain in the Lord" (1Co 15:58+). And I commend this promise to you. No minute need be lived in vain. Eternity will render it significant if lived in faith for the glory of God. In the end we rest in this: "My times are in Your hand" (Psalm 31:15). Time is a strange commodity-we can't save it, retrieve it, relive it, stretch it, borrow it, loan it, stop it or store it , but can only use it or lose it. We can't call time out in the game of life. Indeed, there is no such thing as a literal "instant replay." That appears only on film. "When as a child I laughed and wept, time crept. When as a youth I dreamed and talked, time walked. When I became a full grown man, time ran. When older still I daily grew, time flew. Soon I shall find in traveling on, time gone." The pioneer missionary, Robert Moffatt, said, "We shall have all eternity in which to celebrate our victories, but only one short hour before the sunset in which to win them." Jesus said "I must work the works of Him Who sent me, while it is day: the night comes, when no man can work." (Jn 9:4) It's not how long we live that counts, but how we live, so "Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might" (Ec 9:10a). "We cannot afford to be idle; neither do we desire it. The call is, REDEEM THE TIME. Be always doing something that will last; be always stretching forward to the prize (Php 3:13-14+). It will soon be ours, for the Lord is at hand. It is a prize worth all our labour and sorrow here. The very thought of it is enough to put to flight all murmuring, or selfishness, or sloth. To labour here is as blessed as it is to rest hereafter. Work on, work on, till the day of recompense arrives." "The time is short! If thou wouldst work for God, it must be now; If thou wouldst win the garland for thy brow, Redeem the time. With His reward He comes; He tarries not; His day is near; When men least look for Him will He be here; Prepare for Him!" (H. Bonar) Paul exhorts believers "while we have OPPORTUNITY (kairos), let us do good to all men, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith." (Gal 6:10+) If one misses the "seasonable opportunity", he will miss the eternal harvest associated with that spiritual opportunity. Yesterday is past and cannot be changed, and tomorrow may not come, so make the most of the opportunities God gives you today. May God's Spirit enable us to seize the day, while we may! And so again Paul commands us "Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of (redeeming, buying up) the OPPORTUNITY (kairos). Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned, as it were, with salt, so that you may know how you should respond to each person." (Col 4:5-6+) Harry Ironside exhorts us "to be as alert for witnessing to the lost as bargain hunters are to purchase goods to advantage. Yet how often we neglect to use the circumstances which are put in our way, where we may say a word for our Lord and endeavor to point the lost to Him. Our intentions are good, but we become so occupied with other matters, many of them trifling in the extreme, and before we realize it the person to whom we should have spoken is beyond our reach." " We are to be alive to every opportunity to witness in the chance encounter, the unexpected turn in conversation, the opening that comes in the expression of a need or the asking of a question, the signal given by what may appear casual but reflects something deeper, the unplanned incident that brings the “outsider” into our life in a way that mind and heart can meet. We are to seize the critical moment when it comes… There are intersections upon which we sometimes come abruptly. We have to choose, and destiny is in the choice. There are flashes of insight that break in upon us, guidance, intuition, discernment, which, if we do not receive, record, and act upon, we lose." Our few days here on earth are so short and precious, in relation to eternity, that we ought never to waste time on selfish trivia, but to use it only on that "which is good, to the use of edifying" (Eph 4:29+). (Dunnam) Adoniram Judson a famous missionary to Burma wrote that "A life once spent is irrevocable. It will remain to be contemplated through eternity… the same may be said of each day. When it is once past, it is gone forever. All the marks which we put upon it, it will exhibit forever… each day will not only be a witness of our conduct, but will affect our everlasting destiny… How shall we then wish to see each day marked with usefulness! It is too late to mend the days that are past. The future is in our power. Let us, then, each morning, (enabled by God's Spirit) resolve to send the day into eternity in such a garb as we shall wish it to wear forever. And at night let us reflect that one more day is irrevocably gone, indelibly (forever) marked." David Brainerd whose candle burned so brightly that God brought him home at the relatively young age of 29 wrote in his diary "Oh, how precious is time; and how guilty it makes me feel when I think I have trifled away and misemployed it or neglected to fill up each part of it with duty to the utmost of my ability and capacity. Oh, that I might not loiter on my heavenly journey!" It's too late to redeem the time that is past, but not the time that is passing! Some novel ways to redeem the time - Ask your waiter if there is anything you can pray for him (her) when you pray over you meal. You will be surprised at the variety of responses, some of which open a door for the Gospel! When you get one of those irritating calls asking for money, turn it into an opportunity to ask your caller if they know Jesus as Savior. As an aside it is interesting how the number of calls decreases! Pray daily for an unreached people group (see Why you should redeem the time to interceded for unreached peoples) Let us not just "mark time," but use time to make our mark! Yes, time flies, but remember that you (with the aid of the Spirit) are the "navigator!" Adrian Rogers offers some other practical thoughts on redeeming the time:(1) Learn to live in the eternal now. Today is the only day you have. Redeem the time. (2) Stop saying, "If I had time." You do have time. (3) Stop worrying about tomorrow, and stop waiting for tomorrow. Give God today, and He will take care of tomorrow. (4) Cut yourself loose from the past. Bury your failure in the grave of God's forgetfulness (read Mic 7:18-19, Isaiah 43:25, 44:22), and let Him give you a brand new day. (5) If you have not accepted Christ, now is the time "for He says, “AT THE ACCEPTABLE TIME (kairos = the opportune time!) I LISTENED TO YOU, AND ON THE DAY OF SALVATION I HELPED YOU”; behold, now is “THE ACCEPTABLE TIME (kairos),” behold, now is “THE DAY OF SALVATION” (2Cor 6:2) Let us pray like the old Puritan Turn my heart from vanity, from dissatisfactions, from uncertainties of the present state, to an eternal interest in Christ. Let me remember that life is short and unforeseen, and is only an opportunity for usefulness; GIVE ME A HOLY AVARICE TO REDEEM THE TIME, to awake at every call to charity (love) and piety (godliness), so that I may feed the hungry, clothe the naked, instruct the ignorant, reclaim the vicious, forgive the offender, diffuse the Gospel, show neighborly love to all. Let me live a life of self-distrust, dependence on Thyself (Thy Spirit), mortification, crucifixion, prayer." (Borrow Valley of Vision) Dear reader, may God by His Spirit cause each of us to so order our steps that when that great day comes we might hear those glorious words "Well done, good and faithful servant, you were faithful in a few things, I will put your in charge of many things, enter into the joy of your Master." (Mt 25:21) "So teach us to number our days, that we may present to Thee a heart of wisdom." (Ps 90:12) Now take a moment, as you ponder the few moments of your life which remain and the poignant words of Robin Mark's song… When It's All Been Said and Done There is just one thing that matters. Did I do my best to live for Truth? Did I live my life for You? When It's All Been Said and Done All my treasures will mean nothing. Only what I've done for love's reward, Will stand the test of time. Play "When It's All Been Said and Done" C. T. Studd amply illustrated the importance of making your one life count for the Lord when he penned these powerful words. Two little lines I heard one day, Traveling along life’s busy way; Bringing conviction to my heart, And from my mind would not depart; Only one life, ’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last. Only one life, yes only one, Soon will its fleeting hours be done; Then, in ‘that day’ my Lord to meet, And stand before His Judgement seat; Only one life,’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last. Only one life, the still small voice, Gently pleads for a better choice Bidding me selfish aims to leave, And to God’s holy will to cleave; Only one life, ’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last. Only one life, a few brief years, Each with its burdens, hopes, and fears; Each with its days I must fulfill, living for self or in His will; Only one life, ’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last. When this bright world would tempt me sore, When Satan would a victory score; When self would seek to have its way, Then help me Lord with joy to say; Only one life, ’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last. Give me Father, a purpose deep, In joy or sorrow Thy word to keep; Faithful and true what e’er the strife, Pleasing Thee in my daily life; Only one life, ’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last. Oh let my love with fervor burn, And from the world now let me turn; Living for Thee, and Thee alone, Bringing Thee pleasure on Thy throne; Only one life, “twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last. Only one life, yes only one, Now let me say,“Thy will be done”; And when at last I’ll hear the call, I know I’ll say “twas worth it all”; Only one life,’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.” Only one life, ’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last. And when I am dying, how happy I’ll be, If the lamp of my life has been burned out for Thee.” A farmer's clock ran amuck one morning and struck seventeen. The man of the house jumped up and ran all over the place, saying, "Get up, it's later than it ever has been before!" It is later than it ever has been by God's eternal timepiece. It is later than you think. Larry Moyer - Decide now what you want written on your tombstone, then live your life backward from there. Life is short and ought to be taken seriously. Decide now how you’d like to be remembered, then live your life accordingly. Do you want your tombstone to read, “He was the head of his corporation,” or, “She was the best in her field”? Or would you rather it reflect an important contribution you’ve made to life?… If, at the end of your life, you want to say “I did,” instead of “I wish,” alter your course today. (31 days to contagious living: a daily devotional guide on modeling Christ to others) ILLUSTRATION: Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel awoke one morning and read his own obituary in the local newspaper. It read, “Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, who died yesterday, devised a way for more people to be killed in a war than ever before, and he died a very rich man.” It was Alfred’s older brother who had died; a newspaper reporter had bungled the epitaph. But that account had a tremendous impact on Nobel, who decided he wanted to be remembered for something different. As a result, he initiated the Nobel Prize to reward individuals who foster peace. He said, “Every man ought to have the chance to correct his epitaph in midstream and write a new one.” When one door closes, another one opens, but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one that has opened for us.—Alexander Graham Bell TICK, TICK, TICK - Do you have a clock or watch available with a secondhand on it? Stop and follow that hand as it ticks away 1 minute. Those seconds, of course, are the way we measure time, and time is the very essence of our lives. By the time you reach the age of 75, the clocks and watches of this world will have ticked away a total of nearly 2.5 billion seconds. Bernard Berenson, an internationally famous art critic, had a zest for life. Even when he was in ill health, he cherished every moment. Shortly before he died at age 94, he said to a friend, “I would willingly stand at street corners, hat in hand, asking passersby to drop their unused minutes into it.” Oh, that we would learn to appreciate the value of time! We certainly don’t want to be so time-conscious that we become driven workaholics, neglecting our families, never relaxing with our friends, too busy to smell the roses or admire a sunset. Yet Paul urged us to redeem the time (Ephesians 5:15-16), and Moses prayed, “Teach us to number our days (NOT OUR YEARS), that we may gain a heart of wisdom” (Psalm 90:12). Let’s ask the Lord to help us appreciate the value of time. May we wisely invest our seconds, minutes, hours, and days, realizing that beyond time lies eternity.
Tiago 4:4
Wuest: O, adulteresses, do you not know that your friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore would desire after mature consideration to be a friend of the world is constituted an enemy of God. (Erdmans) Weymouth: You unfaithful women, do you not know that friendship with the world means enmity to God? Therefore whoever is bent on being friendly with the world makes himself an enemy to God. Young's Literal: Adulterers and adulteresses! have ye not known that friendship of the world is enmity with God? whoever, then, may counsel to be a friend of the world, an enemy of God he is set. You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God?: moichalides, ouk oidate (2PRAI) hoti e philia tou kosmou echthra tou theou estin? (3SPAI): Adulteresses - Ps 50:18; 73:27; Isaiah 57:3; Jeremiah 9:2; Hosea 3:1; Matthew 12:39; 16:4 Friendship - John 7:7; 15:19,23; 17:14; 1John 2:15,16 Enmity - Genesis 3:15; Romans 8:7 James 4 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries SEPARATION FROM THE WORLD A convincing evidence of true piety is the spirit of separation from the world Related Passages: Isaiah 57:3 “But come here, you sons of a sorceress, Offspring of an adulterer and a prostitute. Jeremiah 9:2 Oh that I had in the desert A wayfarers’ lodging place; That I might leave my people And go from them! For all of them are adulterers, An assembly of treacherous men. Hosea 3:1 Then the LORD said to me, “Go again, love a woman who is loved by her husband, yet an adulteress, even as the LORD loves the sons of Israel, though they turn to other gods and love raisin cakes.” Matthew 12:39+ But He answered and said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation craves for a sign; and yet no sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah the prophet; Matthew 16:4+ “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign; and a sign will not be given it, except the sign of Jonah.” And He left them and went away. Matthew 6:24+ “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth. THE CONTEXT Note - See James 4 Commentary for exposition of all verses of chapter 4. Hiebert introduces James 4 observing that "James first describes the reader's turbulent manifestations of worldliness (Jas 4:1-3) and then rebukes their adulterous friendship with the world (Jas 4:4) (James - Highly Recommended Commentary) Michael Andrus entitles Jas 4:4-6 as "Believers are at war with God." (Understanding Conflict) For context below are several translations of James 4:1-3 so that you may have a sense for the worldly attitudes and actions among the readers, behaviors that set the stage for James' scathing rebuke in Jas 4:4... NASB - What is the source of quarrels (Gk =- polemos - English polemic = an aggressive attack on or refutation of the opinions or principles of another) and conflicts (mache [word study] = of physical combat, but on figurative in NT of "word wars") among you? Is not the source your pleasures (Gk = hedone [word study] = in a bad sense, as indulgence and lack of control of natural appetites - sensual pleasure, passion, lust, cp 2Pe 2:13+, English = hedonism = doctrine that pleasure or happiness is the sole or chief good in life) that (present tense = continually) wage war (strateuomai [word study] = see 1Pe 2:11+) in your members? 2 You lust (epithumeo [word study] = strong desire directed toward something, in context in a wicked sense; present tense = continually) and do not have; so you commit murder. And you are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives (NB: Worldliness had even invaded their prayer life!), so that you may spend ("spend freely" cp Lk 15:14 = prodigal son) it on your pleasures. WUEST - From what source do quarrels and conflicts among you come? Do they not come from this source, namely, from your inordinate passions which are struggling with one another in your members? You have a passionate desire and are not realizing its fulfillment; you murder, And you covet and are filled with jealousy, and you are not able to obtain. You engage in conflicts and quarrel, You do not have because you are not praying for something to be given you. You pray for something to be given you and do not receive because you pray with evil intent in order that you may use it in your inordinate passions. (Erdmans) AMPLIFIED - WHAT LEADS to strife (discord and feuds) and how do conflicts (quarrels and fightings) originate among you? Do they not arise from your sensual desires that are ever warring in your bodily members? 2 You are jealous and covet [what others have] and your desires go unfulfilled; [so] you become murderers. [To hate is to murder as far as your hearts are concerned.] You burn with envy and anger and are not able to obtain [the gratification, the contentment, and the happiness that you seek], so you fight and war. You do not have, because you do not ask. 3 [Or] you do ask [God for them] and yet fail to receive, because you ask with wrong purpose and evil, selfish motives. Your intention is [when you get what you desire] to spend it in sensual pleasures. (Amplified Bible - Lockman) PHILLIPS - But about the feuds and struggles that exist among you - where do you suppose they come from? Can't you see that they arise from conflicting passions within yourselves? You crave for something and don't get it, you are jealous and envious of what others have got and you don't possess it yourselves. Consequently in your exasperated frustration you struggle and fight with one another. You don't get what you want because you don't ask God for it. And when you do ask he doesn't give it to you, for you ask in quite the wrong spirit - you only want to satisfy your own desires. SPIRITUAL UNFAITHFULNESS You adulteresses - Note that James drops his customary "my brethren" (Jas 1:2, 16, 19; 2:1, 5, 14; 3:1, 10, 12; 4:11; 5:7, 9, 10, 12, 19) in exchange for "you adulteresses". Do you think he might of piqued his readers' attention? Just a little I would imagine! Of course, in context, James is not referring to literal adultery, but uses this lurid metaphor to describe the spiritual unfaithfulness of his readers as he just outlined in James 4:1, 2, 3. Remember also that his readers were predominantly Jewish (Jas 1:1+) and would have been familiar with God's frequent OT denunciation of Israel for her "spiritual harlotry", in which she repeatedly behaved much like an unfaithful, adulterous wife would to her husband. Spiritual adultery is worshiping false gods, while pretending to worship the true God. These Jews surely would have been familiar with God's repeated accusation of spiritual harlotry of Israel in the Old Testament. (See Israel the Wife of Jehovah and discussion below) Arthur
Tiago 4:4
