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Steven Cole · Citado em PreceptAustin
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Cole - Scholars differ over what James means when he accuses his readers of committing murder. Did he mean this literally? Probably not. (ED: THAT IS NOT A STRONG STATEMENT!) It is more likely that James has in mind what Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5:21–22), that if you are angry with your brother, you have murdered him in God’s sight. But we should not miss the implication that murder usually begins with unchecked anger. Even though we may think, “I would never murder anyone,” if you don’t deal with your sinful anger, it could lead there! You may think, “I would never physically abuse my wife or my children.” Nice thought, and I hope you’re right. But if you continually erupt in anger toward them, it may happen! You must confront the enemy within, because he does not want to stop short of destroying you and others through you. And, you cannot grow in your Christian life and you will not bear fruit for God if you engage in unchecked anger and conflict at home or in the church. “The anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God” (James 1:20). Bruce Barton - The craving described here becomes so strong that the people “kill and covet” (NIV) to obtain what they want. Are people actually guilty of murdering others when they fulfill their desires? James’s expression begs a thoughtful answer. People are, in fact, capable of killing in pursuit of desires or as a reaction to frustrated desires. Our shock over the leap from “wanting” to “murdering” must be tempered by remembering how Jesus took the key words of the Ten Commandments and gave them applications that strike very close to home. For Jesus, the commandment against murdering applied equally to verbal assassination as to physical killing (see Matthew 5:21–22; see also 1 John 3:15). The word kill can be taken as a hyperbole for bitter hatred. But desires, if not controlled, could lead to such extreme violence. Hardly a week goes by without some story in the news of a person who, claiming to love another deeply, ends up murdering that person because the “love” was not returned in kind. (See James - Page 92) Albert
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Cole - read this sermon especially the 7 ways we judge wrongly - excellent! James 4 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries A SPIRIT OF SLANDEROUS SPEECH AGAINST SAINTS James has dealt with the problem of the tongue in James 3:1-12+ but not returns to address a specific problem associated with the tongue. In addition, in the immediate context James has commanded his readers to manifest an attitude of humility, hardly possible when one is speaking against another brother! If we are right with God (humble), it will show by being right with people. James is saying they were not right with other people. In fact in a sense one is "exalting" himself over the other brother and in effect putting himself in the position of God, Who alone is the Judge (Jas 4:12). James' warning command in this passage recalls what he had just addressed in James 4:1 regarding "quarrels and conflicts" in their midst. Another problem with church wars is that the lost world watches saying in effect "O, how they hate each other," which is a far cry from Jesus' prayer in Jn 17:21 "that they (BELIEVERS) may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that (PURPOSE OF THE BEAUTIFUL ONENESS IN BELIEVERS) the world may believe that You sent Me." POSB notes that "God hates all sin, but there are a few sins that are constantly and strongly condemned by Scripture. Judging others—condemning, criticizing, backbiting, gossiping, speaking evil, and talking about others—is one of the sins that Scripture never lets up on. Judging others is severely condemned....All of us are really guilty of the terrible sin of evil speaking against other persons, but the temptation strikes at the gifted more often." (Borrow James Commentary - can be helpful in sermon prep) Speaking against another is an "old" sin and even Moses' own brother and sister, Aaron and Miriam, spoke against him for marrying a Cushite woman (see Nu 12:1-8, note Moses' character in Nu 12:3!). And again in Numbers we find the people of Israel speaking against God and Moses by complaining about their conditions in the wilderness (Nu 21:5)! Job’s friends spoke against Job (not in the classic sense of slander which is speaking bad when one is not present), insulting, tormenting and crushing him to his face with their malicious words (Job 19:1-3). Swindoll bluntly says that "James is suggesting that Christians who “speak against” their brothers or sisters in Christ include themselves in that biblical register of rebellious mumblers, moaning grumblers, deceitful slanderers, crushing insulters, and wicked slanderers. Not exactly the best company! Let me show you how this game works. You speak against the other person in the ears of the hearer, hoping to lower their estimate of the person—and in the process you hope to make yourself look all the better. Of course, you have to cover up your malicious intent with creative sentimentality. So, you begin your statements with “Now, stop me if I’m wrong, but . . .” or, “Now, I don’t mean to be critical, but . . .” or, “Perhaps I shouldn’t say this about him or her, but . . .” or even, “I really like so-and-so as a person, but . . ."(Swindoll's Living Insights New Testament Commentary – James, 1 & 2 Peter) Steven Cole - YOU JUDGE SOMEONE WRONGLY WHEN YOU CRITICIZE HIM OUT OF JEALOUSY, BITTERNESS, SELFISH AMBITION, OR SOME OTHER SIN, RATHER THAN SEEKING TO BUILD HIM IN CHRIST. In other words, your motive is crucial!....Slander, which means maligning someone or damaging his reputation by sharing false or deliberately misleading information, is always sin. But the word that James uses has a broader meaning that includes any form of criticism or running someone down from selfish motives. In other words, what you are saying may be true, but the reason you’re sharing it is to make yourself look good and to put the other person in a bad light. If your motive in criticizing someone is jealousy, selfish ambition, rivalry, pride, or hatred, you are judging wrongly. (The Sin of Judging Others) Do not speak against one another, brethren - James issues a command for them to cease slandering and speaking evil of one another. And here he clearly identifies this group as brethren indicating he is speaking to the members of the church. He is saying cease censorious speech! The command is in the present imperative with a negative which means stop doing this (or don't let it begin). And remember one much rely on the Holy Spirit to obey the NT commands. Our flesh slanders, but the Spirit enables us to speak well of our brothers and sisters. The upshot? Be filled continually with the Spirit (Eph 5:18+), for then you are supernaturally enabled to speak "to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs." (Eph 5:19+), ESV Study note - James restates the basic problem behind the issues discussed in James 3:1-4:10: the misuse of the tongue to speak evil or to slander others. Speaking ill of others is the result of all the arrogant boasting (James 3:5+), jealousy (James 3:14, 16+), self-centered desires (James 4:1, 3), and pride (James 4:6) that James is warning against. Such slanderous conduct is decried in both the OT (Lev. 19:16; Ps. 50:20; Jer. 6:28) and NT (Ro 1:30; 2 Cor. 12:20; 1 Pe 2:1). (Borrow ESV study Bible) Andrew Bennett explains that "One of the problems with James’s audience was an inner conflict within individuals that spilled over into external conflicts with fellow believers. We saw in James 4:1–5 that this was due to a love for the world and the things of this world. One of the ways this manifested itself was in a hyper-critical or judgmental spirit. There are many ways in which someone call speak evil against another: slander, gossip, etc. These believers were leveling false accusations against one another. James’s solution is simple: stop it! But more than that, they needed to recognize why they should stop. (James 4:6-12) James is like Hamlet who warned Ophelia, "Be thou as chaste as ice, as pure as snow, thou shalt not escape calumny [a false accusation of an offense or a malicious misrepresentation of someone's words or actions]" (Shakespeare, Hamlet, act 3, scene 1). Do not speak against (2635)(katalaleo from katá = against, down + laleo = to speak; see katalalia) means literally to speak down or against and so to speak evil against (usually when they are not present). A modern phrase is "to tear someone to pieces" (verbally speaking)! To criticize, backbite (talk maliciously about someone who is not present), gossip, censor, condemn, and grumble against another person. It means to expose to shame or blame by means of falsehood, misrepresentation or evil speaking. Katalaleo refers to the act of defaming or slandering another person, in this case a brother or sister in Christ, speaking evil or malicious words intended to damage or destroy their reputation! The greatest slanderer of course is the Devil (false accuser, slanderer) also called Satan (means adversary), the one who continually opposes God’s people, slandering them and accusing them before God. This is another reason we must continually put on the full armor of God, especially (Eph 6:16+) "taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one," especially flaming arrows designed to tempt us to speak evil of our brethren! THOUGHT - Bottom line is the Spirit forbids any speech that runs down another person created in the image of God. How have you done today? "Most people think it is okay to convey negative information if it is true. We understand that lying is immoral. But is passing along damaging truth immoral? It seems almost a moral responsibility! By such reasoning, criticism behind another's back is thought to be all right as long as it is true. Likewise, denigrating gossip (of course it is never called gossip!) is okay if the information is true. Thus many believers use truth as a license to righteously diminish others' reputations." (R Kent Hughes) The only other uses of katalaleo are by Peter, describing slander of believers by unbelievers... 1 Peter 2:12+ Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation. 1 Peter 3:16+ and keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ will be put to shame. William