Wuest - "The Germans have a word for it, zeitgeist, “the spirit of the age.” “World” is in the head (i.e., Satan is the head - 1Jn 5:19, Lk 4:6, Jn 12:31, 14:30, 16:11, 2Co 4:4, Ep 2:2+), his demons are his emissaries, and all the unsaved kosmos, which here (Eph 2:1,2+) refers to the system of evil of which Satan are his slaves, together with the purposes, pursuits, pleasures, and places where God is not wanted. To distinguish the words, one could say that kosmos gives the over-all picture of mankind alienated from God during all history, and aion represents any distinct age or period of human history as marked out from another by particular characteristics. But not only does the sinner order his behavior as dominated by the spirit of the age in which he lives, which spirit is just part of that kosmos human-history-long alienation of the human race from God. He is dominated or controlled by the “prince of the power of the air.” (Wuest, K. S. Wuest's Word Studies from the Greek New Testament: Eerdmans) Thomas Watson - He that is in love with the world will be out of love with the cross. William MacDonald = The world (kosmos in Jas 4:4) does not mean the planet on which we live, or the world of nature about us. It is the system which man has built up for himself in an effort to satisfy the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life. In this system there is no room for God or His Son. It may be the world of art, culture, education, science, or even religion. But it is a sphere in which the name of Christ is unwelcome or even forbidden, except, of course, as an empty formality. It is, in short, the world of mankind outside the sphere of the true church. To be a friend of this system is to be an enemy of God. It was this world that crucified the Lord of life and glory. In fact, it was the religious world that played the key role in putting Him to death. How unthinkable it is that believers should ever want to walk arm-in-arm with the world that murdered their Savior! (MacDonald, W & Farstad, A. Believer's Bible Commentary: Thomas Nelson) John MacArthur = On kosmos as used in Jas 4:4 is not as a reference "to the physical earth or universe but rather to the spiritual reality of the man-centered, Satan-directed system of this present age (Gal 1:4), which is hostile to God and God’s people. It refers to the self-centered, godless value system and mores of fallen mankind. The goal of the world is self-glory, self-fulfillment, self-indulgence, self-satisfaction, and every other form of self-serving, all of which amounts to hostility toward God." (Ed: Take the "h" off of "flesh" and spell it backwards. What do you get?) (Macarthur J. James. Moody) (Bolding added) The world provides no cheerleaders on the pathway to godliness. Kevin De Young - The world stands for everything that opposes the will of God. In its simplest form, this means “the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions” (1 John 2:16+). Or to put it another way, worldliness is whatever makes sin look normal and righteousness look strange….Worldliness is a serious problem. The Bible says that “if anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him” (1 John 2:15+). Christians used to talk about worldliness and fear its creeping influence. Today, however, if you talk about dressing in a worldly way or spending your money in a worldly way or seeking worldly entertainment you’re bound to hear barely muffled laughter. Worldliness is what our grandparents were uptight about. We have a planet to save and no time to concern ourselves with such trivialities. We simply don’t believe that friendship with the world is enmity with God (James 4:4)….Saving yourself for marriage, staying sober on Friday night, turning down a promotion to stay at your church, refusing to say the f-word, turning off the television – these are the kinds of things the world doesn’t understand. Don’t expect them to. The world provides no cheerleaders on the pathway to godliness. (See context in The Hole In Our Holiness: Filling the Gap between Gospel Passion and the Pursuit of Godliness) Steven
Tiago 4:4
Wuest: (Desiring is) boulomai which speaks of a desire that is based upon the reasoning faculties as over against thelo a desire that arises from the emotions. God, facing human infirmities, was minded to do thus and so. (Wuest, K. S. Wuest's Word Studies from the Greek New Testament: Eerdmans) James 1:18 In the exercise of His will He brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we might be, as it were, the first fruits among His creatures. James 3:4 Behold, the ships also, though they are so great and are driven by strong winds, are still directed by a very small rudder, wherever the inclination of the pilot desires. James 4:4 You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing (boulomai - present tense = continually He does not wish) for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. Comment: Compare Paul's use of thelo in a similar context - "(God our Savior") Who desires (thelo - present tense = continually this is God's desire!) all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. (1 Ti 2:4). It follows that in some uses it is somewhat difficult to discern a clear distinction in meaning between thelo and boulomai. And not surprisingly Wuest offers this analysis of 2Peter 3:9... The word “willing” (2Pe 3:9) is boulomai . The synonyms thelō and boulomai mean “to wish, desire.” Thayer says: “Many agree with Prof. Grimm that thelō gives prominence to the emotional element, boulomai, to the rational and volitional; that thelō signifies the choice, while boulomai marks the choice as deliberate and intelligent; yet they acknowledge that the words are sometimes used indiscriminately, and especially that thelō as the less sharply defined term is put where boulomai would be proper.” Trench, in his Synonyms of the New Testament says regarding synonyms: “All that we certainly affirm is that, granting this, (namely, that there may be one hundred passages where it would be quite as possible to use the one as the other), there is a hundred and first, where one would be appropriate and the other not, or where, at all events, one would be more appropriate than the other.” It would seem that boulomai is used here advisedly by Peter. It is not God’s considered will that any should perish. There is the sovereignty of God and the free will of man. God will not violate man’s will. While it is His considered will that no one should be lost, yet in making man in His image He necessarily had to make him a free moral agent, with a will which is able to say “yes” and “no” to Him. While God is always willing to save man, man is not always willing to be saved. (Ibid) 2 John 1:12 Having many things to write to you, I do not want to do so with paper and ink; but I hope to come to you and speak face to face, that your joy may be made full. Comment: Wuest: Want is boulomai “a desire which comes from one’s reason.” John had considered the matter carefully and had come to the conclusion that it would be wiser to wait until he saw this Lady again to talk things over with her rather than include them in this letter. Smith has a most helpful note in this connection: “Why would he not write all that was in his mind? It was a deliberate decision ere he took pen in hand: This is the force of ‘I would not.’ His heart was full, and writing was a poor medium of communication.… he was an old man, and writing was fatiguing to him (Plummer). The reason is deeper. The ‘many things’ which he had in mind, were hard things like his warning against intercourse with heretics, and he would not write at a distance but would wait till he was on the spot and had personal knowledge. (Ibid) 3 John 1:10 For this reason, if I come, I will call attention to his deeds which he does, unjustly accusing us with wicked words; and not satisfied with this, neither does he himself receive the brethren, and he forbids those who desire to do so, and puts them out of the church. Jude 1:5 Now I desire to remind you, though you know all things once for all, that the Lord, after saving a people out of the land of Egypt, subsequently destroyed those who did not believe. Boulomai - 74x in the non-apocryphal Septuagint - Gen 24:5; Ex 4:23; 8:2, 21; 9:2; 10:3, 7, 27; 16:28; 22:17; 36:2; Lev 26:21; Deut 25:7f; Ru 3:13; 1 Sam 2:25; 15:9; 18:25; 20:3; 22:17; 28:23; 31:4; 2 Sam 2:23; 6:10; 20:11; 24:3; 1Ki 13:33; 16:28; 21:6; 1Chr 10:4; 11:19; 2Chr 21:7; 25:16; Ezra 10:3; Esther 3:11, 13; 8:11; Job 9:3; 13:3; 21:14; 30:14; 34:14; 35:13; 36:12; 37:10; 39:9; Ps 36:3; 40:8; 70:2; Pr 1:10; 12:20; 18:1; 21:7; Isa 1:11, 29; 8:6; 30:9, 15; 36:16; 42:21, 24; 53:10; 65:12; 66:4; Jer 6:10; 13:10; 25:28; 42:22; Ezek 3:7; 33:11; Dan 4:31; 5:19; 11:3; Jonah 1:14 To be (1511) (eimi) is in the present tense indicating continuous action and it "matches" the verb "makes" (kathistemi which is also in the present tense). In other words continually seeking to be a friend of the world continually assigns one to the position of God's enemy! Friend (5384) (philos) means loved (loved one), dear, befriended, friendly, kind. Philos can mean kindly disposed or devoted (Acts 19:31). Philos describes one having special interest in someone else. One who is on intimate terms or in close association with someone else Philos can describe a love which is emotional and conditional. Philos refers to one who has a liking for, is fond of something or someone. There is an interesting derivative of philos used by Paul describing the last days as those in which men will be "lovers of pleasure (philedonos from philos + hedone = pleasure) rather than lovers of God." (2Ti 3:4+) Aristotle defined a "friend" as "one soul inhabiting two." (cp use in Lxx of Dt 13:7) Ropes writes that "To be friend of the world is to be on good terms with the persons and forces and things that are at least indifferent toward God, if not openly hostile to him. (Ropes, J. H. A Critical and Exegetical commentary on the Epistle of St. James. 1916) Gilbrant in the Complete Biblical Library Although primarily an adjective with the meaning of “beloved, friendly,” or “dear,” philos came to be used as a noun meaning “friend.” Neither Greek nor Hebrew tradition requires a distinction between a relative and a friend; a philos may also be a relative. Philos bears this sense in classical Greek as early as the writings of Homer (Eighth Century B.C.). The word denotes a friendly relationship, a helping and caring attitude between persons whether related by blood or not. It can further denote several aspects of close relations. Philos can mean “lover” in an erotic sense; it can also refer to “followers” of a politician or “clients” of a wealthy man. Thus it can express both equal and unequal relationships (Stählin, “philos,” Kittel, 9:147). Many Greek and Roman authors wrote on the subject of friendship, particularly Cicero. Aristotle, for instance, gives four qualities of friendship: friends are a single soul; they share all things; they are equal; and friendship begins in the home (Nicomachean Ethics 1168b. 6–8). Greeks believed that a man could have only a few real friends and that a pair of friends was the true ideal. The supreme duty of a friend was to sacrifice himself for his friend, and examples of sacrifice are highly extolled in Greek literature (Stählin, “philos,” Kittel, 9:151–152). Cicero gave several qualities of a friend. First, friendship could only exist between good men, men who lived pure lives, free from greed, lust, and violence. Friends had complete agreement on all subjects and good will toward one another. Friendship was based on love. Friends would not ask one another to do what was wrong and only did good to one another. Permanence and stability in friendship were the product of mutual loyalty. The golden rule for a friend was to put himself on the same level as his friend (De Amicitia 5, 6, 8, 12, 13,18, 19). Other Greek literature uses philos in its normal meaning of “friend.” Moulton-Milligan reports its frequent use in letters of commendation and even in legal documents. The Septuagint employs philos approximately 180 times. In about 40 texts philos renders the Hebrew rēa‛ “friend” or “fellow,” but in the majority of cases it does not translate a specific Hebrew word. In the Septuagint philos conveys several shades of meaning: a close friend (Deuteronomy 13:6); a closest friend (1 Chronicles 27:33); a friend of the house (Proverbs 27:10); a political supporter of someone in authority (Esther 6:13); and even a best man (1 Maccabees 9:39). Philos often appears either in combination with or parallel to other terms (Stählin, “philos,” Kittel, 9:154). The Jewish world also knew and understood the concept of deep friendship. The classic example is that of David and Jonathan. Scripture notes that Jonathan loved David as he loved himself (1 Samuel 20:17). David, in his lament for Saul and Jonathan declared, “Your (Jonathan’s) love for me was wonderful, more wonderful than that of women” (2 Samuel 1:26, NIV). Curiously, philos is not used to describe this relationship (nor rēa‛). According to Stählin, there was no technical term for this kind of friendship in Hebrew; substitute phrases were needed (ibid., 9:156). The New Testament employs philos about 30 times, often to indicate “a friend to whom one is under a basic obligation” (Günther, “Love,” Colin Brown, 2:549). Although friends and relatives are sometimes differentiated (Luke 21:16; Acts 10:24), this need not be the case (John 15:13–15). Scripture notes several interesting examples of friendship: John the Baptist is best man to Jesus (John 3:29); Jesus is a “friend” to sinners (Matthew 11:19; Luke 7:34); Abraham is “the friend of God” (James 2:23); and believers cannot be friends both of the world and God (James 4:4). In Luke 14:12 Jesus exhorted his hearers not to invite their friends, etc., to a meal, but rather to invite those unable to repay. In the ancient world a man invited individuals to his home in order to obligate them to himself. In this way when he desired a favor, he could demand a response, for ancient social custom obligated a man to return favors. Thus, many invited only those who could repay them or who could in the future provide them with favors. To invite the poor, etc., was unthinkable, since they could not repay. Jesus exhorted his disciples to create a new custom, not based on selfish reciprocity but on selfless giving without seeking return favors. In the New Testament the supreme example of a friend was Jesus. His example of love crosses all cultural boundaries. To the Jews he represented one who loved His disciples as He loved himself; to the Greeks and Romans He was the one who laid down His life for His friends. In John 15:15 Jesus declared that His followers were His friends not merely His servants (doulos [1395]). The believer is more than a servant of God, i.e., one who ignorantly obeys orders under fear of punishment; rather, he is a friend—one who knows the Lord’s will and follows Him out of love and desire. NIDNTT writes that...philos is also in the NT a friend to whom one is under a basic obligation (cf. Lk. 7:6; 11:5 f.; 14:10, 12; 15:6, 9, 29; 23:12; Jn. 11:11; Acts 10:24; 19:31; 27:3). Relatives (syngeneis) and friends are often mentioned alongside each other. But neither in Gk. nor in Jewish tradition can any firm distinction be upheld; and when philoi, friends, are sometimes mentioned, relatives are clearly often to be included. philos is also used, as in Lk. 16:9, for people linked by some inclination or relationship; Jesus here advises people to win friends for themselves by giving away their worldly wealth (— Possessions, art. mamonas). The same point is made when Pilate is threatened in Jn. 19:12 with losing his honorary title of ‘“‘friend of Caesar”’ (philos tou kaisaros; Lat. amicus Caesaris). By way of contrast, philos can be used to express God’s love for the godless. In Matt. 11:19 and Lk. 7:34 Jesus is called the ‘friend of sinners and tax-collectors.’’ He loves them, though they are enemies, just as God loves the world which hates him. That is also what is meant when Jesus addressed his disciples as “friends” (Lk. 12:4; Jn. 15:14 f.). They come to him as sinners, and become his friends through his sacrificial love. (Jn. 15:13). So now, instead of the love and friendship they enjoyed while belonging to the world (Jas. 4:4), they belong to the new fellowship of the kingdom of God, or the family of: God, in which they are brothers and friends of Jesus and children of the Father (Lk. 21:16; cf. also Jas. 2:23, where — Abraham because of his faith is called a philos theou). Brothers and sisters in faith can therefore be greeted as philoi (3 Jn. 15). For Jn. 3:29 philos tou nymphiou, “‘friend of the bridegroom’’, — Marriage, art. nymphé. (SEE ONLINE DISCUSSION IN New International Dictionary of NT Theology, PAGE 549) Jesus gives some of the most complete teaching on the Biblical meaning of philos in John 15, noting first that the greatest manifestation of a friend was to give up one's life for his friend. To be a friend of Jesus is not just a matter of saying but of obeying. Those who have believed in Jesus are now called His friends. Walter Clippinger writes that in Jn 15:13, 14, 15 "Jesus and His disciples illustrate the growth of friendship from that of teacher and disciple, lord and servant, to that of friend and friend" (The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia) My Savior, My Almighty Friend My Savior and Almighty Friend When I begin to praise It seems Thy mercies have no end! I'm overwhelmed by grace. -- Isaac Watts THOUGHT - In light of the infinite grace of such a dear Friend, why are we so prone to wander and seek the leeks and garlic of this fallen world? As noted earlier friend or philos is a covenant term with a much deeper import in Scripture than in our modern culture - See Covenant The Oneness of Covenant - The Meaning of Friend or click here for additional notes on friend). A friend is one who comes in when the world goes out. A real friend warms you up by his presence, trusts you with his secrets, and remembers you in his prayers. Friendship doubles our joy and divides our grief. There are not many things in life so beautiful as true friendship, and there are not many things more uncommon. He whose hand is clasped in friendship cannot throw mud. A faithful friend is an image of God. A faithful friend is one of life’s greatest assets. A friend is one who knows you as you are, understands where you’ve been, accepts who you’ve become and still, gently invites you to grow. A friend will joyfully sing with you when you are on the mountaintop, and silently walk beside you through the valley. A friend is one who makes me do my best. - Oswald Chambers The dearest friend on earth is a mere shadow compared with Jesus Christ. - Oswald Chambers Friendship is one of the sweetest joys of life; many spirits might have failed beneath the bitterness of trial if they had not found a friend. - C H Spurgeon Keep a fair-sized cemetery in your back yard, in which to bury the faults of your friends. - Henry Ward Beecher A friend is: a push when you’ve stopped a word when you’re lonely a guide when you’re searching a smile when you’re sad a song when you’re glad. Philos - 29x in 27verses - Matthew 11:19 "The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Behold, a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax-gatherers and sinners!' Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds." Friend of Sinners, Lord of Glory Lowly, mighty, Brother, King! Musing o’er Thy wondrous story, Grateful we Thy praises sing: Friend to help us, cheer us, save us, In Whom pow’r and pity blend— Praise we must the grace which gave us Jesus Christ, the sinners’ Friend. Luke 7:6 Now Jesus started on His way with them; and when He was already not far from the house, the centurion sent friends, saying to Him, "Lord, do not trouble Yourself further, for I am not worthy for You to come under my roof; Luke 7:34 "The Son of Man has come eating and drinking; and you say, 'Behold, a gluttonous man, and a drunkard, a friend of tax-gatherers and sinners!' Luke 11:5And He said to them, "Suppose one of you shall have a friend, and shall go to him at midnight, and say to him, 'Friend, lend me three loaves; Luke 11:6 for a friend of mine has come to me from a journey, and I have nothing to set before him'; Luke 11:8 "I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will get up and give him as much as he needs. Luke 12:4"And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. Luke 14:10 "But when you are invited, go and recline at the last place, so that when the one who has invited you comes, he may say to you, 'Friend, move up higher'; then you will have honor in the sight of all who are at the table with you. Luke 14:12 And He also went on to say to the one who had invited Him, "When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return, and repayment come to you. Luke 15:6 "And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!' Luke 15:9 "And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin which I had lost!' Luke 15:29 "But he answered and said to his father, 'Look! For so many years I have been serving you, and I have never neglected a command of yours; and yet you have never given me a kid, that I might be merry with my friends; Luke 16:9 "And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by means of the mammon of unrighteousness; that when it fails, they may receive you into the eternal dwellings. Luke 21:16 "But you will be delivered up even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death, Luke 23:12 Now Herod and Pilate became friends with one another that very day; for before they had been at enmity with each other. John 3:29 "He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice. And so this joy of mine has been made full. John 11:11 This He said, and after that He said to them, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I go, that I may awaken him out of sleep." John 15:13 "Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. 14 "You are My friends, if you do what I command you. 15 "No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you. Christ a Redeemer and Friend Poor, weak and worthless though I am I have a rich almighty Friend; Jesus, the Savior, is His Name; He freely loves, and without end. John 19:12 As a result of this Pilate made efforts to release Him, but the Jews cried out, saying, "If you release this Man, you are no friend of Caesar; everyone who makes himself out to be a king opposes Caesar." Acts 10:24 And on the following day he entered Caesarea. Now Cornelius was waiting for them, and had called together his relatives and close friends. Acts 19:31 And also some of the Asiarchs who were friends of his sent to him and repeatedly urged him not to venture into the theater. Acts 27:3 And the next day we put in at Sidon; and Julius treated Paul with consideration and allowed him to go to his friends and receive care. James 2:23 and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness," and he was called the friend of God. James 4:4 You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 3 John 1:14 but I hope to see you shortly, and we shall speak face to face. Peace be to you. The friends greet you. Greet the friends by name. Philos - 68 verses in the non-apocryphal Septuagint - Ex 33:11; Deut 13:6; Jdg 14:20; 15:2, 6; 1Chr 27:33; Esther 1:3, 13; 2:18; 3:1; 5:10, 14; 6:9, 13; 8:12; 9:22; Job 2:11; 6:27; 19:13, 21; 32:1, 3; 35:4; 36:33; 42:7, 10, 17; Ps 38:11; 88:18; 139:17; Pr 3:29; 6:1, 3; 12:26; 14:20; 15:28; 16:28f; 17:9, 17f; 18:1; 19:4; 22:24; 25:1, 8, 10, 17f; 26:19; 27:6, 10, 14; 29:5; Jer 9:4f; 20:4, 6, 10; 30:14; Dan 2:13, 17f; 3:24, 27; 5:23; 6:13; Mic 7:5; Ex 33:11 Thus the LORD used to speak to Moses face to face, just as a man speaks to his friend (Lxx = philos). When Moses returned to the camp, his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart from the tent. As Dwight L Moody rightly put it "If I walk with the world, I can't walk with God." C H