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Cole illustrates - Years ago in another church I had a secretary who was often abrasive in the way she dealt with people. She needed to grow in that area, but many of us would criticize her behind her back rather than help her. One day I asked her to type a story about a little girl whose father suddenly told her that he was leaving her mother. He promised his daughter that she could visit him often. But he walked out of that room and she never saw him again. My secretary told me, “That’s exactly what happened to me.” I sat down and listened to her story, and after that I was much more patient with her shortcomings. I wasn’t as judgmental toward her because I now knew more of the facts about her past. (Sermon) Hughes sums it up that "What the Scriptures forbid is judgmentalism, a critical and censorious spirit that judges everyone and everything, seeking to run others down." (Preaching the Word – James: Faith That Works) James echoes Jesus' teaching in the Sermon on the Mount... “Do not judge (present imperative with a negative) so that you will not be judged. 2 “For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. 3 “Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4 “Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and behold, the log is in your own eye? 5 “You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye. (Mt 7:1-5+) Comment - Jesus is clearly not saying we should NEVER judge, but when we do judge we need to avoid doing so without a Pharisaical better-than-thou, legalistic attitude! (cf Paul's words to the church at Corinth - 1 Cor 5:12-13) Perhaps a better word for what Jesus affirms is right (righteous) discernment as He called for in John 7:24 "Do not judge (present imperative with a negative) according to appearance, but judge (present imperative which calls for one to be Spirit filled and Spirit led to obey Jesus' commands) with righteous judgment.” Swindoll adds "Remember, in his own letter James confronts fellow Christians about their sins. But there’s a difference between confrontation for the purpose of building up and condemnation for the purpose of tearing down." (Swindoll's Living Insights New Testament Commentary – James, 1 & 2 Peter) In Luke Jesus commands not to judge and gives a warning against judging “Do not judge (present imperative with a negative), and you will not be judged; and do not condemn (present imperative with a negative), and you will not be condemned; pardon (present imperative), and you will be pardoned. (Lk 6:37+) Related Resource: Interesting Chart comparing teachings of James and Jesus - Echoes of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge of it - In other words what you do when you judge others you are judging the law and in essence have excused yourself from accountability to God. You have made yourself a judge of what is right or wrong, instead of obeying God and doing what is right. Douglas Moo - Such a person, becomes a judge of the law and sits himself 'outside' and 'above' the law. Thus the law is not kept but is 'disdained.' (Borrow The Letters of James - Pillar Commentary) Chris Benfield - That is powerful when we consider the depth of what James reveals. Judgmental attitudes convey that we know what is best for others, regarding how they should behave and respond to the Word, and whether we realize it or not, convey that we have the right to judge the Word of God, determining what is acceptable and what isn’t. Keep that in mind the next time you want to offer a judgmental word to another! (James 4:11-17 What is Your Life?) Gregg Allen says "When we determine to speak against a brother or judge a brother in this way, we are, in essence, telling God that His laws aren't sufficient enough. We are presuming to know how to modify God's for living and make them even better! We are actually claiming have a better standard of judging people than God does!! And when we judge our brother, we are sitting in judgment of God's law. And when we willfully sit in judgment of God's law, we are not, ourselves, doing it and are arrogantly unsubmitted to it (James 1:22+)." (Sermon) Hughes sums it up by noting that James' "argument here is meant to deliver us from mind games which tell us it's okay to be judgmental because we are so spiritually sensitive and insightful, or because we have the Kingdom's good as the motivation behind our judgments. God says this is stupid arrogance of cosmic dimensions. Perhaps we should have been on Sinai with Moses!" (Preaching the Word – James: Faith That Works) A little seed lay on the ground and soon began to sprout. Now which of all the flowers around, it mused, shall I come out? The lily's face is fair and proud, but just a trifle cold. The rose, I think, is rather loud and then, its fashion's old. The violet is all very well, but not a flower I'd choose, nor yet the Canterbury bell, I'd never cared for blues. And so it criticized each flower, this supercilious seed, until it woke one summer hour and found itself a weed. ( source unknown) STEVEN COLE - I once served on a jury for a drunk driving case. The defendant had a blood alcohol level twice the legal limit. The judge carefully instructed us that our job was to determine if this woman had, in fact, broken the law. I naively thought that the case was a slam-dunk. We shouldn’t have to deliberate longer than a few minutes. We got into the jury room and one guy piped up, “I can drink that much and drive without any problem!” Someone else chimed in with similar comments. Some ladies said how nice the young woman seemed to be. I couldn’t believe it! They were totally ignoring the judge’s instructions! After three hours of wrangling, another juror and I finally had persuaded everyone of the woman’s guilt, except for one woman. She said, “I could never vote to convict her, because the Bible says, ‘Judge not, lest you be judged.’” It was late in the day, and I knew that if we didn’t convict her, we’d all have to come back the next day. So I said, “None of us wants to come back tomorrow. We’re going to convict her, so you just keep quiet!” That’s how justice was done! There is hardly any verse of the Bible that is more misunderstood than Jesus’ words, “Do not judge so that you will not be judged” (Matt. 7:1). And there is hardly any verse that is more frequently disobeyed among Christians than that verse! For years I have had it on my prayer list for myself, yet I have disobeyed it many times. I’m sure that I’m not an exception. Also, keep in mind that it is a sin to judge another person in your heart, even if you keep your thoughts to yourself. Judgmental words eventually will flow out of a judgmental heart, but the sin begins in the heart. It is a manifestation of pride; we think that we’re better than others are. (The Sin of Judging Others) Christians Don't Slander I was in Japan with a friend since gone to be with the Lord. We were walking down the street in Yokohama, in conversation. The name of a mutual friend came up, and I said something unkind about that person—a sarcastic, nasty put-down. My older friend stopped, turned, and faced me until his face was nearly touching my own. With slow, deliberate words he said, "Gordon, a man who says he loves God wouldn't talk like that about a friend." He could have put a knife into my ribs; the pain wouldn't have been any less. I hurt because he had me. He'd done what a prophet does. But I bet there've been ten thousand times in the last 20 years I've been saved from making a jerk of myself. Whenever I've been tempted to say something unkind about a brother or sister, I hear my friend's voice once again, saying, "Gordon, a man who says he loves God wouldn't talk like that about a friend." QUOTES ON SLANDER AND GOSSIP Slander, like coal, will either dirty your hand or burn it. Anon. Slanders are the devil’s bellows to blow up contention. Anon. Slander is almost invariably verbal coward ice. John Blanchard The surest method against slander is to live it down by perseverance in welldoing. Hermann Boerhaave No one should say behind a man’s back what he dare not, or would not, say to his face. William Booth No greater injury can be inflicted upon men than to wound their reputation. John Calvin Slander is best answered with silence. Ben Johnson Slander has a marvellous way of driving us into the arms of our heavenly Father. Stuart Olyott Lies and false reports are among Satan’s choicest weapons. J. C. Ryle Slander is a vice that strikes a double blow, wounding both him that commits and him against whom it is committed. Jacques Sauin Whispered insinuations are the rhetoric of the devil. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe A gossip’s mouth is the devil’s mailbag. Anon. A gossip usually makes a mountain out of a molehill by adding some dirt. Anon. Gossip is halitosis of the brain. Anon. Gossip is like mud thrown against a clean wall; it may not stick, but it leaves a mark. Anon. Gossip is something that goes in the ear and comes out of the mouth greatly enlarged. Anon. Gossip is the art of confessing other people’s sins. Anon. No one can have a gossiping tongue unless he has gossiping ears. Anon. Whoever gossips to you will gossip of you. Anon. Gossip is what no one claims to like but what everybody enjoys. Joseph Conrad A lie has no leg, but a scandal has wings. Thomas Fuller There would not be so many open mouths if there were not so many open ears. Joseph Hall Gossip is the lack of a worthy theme. Elbert Green Hubbard A gossip is one who talks to you about others; a bore is one who talks to you about himself; and a brilliant conversationalist is one who talks to you about yourself. Lisa Kirk Never report what may hurt another unless it be a greater hurt to conceal it. William Penn I hold it to be a fact, that if all persons knew what each said of the other, there would not be four friends in the world. Blaise Pascal When tempted to gossip, breathe through your nose. T. N. Tiemeyer Trying to squash a rumour is like trying to unring a bell. Shana Alexander A rumour is about as hard to unspread as butter. Anon. Rumour is one thing that gets thicker as you spread it. Anon. There’s only one thing as difficult as unscrambling an egg, and that’s unspreading a rumour. Anon. It is said that ‘where there’s smoke there’s fire’; but the smoke may be no more than dust and hot air. John Blanchard There is no such thing as an ‘idle rumour’. Rumours are always busy. F. G. Kernan I know nothing swifter in life than the voice of rumour. Plautus Believe not half you hear; repeat not half you believe; when you hear an evil report, halve it, then quarter it, and say nothing about the rest. C. H. Spurgeon Rumour is a loud liar, like a snowball that gathers as it goes. John Trapp The first tale is good till the second be heard. John Trapp The tale-bearer is an incendiary. Thomas Watson Answering Slander Once a man who had been slandered by a newspaper came to Edward Everett and asked him what to do about it. "Don't do anything," Everett advised. "Half the people who bought the paper never saw the article. Half of those who saw it did not read it. Half of those who read it did not understand it. Half of those who understood it did not believe it. And half of those who believed it are of no account anyway." Job 1:1-12 JUST ASKING A QUESTION? "Do not speak evil of one another." - James 4:11 Slanderers slaughter reputations. Sometimes they attack with the bold strokes of a butcher. At other times they do their evil work with the finesse of a surgeon. Satan is an expert in subtle slander. Knowing the power of a well-placed question to destroy a reputation, he simply asked, "Does Job fear God for nothing?" (Job 1:9). Satan's question is shrewd because it evades the dangers of an outright lie. An accusation flirts with the embarrassment of being proven wrong. But no one can call you a liar or a slanderer if you merely ask a question. A question also avoids punishment. It's difficult for someone to attack you if you have simply asked a question. It's unlikely that you can be sued or pulled into court. Yet, Satan's query savaged a good man's motives by implying that all of the good Job did was a coverup for selfishness. The tongue can be a blessing Or the tongue can be a curse; Say, friend, how are you using yours: For better or for worse? Our words have the power to build up or to tear down. Trash Disposal Do not speak evil of one another. —James 4:11 Today's Scripture: James 4:11-17 While riding in a car, I passed a sign that warned: $100 FINE FOR THROWING LITTER ON HIGHWAY. Soon I saw another sign that stated: LITTER BARREL—1 MILE. A short time later, I passed a garbage truck on its way to the disposal plant. There are three things you can do with garbage: You can collect it, scatter it, or dispose of it. Some people are garbage collectors; they are always listening for some choice bit of gossip. If they were only collectors, it would not be so serious. But these collectors are often litterbugs, and insist on scattering it all along life’s highway. Thank God, there are also those who know how to dispose of it. They put the refuse where it belongs—in the “litter barrel” of forgetfulness. James 4:11 tells us, “Do not speak evil of one another.” If you can’t say something helpful, don’t say anything. If you hear a damaging rumor, immediately put it in the “litter bag.” Then breathe a prayer for the person being talked about, as well as for the one who told you. Don’t spread gossip, but dispose of it by silence. Gossip soon dies if it is not repeated. Reflect & Pray Button up your lip securely 'Gainst the words that bring a tear, But be swift with words of comfort, Words of praise, and words of cheer. —Loucks Do your part to silence gossip—don't repeat it. Devotional - James 4:11 “Do not slander one another” James reminds us that one of the most difficult things for us to do is to control our tongues. This is a point that Proverbs certainly makes as well, since it has so much to say about harmful speech. Here James simply instructs us not to slander one another, for anyone who speaks against a brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it. When we judge the law, we are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. And there is only one Lawgiver and Judge. So who are we to judge our neighbor? Judging other people and slandering them are twin violations of the law of love. Slander is the willful destruction of another person’s character and reputation by speaking maliciously against or about him. Slander often repeats gossip and insinuation in order to smear the reputation of someone else. It is driven by the desire to have a superior position over the one slandered. The word of God prohibits this sin without qualification. Judging another person also is a way of destroying a person’s reputation, even though in this case there may be some substance to the charge that is made. Here the person who judges also adopts a superior, self-righteous attitude, as if he had the right to judge other people. God is the one who judges, because he is the Lawgiver, the only one able to save and destroy. Christians are to exhibit love and compassion for one another. That means that the Christian is to try to safeguard the reputation and integrity of fellow believers; and if there are faults and difficulties that surface, there are procedures that love would follow which leave no room for slander or judging. What we say about each other must be uplifting and helpful; and how we respond to one another’s weaknesses and mistakes must be with compassion and understanding. (Allen Ross) SILENCING SLANDER To silence slander we must regularly examine our attitudes and actions toward others. Do we build people up or tear them down? When we are ready to criticize someone, we ought to remember God's law of love and say something good instead. Saying something beneficial to others will cure us of finding fault and increase our ability to obey God's law of love. For those immersed in a culture that thrives on criticism and slander, Jesus set a standard to guide each of us: "I tell you, forgive your brother not seven times, but seventy-seven times" (Matthew 18:22 niv). One practical approach to silencing a slandering habit is to practice making seven positive, encouraging statements for every critical one we make. (Borrow Life Application Bible Commentary – James) Thomas Watson - The evil tongue is the censorious tongue, "Who are you that judge another?" (James 4:12). Some make it a part of their religion to judge and censure others. They do not imitate their graces—but censure their failings. Such an one is a hypocrite, for this comes from pride. Were men's hearts more humble, their tongues would be more charitable. The censurer sits in the chair of pride, and passes sentence upon another, and reprobates him; this is to usurp God's prerogative, and take his work out of his hands; it is God's work to judge, not ours. He who spends his time in censuring others spends but little time in examining himself, and does not see his own faults. There is not a greater sign of hypocrisy than to be overhasty in judging and censuring persons. The evil tongue is the slanderous tongue, "You sit and slander your own mother's son" (Psalm 50:20). Slandering is when we speak to the harm of another, and speak that which is not true. Worth and eminency are commonly blasted by slander; holiness itself is no shield from slander. "For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon.' The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.'" (Matthew 11:18-19). Come and let us smite him with the tongue! A slanderer wounds another's name—and no physician can heal these wounds! The sword does not make so deep a wound—as the tongue! The Greek word for slanderer, signifies devil. Some think it is no great matter to slander and defame another; but know, this is to act the part of a devil. The slanderer's tongue is a two-edged sword, it wounds two at once; while the slanderer wounds another in his name, he wounds himself in his conscience. This is contrary to Scripture, "Speak not evil one of another" (James 4:11). God takes this evil at our hands—to speak evil of others, especially such as are eminently holy, and help to bear up the honor of religion: "Were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?" (Numbers 12:8). What! My servant who has wrought so many miracles—whom I have spoken with in the mount face to face—were not you afraid to speak against him? So will God say, You must take heed of this—it is a sin your nature is very prone to! Remember, it is no less sin to rob another of his good name—than to steal his goods or wares out of his shop! "Brothers, do not slander one another!" James 4:11 (The Evil Tongue - see full article) Speak not evil one of another' (James 4:11). I (Thomas Watson) have read a story of one, Idor, that he was never heard to speak evil of any man. Augustine could not endure that any should eclipse and lessen the fame of others, therefore he wrote those two verses upon his table: "Whoever loves another's name to blast, This table's not for him; so let him fast." Our own imperfections unfit us for judging fairly (J.R. Miller) "Do not speak evil of one another, brethren. He who speaks evil of a brother and judges his brother, speaks evil of the law and judges the law." James 4:11 "And why do you look at the mote in your brother's eye, but do not consider the beam in your own