Tiago 4:4
Wuest summarizes the meanings writing that... kosmos is used to refer to the world system, wicked and alienated from God yet cultured, educated, powerful, outwardly moral at times, the system of which Satan is the head, the fallen angels and the demons are his servants, and all mankind other than the saved, are his subjects. This includes those people, pursuits, pleasures, purposes, and places where God is not wanted (Mt. 4:8; Jn 12:31; 1Jn 2:15, 1Jn 2:16, being examples). It refers also to the human race, fallen, totally depraved (Jn 3:16). It may have reference to the created universe (Jn 1:10 first and second mention). It may also refer simply to mankind without any particular reference to man’s fallen and wicked condition (Gal. 4:3; Jas 2:5). Kosmos is translated in every place by the word “world” except in 1Pe 3:3 where it is rendered “adornment.” In interpreting the passages where kosmos is found, the student should study the context in order to determine which one of the above meanings is to be used in any particular passage. (Ibid) Cremer writes that... Kosmos denotes the sum-total of what God has created (Jn 17:5, 21:25; Acts 17:24; Ro 1:20; 1Cor 4:9). Since the beginning of the world (kosmos) (Mt. 24:21) involves a reference to the fact that the world is the abode of man, or that order of things within which humanity moves, of which man is the center.… This leads us to the more precise definition of the conception,… As kosmos is regarded as that order of things whose center is man, attention is directed chiefly to him, and kosmos denotes mankind within that order of things, humanity as it manifests itself in and through such an order (Mt. 18:7).… The way would thus seem sufficiently prepared for the usage which by kosmos denotes that order of things which is alienated from God, as manifested in and by the human race, in which mankind exists; in other words, humanity as alienated from God, and acting in opposition to Him and to His revelation. Wuest points out that... There are three Greek words in the New Testament translated by this one English word, kosmos, aion, and oikoumene. It should be obvious that if one is to arrive at a full-orbed interpretation of the passages where the word “world” is found, one must know which Greek word is used, and the distinctive meaning of that Greek word. A knowledge of how these words were used in classical Greek, will help us to better understand their use in the New Testament. Aion ...means “a space or period of time,” especially “a lifetime, life.” It is used of one’s time of life, age, the age of man, an age, a generation. It also means “a long space of time, eternity, forever.” Again, it was used of space of time clearly defined and marked out, an era, age, period of a dispensation. Oikoumene the third word, made up of the Greek word for “home” (oikos) and the verb “to remain” (menō), referred in classical Greek to the inhabited world, namely, that portion of the earth inhabited by the Greeks, as opposed to the rest of the inhabited earth where non-Greeks or barbarians lived. Later it was used to designate the entire Roman empire. (Ibid) William Barclay has some interesting thoughts on kosmos James 4:4 - The best commentary on this saying is that of Jesus: “No one can serve two masters” (Mt 6:24). There are two attitudes to the things of this world and the things of time. We may be so dominated by them that the world becomes our master. Or we may so use them as to serve our fellow-men and prepare ourselves for eternity, in which case the world is not our master but our servant. A man may either use the world or be used by it. To use the world as the servant of God and men is to be the friend of God, for that is what God meant the world to be. To use the world as the controller and dictator of life is to be at enmity with God, for that is what God never meant the world to be. ( The Daily Study Bible - see comments on James 4:4) The path of the Word and the path of the world do not run parallel. -Vance Harmer Kosmos - 186x in 151 verses (Observe that over 50% of NT uses are in the gospel of John [78x] and John's epistles [24x]) - Mt 4:8; 5:14; 13:35, 38; 16:26; 18:7; 24:21; 25:34; 26:13; Mk 8:36; 14:9; 16:15; Lk 9:25; 11:50; 12:30; Jn 1:9, 10, 29; 3:16, 17, 19; 4:42; 6:14, 33, 51; 7:4, 7; 8:12, 23, 26; 9:5, 39; 10:36; 11:9, 27; 12:19, 25, 31, 46, 47; 13:1; 14:17, 19, 22, 27, 30, 31; 15:18, 19; 16:8, 11, 20, 21, 28, 33; 17:5, 6, 9, 11, 13, 14, 15, 18, 21, 23, 24, 25; 18:20, 36, 37; 21:25; Acts 17:24; Ro 1:8, 20; 3:6, 19; 4:13; 5:12, 13; 11:12, 15; 1Cor 1:20, 21, 27, 28; 2:12; 3:19, 22; 4:9, 13; 5:10; 6:2; 7:31, 33, 34; 8:4; 11:32; 14:10; 2Cor 1:12; 5:19; 7:10; Gal 4:3; 6:14; Eph 1:4; 2:2, 12; Php 2:15; Col 1:6; 2:8, 20; 1Ti 1:15; 3:16; 6:7; Heb 4:3; 9:26; 10:5; 11:7, 38; Jas 1:27; 2:5; 3:6; 4:4; 1Pe 1:20; 3:3; 5:9; 2Pe 1:4; 2:5, 20; 3:6; 1Jn 2:2, 15, 16, 17; 3:1, 13, 17; 4:1, 3, 4, 5, 9, 14, 17; 5:4, 5, 19; 2Jn 1:7; Rev 11:15; 13:8; 17:8. Translated in NAS as adornment(1), world(184), world's(1). Kosmos - 27x in the non-apocryphal Septuagint (LXX) - Ge 2:1; Ex 33:5, 6; Dt 4:19; 17:3; 2Sa 1:24; Esther 4:17; Pr 17:6; 20:29; 28:17; 29:17; Isa 3:18, 19, 20, 24, 26; 13:10; 24:21; 40:26; 49:18; 61:10; Jer 2:32; 4:30; Ezek 7:20; 16:11; 23:40; Nah 2:9. The world in its figurative sense (as in Jas 4:4) constitutes all of the forces and elements opposed to God. It represents the whole complex of human institutions, values, and traditions that knowingly or unwittingly are arrayed against God. C H Spurgeon's ILLUSTRATIONS of the world - Aesop's fable says:: 'A pigeon oppressed by excessive thirst, saw a goblet of water painted on a sign-board. Not supposing it to be only a picture, she flew towards it with a loud whirr, and unwittingly dashed against the sign-board, and jarred herself terribly. Having broken her wings by the blow, she fell to the ground, and was killed by one of the bystanders.'The mockeries of the world are many, and those who are deluded by them not only miss the joys they looked for, but in their eager pursuit of vanity bring ruin upon their souls. We call the dove silly to be deceived by a picture, however cleverly painted, but what epithet shall we apply to those who are duped by the transparently false allurements of the world! Queen Elizabeth once said to a courtier, 'They pass best over the world who trip over it quickly; for it is but a bog: if we stop, we sink.' In Chili where the ground is subject to frequent shocks of earthquake, the houses are built of lowly height and of unenduring structure; it is of little use to dig deep foundations, and pile up high walls where the very earth is unstable; it would be foolish to build as for ages when the whole edifice may be in ruins in a week. Herein we read a lesson as to our worldly schemes and possessions: this poor fleeting world deserves not that we should build our hopes and joys upon it as though they could last us long. We must treat it as a treacherous soil, and build but lightly on it, and we shall be wise. My friends, do you remember that old Scythian custom, when the head of a house died? How he was dressed in his finest dress, and set in his chariot, and carried about to his friends' houses; and each of them placed him at his table's head, and all feasted in his presence! Suppose it were offered to you, in plain words, as it is offered to you in dire facts, that you should gain this Scythian honour, gradually, while you yet thought yourself alive. Suppose the offer were this: You shall die slowly; your blood shall daily grow cold, your flesh petrify, your heart beat at last only as a rusty group of iron valves. Your life shall fade from you, and sink through the earth into the ice of Caina; but day by day your body shall be dressed more gaily, and set in higher chariots, and have more orders on its breast, crowns on its head, if you will. Men shall bow before it, stare and, shout round it, crowd after it up and down the streets; build palaces for it, feast with it at their tables' heads all the night long; your soul shall stay enough within it to know what they do, and feel the weight of the golden dress on its shoulders, and the furrow of the crown edge of the skull; no more. Would you take the offer, verbally made by the death angel? Would the meanest among us take it, think you? Yet practically and verily we grasp at it, every one of us, in a measure; many of us grasp at it in its fullness of horror. Every man accepts it who desires to advance in life without knowing what life is; who means only that he is to get more horses, and more footmen, and more fortune, and more public honour, and: no more personal soul. He only is advancing in life whose heart is getting softer, whose blood warmer, whose brain quicker, whose spirit is entering into living peace.: John Ruskin. Suppose I were shut up within a round tower, whose massive wall had in some time of trouble been pierced here and there for musketry; suppose, further, that by choice or necessity, I am whirled rapidly and incessantly round its inner circumference, will I appreciate the beauties of the surrounding landscape or recognize the features of the men who labour in the field below? I will not! Why? Are there not openings in the wall which I pass at every circuit? Yes; but the eye, set for objects near, has not time to adjust itself to objects at a distance until it has passed the openings; and so the result is the same as if it were a dead wall all round. Behold the circle of human life! of the earth, earthy it is, almost throughout its whole circumference. A dead wall, very near and very thick, obstructs the view. Here and there, on a Sabbath or other season of seriousness, a slit is left open in its side. Heaven might be seen through these; but, alas!' the eye which is habitually set for the earthly cannot, during such momentary glimpses, adjust itself to higher things. Unless you pause and look steadfastly, you will see neither clouds nor sunshine through these openings, or the distant sky. So long has the soul looked upon the world, and so firmly is the world's picture fixed in its eye, that when it is turned for a moment heavenward, it feels only a quiver of inarticulate light, and retains no distinct impression of the things that are unseen and eternal.: W. Arnof. Luther was told of a nobleman who, above all things, occupied himself with amassing money, and was so buried in darkness that he gave no heed to the word of God, and even said to one who pleaded with him, 'Sir, the gospel pays no interest.' 'Have you no grains?' interposed Luther; and then he told this fable:: 'A lion making a great feast, invited all the beasts, and with them some swine. When all manner of dainties were set before the guests, the swine asked, 'Have you no grains?' Even so,' continued Luther, 'even so it is, in these days, with carnal men; we preachers set before them the most dainty and costly dishes, such as everlasting salvation, the remission of sins, and God's grace; but they, like swine, turn up their snouts, and ask for money. Offer a cow a nutmeg, and she will reject it for old hay.' I think the men of this world like children in a dangerous storm in the sea, that play and make sport with the white foam of the waves thereof coming in to sink and drown them; so are men making fool's sports with the white pleasures of a stormy world that will sink them. But, alas! what have we to do with their sports which they make? If Solomon said of laughter that it was madness, what may we say of this world's laughing and sporting themselves with gold and silver, and honours, and court, and broad large conquests, but that they are poor souls, in the height and rage of a fever gone mad? Then a straw, a fig, for all created sports and rejoicing out of Christ.: Samuel Rutherford. As Thomas Manton once said "It is a hard matter to enjoy the world without being entangled with the cares and pleasures of it." The saintly bishop J C Ryle rightly warned that "The money, the pleasures, the daily business of the world are so many traps to catch souls." Jesus warned His disciples (and all believers of every age) concerning the antipathy and outright antagonism they were destined to experience because they belonged to Him... If you were of the world (kosmos - 5x in this verse), the world would love its own; but because you are (Gk = absolutely) not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world (present tense = continually) hates you. (John 15:19, cp Jn 17:14) Comment: Let's be honest - we don't really like this verse very much. In fact, we all like to be liked, but Jesus clearly teaches that will never happen if we live like His disciples! And so even this desire to be liked (the self-consciousness which comes from our old fallen nature, the flesh), exerts a continual pull and pressure that seeks to force us into the mold of the world's way of thinking (cp Ro 12:2+). We reason that at least then the kosmos won't be so antagonistic toward us. Beloved, let us be honest here - when we do this we are seeking friendship with the world above friendship with God. We are not to hate the world, but are to be like life rafts so to speak in the water (of this world), drawing into the boat (cp the Ark in Genesis 6, a picture of safety from the wrath to come in "the Ark" Christ Jesus, cp 1Th 1:10+) as many drowning men and women as we can. As followers of Christ we are called to live in the world, but not to allow the world live in us! Christians are like "boats" - a boat (Christian) in the water (in the world) is by design, but water in the boat is disaster. In John 17, in His high priestly prayer to His Father the night before He went to the Cross, Jesus prayed about a disciple's relationship to the world (kosmos used 12 times in the following passages, sometimes with a literal meaning and sometimes with a spiritual/figurative meaning)... "I have given them Thy word; and the world (the spiritual anti-God kosmos) has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 15 "I do not ask Thee to take them out of the world (the physical kosmos), but to keep them from the evil one. 16 "They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 17 "Sanctify them in the truth; Thy word is truth. 18 "As Thou didst send Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. 21 that they may all be one; even as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be in Us; that the world may believe that Thou didst send Me. 23 I in them, and Thou in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, that the world may know that Thou didst send Me, and didst love them, even as Thou didst love Me. 24 "Father, I desire that they also, whom Thou hast given Me, be with Me where I am, in order that they may behold My glory, which Thou hast given Me; for Thou didst love Me before the foundation of the world. (the physical kosmos) 25 "O righteous Father, although the world (the spiritual anti-God kosmos) has not known Thee, yet I have known Thee; and these have known that Thou didst send Me; 26 and I have made Thy name known to them, and will make it known; that the love wherewith Thou didst love Me may be in them, and I in them." (Jn 17:14-18, 21, 23-26) QUOTES ON THE EVIL WORLD SYSTEM (Most of the quotes below are from John Blanchard's The Complete Gathered Gold- A Treasury of Quotations - The best Christian quote resource available!) The world counterfeits every Christian grace, but never is able to produce a coin with the right ring. -Donald Grey Barnhouse The world is all appearances, like our clothes: the truth lies underneath. -Thomas Carlyle. The world's smiles are more dangerous than its frowns. -Matthew Henry This world is our passage and not our portion. - Matthew Henry Enemy-occupied territory—that is what the world is. - C. S. Lewis It is a hard matter to enjoy the world without being entangled with the cares and pleasures of it. - Thomas Manton The money, the pleasures, the daily business of the world are so many traps to catch souls. - J. C. Ryle There is no surer evidence of an unconverted state than to have the things of the world uppermost in our aim, love and estimation. - Joseph Alleine If you have a distorted view of the Christian life you have let the world develop the negative. - Anon If you are wise, let the world pass, lest you pass away with the world. - Augustine A man caught up with this world is not ready for the next one. - John Blanchard Jesus did not pray that his Father would take Christians out of the world, but that he would take the world out of Christians. - John Blanchard I looked for the church and I found it in the world; I looked for the world and I found it in the church. - Horatius Bonar The stars which have least circuit are nearest the pole; and men whose earths are least entangled with the world are always nearest to God and to the assurance of his favour. - Thomas Brooks It is infinitely better to have the whole world for our enemies and God for our friend, than to have the whole world for our friends and God for our enemy. - John Brown The mind of a Christian ought not to be filled with thoughts of earthly things, or find satisfaction in them, for we ought to be living as if we might have to leave this world at any moment. - John Calvin (A good reminder!) If you find yourself loving any pleasure better than your prayers, any book better than the Bible, any house better than the house of God, any table better than the Lord's table, any person better than Christ, any indulgence better than the hope of heaven—take alarm! - Thomas Guthrie If you stand on the Word you do not stand in with the world. - Vance Havner When the nightclub invades the sanctuary it ought not to be difficult for any Bible Christian to discern the time of day. - Vance Havner Worldliness is rampant in the church. The devil is not fighting churches, he is joining them! He isn't persecuting Christianity, he is professing it. - Vance Havner Whoever marries the spirit of this age will find himself a widower in the next. - William Ralph Inge To forsake Christ for the world is to leave a treasure for a trifle... eternity for a moment, reality for a shadow. - William Jenkyn Being of the world means being controlled by what preoccupies the world, the quest for pleasure, profit and position...Those who love the world serve and worship themselves every moment: it is their full-time job....Worldliness means yielding to the spirit that animates fallen mankind, the spirit of self-seeking and self-indulgence without regard for God. - J. I. Packer It is dangerous dressing for another world by the looking-glass of this world. - William Secker All earthly things are as salt water, that increases the appetite, but satisfies not. - Richard Sibbes Take care if the world does hate you that it hates you without cause. - C. H. Spurgeon If I find anyone who is settled down too snugly into this world, I am made to doubt whether he's ever truly been born