eye?" Matthew 7:3 Our own imperfections unfit us for judging fairly. With beams in our own eyes — we cannot see clearly to pick motes out of our brother's eye. One of the qualities which make us incapable of impartial judgment of others, is envy. There are few of us who can see our neighbor's life, work, and disposition — without some warping and distortion of the picture. Envy has a strange effect on our moral vision. It shows the beautiful things in others, with the beauty dimmed. It shows the blemishes and faults in them, exaggerated. Then, the lack of personal experience in struggle and pain, makes many people incapable of sympathy with sorely afflicted ones. Those who have never known a care, nor felt the pinching of poverty — cannot understand the experiences of the poor. Thus in very many ways, we are unfitted to be judges of others. "Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls." Romans 14:4 "You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother?" Romans 14:10 The Fine Art Of Slander Whoever hides hatred has lying lips, and whoever spreads slander is a fool. —Proverbs 10:18 Today's Scripture:Proverbs 6:12-19 God hates slanderers. They are scoundrels and villains with hidden hatred in their hearts and deceit in their mouths. Some people have turned slander into a fine art. They would never use a meat cleaver to cut down another person. They are more subtle than that. They have learned to slander with a gesture, a wink, or an evil smile. Jonathan Swift, an author who knew well the ugliness of slander, described a man who could “convey a libel in a frown, and wink a reputation down.” Robert Louis Stevenson wrote, “The cruelest lies are often told in silence.” When someone is attacked in a conversation, the listeners can join the mugging with a nod. The book of Proverbs describes people in the ancient world who used body language to destroy others (6:12-15). They winked, motioned, or gave a shrug to work their slander, and they felt safe in their attacks. After all, it is difficult to refute a gesture or to prove evil in a wink. Their actions were subtle, yet as deadly as bullets piercing the heart. Reflect & Pray Today let only thoughts that bless Dwell in my heart and mind; Silence my lips and tongue to all That wounds or is unkind. —White The tongue, being in a wet place, is apt to slip! Put Out The Fire! Read: Proverbs 26:20-28 Where there is no wood, the fire goes out; and where there is no talebearer, strife ceases. —Proverbs 26:20 To extinguish a fire, you must remove one of the essential elements needed for combustion. For example, eliminating what is fueling the blaze is a method often employed in fighting a forest fire. A controlled backfire is started from a cleared line ahead of the advancing flames. When the two fires meet, no timber is left to burn. The Bible tells us that for lack of wood “the fire goes out” (Prov. 26:20). This refers to extinguishing something much more devastating than the combustion of physical elements. It’s the fire of an irresponsible tongue and the resentment and pain that burn in the hearts of those who have been seared by its heat. What deep and lasting wounds the tongue can inflict on others! Families and friendships have been disrupted and individuals hurt for life because of the effects of backbiting and slander. How necessary it is for God’s people to eliminate from their conversation all thoughtless words! This would prevent many of the fires that ruin relationships. How many fires have swept the land And left an ugly scar! But of the blazing flames that burn, The tongue's the worst by far. —Anon. Better to bite your tongue than to have a biting tongue. Whispering Gallery In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, but he who restrains his lips is wise. —Proverbs 10:19 Today's Scripture:Proverbs 10:11-23 London’s domed St. Paul’s Cathedral has an interesting architectural phenomenon called the “whispering gallery.” One Web site explains it this way: “The name comes from the fact that a person who whispers facing the wall on one side can be clearly heard on the other, since the sound is carried perfectly around the vast curve of the Dome.” In other words, you and a friend could sit on opposite sides of architect Sir Christopher Wren’s great cathedral and carry on a conversation without having to speak above a whisper. While that may be a fascinating feature of St. Paul’s Cathedral, it can also be a warning to us. What we say about others in secret can travel just as easily as whispers travel around that gallery. And not only can our gossip travel far and wide, but it often does great harm along the way. Perhaps this is why the Bible frequently challenges us about the ways we use words. The wise King Solomon wrote, “In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, but he who restrains his lips is wise” (Prov. 10:19). Reflect & Pray Lord, help us bridle what we say And tend our conversations, Avoiding careless gossiping That murders reputations. —Sper Gossip ends at a wise person’s ears. Cutting Remarks There is one who speaks like the piercings of a sword, but the tongue of the wise promotes health. —Proverbs 12:18 Today's Scripture:Proverbs 12:17-22 The writer of Proverbs describes an unwise person as “one who speaks like the piercings of a sword” (12:18). Our tongues can be like a multi-bladed Swiss Army knife when it comes to the variety of ways that we cut and destroy each other. Unhealthy attitudes of anger, irritation, frustration, and impatience—even disappointment, stress, guilt, and insecurity—all contribute to our damaging speech. And as we cut with our words, we wound and divide friendships and relationships. It’s no wonder that the infamous list of seven things that are an abomination to the Lord includes anyone who “sows discord among brethren” (Prov. 6:16-19). How do we stay off that list? For starters, we need to watch what we say. Gossip and slander are out, and words that hurt instead of heal are not welcome. Boasting, lying, and all the rest of the ways we use words to hurt and divide need to be gone as well. In their place, words that extend love and the healing power of forgiveness, mercy, and truth should rule our words and relationships. After all, where would we be if Jesus hadn’t spoken words of forgiving love and grace to us? Reflect & Pray Lord, put a seal upon my lips, Help me to guard with care The things I say and swift repeat; O tongue of mine, beware! —Bosch Our words have the power to build up or tear down. Wise Words The tongue of the wise brings healing. —Proverbs 12:18 Today's Scripture & Insight: Proverbs 10:18-21; 12:17-19 What is the strongest muscle in the human body? Some say it’s the tongue, but it’s hard to determine which muscle is the most powerful because muscles don’t work alone. But we do know that the tongue is strong. For a small muscle, it can do a lot of damage. This active little muscular organ that helps us eat, swallow, taste, and begin digestion has a tendency to also assist us in saying things we shouldn’t. The tongue is guilty of flattery, cursing, lying, boasting, and harming others. And that’s just the short list. It sounds like a pretty dangerous muscle, doesn’t it? But here’s the good thing: It doesn’t have to be that way. When we are controlled by the Holy Spirit, our tongues can be turned to great good. We can speak of God’s righteousness (Ps. 35:28) and justice (37:30). We can speak truth (15:2), show love (1 John 3:18), and confess sin (1 John 1:9). Reflect & Pray Please guard each word we say so we reflect You and Your love. Help our tongues speak words of healing and not harm. Encourage one another and build each other up. 1 Thessalonians 5:11NIV The Silent Pen The fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. —James 3:18 Today's Scripture & Insight: James 3:1-12 Former US President Harry Truman had a rule: Any letters written in anger had to sit on his desk for 24 hours before they could be mailed. If at the end of that “cooling off” period, he still felt the same sentiments, he would send the letter. By the end of his life, Truman’s unmailed letters filled a large desk drawer. How often in this age of immediate communication would even 24 minutes of wise restraint spare us embarrassment! In his epistle, James addressed a universal theme in human history when he wrote about the damage an uncontrolled tongue can bring. “No man can tame the tongue,” he wrote. “It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison” (3:8). When we’re gossiping or speaking in anger, we find ourselves outside the lines of what God desires. Our tongues, our pens, and even our keyboards should more often fall silent with thanks in our hearts for the restraint God provides. All too often, when we speak we remind everyone of our brokenness as human beings. Reflect & Pray Help me, Lord, to use my words not to tear down others or build up my own reputation, but to seek the good of others first, and in so doing to serve You and Your kingdom. Whoever guards his mouth and tongue keeps his soul from troubles. —Proverbs 21:23 Zero Tolerance You shall not go about as a talebearer among your people. —Leviticus 19:16 Today's Scripture: Leviticus 19:11-18 When Shayla McKnight applied for a job for an online printing company, she was surprised to learn that they had a zero-tolerance policy for gossip. The employees are encouraged to confront one another, instead of gossip about their fellow employees. If employees are caught gossiping, they are reprimanded, and if they continue, they are fired. Long before this kind of policy was ever implemented by a company, God spoke of His own zero-tolerance policy for gossip and slander among His people (Lev. 19:16). Idle talk that foolishly or maliciously spreads rumors or facts about another person was forbidden. Solomon said that speaking badly of others could have disastrous effects. It betrays confidence (Prov. 11:13), separates close friends (16:28; 17:9), shames and saddles you with a