again. - A. W. Tozer ILLUSTRATIONS RELATED TO THE WORLD, WORLDLINESS A scuba diver lives in the water but breathes the air. He is able to function because he takes his environment with him. If he "conforms" to environment around him, he will eventually die! (Modified from source unknown) The world system is committed to at least four major objectives, which I can summarize in four words: fortune, fame, power, pleasure. First and foremost: Fortune, money. The world system is driven by money; it feeds on materialism. Second: Fame. That is another word for popularity. Fame is the longing to be known, to be somebody in someone else's eyes. Third: Power. This is having influence, maintaining control over individuals or groups or companies or whatever. It is the desire to manipulate and maneuver others to do something for one's own benefit. Fourth: Pleasure. At its basic level, pleasure has to do with fulfilling one's sensual desires. It's the same mindset that's behind the slogan: "If it feels good, do it." (Charles Swindoll, Living Above the Level of Mediocrity, p.219) Addressing a national seminar of Southern Baptist leaders, George Gallup said, "We find there is very little difference in ethical behavior between churchgoers and those who are not active religiously...The levels of lying, cheating, and stealing are remarkable similar in both groups. Eight out of ten Americans consider themselves Christians, Gallup said, yet only about half of them could identify the person who gave the Sermon on the Mount, and fewer still could recall five of the Ten Commandments. Only two in ten said they would be willing to suffer for their faith. (Erwin Lutzer, Pastor to Pastor, p. 76) BEWARE OF THE SUBTLE INFLUENCE OF THE WORLD - Some years ago, musicians noted that errand boys in a certain part of London all whistled out of tune as they went about their work. It was talked about and someone suggested that it was because the bells of Westminster were slightly out of tune. Something had gone wrong with the chimes and they were discordant. The boys did not know there was anything wrong with the peals, and quite unconsciously they had copied their pitch. So we tend to copy the people with whom we associate; we borrow thoughts from the books we read and the programs to which we listen, almost without knowing it. God has given us His Word which is the absolute pitch of life and living. If we learn to sing by it, we shall easily detect the false in all of the music of the world. - Donald Grey Barnhouse The world's smiles are more dangerous that its frowns. Addressing a national seminar of Southern Baptist leaders, George Gallup said, "We find there is very little difference in ethical behavior between churchgoers and those who are not active religiously...The levels of lying, cheating, and stealing are remarkable similar in both groups. Eight out of ten Americans consider themselves Christians, Gallup said, yet only about half of them could identify the person who gave the Sermon on the Mount, and fewer still could recall five of the Ten Commandments. Only two in ten said they would be willing to suffer for their faith. - Erwin Lutzer, Pastor to Pastor, p. 76. Worldliness - The Bible defines worldliness by centering morality where we intuitively know it should be. Worldliness is the lust of the flesh (a passion for sensual satisfaction), the lust of the eyes (an inordinate desire for the finer things of life), and the pride of life (self-satisfaction in who we are, what we have, and what we have done). Worldliness, then, is a preoccupation with ease and affluence. It elevates creature comfort to the point of idolatry; large salaries and comfortable life-styles become necessities of life. (Read 1 John 2:15-16+) Worldliness is reading magazines about people who live hedonistic lives and spend too much money on themselves and wanting to be like them. But more importantly, worldliness is simply pride and selfishness in disguises. It's being resentful when someone snubs us or patronizes us or shows off. It means smarting under every slight, challenging every word spoken against us, cringing when another is preferred before us. Worldliness is harboring grudges, nursing grievance, and wallowing in self-pity. These are the ways in which we are most like the world. - Dave Roper, The Strength of a Man, quoted in Family Survival in the American Jungle, Steve Farrar, 1991, Multnomah Press, p. 68. The course of rebellion against God may be very gradual, but it increases in rapidity as you progress in it; and if you begin to run down the hill, the ever-increasing impetus will send you down faster and faster to destruction. You Christians ought to watch against the beginning of worldly conformity. I do believe that the growth of worldliness is like strife, which is as the letting out of water. Once you begin, there is no knowing where you will stop. I sometimes get this question put to me, concerning certain worldly amusements, "May I do so-and-so?" I am very sorry whenever anyone asks me that question, because it shows that there is something wrong, or it would not be raised at all. If a person's conscience lets him say, "Well, I can go to A," he will very soon go on to B, C, D, E, and through all the letters of the alphabet. . .When Satan cannot catch us with a big sin, he will try a little one. It does not matter to him as long as he catches his fish, what bait he uses. Beware of the beginning of evil, for many, who bade fair to go right, have turned aside and perished amongst the dark mountains in the wide field of sin. (C. H. Spurgeon) The world was... 1. Originally created good (Ge. 1:31). 2. Cursed and corrupted through Satan (Gen. 3:1-24). 3. Now enemy occupied territory with Satan as God (2Cor. 4:4, John 12:31, 16:11). 4. Whole world lies in his power (1John 5:19). 5. Permeated by Satanic influence, a defiling (II Peter 1:4, 2:20, James 1:27), deceptive (2Cor 11:14-15, Rev. 12:9), scheme (Eph. 6:11), that is at work around and in us; designed to convince us to conform (Rom. 12:2) to a mindset and lifestyle that are essentially anti-god and pro-self (cf. I Peter 5:8, Eph. 1:1-3, 6:12, 16, Isa. 14:11-14). (From J. Grant Howard, Balancing Life’s Demands, p. 134) D. L. Moody wrote: The church is full of people who want one eye for the world and the other for the kingdom of God. Therefore, everything is blurred; one eye is long and the other is short; all is confusion...When the Spirit of God is on us, the world looks very empty; the world has a very small hold on us, and we begin to let go our hold of it and lay hold of things eternal. This is the church’s need today. Today in the Word, October, 1997, p. 9 The Father opposes the world: 1 John 2:15-17+ The Son opposes the Devil: Luke 4:1-13, 1 John 3:8+ The Holy Spirit opposes the flesh: Gal. 5:16-17+ The world counterfeits every Christian grace, but never is able to produce a coin with the right ring. - Donald Grey Barnhouse Worldly glory is but a breath, a vapour, a froth, a phantom, a shadow, a reflection, an apparition, a very nothing. - Thomas Brooks The created world is but a small parenthesis in eternity. -Thomas Browne What a charming place this world would be if it was not for the inhabitants. - Esther Burr The world is all appearances, like our clothes: the truth lies underneath. - Thomas Carlyle As long as there are spots in the moon it is vain to expect anything spotless under it. -Thomas Fuller The world's smiles are more dangerous than its frowns. -Matthew Henry This world is our passage and not our portion. -Matthew Henry Enemy-occupied territory—that is what the world is. -C. S. Lewis There is no neutral ground in the universe: every square inch, every split second, is claimed by God and counter-claimed by Satan. -C. S. Lewis It is a hard matter to enjoy the world without being entangled with the cares and pleasures of it. - Thomas Manton The world belongs to God and he wants it back. -David Pawson The money, the pleasures, the daily business of the world are so many traps to catch souls. -J. C. Ryle The earth is big in our hopes, but little in our hands. -William Seeker Thorns will not prick of themselves, but when they are grasped in a man's hand they prick deep. So this world and the things thereof are all good, and were all made of God for the benefit of his creatures, did not our immoderate affection make them hurtful. -Richard Sibbes Nothing in the world can be properly understood unless it is understood in terms of God's design and plan. -R. C. Sproul The world would not hate angels for being angelic, but it does hate men for being Christians. It grudges them their new character; it is tormented by their peace; it is infuriated by their joy. -William Temple Without God the world would be a maze without a clue. -Woodrow Wilson There is no surer evidence of an unconverted state than to have the things of the world uppermost in our aim, love and estimation. - Joseph Alleine If we loved the world the way God loves it, we wouldn't love it the way we shouldn't love it. -Anon. If you have a distorted view of the Christian life you have let the world develop the negative. -Anon. The Christian must live in the world, but he must not let the world live in him. -Anon. If you are wise, let the world pass, lest you pass away with the world. -Augustine A man caught up with this world is not ready for the next one. -John Blanchard Jesus did not pray that his Father would take Christians out of the world, but that he would take the world out of Christians. - John Blanchard I looked for the church and I found it in the world; I looked for the world and I found it in the church. - Horatius Bonar It is infinitely better to have the whole world for our enemies and God for our friend, than to have the whole world for our friends and God for our enemy.-John Brown The mind of a Christian ought not to be filled with thoughts of earthly things, or find satisfaction in them, for we ought to be living as if we might have to leave this world at any moment. -John Calvin Nothing is more contrary to a heavenly hope than an earthly heart. -William Gurnall The bee will not sit on a flower where no honey can be sucked, neither should the Christian. -William Gurnall If you find yourself loving any pleasure better than your prayers, any book better than the Bible, any house better than the house of God, any table better than the Lord's table, any person better than Christ, any indulgence better than the hope of heaven—take alarm! -Thomas Guthrie If you stand on the Word you do not stand in with the world. -Vance Havner Many Christians are still in the wilderness, longing for garlic instead of grace, melons instead of manna! - Vance Havner The path of the Word and the path of the world do not run parallel. -Vance Harmer We cannot have a heavenly fellowship if we allow a hindering fellowship. -Vance Havner We must deal with the carnalities if we desire the spiritualities. -Vance Havner When the nightclub invades the sanctuary it ought not to be difficult for any Bible Christian to discern the time of day. - Vance Havner Worldliness is rampant in the church. The devil is not fighting churches, he is joining them! He isn't persecuting Christianity, he is professing it. -Vance Havner Worldlings make gold their god; saints make God their gold (Ed: And their "Goal"!). -Matthew Henry Whoever marries the spirit of this age will find himself a widower in the next. -William Ralph Inge To forsake Christ for the world is to leave a treasure for a trifle... eternity for a moment, reality for a shadow. - William Jenkyn Worldliness is a spirit, a temperament, an attitude of soul. It is life without high callings, life devoid of lofty ideals. It is a gaze horizontal, never vertical. Its motto is 'Forward', never 'Upward'. - John Henry Jowett It is better to trust in the Lord than in men or princes; whereas whoever will live on worldly principles must carry the same strain and care as does the man of the world. - G. H. Lang God lays down one programme of life for his children; the world proposes another and totally incompatible programme for its servants. So love for the one excludes love for the other. - Robert Law The health of our bodies, the passions of our minds, the noise and hurry and pleasures and business of the world, lead us on with eyes that see not and ears that hear not. - William Law The carnal mind sees God in nothing, not even in spiritual things. The spiritual mind sees him in everything, even in natural things. - Robert Leighton The legitimate courtesies of life become positively sinful when they take priority over the interests of the Lord Jesus. - William MacDonald The world is a dirty, defiling thing. A man can hardly walk here but he shall defile his garments. The men of the world are dirty, sooty creatures. We cannot converse with them but they leave their filthiness upon us. -Thomas Manton Depend upon it, as long as the church is living so much like the world, we cannot expect our children to be brought into the fold. - D. L. Moody If I walk with the world, I can't walk with God. - D. L. Moody Conformity to the world can be overcome by nothing but conformity to Jesus. -Andrew Murray The spirit of this world is devotion to the visible. -Andrew Murray There is nothing the Christian life suffers more from than the subtle and indescribable worldliness that comes from the cares or the possessions of this life. - Andrew Murray Being of the world means being controlled by what preoccupies the world, the quest for pleasure, profit and position. - J. I. Packer Those who love the world serve and worship themselves every moment: it is their full-time job. - J. I. Packer Worldliness means yielding to the spirit that animates fallen mankind, the spirit of self-seeking and self-indulgence without regard for God. -J. I. Packer Worldliness and Christianity are two such ends as never meet. -Nehemiah Rogers It is dangerous dressing for another world by the looking-glass of this world. -William Secker It strikes me that some people want only as much of God's salvation as will keep them out of hell, and they measure out with unconscious precision how much worldliness and sin they can still hang on to without jeopardizing their chances. - David Shepherd (Ed: Woe! Do not be deceived. Whatever a man sows he will reap!) He that loves the world is a worldling. - Richard Sibbes All earthly things are as salt water, that increases the appetite, but satisfies not. - Richard Sibbes You might as well talk about a heavenly devil as talk about a worldly Christian. - Billy Sunday (Ed: A pithy saying for sure!) Worldliness is a spirit, an atmosphere, an influence permeating the whole of life and human society, and it needs to be guarded against constantly and strenuously. -W. H. Griffith Thomas If I find anyone who is settled down too snugly into this world, I am made to doubt whether he's ever truly been born again. - A. W. Tozer It is scarcely possible in most places to get anyone to attend a meeting where the only attraction is God. - A. W. Tozer Of all the calamities that have been visited upon the world, the surrender of the human spirit to this present world and its ways is the worst, without any doubt. - A. W. Tozer Pleasure, profit, preferment are the worldling's trinity. -John Trapp If men do not put the love of the world to death, the love of the world will put them to death. -Ralph Venning He that is in love with the world will be out of love with the cross. -Thomas Watson Make no mistake about it, the world with its unbelief is a spiritual ice-house, and too much contact with it will quickly cool the spirit. -Malcolm Watts Identification with the world and its needs is one thing; imitation of the world and its foolishness is quite another. (Most of the quotes are from John Blanchard's excellent resource - Complete Gathered Gold: A Treasury of Quotations for Christians - the best compilation of Christian quotes ever assembled!) John reminds us of what we should already know writing... We know that we are of God, and that the whole (Gk = holos = complete in extent, cp Devil's attempt to tempt Jesus - Lk 4:5, 6 - Jesus did not dispute Satan's claim to world dominion!) world (kosmos) lies (continually = present tense) in the power (words in italics in NAS/KJV/NKJV not in Greek text but added to amplify the meaning) of the evil one (The Diabolos). (1Jn 5:19, cp 2Co 4:4, Ep 2:2+) If you stand on the Word you do not stand in with the world. --Vance Havner The apostle John issued a charge parallel to that of James 4:4... Do not love (present imperative + a negative = command to stop doing something they were doing or the prohibition may simply prohibit a practice without implying that it is actually being done - John calls for undivided allegiance manifest by a singular loyalty and commitment to the Father) the world (kosmos - all 6 uses = God's enemy, the Christ hating world and its seductive influence = It is a danger against which they must constantly be on guard), nor the things in the world (kosmos). If anyone loves (as their habitual practice = present tense) the world (kosmos), the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For (John explains in vivid terms those things that come from the evil world system and attempt to lead astray those who have believed in Jesus Christ) all that is in the world (kosmos), the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world (kosmos). 17 And the world (kosmos) is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does (habitual practice = present tense) the will of God abides forever (1Jn 2:15+, 1Jn 2:16+, 1Jn 2:17+; cp Jesus' frightening words in Mt 7:21+ where "does" = present tense [habitually]; In other words, they claimed they were believers but they loved the world and lived like it and their "works" showed that their "faith" was fake - cp Jas 2:14-26- see notes beginning in verse 14). Augustine comments: If you are wise, let the world pass, lest you pass away with the world. Hiebert comments: John was calling not for monastic separation from the world but for an inner attitude of separation from the sinful world and its practices. As those loyal to God, his readers are to be on guard against a kindly feeling toward the world's evil, and are not to establish intimate relations of loyalty with it...John pointed out that love for God and love for the world are by their very nature antagonistic to each other and cannot coexist in the human heart. Here is another of those opposites John often used (1Jn 1:5, 6; 2:4). If any one loves the world presents a hypothetical case for the readers to consider. The individual is anyone who persistently makes the world the object of his love. The inevitable result is, "the love of the Father is not in him." The expression, "the love of the Father", used only here in the New Testament, is capable of three meanings. "It may refer to love that comes from the Father (ablative of source), it may refer to the Father's love for the person involved (subjective genitive), or it may speak of the person's love for the Father (objective genitive)." As the opposite of love for the world, the last meaning seems clearly intended. The tragic fact is that love for God "is not in him," is not a motivating power in his heart and life... But (1Jn 2:17+) points to a contrasting reality: the one who does the will of God abides forever. This assurance is for "the one who does the will of God" who sets himself to be obedient to God's will rather than pursuing the fleeting lusts of the world. Houlden remarks, "The 'mystical' supernatural gift of God's love had certainly to be received (1Jn 2:15)—but the test of that was no mere spiritual 'feeling'; it was doing God's will, the keeping of his commands, in particular the command to love the brothers (1Jn 2:2f). John, like James, insisted that saving faith must be functional in daily life. It is this resolute obedience, imperfect though it may be, that brings the assurance of God's approval, assurance that the believer "abides forever", literally, "abides into the age," the eternal age of God's kingdom. Born again he is already in the spiritual kingdom, and no essential change in his spiritual life is ahead for him. There may well be a break in the outer continuity of his life between death and resurrection, but his abiding spiritual union with the eternal Christ will remain unchanged. (Hiebert 1John 2:7-17) Ryrie agrees with Hiebert's interpretation of 1Jn 2:17+ - Doing the will of God (the opposite of loving the world) proves the possession of eternal life and of living forever. (The Ryrie Study Bible: New American Standard Translation: 1995. Moody Publishers) John
Tiago 4:4
Wuest: Boulomai, a desire that comes from the reasoning faculties. This desire to be wealthy is not a passing emotional thing, but the result of a process of reasoning. Mature consideration has been given the matter of the acquisition of riches, with the result that that desire has become a settled and planned procedure.
Tiago 4:5
Wuest: Or, do you think that the scripture says in an empty manner and to no purpose, The Spirit who has been caused to make His permanent home in us has a passionate desire to the point of envy THE FOLLOWING TRANSLATIONS RENDER SPIRIT WITH A SMALL "S" ASV: Or think ye that the scripture speaketh in vain? Doth the spirit which he made to dwell in us long unto envying? BBE: Or does it seem to you that it is for nothing that the holy Writings say, The spirit which God put into our hearts has a strong desire for us? ESV: Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”? KJV: Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy? Macent: or do you imagine that passage of scripture to be insignificant, "does the spirit that dwells in you, incite you to vice?" Moffatt: What, do you consider this is an idle word of scripture?—'He yearns jealously for the spirit he set within us.' Montgomery: Or do you suppose that it is in vain that the Scripture says, "The spirit which has its home in us yearns over us unto jealousy?" NAB: Or do you suppose that the scripture speaks without meaning when it says, "The spirit that he has made to dwell in us tends toward jealousy"? NET: Or do you think the scripture means nothing when it says, "The spirit that God caused to live within us has an envious yearning"? NIV: Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the spirit he caused to live in us envies intensely? NJB: Can you not see the point of the saying in scripture, ‘The longing of the spirit he sent to dwell in us is a jealous longing.'? NLT: What do you think the Scriptures mean when they say that the spirit God has placed within us is filled with envy? (Or that God longs jealously for the human spirit he has placed within us? or that the Holy Spirit, whom God has placed within us, opposes our envy?) (NLT - Tyndale House) NRSV: 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"? Young's Literal: Do ye think that emptily the Writing saith, `To envy earnestly desireth the spirit that did dwell in us,' Or do you think that the Scripture speaks to no purpose: e dokeite (2PPAI) hoti kenos e graphe legei, (3SPAI): John 7:42; 10:35; 19:37; Romans 9:17; Galatians 3:8 James 4 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: Isaiah 55:11 So shall My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it. Galatians 3:8 (EXAMPLE OF SCRIPTURE PERSONIFIED) And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “ALL THE NATIONS SHALL BE BLESSED IN YOU.” A DIFFICULT PASSAGE TO TRANSLATE & INTERPRET It should be noted at the outset of the exposition that James 4:5 presents one of the most difficult challenges in the entire New Testament. There is not only a question regarding the most accurate Greek text (see below for discussion of the verb to dwell) but also the question of how the Greek text is most accurately interpreted grammatically. The following discussion will briefly discuss these problematic areas but the interested reader is referred to more academic resources for more detail. After studying multiple resources detailing the difficulties regarding James 4:5, I would suggest that the gracious reader take care not to be too dogmatic in the interpretation of this passage. Or do you think - Parallels the introduction to Jas 4:4 "do you not know". The "or" introduces a question which addresses their attitude toward the authority of Scripture. Scripture speaks but do you think it speaks for no reason or without reason? Is the message which the Scripture speaks purposeless, so that it has no authoritative claim on how we conduct ourselves? While most of us would quickly respond with an emphatic "No, Scripture does not speak to me without purpose", our conduct many times unfortunately answers "Yes"! The Scripture speaks - Scripture is personified. And rightly so for when we read the pages of Scripture, we are reading living and active (energetic) words (Heb 4:12+, cf Isa 55:11), the words of God spoken to us. So when Scripture speaks, God speaks. Are you (am I) listening (like young Samuel)? (1Sa 3:9, 10+) Speaks is in the present tense - Scripture continually speaks. And so we should continually listen, taking care to be doers and not merely hearers only, deluding ourselves. (James 1:22+) While this phrase in the first half of this verse would be expected to introduce a definite OT reference in the second half, there is no obvious passage of Scripture (OT or NT) that contains the words of the assumed quotation. Many explanations have been offered in an attempt to explain this enigma, but none are conclusive. Ideas include (1) James quoted from some unknown apocryphal work (2) The quote is an unrecorded statement of James' half brother Jesus. (3) James quotes from some NT passage. (4) James was paraphrasing an OT passage. (5) James was not quoting a specific single passage, but is summarizing truths found in several OT passages. (6) Finally, some commentators (and Bible translations) do not treat the first half of verse 5 as a "formula" introducing a quotation but as a sentence which stands by itself. Several of the translations emphasize this latter view by dividing verse 5 into two separate sentences… Or think ye that the scripture speaketh in vain? Doth the spirit which he made to dwell in us long unto envying? (ASV) Think ye that the scripture speaks in vain? Does the Spirit which has taken his abode in us desire enviously? (Darby) Do you think what the scriptures have to say about this is a mere formality? Or do you imagine that this spirit of passionate jealousy is the Spirit he has caused to live in us? (Phillips) Or think ye that, in vain, the scripture speaketh? Is it, for envying, that the spirit which hath taken an abode within us doth crave? (Rotherdam) Hiebert favors two separate sentences and comments that "Lenski supports the view that verse 5 consists of two sentences by pointing out that the wording of the first part of the verse never occurs elsewhere as a formula of quotation; he insists, "If a quotation were to follow, we should certainly expect the addition, `saying that.' (James - Highly Recommended)
Tiago 4:6
Wuest: Moreover, He [the Holy Spirit] gives greater grace. For this reason [in conformity with this] He [the Holy Spirit] says, God sets himself in battle array against the arrogant and haughty but gives grace to the humble and lowly. Weymouth: But He gives more abundant grace, as is implied in His saying, “God sets Himself against the haughty, but to the lowly He gives grace.” Young's Literal: and greater grace he doth give, wherefore he saith, 'God against proud ones doth set Himself up, and to lowly ones He doth give grace?' But He gives a greater grace: de didosin (3SPAI) charin: Is 54:7, 8; Mt 13:12 James 4 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries James 4:4-6 Spiritual Adultery & Resolving Conflicts - Steven Cole James 4:6-7 Drawing Near to God, Pt. 1 - John MacArthur First consider the context in James 4… What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members? 2 You lust and do not have; so you commit murder. And you are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures. 4 You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 5 Or do you think that the Scripture (referring to the OT) speaks (the specific OT Scripture is not clear) to no purpose: "He jealously desires the Spirit (Ed: or "spirit" with little s - see below) which He has made to dwell in us"? Here is James 4:4-6 in the Phillips Paraphrase … You are like unfaithful wives, flirting with the glamour of this world, and never realizing that to be the world's lover means becoming the enemy of God! Anyone who deliberately chooses to love the world is thereby making himself God's enemy. Do you think what the scriptures have to say about this is a mere formality? Or do you imagine that this spirit of passionate jealousy is the Spirit he has caused to live in us? No, he gives us grace potent enough to meet this and every other evil spirit, if we are humble enough to receive it. That is why he says: 'God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.' Steven
Tiago 4:6
Wuest explains that grace (charis) as used by the pagan Greeks… referred to a favor done by one Greek to another out of the pure generosity of his heart, and with no hope of reward. When it is used in the New Testament, it refers to that favor which God did at Calvary when He stepped down from His judgment throne to take upon Himself the guilt and penalty of human sin. In the case of the Greek, the favor was done to a friend, never an enemy. In the case of God it was an enemy, the sinner, bitter in his hatred of God, for whom the favor was done. God has no strings tied to the salvation He procured for man at the Cross. Salvation is given the believing sinner out of the pure generosity of God’s heart. The Greek word charis referred to an action that was beyond the ordinary course of what might be expected, and was therefore commendable. What a description of that which took place at the Cross! The grace spoken of here is sanctifying grace that part of salvation given the saint in which God causes him to grow in Christ-likeness through the ministry of the Holy Spirit… (Sanctifying grace is) the enabling grace for daily Christian living which is given to the saint yielded to and dependent upon the Holy Spirit. [Ed note: Grace equates in essence with the Spirit of Christ indwelling me and enabling me to overcome sin. I cannot overcome it… it will overcome me if I try. All attempts to defeat the flesh in my own power will fail]. ( Wuest's Word Studies from the Greek New Testament: Eerdmans) To the humble - To lowly persons, the very ones who realize their need for God's grace. As with the proud, the Greek does not have the definite article ("the") which places emphasis on the trait of humility rather than their actual identity per se. A. W.
Tiago 4:7
Wuest has an interesting comment that the literal meaning of "to throw through" means “to riddle one with accusations.” (Wuest's Word Studies from the Greek New Testament:: Eerdmans) Diabolos is applied some 34 times to Satan, the god of this world, and in each case has the definite article in the Greek ("the" = defining a specific entity) and is never in the plural (the three uses below in the pastoral epistles are all plural) as when applied to men who, by opposing the cause of God, may be said to act the part of the devil or to side with him. Paul warns Timothy that in the last days difficult times will come and one of the characteristics is that men will be "malicious gossips (diabolos)" (2Ti 3:3-note) Paul also instructed Timothy that Women must likewise be dignified, not malicious gossips (diabolos), but temperate, faithful in all things." (1Ti 3:11, malicious gossips = diabolos also in Titus 2:3, 4-note). Diabolos thus is the term used to describe those who pick holes in others and spread criticisms and innuendos. What a telling statement about the diabolical effects of slanderous gossip or malignant misrepresentations in the church! Oh, how each of us need to set a guard over our tongue in God's house! A T Robertson has no mercy, calling these women "she devils" (but in an effort to be "politically correct" note that in Titus 2:3 (note) they would be "he devils"!) These men and women actually do the work of the arch slanderer, the Devil himself! Those who are unsaved are called children of the devil for as John explains By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother. (1John 3:10). The most notorious use in this regard is Judas. Jesus, referring to Judas, declared to the 12 disciples that one of you is a devil (diabolos) (Jn 6:70). As
Tiago 4:7
Wuest: Be subject with implicit obedience to God at once and once for all. Stand immovable against the onset of the devil and he will flee from you. Weymouth: Submit therefore to God: resist the Devil, and he will flee from you. Young's Literal: be subject, then, to God; stand up against the devil, and he will flee from you; Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you: hupotagete (2PAPM) oun to Theo antistete (2PAAM) de to diabolo, kai pheuxetai (3SFMI) aph humon: Submit - 1Sa 3:18; 2Sa 15:26; 2Ki 1:13, 14, 15; 2Chr 30:8; 33:12,13; Job 1:21; Job 40:3, 4, 5; 42:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6; Ps 32:3, 4, 5; 66:3; 68:30; Jer 13:18; Da 4:25,32,34, 35, 36, 37; Mt 11:29; Acts 9:6; 16:29, 30, 31; 26:19; Ro 10:3; 14:11; Eph 5:21; Heb 12:9; 1Pe 2:13 James 4 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries James 4:7-10 Resolving Conflicts God's Way - Steven Cole James 4:6-7 Drawing Near to God, Pt. 1 - John MacArthur Wherewith, O Lord, shall I draw near, And bow myself before Thy face? How in Thy purer eyes appear? What shall I bring to gain Thy grace? (Wherewith, O Lord, Shall I Draw Near) This verse initiates what Hughes refers to as a tidy unit of ten terse commands beginning with this dominant command to submit and ending with a summary command to humble one's self. Hughes goes on to add that... James wants to so fire the souls of his people that they will swim triumphantly in the river of grace. May it be so for us as well! James’ opening command grates like fingernails across the chalkboard of contemporary culture: “Submit yourselves, then, to God” (Hughes, R. K. James: Faith that works. Preaching the Word. Crossway Books) The 10 aorist imperative verbs in James 4:7-10 clearly signify that James is issuing an urgent call to his readers to repent from their ungodly behaviors described in the preceding passages. And so like a commanding general, James issues a series of curt military like commands which call for incisive action. The command to submit is a basic requirement which must precede obedience to the subsequent commands. Proud hearers won't submit and surely won't obey any of the other commands. Humble people on the other hand will submit and obey. Submission is looking at the humble, self-emptying example of Jesus and daily choosing to follow in his steps (1Pe 2:21-note)... NOT MY WILL BUT THINE BE DONE -- Jesus (Lk 22:42) Submission is a matter of the will. James commands the reader to make a conscious, volitional choice to submit their imperfect will to God's perfect will. This is be our daily experience, for daily our natural (flesh) tendency is to rebel against the people and circumstances God uses in our life to facilitate our submission. We need to come to the point that when God's "submission tests" come, we say "I don't understand why You are allowing this, but I choose to bow and submit my will to Yours dear Father." We need to pray like the Puritan Richard Baxter... Lord, what thou wilt, where thou wilt, and when thou wilt. Wuest's renders Jas 4:7 as... Be subject with implicit obedience to God at once and once for all Barton remarks that James' series of commands... both require and strengthen humility as we obey them. Humility is among the qualities that we simply cannot pursue directly. It, along with such traits as self-control, patience, endurance, peace, and joy, is a by-product of living God’s way. (Barton, B. B., et al. Life Application Bible Commentary. Romans: Tyndale House Publishers) Paul Apple entitles Jas 4:7, 8, 9, 10 as "Six Steps Towards Renewed Intimacy with God" - no "self help" program here; this is a "God-help me" program! (James) Note that some commentators feel that James is addressing non-believers in this section, but I agree with C H Spurgeon (see below) that this section speaks powerfully and practically to both the saved and the unsaved. I dare not choose my lot; I would not if I might. Choose Thou for me, my God, So shall I walk aright. Horatius Bonar Submit therefore - Why "therefore"? Because only the humble receive the grace of God (Jas 4:6-note). Drop your pride, your arrogance and your haughtiness. To be a partaker of God's grace we must daily choose to submit, to surrender our will, our desires, to God's will, which is good and acceptable and perfect. Only the lowly person, the humble man or woman will willingly surrender his or her rights to God. Pride ever fights against this sweet surrender! And beloved, this rebellious usurper (still resident even in those who are born from above = the residual fallen flesh) will fight against God's will until the day we die! That is why Paul instructed Timothy to fight (agonizomai in the present imperative = command to make this you continual practice! Why? Because the world, the flesh and the devil will continually oppose our walk of grace in Christ and try to provoke us to pride, crying out "You have rights"!) the good fight of faith (1Ti 6:12, 1:18, 19, Imitate Paul's example - 2Ti 4:7-note, 1Co 4:16, 11:1, 1Th 1:6-note, He 6:12-note, He 13:7-note, 3Jn 1:11) Ralph Martin says that the therefore... alerts the reader that what follows is an “expansion” of Pr 3:34 (Martin, R. P. Vol. 48: Word Biblical Commentary: James. Dallas: Word, Incorporated) Hiebert adds that... Having diagnosed their selfish strife as a manifestation of worldliness and shown the seriousness of their condition, James at once calls for rectification. "Then" (oun, "therefore, consequently") indicates that his injunctions are prompted by the condition just exposed. Having yielded to the world's allurements, they had to be restored to the pathway of separation. They had to resume a right relation to God (Jas 4:7-10) and cease their censoriousness of their brethren (Jas 4:11,12). (D Edmond Hiebert - James - Highly Recommended Commentary - Any commentary written by Hiebert is excellent!) Submit - Notice that this verb is placed at the beginning of this clause for emphasis. Get under and listen up! Come under God's authority. Our willingness to yield our "rights" is a reflection of the genuine humility James had just advocated in Jas 4:6. The proud heart refuses to bow that it might truly hear God. A willingness to submit reflects an attitude of humility. Proud people by definition are elevated above others and do not submit. Don't start quoting Jas 4:7 beginning with "Resist the devil"! James' point is that unless we are submitted to God, we will not have the power to resist the devil. If you want to know practically what submission looks like, then review Jas 4:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, to see what submission does NOT look like. If you are engaged in any of these activities, then you can be assured you are not submitting to God's authority. To submit to God is to reject compromise with the world (1Jn 2:15, 16, 17, Jas 4:4-note, Mt 6:24-note), which lies in the control of the Evil One (1Jn 5:19). Richison explains that... The heart of pride is self-sufficiency. A phenomenal pride thinks that we can get along without God. Humility, on the other hand, recognizes the need to depend on God. Humility empties self of self-sufficient independence from God. Humility places self under God so that He can dispose of us as He pleases. (James 4:7 4:7b 4:7c) Alec Motyer explains that after the therefore of James 4:7b the apostle issues a series 10 staccato-like preemptory (urgent; insisting on immediate attention) commands (all aorist imperatives) which help define what a humble walk looks like, a walk that is summarized in his last command in Jas 4:10. In other words, the Bible, as so often, not only tells us what is true but also how to respond to what is true. The truth is a superabundant supply of grace (Jas 4:6); the response is an obedient walk with God, itemized in Jas 4:7, 8, 9. James begins his description of the humble walk with God by commanding active allegiance (Jas 4:7a) Christians must have no doubt in their minds whose side they are on; and by their lives they must leave no doubt in the minds of others that they are God’s enlisted subordinates and the devil’s unyielding opponents. (The Message of James: The Tests of Faith. The Bible Speaks Today) Submission to God is the fabric (the attitude) that should be woven into every area of our life, every day of our life. J. H. Jowett spoke of the inestimable worth of submitting to God when he wrote that... We get no deeper into Christ than we allow Him to get into us. D L Moody in his no nonsense way alluded to submission to God when he said... Let God have your life; he can do more with it than you can. Dr Charles Ryrie spoke of the motive for submitting to God when he said... The awesome purchase price of the very life of the Son of God should be more than ample motivation to make every child of God eagerly want to yield back to the Lord the very freedom which his death bought. Major Ian Thomas spoke of the promised power inherent in submission and surrender to God when he wrote that... When all that you are is available to all that God is, then all that God is is available to all that you are. Do we dare sing the words of Francis Havergal? Do we dare not! TAKE MY LIFE Take my life, and let it be consecrated, Lord, to Thee. Take my moments and my days; let them flow in ceaseless praise. Take my hands, and let them move at the impulse of Thy love. Take my feet, and let them be swift and beautiful for Thee. Take my voice, and let me sing always, only, for my King. Take my lips, and let them be filled with messages from Thee. Take my silver and my gold; not a mite would I withhold. Take my intellect, and use every power as Thou shalt choose. Take my will, and make it Thine; it shall be no longer mine. Take my heart, it is Thine own; it shall be Thy royal throne. Take my love, my Lord, I pour at Thy feet its treasure store. Take myself, and I will be ever, only, all for Thee. -- Francis Havergal (YouTube - Chris Tomlin - Take My Life) Isaac Watts' hymn conveys a sense of the