bad reputation (25:9-10), and perpetually fuels the embers of a quarrel (26:20-22). People rarely can undo the damage their untrue words have done to a neighbor. Reflect & Pray Many things that others say Are not for us to tell; Help us, Lord, to watch our tongue— We need to guard it well. —Branon Destroy gossip by ignoring it. INCOMPATIBLE - A quote in Sports Illustrated magazine expresses a truth that we as people of faith sometimes neglect: "What counts most in creating a successful team is not how compatible its players are, but how they deal with incompatibility." When we don't get along with others, we are tern ted to ignore them and shove them aside. God calls us to take a different approach: "All of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another· love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this' (1 Peter 3:8-9+). Oswald Chambers reminds us in My Utmost For His Highest: "In the spiritual life, beware of walking according to natural affinities. Everyone has natural affinities; some people we like and others we do not like. We must never let those likes and dislikes rule in our Christian life. If we 'walk in the light,' (1 Jn 1:7+) as God is in the light, God will give us communion with people for whom we have no natural affinity." THINKING IT OVER Do you think unity is an unattainable goal? Read Developing The Art Of Gracious Disagreement The way to preserve the peace of the church is to promote the unity of it. James 4:12 There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is able to save and to destroy; but who are you who judge your neighbor? Amplified One only is the Lawgiver and Judge Who is able to save and to destroy [the One Who has the absolute power of life and death]. [But you] who are you that [you presume to] pass judgment on your neighbor? NET James 4:12 But there is only one who is lawgiver and judge– the one who is able to save and destroy. On the other hand, who are you to judge your neighbor? GNT James 4:12 εἷς ἐστιν [ὁ] νομοθέτης καὶ κριτὴς ὁ δυνάμενος σῶσαι καὶ ἀπολέσαι· σὺ δὲ τίς εἶ ὁ κρίνων τὸν πλησίον; NLT James 4:12 God alone, who gave the law, is the Judge. He alone has the power to save or to destroy. So what right do you have to judge your neighbor? KJV James 4:12 There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another? ESV James 4:12 There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor? ASV James 4:12 One only is the lawgiver and judge, even he who is able to save and to destroy: but who art thou that judgest thy neighbor? CSB James 4:12 There is one lawgiver and judge who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor? NIV James 4:12 There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you--who are you to judge your neighbor? NKJ James 4:12 There is one Lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy. Who are you to judge another? NRS James 4:12 There is one lawgiver and judge who is able to save and to destroy. So who, then, are you to judge your neighbor? YLT James 4:12 one is the lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy; thou -- who art thou that dost judge the other? NAB James 4:12 There is one lawgiver and judge who is able to save or to destroy. Who then are you to judge your neighbor? NJB James 4:12 There is only one lawgiver and he is the only judge and has the power to save or to destroy. Who are you to give a verdict on your neighbour? GWN James 4:12 There is only one teacher and judge. He is able to save or destroy you. So who are you to judge your neighbor? BBE James 4:12 There is only one judge and law-giver, even he who has the power of salvation and of destruction; but who are you to be your neighbour's judge? There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, Isa 33:22 the One who is able to save and to destroy: Mt 10:28 Lu 12:5 Heb 7:25 who are you who judge your neighbor: 1Sa 25:10 Job 38:2 Ro 2:1 9:20 14:4,13 James 4 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries GOD IS THE ONLY LAWGIVER AND JUDGE
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Cole has a good application of James 4:11-12 - What should you do if someone shares damaging or critical information about another person with you? Bill Gothard offers some helpful questions to ask. He points out that often the person with the evil report will test your spirit to detect if you’re open to hearing it. He may ask for your opinion of the person, or he may drop a negative comment about the person and watch your response. He may try to get your curiosity up by asking, “Have you heard about so-and-so?” He may pose as asking you for counsel on how to help this person, but you discover that he has no intention of helping the person. You may discover that he’s already shared the situation with many others that had no need to know. I find that sometimes I cannot stop the person before they share the judgmental information, but I try to ask at least the first question as soon as I can. The questions are: (1) What is your reason for telling me? If the only reason I need to know is so that I can pray, I probably don’t need to know. (2) Where did you get your information? If the person will not reveal his sources, he is probably spreading rumors or unreliable information. (3) Have you gone to those directly involved to seek to restore them? (4) Have you personally checked out all the facts? If he has not gone directly to those involved and has not checked out the facts, he isn’t interested in helping. If he really needs counsel on how to do it, he will not be asking for such help from several sources. I often say, “After you’ve gone to him, let me know how it went.” This holds him accountable. (5) Can I quote you if I check this out? If someone is spreading judgmental falsehoods or half-truths, he won’t want to be quoted! Setting yourself up as judge leads to conflict and broken relationships. Humbly submitting to God and His Word and obediently seeking to love and build up others leads to harmony and restored relationships. The next time you’re tempted to run down someone, remember James’ pointed question, “But who are you who judge your neighbor?” Judge yourself instead! (Sermon) James 4:13 Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit." Amplified Come now, you who say, Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a city and spend a year there and carry on our business and make money. NET James 4:13 Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go into this or that town and spend a year there and do business and make a profit." GNT James 4:13 Ἄγε νῦν οἱ λέγοντες, Σήμερον ἢ αὔριον πορευσόμεθα εἰς τήνδε τὴν πόλιν καὶ ποιήσομεν ἐκεῖ ἐνιαυτὸν καὶ ἐμπορευσόμεθα καὶ κερδήσομεν· NLT James 4:13 Look here, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit." KJV James 4:13 Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: ESV James 4:13 Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit"-- ASV James 4:13 Come now, ye that say, To-day or to-morrow we will go into this city, and spend a year there, and trade, and get gain: CSB James 4:13 Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will travel to such and such a city and spend a year there and do business and make a profit." NIV James 4:13 Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money." NKJ James 4:13 Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit"; NRS James 4:13 Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a town and spend a year there, doing business and making money." YLT James 4:13 Go, now, ye who are saying, 'To-day and to-morrow we will go on to such a city, and will pass there one year, and traffic, and make gain;' NAB James 4:13 Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we shall go into such and such a town, spend a year there doing business, and make a profit"-- NJB James 4:13 Well now, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow, we are off to this or that town; we are going to spend a year there, trading, and make some money.' GWN James 4:13 Pay attention to this! You're saying, "Today or tomorrow we will go into some city, stay there a year, conduct business, and make money." BBE James 4:13 How foolish it is to say, Today or tomorrow we will go into this town, and be there for a year and do business there and get wealth: me now, you who say: Jas 5:1 Ge 11:3,4,7 Ec 2:1 Isa 5:5 Today or tomorrow we will go: Pr 27:1 Isa 56:12 Lu 12:17-20 engage in business and make a profit: Isa 24:2 56:11 Eze 7:12 1Co 7:30 James 4 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries PRESUMPTUOUS PLAN IN PURSUIT OF PROFIT Come now - This is an interjection, a word which is defined as "an abrupt emphatic exclamation expressing emotion." Come is in the present imperative a command calling for the reader to give continual attention to what follows. It's important is the idea. James says in effect "Now listen," which Hiebert comments is "an arousing interjection implying disapproval, (and which) marks the transition to a new form of worldliness....The adverb now (nun) increases the sense of urgency." This was a common expression in everyday Greek but this is the only Biblical example. One writer calls it "the signal for an attack." Michael Andrus sums up James 4:13-16 - We play God with our own lives when we leave Him out of our plans. (When Christians Play God) Don Anderson entitles James 4:13-17 - "Develop Dependence on the Designer" (Notes) You who say - The present tense identifies these individuals as the ones continually saying this, so that this is typical of how they speak or characteristic of what they would be saying, speaking of individuals who habitually live without regard for God's will. In what follows James deals in essence with our short time on earth. We all think we have a "long" time left, but we never know what God has on His "Daytimer" exactly what James alludes to in the following passage! James is seeking to call all of us who follow Christ (including yours truly) away from a temporal view of life