sweet surrender which should be part of the life of every child of the Living God... Father, I wait Thy daily will; Thou shalt divide my portion still; Grant me on earth what seems Thee best, Till death and heaven reveal the rest. Isaac Watts The great Puritan writer Richard Baxter said it well... Lord, what thou wilt, where thou wilt, and when thou wilt. Submission to God clearly implies submission to every word God's Truth in Scripture. As Stephen Olford once quipped I'm tired of hearing people say, 'I'm standing on the Word of God.' We should be standing under it. As Martin Ansley eloquently phrased it... The primary qualification demanded in the reader of the Bible is not scholarship but surrender, not expert knowledge but willingness to be led by the Spirit of God. Thomas Manton explains that submission... means placing ourselves under God, and so it denotes the whole duty of an inferior state. There must be subjection to God’s will—the whole man to the whole law of God. To submit to God is to give ourselves up to be governed by his will and pleasure; our thoughts, our counsels, our affections, our actions must be guided according to the strict rules of the Word. Usually the work of conversion stops here; we are loath to resign ourselves to God’s will. Some of God’s commands, such as those which are inward, are contrary to our affections; others, such as those which enforce external duties, are contrary to our interests. But we must “take [Christ’s] yoke” (Matthew 11:29). A main thing to be looked at in our first supplication to God is this: are we willing to give ourselves up to his will without reservation? Can I subject everything, without any hesitation or reluctance, to the obedience of Christ (2Corinthians 10:5)? It implies a humble approach to God. Submit yourselves, then, to God; that is, lay aside your pride and stubbornness, humbly acknowledging your sins. Come as lost, undone creatures lying at the feet of mercy. How long it takes before our faces are buried in the dust (Lam 3:29), before we can come and say in truth of heart, “If we are damned, it is just; if we are saved, it is through much mercy.” It is handing ourselves over to the disposal of God’s providence. “The Lord’s will be done” (Acts 21:14) is a truly Christian way of speaking. Discontent is clearly rebellion; we want our will done, and not God’s. When we complain, God and we contend; his will must be done to us as well as by us. Thus you see there is a threefold submission: our worldly hearts to his holiness, our proud hearts to his mercy, our stormy minds to his sovereignty, that we may be obedient, humble, patient... Submission must be performed... Sincerely. We must do his will because it is his will. God’s will is both the rule and the reason of duty. So 1Th 4:3 urges us, “It is God’s will that you should be holy”; see also 1Th 5:18 and 1Pe 2:13. This is warrant enough and motive enough; God wants it to be so. Hypocrites do what they have to, but they have other motives. To do it sincerely is indeed to do a duty as duty, to do what is commanded because it is commanded. Freely. Subjection is best when it is willing. If the beast came to the altar struggling and unwilling, men never offered it to their gods but counted it unlucky. Certainly the true God looks most of all for a ready mind: “I will hasten and not delay to obey your commands” (Ps 119:60)—without doubting, disputing, or consulting with flesh and blood. To offer Isaac was a hard duty, and yet that morning Abraham was up early (see Ge 22:3). Faithfully. To the Lord’s glory, not our own ends. The Christian life must be for God (Gal 2:19), according to God’s will, for God’s glory. The creatures’ hardest task is to subject our ends to God’s ends, as well as our ways to God’s will. (A Practical Exposition of James) John MacArthur feels that James is addressing unbelievers in James 4:7-10 commenting that these verses constitute... one of the clearest calls to salvation in all of Scripture. Unfortunately, many commentators have assumed that this passage refers to Christians and is a call for them to turn away from worldliness back to faithfulness to God. Consequently, this great invitation is often missed... The “greater grace” James has just mentioned (4:6) is God’s justifying, sanctifying, glorifying grace of salvation, that divine, sovereign, loving favor that He freely bestows on undeserving sinners who trust in His Son, Jesus Christ, as Savior and Lord. His redeeming grace is greater than the power of sin, greater than the power of the flesh and the world, greater than the power of Satan. (Macarthur J. James. Moody) Spurgeon on the other hand feels that James' command in to submit to God applies both to believers and non-believers alike. In the following sermon excerpt, Spurgeon is applying James' command primarily to non-believers (In his sermon on Unconditional Surrender he addresses submission of believers - see next note below) commenting that... the lighting spirit within many men shows that they have not submitted themselves to God—lusting, envy, strife, contention, jealousy, anger (cp Jas 4:1, 2, 3, 4)—all these things declare that the heart is not submissive but remains violently self willed and rebellious. (Ed: How do you know if you are not submitting to God?) Those who are still wrathful, proud, contentious and selfish are evidently unsubdued. There are some men to whom the very idea of submission is distasteful—they will be subjective to no one, but wish to be their own gods and a law unto themselves. “Submit” is a galling word to them. They say in their hearts, “Who is the Lord that I should obey His voice?” They are willing, enough, to accept His favors, willing enough, after their fashion, to say, “Thank God,” but as to submission, they will have none of it—it suits not their high mightiness! They strive for the mastery. They push for the front place, aiming to advance their own interests and make the great I to be lord above all. The Apostle quietly indicates in the words of our text that many Christian professors need to submit, for at present their unhumbled nature leads them to lusting and striving—and effectually prevents their asking so as to receive at the Lord’s hands. A lack of submission is no new or rare fault in mankind. Ever since the Fall it has been the root of all sin. When the heart submits to God in sincerity, the work of Grace is begun. And when it submits perfectly, the work is complete. But for this, Divine Grace must display its power, for the heart is obstinate and rebellious. From the moment when our mother Eve stretched out her hand to pluck the forbidden fruit and her husband joined her in setting up the human will against the Divine, the sons of men have universally been guilty of a lack of conformity to the will of God. They choose their own way and will not submit their wills. They think their own thoughts and will not submit their understanding. They love earthly things and will not submit their affections. Man wants to be his own law and his own master. This is abominable, since we are not our own makers, for, “it is He that has made us and not we ourselves.” The Lord should have supremacy over us, for our existence depends on His will... To submit to God is to find rest! The rule of God is so beneficial that He ought readily to be obeyed. He never commands us to do that which, in the long run, can be injurious to us, nor does He forbid us anything which can be to our real advantage. Our God is so kind, so wise, so full of loving forethought, that it is always be to our best interest to follow His lead. Even if we could be left to choose our own way and were under no bonds of duty, it would be wise and prudent to choose the way of the Lord, for it is the path of pleasantness and safety. Beloved, the Lord is far too great to have any need to deal unjustly, or unkindly with His creatures. Indeed, He is so great that He cannot desire any personal advantage from His government, but He condescends to govern us because without His rule and guidance we would be utterly undone. It is for our good that like a father in a family He commands us this or forbids us the other. It is wanton cruelty to ourselves when we break away from the liberty with which Jesus makes us free, to place ourselves under the tyranny of selfishness and the baser passions of the mind. It is madness to forsake the honorable service of the great King to become the slave of Satan. O that men would submit themselves unto God and be willing to be blessed! All resistance against God is, from the necessity of the case, be futile. Common sense teaches that rebellion against Omnipotence is both insanity and blasphemy. The Lord’s purpose must stand and His pleasure must be done! His power will assuredly crush all opposition and it is idle to raise it. Why, then, should a man contend against his Master? Wisdom as well as righteousness call upon him to submit to God. And then let it always be known that submission to God is absolutely necessary to salvation. A man is not saved until he bows before the supreme majesty of God. He may say, “I believe in Jesus,” but if he goes on to follow out his own desires and to gratify his own passions, he is a mere pretender, a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Dead faith will save no man! It is not even as good as the faith of devils, for they “believe and tremble,” and these men believe in a fashion which makes them brazen in their iniquity. No, salvation means being saved from the domination of self and sin! Salvation means being made to long after likeness to God, being helped by Divine Grace to reach to that likeness and living after the mind and will of the Most High. Submission to God is the salvation which we preach, not a mere deliverance from eternal burning, but deliverance from present rebellion, deliverance from the sin which is the fuel of those unquenchable flames. There must be conformity to the eternal Laws of the universe and according to these God must be first and man must bow to Him—nothing can be right till this is done. Submit is a command which in every case must be obeyed—or no peace or salvation will be found... I think I am not suspicious without reason when I express a fear that the preaching which has lately been very common and, in some respects very useful, of, “only believe and you shall be saved,” has sometimes been altogether mistaken by those who have heard it. Cases occur in which young persons go on living light, frivolous, giddy, and even wicked lives—and yet they claim that they believe in Jesus Christ. When you come to examine them a little, you find that their belief in Christ means that they believe that He has saved them, although everybody who knows their character can clearly see that they are not saved at all! (Spurgeon's sermon on James 4:7-10 The Reason Why Many Cannot Find Peace - Herbert Carson agreed with Spurgeon when he said "The path of submission is the way to peace.) Spurgeon (Read Spurgeon's sermon - Unconditional Surrender) writes... "Submit yourselves unto God" is a precept which to thoughtful men is a plain dictate of reason, and it needs few arguments to support it. Yet because of our foolishness the text enforces it by a "Therefore," which "Therefore" is to be found in the previous verse,—"He resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God." His wrath and His mercy both argue for submission. We are both driven and drawn to it. The Romans were wont to say of their empire that its motto was to spare the vanquished, but to war continually against the proud. This saying aptly sets forth the procedure of the Most High. He aims all His arrows at the lofty, and turns the edge of His sword against the stubborn; but the moment He sees signs of submission His pity comes to the front, and through the merits of His Son His abounding mercy forgives the fault. Is not this an excellent reason for submission? Who can refuse to be vanquished by love? Who will not say as our hymn puts it— "Lord, thou hast won, at length I yield; My heart, by mighty grace compell'd, Surrenders all to thee; Against thy terrors long I strove, But who can stand against thy love? Love conquers even me." If resistance will only call forth the omnipotent wrath of God, but true submission will lead to the obtaining of His plenteous grace, who will continue in arms? I shall not tarry to carry the argument further, but aim at once to press home this precept upon you as God the Holy Ghost may enable me. I believe it to be addressed both to saint and sinner, and therefore I shall urge it home first upon the child of God, and say to all of you who love the Lord, "Submit yourselves to God;" and then we shall take a little longer time to say in deep solemnity to those who are not reconciled to God by the death of his Son, "Submit yourselves to God" if ye would be saved. To THE PEOPLE OF GOD "Submit yourselves unto God." He is your God, your Father, your Friend, yield yourselves to Him. What does this counsel mean? It means, first exercise humility. We do well to interpret a text by its connection: now the connection here is "God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble," (Jas 4:6-note) and therefore the submission here meant must include humility, even if it be not the chief thing intended. Brothers and sisters, let us take our right place before God. And what is that? Is it the highest seat in the synagogue (cp Mt 23:6)? Is it the place of those who thank God that they are not as other men are (Lk 18:11, 12)? I scarcely need reply, you who are the children of God will not dream of occupying such a position. If by reason of temporary foolishness you ever boast, I am sure, my dear friends, when you think over it in the watches of the night you are very much ashamed of yourselves, and would be glad to eat your own words. A pardoned sinner boasting! A debtor to sovereign grace extolling himself! It is horrible. Nothing can be more out of place than boasting upon the lips of a child of God. If I heard Balaam's donkey speak I should impute it to a miracle that it should use the language of man, but that a man of God should use the braying of vanity is a miracle another way, not of God but of Satan. Is it not one of the fundamental truths of our faith that we are saved by grace? And what says the apostle? "Where is boasting then? It is excluded." (Ro 3:27-note) The word "excluded" means shut out. Boasting comes to the door, it knocks, it pleads for admission, but it is excluded. Possibly through our unwatchfulness it gains a momentary entrance, but as soon as ever the grace of God within us ascertains that the intruder is within our gates it ejects him, shuts the door in his face, and bars him out, and in answer to the question "Where is boasting then?" free grace replies, "It is excluded, by the law of grace." If all the good we have has been given to us freely by divine favor, in what can we glory? If we possess the highest degree of spirituality, if our life be perfectly clear from any open fault, and if our hearts be wholly consecrated unto the Lord, yet we are unprofitable servants; we have done no more than it was our duty to have done. But, alas, we fall far short of this, for we have not done what it was our duty to have done, and in many things we fail and come short of the glory of God. The right position of a Christian is to walk with lowly humility before God, and with meekness towards his fellow Christians. The lowest room becomes us most, and the lowest seat in that room. Look at Paul, who knew far more of Christ than we do, and who served him far better. It is edifying to notice his expressions. He is an apostle, and he will by no means allow any one to question his calling, for he has received it of the Lord; but what does he say? "Not meet to be called an apostle." (1Co 15:9, 10, circa 55AD) What can be lowlier than this? But we shall see him descending far below it. He takes his place among the ordinary saints, and he will not give up his claim to be numbered with them, for he has made his calling and election sure; but where does he sit among the people of God? He styles himself "less than the least of all saints." (Ep 3:8-note, circa 61AD) There is no small a descent from "not meet to be called an apostle" to "less than the least of all saints;" but he went lower yet, for at another time he confessed himself to be still a sinner, and coming into the assembly of sinners where does he take his position? He writes himself down as "the chief of sinners." (1Ti 1:15, circa 63-66AF) The Stool of Repentance The Foot of the Cross This is submission to God, the true surrender of every proud pretension or conceited claim. If, my brethren, the Lord has called us to be ministers, let us ever feel that we are not worthy of so great a grace: since He has made us saints, let us confess that the very least of our brethren is more esteemed by us than we dare to esteem ourselves, and since we know that we are sinners let us look at our sins under that aspect which most reveals their heinousness, for in some respects and under certain lights there are evils in our character which make us guiltier than the rest of our fellow sinners. The stool of repentance and the foot of the Cross are the favorite positions of instructed Christians. Such humility is not at all inconsistent with believing that we are saved, nor with the fullest assurance of faith, nay, not at all inconsistent with the nearest familiarity with God. Listen to Abraham: "I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, I that am but dust and ashes." He has drawn very near to the Lord, and speaks with him as a man speaketh with his friend, and yet he says "I am but dust and ashes." (Ge 18:27) His boldness did not destroy his humbleness, nor his sense of nothingness hinder his near approach to the Lord. My dear brethren, we know that in Christ we are accepted (Ep 1:6KJV-note), we know that we are dear to God and loved with an everlasting love, we know that he hears our prayers and answers us continually, we know that we walk in the light of His countenance (Ps 89:15-note); but still our posture should always be that of deep humiliation before the Lord, and in the attitude of complete submission we should sit at the Master's feet and say, "By the grace of God I am what I am." (1Co 15:10) May the Holy Spirit work this gracious submission in every regenerated soul. Let us next observe that our text bears a second meaning, namely, that of submission to the divine will: that of course would strike you in the wording of the verse—"Submit yourselves therefore to God." Beloved Christian friends, be willing to accept whatever God appoints. Let us each pray to be Simple, teachable and mild, Awed into a little child; Pleased with all the Lord provides, Wean'd from all the world besides. Richison reasons that... Submission to God is an emptying of self-sufficiency. Humility offends the devil because it betrays his original sin – pride. The foundation of victory in the Christian life lies at submitting to the ultimate authority of God over our lives. There is no Christian liberty without that premise. Capacity to live the Christian life means that we have capacity for God. It rests on a volition that submits to God’s system of values as ultimate. If we reject the ultimate values of God, we will enter into misery. There is no victory in the Christian life without the discipline of submitting to God. This submission to God’s authority is no vague, unreal submission. Only when we fully submit to God in our values do we submit to God in actuality. It is one thing to know the principle; it is another thing to apply the principle to our experience. To the degree that we live with the principles of God’s Word and apply them to our lives, to that degree we “submit to God.” May God help us to take a position in the rank and file of those who accept His authority over our lives. This means accepting God’s will as His sovereign plan for us. We accept His superiority as God and our inferiority as creatures in doing this. We obey God Almighty because His providence is best for us, for God knows everything from beginning to end. (James 4:7 4:7b 4:7c) (Bolding and color added) Arnold Fruchtenbaum explains that... Every time a believer sins, he is rebelling against God and is not subject to Him. Therefore, he must subject himself to God, and the means of doing so is by confession of sins (1Jn. 1:9). (Fruchtenbaum, A. G. The Messianic Jewish Epistles : Hebrews, James, First Peter, Second Peter, Jude. Page 292. Tustin, CA: Ariel Ministries) Lehman Strauss comments that... This is one of the most positive neglected formulas offered to Christians. It tells us why so many fail to resist the devil. The first step that every backslider must take is submission to his heavenly Father. Never try to withstand the enemy in human submission. No matter what it might be that has defeated you, if you "humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, He shall lift you up" (Jas 4:10). No hope nor help is available for one caught in the grip of worldliness, refusing to renounce self-will and to take God's will as his own. There must needs be submission both to divine love and divine law. (James, Your Brother: Studies in the Epistle of James) Gingrich has an insightful comment writing that... Submit yourselves therefore to God is needed and is the same thing as “humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord,” Jas 4:10. Humility manifests itself in submission. So Jas 4:7a and Jas 4:10 are summary statements of what is needed by the readers. All of the other eight imperatives (There are a total of 10 aorist imperatives in Jas 4:7-10!) between the two summary statements are explanations of how the readers are to humble and submit themselves. (Roy Gingrich’s Commentaries in Outline Form 100 Volumes) Shall I, I pray Thee, change thy will my Father Until it be according unto mine? But no Lord, no, that never shall be, rather I pray thee blend my human will with Thine. Amy Carmichael Submit (5293)(hupotasso from hupó = under + tasso = arrange in orderly manner) means literally to place under in an orderly fashion. In the active voice hupotasso means to subject, bring under firm control, subordinate as used in (Ro 8:20-note). Hupotasso also implies that the one who is subordinate is ready and willing to obey his or her superior's commands. Is is interesting to observe that the idea of submission is usually directed to human authority (Lk 2:51; Ro 13:1; Ep 5:22; Titus 2:9; 1Pe 2:13) and not to God (as here and He 12:9). The 1828 Webster's Dictionary offers an excellent definition of "submission" as... the act of yielding to power or authority; surrender of the person and power to the control or government of another...a yielding of one’s will to the will or appointment of a superior without murmuring. Entire and cheerful submission to the will of God is a Christian duty of prime excellence. Motyer makes the point that... The English translation submit does not do full justice to the Greek it translates, chiefly because some ways in which we use the idea of submission point to the end of struggling and the onset of passivity. In this way, we ‘submit’ to superior forces: further resistance is useless. For the duration of the war we will stand idly by as prisoners of the enemy. But the word James uses is much more an ‘enlistment’ word, the taking up of allegiance to a great Superior in order to engage in the fight under his banner. (Motyer, J. A. The Message of James: The Tests of Faith. The Bible Speaks Today) Hiebert notes that while hupotasso is in the passive voice... The passive is to be understood in the sense of the middle, calling for an action that centers on ourselves. "It is an action that we must bring about ourselves as the Holy Spirit operates in us.' It is a call for their voluntary subordination to God and His will. God does not want forced obedience. Thus they must express their recognition of God as supreme in their lives. This subordination, so hard for the proud and self-reliant, is essential to cure their worldliness. "Submission to God is the beginning, middle, and end of the prodigal's return from disastrous familiarity with the world to the security of the Father's home." (Ibid) While antitasso in Jas 4:6 means to array against, hupotasso in this verse means to arrange under, something the humble person willingly does. The idea is to accept one's proper station under God. Submission or placing one's self under proper authority is a foundational Biblical principle - Jesus submitted to His parents (Lk 2:51); believers are to submit to government (Ro 13:1-note); husbands and wives are to submit to one another (Ep 5:21-note); the wife is to submit to her husband (Ep 5:22-note, Ep 5:23, 24-note); slaves were to submit to their owners (Titus 2:9-note). As