and unto an eternal view of life. THOUGHT - Dear reader, if you have fallen of living for this life more than for the life to come, then you need to watch this video by Francis Chan, one of the best illustrations I have ever seen regarding the brevity of our time on earth - Rope Illustration. Does this sobering truth motivate you to live with an eternal view ("Future Focus", which I like to call "Vertical Vision") like Jonathan Edwards America's greatest theologian who prayed “O Lord, please stamp eternity on my eyeballs!” Jonathan Edwards was saying that he DESIRED that every choice he made WOULD BE ASSESSED IN THE CONTEXT OF ITS POTENTIAL ETERNAL CONSEQUENCES. Dearly beloved, may that be our prayer also. Yes Lord, stamp eternity on our eyeballs. Amen Zodhiates on you who say (legontes) - The word used by James to express the way in which these merchants speak is légontes. There is another Greek word, laloúntes, which would indicate haphazard talking without necessary reasoning and thought. The Greek verb légō used by James comes from the noun lógos, which means “reason, intelligence.” Their talk is the result of careful planning and reasoning. The complaint which James has against such people is that they do such planning without asking God’s guidance and permission. Of course, it is good and necessary to plan, but God is highly displeased when we leave Him out of the picture. He is interested in all that we plan, say, and do. It is sinful not only to do things without submitting to God, but also to plan them without Him. If we keep Him out of our planning, He will leave us out of His planning. Our planning will lead to ultimate failure and tragedy, while His planning for our lives will lead to happiness and victory. Financial success does not necessarily lead to success and happiness in life. (Borrow Faith, Love, and Hope: An Exegetical Commentary on James) THOUGHT - What is sad is that it is so easy for us to fall into the trap of "doing our own thing" without giving even token deference to God and His good and acceptable and perfect will for our lives (Ro 12:2+). Bishop Beveridge in his discussion of the attributes of God (see Theological Works - Volume 1) has a wonderful illustration of God's Name, "I Am" which relates to this issue of doing our own thing. Beveridge says when God "speaks of Himself and His own eternal essence, He saith "I am that I am;"...He saith "I am."...“He does not say, I am their light, their guide, their strength, or tower, but only ‘I AM.’ He sets, as it were, His hands to a blank, that His people may write under it what they please that is good for them. And as if He should say, Are they weak? I am strength. Are they poor? I am riches. Are they in trouble? I am comfort. Are they sick? I am health. Are they dying? I am life. Have they nothing? I am all things. I am wisdom and power. I am justice and mercy. I am grace and goodness. I am glory, beauty, holiness, eminency, super-eminency, perfection, all-sufficiency, eternity. Jehovah, I am. Whatever is amiable in itself, or desirable unto them, that I am. Whatsoever is pure and holy, whatsoever is great or pleasant, whatsoever is good or needful to make men happy, that I am.” As you ponder Beveridge's vivid description of "I Am," you can see how tragic it is to leave Him out of our daily life (be it business as in the present context or whatever). We surely deprive ourselves of the joy and happiness in experiencing communion with and dependence on His Person and His Power. The famous missionary Hudson Taylor dare not leave God out of his daily activities writing "We cannot exhaust His fullness. The greater our need, the more we understand that He is inexhaustible in Himself, so we are able to draw from Him continually, and yet never able to fathom the fullness of His mighty love. What Bishop Beveridge says is quite true: “When God says, ‘I am that I am,’ He puts His hand to a blank, that His people may write under it what they please that is for their good.” Thanks be unto God that we can ask all we need (NOTE: needs not greeds!), even labourers for every county in China, believing He will do it for us exceeding abundantly (Eph 3:20+), for it is always the way with Him." (from a letter in Taylor's book "China's Millions.") “When God would teach mankind His name, He calls Himself the great, ‘I am,’ And leaves a blank; believers may Supply those things for which they pray.” Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit - Today or tomorrow reflects that they had it all planned out, except they left God out! Go to such and such a city identifies them as itinerant businessmen, which calls to mind the picture of a traveling salesmen or a "medicine man" of the old west. In any event what a presumptuous declaration they are making. They express an arrogant self confidence, glibly assuming the execution of their plans is totally in their hands! There is no mention of dependence on God or the uncertainty of life, including their own personal life. Not only do they presume their investment will be a winner (nothing is a sure winning investment other than one's faith in Jesus Christ!) but it assumes that there will be time for the investment to accrue a profit! Hiebert says "Behind it all James sees a reprehensible attitude." . (Hiebert's Commentaries – James) In a nutshell they refused to acknowledge that God is sovereign and they were not sovereign! Plans were not the problem. Profit was not the problem. The problem was planning to make a profit without acknowledgment of God's sovereignty. They were not only being presumptuous, but were arrogant and ultimately were foolish! They assumed they were in control and forgot only God is in Control (they should have listened to the Twila Paris' song) They need to acknowledge the Lord's will in what they were doing (James 4:15). PLAN VERSUS PRESUMPTION - Mike Andrus has a helpful discussion of the difference between plan and presumption. For the full discussion of each of the 4 bullet points below see his full sermon When Christians Play God When James denounces those who develop detailed schedules for their lives, he is not suggesting that planning is ungodly. What he is condemning is the arrogant attitude that presumes upon the future and leaves God out of the plans. Again I think it is important that we define terms, for neither of these words, “planning” or “presumption”, is found in this passage, but the concepts are there. I would offer these simple definitions. A plan is a flexible, detailed design for action based on careful consideration of all the facts. Presumption, on the other hand, is a superficial design for action built on partial knowledge, inadequate objectives, and questionable motives. James denounces presumption in no uncertain terms. Here are some biblical distinctions I see between these two concepts. Planning recognizes the uncertainties in life; presumption ignores them.... Planning recognizes the brevity of life; presumption ignores it.... Planning considers the will of God; presumption ignores it.... Planning is rational and humble; presumption is irrational and boastful. None of us knows if we have tomorrow, much less a year from tomorrow! James will correct this aberrant mindset in the next verse. Adam Clarke on such and such a city - This was the custom of those ancient times; they traded from city to city, carrying their goods on the backs of camels. The Jews traded thus to Tyre, Sidon, Caesarea, Crete, Ephesus, Philippi, Thessalonica, Corinth, Rome, &c. And it is to this kind of itinerant mercantile life that St. James alludes.” (James 4 Commentary)
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Cole says "James is not giving a trite formula that we need to tack onto every sentence." James is giving us a mindset that needs to permeate all of life. We need continually to be aware of our finiteness and dependence on God and His sovereign purpose in every aspect of life. Sometimes we should say, “if the Lord wills,” but even if we don’t say it, we should think it. Lord (2962)(kurios from kuros = might or power, related to kuroo = to give authority) primarily means the possessor, owner, master, the supreme one, one who is sovereign (used this way of Roman emperors - Act 25:26+) and possesses absolute authority, absolute ownership and uncontested power. Wills (2309)(thelo) primarily refers to exercising of one's will with the underlying sense of to be willing, to desire, to want or to wish (in Jn 15:7 in context of prayer). To apply oneself to something (or to will). Thelo "expresses not simply a desire, but a determined and constant exercise of the will." (W E Vine) Kent