Tiago 4:7
Wuest comments that resist (anthistemi) means means “to withstand, to be firm against someone else’s onset” rather than “to strive against that one.” The Christian would do well to remember that he cannot fight the devil. The latter was originally the most powerful and wise angel God created. He still retains much of that power and wisdom as a glance down the pages of history and a look about one today will easily show. While the Christian cannot take the offensive against Satan, yet he can stand his ground in the face of his attacks. Cowardice never wins against Satan, only courage. (Bolding added) (Wuest, K. S. Wuest's Word Studies from the Greek New Testament: Eerdmans) Resist means to defend oneself against the devil not to attack him. On the other hand to cower before the devil is to invite sure defeat. Clothed with the garment of a righteous lifestyle (Col 3:9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14-notes) and strengthened in the inner man by the Spirit (Eph 3:16-note) ensures effective resistance to diabolical attacks and procures his promised flight. While we are not to flee from the evil one per se, believer are commanded to flee from evil attitudes and actions... Flee immorality 1Cor 6:18, 19, 20 F lee from idolatry 1Cor 10:14, 15 Flee from these things [love of money], you man of God 1Ti 6:11 Flee from youthful lusts 2Ti 2:22 (note) Note that every preceding use of the verb flee is in the present imperative signifying a command to continuously flee. Morning, noon and night we are to run from the evil attitudes and actions which seek to seduce and ensnare us. Believer are never instructed to flee from the Devil but to resist him! There are huge texts written on how to conduct spiritual warfare against our invisible foe, but this single command in James 4:7 succinctly presents the primary principle promising victory in our daily struggle against demonic foes. On the other hand we do well to recall that a lack of resistance will practically guarantee ongoing harassment by the devil and his minions. But as powerful as he is, the devil's primary mode of attack against believers is through the fiery missiles of his temptations which are calculated to appeal to our pride (our fallen flesh) (cp Jas 1:14-note).
Tiago 4:7
Wuest writes that pheugo is "in the present imperative which commands a continuous action. Timothy is to make it the habit of his life to be everlastingly fleeing away from a fondness for money. Expositors says that “love of money in ministers of religion does more to discredit religion in the eyes of ordinary people than would indulgence in many grosser vices.” (Wuest, K. S. Wuest's Word Studies from the Greek New Testament: Eerdmans) 2Timothy 2:22-note Now flee (present imperative = command to make this your continual practice) from youthful lusts, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. Hebrews 11:34-note quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. James 4:7-note Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Revelation 9:6-note And in those days men will seek death and will not find it; and they will long to die and death flees from them. Revelation 12:6-note And the woman (Reference to Israel) fled into the wilderness where she had a place prepared by God, so that there she might be nourished for one thousand two hundred and sixty days. Revelation 16:20-note And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. Revelation 20:11-note And I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. Comment: This describes the "surreal" time of the Great White Throne judgment, when creation as we know it has "fled" or vanished, and before the appearance of the New Heaven and New Earth (Re 21:1-note) Pheugo is used 161 times in the non-apocryphal Septuagint (LXX) - Ge 14:10; 39:12f, 15, 18; Ex 4:3; 14:5, 25, 27; 21:13; Lev 26:17, 36; Nu 10:35; 16:34; 24:11; 35:6, 11, 15, 32; Dt 4:42; 19:4, 11; 28:7, 25; Josh 7:4; 8:5f, 20; 10:11, 16; Jdg 1:6; 4:15, 17; 7:21f; 8:12; 9:21, 40, 51; 11:3; 20:32, 42, 45, 47; 1Sa 4:10, 16f; 14:22; 17:51; 19:8, 12, 18; 21:10; 22:17, 20; 23:5f; 27:4; 30:17; 31:1, 7; 2 Sam 1:4; 4:4; 10:13f, 18; 13:29, 37; 15:14; 17:2; 18:3, 17; 19:3, 8f; 23:11; 24:13; 1 Ki 2:28f; 11:43; 12:18; 20:20, 30; 2Ki 3:24; 7:7; 8:21; 9:3, 10, 23, 27; 14:12, 19; 1Chr 10:1, 7; 11:13; 19:14f, 18; 21:12; 2Chr 10:2, 18; 13:16; 14:12; 21:9; 25:22, 27; Neh 13:10; Job 27:22; 30:3; Ps 31:11; 60:4; 68:1; 104:7; 114:3, 5; 139:7; Pr 28:1; Song 8:14; Isa 10:18, 29; 13:14; 16:3; 20:6; 21:14f; 22:3; 24:18; 27:1; 30:16f; 31:8f; 43:14; 48:20; Jer 4:6, 21; 37:13f; 38:19; 46:5f, 15, 21; 48:6, 19, 44; 49:30; 50:16, 28; 51:6; Da 10:7; Amos 5:19; 6:5; 9:1; Obad 1:14; Jonah 1:3, 10; 4:2; Nah 2:5, 8; Zech 2:6. Here are a few of the uses... Genesis 14:10 Now the valley of Siddim was full of tar pits; and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, and they fell into them. But those who survived fled to the hill country. Genesis 39:12 And she caught him by his garment, saying, "Lie with me!" And he left his garment in her hand and fled, and went outside. 13 When she saw that he had left his garment in her hand, and had fled outside...18 and it happened as I raised my voice and screamed, that he left his garment beside me and fled outside." Ex 4:3 Then He said, "Throw it on the ground." So he threw it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from it. Lev 26:17 'And I will set My face against you so that you shall be struck down before your enemies; and those who hate you shall rule over you, and you shall flee when no one is pursuing you. Ps 68:1-note (For the choir director. A Psalm of David. A Song.) Let God arise, let His enemies be scattered; and let those who hate Him flee before Him. Ps 104:7-note At Thy rebuke they fled; At the sound of Thy thunder they hurried away. Ps 114:3-note The sea looked and fled (Miracle of the Red Sea - Ex 14:21 and 40 years later at the Jordan River); The Jordan turned back (Josh 3:13, 14, 15).... 5 What ails you, O sea, that you flee? O Jordan, that you turn back? Ps 139:7-note Where can I go from Thy Spirit? Or where can I flee from Thy presence? Pr 28:1 The wicked flee when no one is pursuing, but the righteous are bold as a lion. ILLUSTRATION - Crafty Coyotes - “Like many sheep ranchers in the West, Lexy Fowler has tried just about everything to stop crafty coyotes from killing her sheep. She has used odor sprays, electric fences, and ‘scare-coyotes.’ She has slept with her lambs during the summer and has placed battery-operated radios near them. She has corralled them at night, herded them at day. But the southern Montana rancher has lost scores of lambs—fifty last year alone. “Then she discovered the llama—the aggressive, funny-looking, afraid-of-nothing llama. ’Llamas don’t appear to be afraid of anything,’ she said. ‘When they see something, they put their head up and walk straight toward it. That is aggressive behavior as far as the coyote is concerned, and they won’t have anything to do with that. Coyotes are opportunists, and llamas take that opportunity away.’” Apparently llamas know the truth of what James writes: “Resist the Devil, and he will flee from you” (4:7). The moment we sense his attack through temptation is the moment we should face it and deal with it for what it is. (Bible.org Sermon Illustrations - Recommended)
Tiago 4:8
Wuest: Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse [your] hands, O sinners, and purify [your] hearts, O double-minded. Weymouth: Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and make your hearts pure, you who are half–hearted towards God. Young's Literal: draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you; cleanse hands, ye sinners! and purify hearts, ye two-souled! Draw near to God and He will draw near to you: eggisate (2PAAM) to theo kai eggiei humin: Ge 18:23+; 1Chr 28:9+; 2Chr 15:2+; Ps 73:28, Ps 73:28KJV; 145:18; Isa 29:13; 55:6,7; Hos 6:1,2+; Zech 1:3; Mal 3:7+; Ro 5:2+, Eph 3:12+, Heb 7:19+; Hebrews 10:22+ James 4 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries James 4:7-10 Resolving Conflicts God's Way - Steven Cole James 4:8-10 Drawing Near to God, Pt. 2 - John MacArthur SINNERS CALLED TO DRAW NEAR TO THE MOST HOLY GOD! Delay not, delay not, O sinner, draw near. The waters of life are now flowing for thee; No price is demanded, the Savior is here; Redemption is purchased, salvation is free. Delay not, delay not, O sinner, to come, For mercy still lingers and calls thee today. Her voice is not heard in the vale of the tomb; Her message, unheeded, will soon pass away. Delay not, delay not, the Spirit of grace, Long grieved and resisted, may take His sad flight, And leave thee in darkness to finish thy race, To sink in the gloom of eternity’s night. Delay not, delay not, the hour is at hand, The earth shall dissolve, and the heavens shall fade; The dead, small and great, in the judgment shall stand; What helper, then, sinner, shall lend thee his aid? Delay not, delay not, why longer abuse The love and compassion of Jesus thy God? A fountain is open, how canst thou refuse To wash and be cleansed in His pardoning blood? Keep the context in mind, remembering that James 4:7-9+ is a description of how to have a humble walk with God and I agree with Thomas Manton who feels that "You may look upon these words as spoken to sinners or to convert." Hiebert writes that "Involved in the basic demand of Jas 4:7+ are various injunctions to be obeyed. Involved are a wholehearted return to God (Jas 4:8+a), personal cleansing (Jas 4:8+b), open repentance (Jas 4:9+), and humility (Jas 4:10+). (D Edmond Hiebert - James) Near to the heart of God, Nearer I cannot be, For in the Person of His Son I'm just as near as He. Draw near… He will draw near - This is one of those great commandments that comes "packaged" with the "built in" encouragement of God's promise of fellowship. In the Old Testament the picture of drawing near to God was a general expression for the one who approached God in sincere penitence and humility. (see Isa 29:13 below for the "counterfeit"). The command to draw near implies that their ungodly behavior (Jas 4:1-3+) and worldliness (Jas 4:4+) has put distance between the readers and God. James is calling for his readers to pursue intimacy with God. As Blanchard has so aptly stated "There is only one view more welcome than the backside of the Devil—and that is the face of God. (John Blanchard, Truth for Life. West Sussex, England: H. E. Walter Ltd., 1982) THOUGHT - Draw near - Come close to God by entering His courts with prayer, praise and thanksgiving, by spending time with Him in His Word, by spending time with Him in corporate worship. But don't confuse one time Sunday worship as what James means by his command to draw near. To be sure, worship on Sunday can be a special time of drawing near to God, but the practice of drawing near needs to saturate, permeate and "marinate" our lives throughout the week. If we only draw near to worship God on Sunday, we are not really drawing near, but only making an occasional "visit". In context, the love of the world (worldliness, cp Jas 4:4+, cp 1Jn 2:15,16, 17+, Gal 6:14+) results in straying from God (cp "double minded", Jesus' warning in Mt 6:24+). James is saying (as recipients of greater grace) we must counter the anti-God influences of this world (and even our own fallen flesh) and draw near to God. C H Spurgeon exhorts us to… Hear this command, and practice it; get near to God in Christ Jesus, and you shall soon find him come to your help in every hour of need. Lehman Strauss offers a provocative analysis of this passage… Real comfort and courage come to every child of God who experiences His nearness, and it seems to me that the heart of the average man cries out with Job: "Oh that I knew where I might find Him!" (Job 23:3). Many persons facing complex problems yearn for God's nearness. On this hunger many psychiatric quacks are getting rich. Even some Protestant clergymen have resorted to operating clinics where sentimental and emaciated peace of mind gimmicks are offered to resolve inner tension and restlessness. The quiet mood of "positive thinking" is negative compared with what the Bible teaches. The nearness to God here promised is available to every child of God meeting divine requirements for it. Most expositors hold prayer to be the most prominent element in our drawing near to God. Personally, I feel safer if I commence with the Word of God and then pray according to the Scriptures. We have already indicated that prayers offered contrary to the plain teaching of the Bible remain unanswered, for the heart must be right as a condition to effective prayer. The greatest privilege ever afforded the sinful human race is to draw nigh to God. When we think of God's majesty and might and holiness, we stand in awe that He would allow us to come near to Him. (Lehman Strauss: James, Your Brother: Studies in the Epistle of James) David gives us a sense of what drawing near looks like in the psalms writing… (A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah.) O God, Thou art my God; I shall seek Thee earnestly; My soul thirsts for Thee, my flesh yearns for Thee, In a dry and weary land where there is no water. (Ps 63:1) And do not hide Thy face from Thy servant, for I am in distress; answer me quickly (Ed: David draws near to God in this prayer and calls on God to draw near). Oh draw near to my soul and redeem it; Ransom me because of my enemies! (Ps 69:17, 18) Dearest Jesus, draw Thou near me, Let Thy Spirit dwell with mine; Open now my ear to hear Thee, Take my heart and seal it Thine; Keep me, lead me on my way, Thee to follow and obey, E’er to do Thy will and fear Thee, And rejoice to know and hear Thee. Underneath Thy wings abiding, In Thy Church, O Savior dear, Let me dwell, in Thee confiding, Hold me in Thy faith and fear; Take away from me each thought That with wickedness is fraught, Tempting me to disobey Thee, Root it out, O Lord, I pray Thee. (Dearest Jesus, Draw Thou Near Me) Isaiah quotes God's description of counterfeit drawing near to God… Then the Lord said, "Because this people draw near with their words and honor Me with their lip service, but they remove their hearts far from Me, and their reverence for Me consists of tradition learned by rote (Isa 29:13) Comment: It follows that if we are to genuinely draw near we must do so both externally (our body and our members) and internally (our heart and soul). Superficial and/or hypocritical drawing near will never please God, and since such worship is ultimately a reflection of pride, the Almighty will actively oppose such feigned worship. Our words and actions should be the outflow of a heart surrendered to God and not a faithless heart that seeks after the emptiness and transience of this present evil age (Gal 1:4+), this godless world system. And so James follows his command to draw near with a series of "machine gun-like" commands that if obeyed demonstrate that our drawing near is not sham religiosity (cp Jas 1:26, 27+). David explains to his son Solomon the prerequisites for drawing near to God (finding God)… As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a whole heart and a willing mind; for the LORD searches all hearts, and understands every intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will let you find Him; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever. (1Chr 28:9+) Hebrews exhorts believers, that because of the fully atoning work of our sinless Great High Priest, we can now draw near to God through Him… Let us therefore draw near (proserchomai = literally come before) with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and may find grace to help in time of need. (Heb 4:16+) Comment: This is an all the more incredible truth when one considers that in ancient times kings were totally unapproachable by the common people and only the Jewish high priest could actually enter the Holy of holies symbolic of the presence of God and then only once per year. Hence, also, He (Christ) is able to save forever those who draw near (proserchomai = literally come before) to God through Him (As our Great High Priest, through Who we can boldly approach God), since He always lives to make intercession for them. (Heb 7:25+) (In light of the truth that we have a Great High Priest, Christ Jesus seated at the right hand of the Father) let us draw near (proserchomai = literally come before) with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water ( Hebrews 10:22+). As noted below the writer of Hebrews uses the same verb as James (eggizo - draw near) writing… (for the Law made nothing perfect), and on the other hand there is a bringing in of a better hope (the New Covenant in His blood, with a Better Mediator than the OT priesthood), through (dia) which we draw near to God. (Hebrews 7:19+) Related Resource: The Happiness of Drawing Near to God - Thomas Watson Steven
Tiago 4:9
Wuest: Be sorrowful and distressed and grieve and weep audibly [over your sins]. Let your laughter be turned to sadness and your joy to gloominess. Weymouth: Afflict yourselves and mourn and weep aloud; let your laughter be turned into grief, and your gladness into shame. Young's Literal: be exceeding afflicted, and mourn, and weep, let your laughter to mourning be turned, and the joy to heaviness Be miserable and mourn and weep: talaiporhesate (2PAAM) kai penthesate (2PAAM) kai klausate (2PAAM): Jas 5:1,2; Ps 119:67,71,136; 126:5,6; Eccl 7:2, 3, 4, 5; Isa 22:12,13; Jer 31:9,13,18, 19, 20; Ezek 7:16; 16:63; Zech 12:10, 11, 12, 13, 14; Mt 5:4; Luke 6:21; 2Co 7:10,11 James 4 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries James 4:7-10 Resolving Conflicts God's Way - Steven Cole James 4:8-10 Drawing Near to God, Pt. 2 - John MacArthur Hiebert feels that here James is calling for open repentance explaining that… Three further aorist imperatives without any modifiers, "grieve, mourn and wail," unite to form an urgent demand for open and thorough repentance. The intensity of the demand is startling, intended to shake these double-minded believers. (D Edmond Hiebert - James) Be miserable… mourn… weep -- To the commands cleanse and purify themselves James adds this triad of commands (all aorist imperatives) which call for decisive, obvious, and perhaps even public acts of contrition reflective of genuine repentance (See discussion of repentance).
Tiago 4:10
Wuest writes that enopion… was used in such expressions as, “the case will be drawn up against you in the court at Heracleopolis in the presence of,” “deliver personally,” “I gave notice in person.” It is used of one who does or says something in the presence of someone else, and does it with the consciousness that that one has him in sight and mind. Paul delivered this solemn charge to Timothy, conscious of the fact that he was doing so in the sight of God, and he wished Timothy to ever so regard the charge. Enopion - 94x in 86v - The NAS translates enopion as before(46), from sight(1), in front of(1), in the presence of(20), in the sight of(21). Lk 1:15, 17, 19, 75, 76; 4:7; 5:18, 25; 8:47; 12:6, 9; 13:26; 14:10; 15:10, 18, 21; 16:15; 23:14; 24:11, 43; Jn 20:30; Acts 2:25; 4:10, 19; 6:5, 6; 7:46; 9:15; 10:30, 31, 33; 19:9, 19; 27:35; Ro 3:20; 12:17; 14:22; 1Cor 1:29; 2Cor 4:2; 7:12; 8:21; Gal 1:20; 1Ti 2:3; 5:4, 20, 21; 6:12, 13; 2Ti 2:14; 4:1; Heb 4:13; 13:21; Jas 4:10; 1Pe 3:4; 1Jn 3:22; 3Jn 1:6; Rev 1:4; 2:14; 3:2, 5, 8, 9; 4:5, 6, 10; 5:8; 7:9, 11, 15; 8:2, 3, 4; 9:13; 11:4, 16; 12:4, 10; 13:12, 13, 14; 14:3, 10; 15:4; 16:19; 19:20; 20:12. There are over 400 uses in the Septuagint (LXX) and here are a few representative uses… Ex 21:1 "Now these are the ordinances which you are to set before (Heb = panim = face; Lxx = enopion) them. Ex 23:17 "Three times a year all your males shall appear before (Heb = panim = face; Lxx = enopion) the Lord God. Ex 34:10 Then God said, "Behold, I am going to make a covenant. Before (neged = in front of, in sight of, opposite to; Lxx = enopion) all your people I will perform miracles which have not been produced in all the earth, nor among any of the nations; and all the people among whom you live will see the working of the LORD, for it is a fearful thing that I am going to perform with you. Psalm 19:14-see notes Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Thy sight (Heb = panim = face; Lxx = enopion), O LORD, my rock and my Redeemer. Psalm 119:170-see notes Let my supplication come before (Heb = panim = face; Lxx = enopion) Thee; Deliver me according to Thy word. Daniel 1:9 Now God granted Daniel favor and compassion in the sight (Heb = panim = face; Lxx = enopion) of the commander of the officials, He will exalt you - Richison writes that The way down is the way up spiritually. Pride is our biggest spiritual problem. We carry pride of face, place and race. If we humble ourselves, God will not have to do it for us. This phrase is a promise that God will elevate us to new spiritual heights if we humble ourselves before Him. We will find ourselves in a new sphere of spirituality through humility. This is the result, not the cause, of God’s lifting us to new spiritual heights… Revival comes when we humble ourselves before the majesty of God. Humility allows God to do His work of grace in us. (2Chr 7:14) (Ref) GOD'S ELEVATOR Up is down… and down is up in Christianity! What a precious promise and provision. (from Donald Barnhouse) John Blanchard has a number of excellent relevant quotes from his book I highly recommended compilation of quotations - The Complete Gathered Gold- A Treasury of Quotations) Rowland Hill - If you want to see the height of the hill of God's eternal love you must go down into the valley of humility. Thomas Manton - The way to rise is to fall. Roy Hession the writer of the great little book on personal revival, Calvary Road (read it if you hungry for personal revival!!!), wrote that "God can only fill valleys, not mountains." Augustine - The proud hilltops let the rain run off; the lowly valleys are richly watered. Thomas Adams had it right when he said that "He that will be knighted must kneel for it." C. Campbell
Tiago 4:10
Wuest: Permit yourselves to be humbled in the Lord’s presence and He will exalt you. Weymouth: Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you. Young's Literal: be made low before the Lord, and He shall exalt you. Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you: tapeinothete (2PAPM) enopion kuriou, kai hupsosei (3SFAI) humas: Jas 4:7, 1Sa 2:9; Job 22:29; Ps 27:6; 28:9; 30:1; 113:7; 147:6; Mt 23:12; Lk 14:11; 18:14; 1Pe 5:6 HUMBLING PRECEDES EXALTATION This theme of God humbling the proud, but exalting the humble, runs throughout Scripture (1Sa 2:4, 5, 6, 7, 8; Job 22:29 Job 42:6, 10-17; Ps 34:18; 51:17; Pr 3:34; Pr 29:23, 25; Isa 57:15; 66:2; Ezek. 17:24; Mt. 23:12; Lk 14:11; Lk 18:14; Phil 2:5-11, 1Pe 5:6). What a beautiful picture of the grace of God, God lifting up the one that has not earned it. God gives grace to the humble. As Ross says "The man who does not dare to lift up his eyes to heaven is raised to heights of glory to which the proud can never come; cf. Lk. 1:32+, Lk. 18:14+ and 1 Pet. 5:6+ for the word "exalt." (The Epistles of James and John) A conditional promise, but oh, what a blessed promise it is! As a tree must strike roots downward before it can grow upwards, so must we in our relationship to God. Mary is a good illustration of this matter of humbling herself as she is presented with the ministry God has for her. She says in Luke 1:38+ "I am the Lord's servant and I am willing to do whatever He says." James, too, is much the same in calling himself: "a bond slave of God and the Lord Jesus Christ." (James 1:1+) Humble… exalt - Be made low so that you can be made high! This is a foundational Biblical principle. John the Baptist who Jesus said was greatest of men (Mt 11:11, Lk 7:28) understood this vital spiritual principle, as evidenced by his declaration that… He (Jesus) must (speaks of necessity, present tense = continually must) increase (auxano in the present tense = continually), but I must decrease (present tense = continually decrease in dignity, authority, popularity). (John 3:30+) THOUGHT: A Presbyterian pastor in Melbourne, Australia introduced J. Hudson Taylor by using many superlatives, especially the word great. Taylor stepped to the pulpit and quietly said, “Dear friends, I am the little servant of an illustrious Master.” If John the Baptist in heaven heard that statement, he must have shouted “Hallelujah!” As an aside, it is notable that the verb must (dei [word study]) is used three significant times in John 3 -- the “must” of the sinner (Jn 3:7), the “must” of the Savior (Jn 3:14), and the “must” of the servant (Jn 3:30). Note that the idea of humility permeates this section saturated with commands (cp, Appearing before the series of commands = Jas 4:6 [tapeinos] and as the last command = Jas 4:10 - [tapeinoo]). The excellent Puritan expositor Thomas Manton writes that… The apostle goes on inculcating and pressing the same duty upon them; and lest they should rest content with externals, he uses a word that particularly implies the internal acts of the soul. Note from the context that it is not the outward expressions that God looks for in mourning (Jas 4:9-note), but the humble heart. God, who is a spirit, does not count bodily actions so much. Tears and wailing and beating the body may all be counterfeit, or else done without a principle of grace; and there may often be inward humiliation though an unemotional person does not yield tears. Godly sorrow (cp 2Co 7:10, 11) does not always vent itself through the eyes. (Some religious sects) place much importance on tears and afflicting the body. The spirit-work is the more difficult. Duties require much spirit, and soul-acts are too strong for weak people. I allude to Christ’s expression concerning spiritual fasting in Matthew 9:15,16. Old worldly hearts cannot endure the rigor of such spiritual duties. So then, in your first duties see that you not only mourn and weep but humble your souls. When you confess sins, it is not words and tears that God looks for, but a deep shame of the evil of your nature, your iniquities of life, and your defects in obedience. When you pray, look not so much at the outward heat and strength—agitated spirits and earnestness of speech; but see that the soul reaches for God by holy ardor and desires. In confessing public sins, it is not the exact enumeration but zeal for God’s glory, compassion for others’ good, and holy desires of promoting righteousness that the Lord looks for. Ashes and sackcloth are nothing to the work of the soul: “Is that what you call a fast, a day acceptable to the Lord?” (Is 58:5, cp Ps 51:17-note, 1Sa 15:22. 23). (A Practical Exposition of James) (Bolding added for emphasis) Expositor's Bible Commentary comments that in context James refers to "the specific form of humbling (as)… repentance for the sin of transferring affections from God to pleasures of the world (cp Jas 4:1, 2, 3, 4). However, the principle stated in this verse is much more comprehensive in its application. That God exalts those who humble themselves is a consistent biblical principle (cf. Mt 23:12; Lk 14:11; 18:14; Php 2:5-11; 1Pe 5:6.) (Expositor's Bible Commentary)
Tiago 4:10
Wuest says that tapeinoo means "to make low, bring low, to bring into a humble condition, to abase, to assign a lower rank or place to, to humble or abase one’s self, to be ranked below others who are honored or rewarded, to have a modest opinion of one’s self, to behave in an unassuming manner.” (Wuest's Word Studies from the Greek New Testament: Eerdmans) The original sense of low lying soon gave rise to metaphorical uses, NIDNTT (online) listing several… (a) low socially, poor, of little social position and influence (Hdt., 5th cent. B.C. onwards), powerless, unimportant; (b) as a result of one’s social standing, with slavish outlook, a synonym of not free; (c) despondent, downcast (Thuc., 5th cent. B.C. onwards; cf. Eng. “I’m feeling down”); (d) in Socratic and post-Socratic ethical teaching the word was separated from its social links, but retained a depreciatory connotation. Men should avoid the two extremes of arrogance, provocation and pride (hybris), and of grovelling, servile behaviour and base flattery. (e) Occasionally the word is used with a good connotation in individual, social, ethical and religious contexts. Where this is so, it does not mean humble, but unassuming (in Xen.), obedient, conforming one’s behaviour to the righteous laws of the gods (Aesch., Plato). In all these uses there remains the memory of the original physical meaning of below, low, in comparison with that which is above or higher. The verb tapeinoō (from Hippocrates, 5th cent. B.C. onwards) represents in all its varieties of meaning the various shades of meaning of the adj.: to level, humble (socially, politically, economically), harm, make small, make humble, discourage (with fate or life as subject), make one obedient, or self-effacing, make a person obey a regulation (of the reason) (and also the appropriate pass. forms). The reflex. form with heauton and the mid. (from Diod.Sic., 1st cent. B.C. onwards used also for mental states) meaning humble oneself, demean oneself, are used normally only in a derogatory sense. Yet Philodemus of Gadara (1st cent. B.C.) demands that those who humbled themselves, should be comforted and lifted up and Plut. (1st cent. A.D.) mentions the custom of humbling oneself before the gods by covering the head during sacrifice and prayer.... OT The fundamental difference between the Gk. and the biblical use of these words has already been indicated. In the Gk. world, with its anthropocentric view of man, lowliness is looked on as shameful, to be avoided and overcome by act and thought. In the NT, with its theocentric view of man, the words are used to describe those events that bring a man into a right relationship with God and his fellow-man (From NIDNTT - tapeinos) Related Resource: Older Articles on Humility - Puritans, et al Quotations on Humility The Theological Lexicon of the NT has the following note which although referring primarily to the noun tapeinos is helpful to discern the essence of the verb tapeinoo… The humble are contrasted with potentates, the great (Mt 18:4; 23:12; Ro 12:16), the arrogant (Jas 4:6), the rich (Jas 1:9; cf. Php 4:12), with all that is lofty (Lk 3:5; 2Co 11:7; Jas 4:10; 1Pe 5:6) and glorious (Php 3:21; cf. Pr 29:23). Here is a profile of the humble: (a) They are “little people,” of modest circumstances, who are regarded with favor by the Lord. (b) They are unfortunate sufferers (2Cor 7:6; 12:21), whom God comforts (Php 2:8; Heb 6:6; 10:29). (c) They are discreet and self-effacing (Ep. Arist. 257; Ro 12:16; Gal 6:1, 2, 3; Eph 4:2; 1Ti 3:6; 1Pe 3:8). (d) They are humble before the Lord and reserved with respect to their brethren, persuaded of “the misery and emptiness of the whole creation.” (Spicq, C., & Ernest, J. D. Theological Lexicon of the New Testament. 3:370-371. Peabody, MA.: Hendrickson) Notice the NT emphasis on the importance of humbling oneself that one might be exalted, a complete antithesis of what the fallen world believes. Human pride scoffs at and resists this basic Biblical principle. There are 14 uses of tapeinoo in 11 verses in the NT… Matthew 18:4 "Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.