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Cole comments that "this verse applies to all areas of the Christian life pertaining to what are called “sins of omission.” We all tend to focus on sins where we have violated some direct command of God. Perhaps we stole something in violation of God’s command not to steal. Or, we lied in violation of God’s command to tell the truth. Or we got angry in violation of God’s commands against anger. But, we also sin when we fail to do something positive that God has commanded us to do. He commands us to love our neighbor as ourselves. We violate that command when we hate our neighbor, of course. But we also violate it when we ignore our neighbor and live selfishly. In the final judgment, Jesus condemns those who did not help the poor and the needy (Matt. 25:41-44). Their sin was not that they actively abused these people. Rather, they just ignored them while they pursued their own pleasure or personal goals (see also, Luke 10:25-37; 16:19-31). Obviously, we can’t all do everything or there simply wouldn’t be enough hours in the day. But it does seem that in most local churches, about 20 percent of the people do about 80 percent of the work, while the 80 percent of the people sit around doing nothing. If you are a Christian, it is not enough just to avoid sinning. God has given you a spiritual gift and He calls you to serve Him in some capacity. To know this and to neglect to get involved in serving is sin. Ministry is first a mindset and only secondarily an activity. If you come to church just to sit and take in whatever seems to grab you, or to meet with your friends, you do not have a ministry mindset. You are just using the church to meet your needs, with no regard of how God wants to use you. You’re a religious consumer, but you’re not doing what God calls every believer to do. A ministry mindset means that every day you pray, “Lord, here I am, ready to do your will. Give me eyes to see people as Jesus sees them, like sheep without a shepherd (Matt. 9:36-38). Give me a heart of compassion as Jesus has, to love those who are distressed or downcast. Use me today as a worker in Your harvest, for Your sovereign purposes.” By the way, you begin to serve God in your home! Now you know that God wants you to serve Him (Matt. 6:33). Not to live that way is sin. (Sermon) Related Resources: What is a sin of omission? What is a sin of commission? = "A sin of commission is a sin we take action to commit, whether in thought, word, or deed." (click for full discussion) Right (2570)(kalos) describes that which is inherently excellent or intrinsically good, providing some special or superior benefit. Kalos is good with emphasis on that which is beautiful, handsome, excellent, surpassing, precious, commendable, admirable. Do (4160)(poieo) in this context means to carry out, to accomplish. The present tense speaks of habitual practice. James alluded to this idea of doing what one knows is right earlier in James 1:22+ writing "prove (present imperative) yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves." Sin (266)(hamartia) literally conveys the idea of missing the mark as when hunting with a bow and arrow (in Homer some hundred times of a warrior hurling his spear but missing his foe). Later hamartia came to mean missing or falling short of any goal, standard, or purpose. Hamartia in the Bible signifies a departure from God's holy, perfect standard of what is right in word or deed (righteous). It pictures the idea of missing His appointed goal (His will) which results in a deviation from what is pleasing to Him. In short, sin is conceived as a missing the true end and scope of our lives, which is the Triune God Himself. As Martin Luther put it "Sin is essentially a departure from God." Jamieson, Faussett, Brown - The general principle illustrated by the particular example just discussed is here stated: knowledge without practice is imputed to a man as great and presumptuous sin. James reverts to the principle with which he started. Nothing more injures the soul than wasted impressions. Feelings exhaust themselves and evaporate, if not embodied in practice. As we will not act except we feel, so if we will not act out our feelings, we shall soon cease to feel. (James 4 Commentary) Constable makes an interesting observation - Note that the verse that concludes each section of James' epistle, each chapter, is a proverbial statement. It summarizes James' point in the preceding section and states it in a pithy way that is easy to remember. (James 4 Expository Notes) Related Resources: Will of God - extensive notes How can I know God's will for my life? What does the Bible say about knowing God's will? What is the difference between God’s sovereign will and God’s revealed will? What is the key to hearing God’s voice? Does God have a plan for me? Don Anderson sums up this section We would do well to develop dependence on the Designer. His ways are best because He knows the end from the beginning. MATURITY IS REFLECTED BY YOUR DEPENDENCE. HAVE YOU LEARNED TO TRUST GOD? Lead kindly light amid encircling gloom. Lead thou me on, the night is dark and I am far from home. Lead thou me on. Keep my feet, I do not ask to see t he distant scene. One step is enough for me. Steven Cole has a pithy but practical conclusion in light of what James has said in James 4:13-17- In view of the fact that life is a vapor, that God is sovereign, that pride is a constant battle, and that humble obedience to God’s will is the only sane course, I would counsel you to do this: Think about what God wants your life to look like on your deathbed. What will you have accomplished that matters in light of eternity? In view of God’s purpose for your life, write out a single-sentence personal mission statement. Here is mine: To glorify God by being a godly husband and father, and by using my gift of pastor-teacher for the building up of the body of Christ and the furtherance of the gospel. Yours will vary depending on how God has gifted you. Then write out some personal lifetime goals that will help you fulfill your mission statement. These may include things like your daily walk with Christ; personal holiness in thought, word, and deed; your responsibilities as a godly spouse or parent, etc. Think through some short-term personal goals in various areas where you need to grow. Perhaps spiritually, the goal would be to spend at least 20 minutes each morning in the Word and prayer, and to work on memorizing at least one verse each week. In your marriage, the goal may be to schedule a half-hour daily to sit down and talk as a couple, or two evenings each month to go out for a date. Financially, perhaps you need to set goals to get out of debt, to live within your budget, and to give faithfully to the Lord’s work. Personally, maybe the goal is to eat nutritional food and to exercise vigorously for a half-hour at least five days per week. These are just examples; your personal goals will vary. But write them down. Then, review them periodically and adjust as the Lord leads. The aim is to number your days so as to present to the Lord a heart of wisdom (Ps. 90:12). You know that you ought to do these things. James says that if you don’t do them, to you it is sin. (James 4:13-17 Life is a Vapor) Failing To Do Right To him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin. —James 4:17 Today's Scripture: James 4:13-17 In his book Eight Men Out, Eliot Asinof records the events surrounding the notorious “Black Sox” scandal of 1919. Eight members of the Chicago White Sox baseball club were accused of taking bribes from gamblers in exchange for intentionally losing the World Series. Although they were never convicted in a court of law, all eight were banned from baseball for life. But one of those players, Buck Weaver, claimed that he had played to win despite knowing about the conspiracy. Though Weaver’s performance on the field supported his contention, baseball commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis ruled that any player who had knowledge of the scandal, yet chose not to stop it, would still be banned. Weaver was not punished for doing wrong, but for failing to do right. In his letter to the first-century church, James wrote, “To him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin” (4:17). In a world filled with evil and darkness, followers of Christ have the opportunity to shine their light. That often means we must resist the urge to do nothing. Heavenly Father, help me to honor You throughout my life by being a light in this dark world. May it never be said of me that I failed to do what I knew to be good, just, and right. Amen. The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing. —Edmund Burke We Know To him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin. —James 4:17 Today's Scripture: Luke 12:41-48 My son Steve knows his “floppy hat” is reserved for life’s most informal times. This hat, which would look good on a fisherman by the lake, is not to be worn to church or school. So, when he grabbed it one morning on his way out of the house to catch the school bus, he knew he was breaking a rule. Parents understand these kinds of battles. We recognize that our children will test our rules, and we are not surprised when they challenge us. They know they aren’t supposed to watch certain TV programs or stay out too late or use a disrespectful tone of voice or fight with a sibling. Yet they still do. This is not unlike the attitude we sometimes take with our heavenly Father. We know what is right and wrong (Jas. 4:17). We’ve read the Bible. We’ve sensed in our hearts the conviction of the Holy Spirit. We know. Yet we test God. We know it’s wrong to speak disparagingly of others. We know it’s not right to neglect those in need. We know we should witness to our neighbor. We know we should pray. We know that when the Lord returns we should be faithfully serving and obeying Him (Lk. 12:42-43). We know! "We love You, Lord Jesus," we often may say, But are we as ready His will to obey? Let's heed what God's Spirit has told us to do, For that's how we show Him a love that is true. —DJD One step forward in obedience is worth years of study about it. —Chambers CHALMERS - Thousands of men pass off the stage of life, and are heard of no more. Why? They do not partake of good in the world, and none were blessed by them; none could point to them as the means of their redemption; not a line they wrote, not a word they spake, could be recalled; and so they perished: Their light went out in darkness, and they were not remembered more than insects of yesterday. Will you thus live and die, O man immortal? Live for something. Do good, and leave behind you a monument of virtue that the storm of time can never destroy. Write your name in kindness, love, and mercy, on the hearts of thousands you come in contact with year by year: you will never be forgotten. No! your name, your deeds, will be as legible on the hearts you, leave behind you as the stars on the brow of evening. Good deeds will shine as the stars of heaven (cf Da 12:3+). When we talk about sin, we usually refer to the bad things people do—lying, stealing, blasphemy, killing, etc. We sometimes forget that we can also sin by the things we don’t do. These are sins of omission, and though they are more subtle, they are just as harmful. James reminds us that sin is not just doing the wrong things; it also includes not doing the right things. God will lead you to share your faith, to help someone in need, or to forgive someone who has hurt you. If you refuse, you are sinning. If you delay, you are sinning. You may assume that you are living a blameless life because you don’t steal, lie, or cheat others. But if you’ve neglected to do the things you know God has told you, you have sinned just the same. God wants to use each of us to be a blessing to others. We’ll never know, this side of heaven, how our obedience can benefit someone else. It’s easier for us to see the harm done by blatant sins like gossip, stealing, or murder. Less obvious is knowing what could have been if only we had responded to God’s prompting to get involved where he is at work. When we refuse to obey God, we rob someone else, as well as ourselves, of God’s blessing. Are you aware of some things God wants you to do? What is holding you back from obeying him today? (Henry Blackaby) James Smith - WHAT IS SIN? JAMES 2:9; 4:17 What a simple question! Yet how it floors many. Mark you, the question is not: “What do men say sin is,” but, “What saith the Scriptures?” Give the very words of the Bible. There are seven definitions of sin in the Book—two given by James, two by John, one by Paul, and two by Solomon. 1. Stepping Over, or breaking the Law of God (1 John 3:4). II. Coming Short of the requirements of the Law (1 John 5:17). III. Not Living Up to the Light God has already given to us (James 4:17). IV. We Can Sin in Thought as well as by actions (Prov. 24:9). V. We Sin when we do Things we are Doubtful about (Rom. 14:23). VI. Sin Viewed as Pride and Vanity, and the performance of legitimate and indeed essential things, such as ploughing, with a wrong motive (Prov. 21:4). VII. Respect of Persons (James 2:9). Claude Stauffer - In chapter one of the epistle of James we saw that you can't trust an untested faith. For faith to be trustworthy it must be tested (1:1-8). Then from James 1:9 onward we have been considering the examples of a trustworthy given by James such as: ·Trustworthy faith has a proper perspective on worldly wealth - 1:9-11 ·Trustworthy faith endures temptation successfully - 1:12-15 ·Trustworthy faith knows every good and perfect thing in life is from God - 1:16-18 ·Trustworthy faith is self-controlled - 1:19-20 ·Trustworthy faith applies the word of God to life - 1:21-25 ·Trustworthy faith has pure and undefiled religion - 1:26-27 ·Trustworthy faith is fair to all and unprejudiced - 2:1-13 ·Trustworthy faith is evidenced in tangible works - 2:14-26 ·Trustworthy faith controls it's words - 3:1-12 ·Trustworthy faith relies on heavenly wisdom - 3:13-18
Tiago 4:4
Cole comments that James is saying that if you know Christ, you are married to Him. Just as marital adultery is serious sin, even more so spiritual adultery is serious sin...James draws the line in the sand (Jas 4:4): “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.” Take your pick: Are you married to God or to the world? Can you imagine a couple that gets married, and a month later the husband tells his wife, “I’m going out tonight with my old girlfriend”? “I love you, but I want to keep in touch with her, too!” Needless to say, that marriage is in big trouble! When you get married, you vow to forsake all others and be devoted exclusively to your spouse. In the same way, when you come to Christ as Savior and Lord, you say goodbye to the world. It used to be your companion and friend. You spent many hours running with it. But you can’t bring it into your marriage to Jesus Christ. He brooks no rivals. You are either friends with the world and an enemy of God, or friends with God and an enemy of the world. And how frightening to make yourself the enemy of the living God!... As John
Tiago 4:4
Cole commenting on the Gospel of John notes that "another key symbolic word is world, which occurs 78 times in John. John 1:10 states, “He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him.” In the first two uses, it refers to the earth and all that is in it, including the people. But in the third instance, it carries the nuance of sinful people who rejected Jesus. These people are under the dominion of Satan, “the ruler of this world” (John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11). In this sense, the world hates both Jesus and His disciples (John 7:7; 15:18; 16:20). World can also refer to the people of the world in general, as when John states (John 3:16) that “God so loved the world,” or when the Pharisees express their frustration (John 12:19), “the world has gone after Him.” Jesus asks the Father (John 17:15) not to take His followers “out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one,” adding (John 17:16), “They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.” (Nature and Purpose of John's Gospel) Robert Law = God lays down one program of life for his children; the world proposes another and totally incompatible program for its servants. So love for the one excludes love for the other. John Henry Jowett = Defines a related term which reflects the influence of the fallen world (even on believers!). 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'. Lange = (The world signifies) befriending and alliance with an ungodly world (Jas 1:27+; cf. 1Jn 2:15+), not merely inclination to worldly goods (Theile and al.), nor worldly desires (Laurentius), nor both of these together (de Wette). The world is personified in this antithesis; it is idolatry depicted as a whole, the vanity of mankind deifying itself and deified (i.e., ungodliness showing itself in its propensity for the impersonal) connected with the whole visible world frustrated by it. Andrew
Tiago 4:6
Cole comments that as we study James 4:6-10, we need to… Keep in mind that the overall context is about resolving conflicts in the church (or home). Here James zeroes in on God’s way of conflict resolution, which deals with our hearts before Him. Conflict with God is often behind conflicts with others. First and foremost in any conflict, we must get right with God (Sermon) Roy Gingrich summarizes the context of James 4 as follows… If we are living for lust gratification (Jas 4:1NLT, Jas 4:2NLT, Jas 4:3NLT), then we cultivate friendship with the world for the world furnishes us with the pleasures which (temporarily) gratify our lusts (“the world” is the present kosmos, which is under the headship of Satan, 2Co 4:4) If we cultivate the friendship of the world (Jas 4:4-note), we do four things: (1) We make ourselves to be spiritual adulterers. The church is the Bride of Christ, 2Co 11:2. Just as all unfaithfulness to Jehovah by Israel was called adultery, Jer 3:8, even so all unfaithfulness to Christ by the church is called adultery; (2) we make ourselves to be the enemies of God. The world is God’s enemy, Jn 15:18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24. If we love the world and court the friendship of the world (cp 1Jn 2:15, 16, 17), we have joined the ranks of God’s enemies and have made ourselves the enemies of God; (3) we make ourselves to be the objects of God’s jealousy. The Scripture does not speak in vain when it says “The Spirit which He made to dwell within us yearns over us jealousy.” God is jealous when He sees the affections of His people set on anything other than Himself; and (4) we make ourselves to be the objects of God’s resistance (Jas 4:6 "opposes the proud"). God asks us to do the difficult thing of being faithful to Himself in the midst of this world’s allurements and attractions. If we remain humble and obedient before Him. He gives us grace ("greater grace") to be faithful to Himself but if we become proud and rebellious before Him, He resists (opposes) us that He might turn us back to humility, obedience, and faithfulness to Himself (see Jas 4:7, 8, 9, 10). (Gingrich, R. E. The Book of James. Memphis, TN.: Riverside Printing) (from Roy Gingrich’s Commentaries in Outline Form 100 Volumes) Henry
Tiago 4:6
Cole explains that… Some (KJV, NIV) translate the verse, “The spirit which He has made to dwell in us lusts with envy.” In this sense, the verse is warning against the propensity of the fallen human spirit towards the sin of envy. In favor of this view is that the word translated “envy” is never used elsewhere of God. Others (NASB) translate, “He [God] jealously desires the Spirit which He has made to dwell in us.” A variation of this translation takes “spirit” to refer to the human spirit, not to the Holy Spirit (James has no other references to the Holy Spirit). In this translation, James is referring to God’s holy jealousy for His people. The Greek grammar and the context argue in favor of this view (Douglas Moo) In Jas 4:4-note, James has warned against spiritual adultery. Jas 4:5 would naturally, then, refer to God’s holy jealousy as our Husband, which yearns for our faithfulness in our spirits to Him… So as I understand Jas 4:5, James is saying that we must give total allegiance to God. He is a righteously jealous Husband who tolerates no rivals (2Co 11:2). We cannot dally with sin and follow Christ, too. We cannot live for self and yet make claim of being Christians. We cannot claim to be the bride of Christ and then run to the worldly “man next door” for comfort in our trials and counsel with our problems. James is saying that if we are having conflicts in our relationships, the place to begin is to turn from all spiritual adultery and be exclusively devoted to God. Living for self and seeking pleasure apart from God is to commit spiritual adultery. The flow of thought between Jas 4:5 and Jas 4:6 is, “If God’s demand of absolute fidelity seems impossible, know that with the demand He gives the grace to obey it.” In fact, He gives “greater grace” than we need (cp Ro 5:20-note). But, we need to understand (here James cites Pr 3:34) that God does not give grace to the proud, self-reliant, self-righteous person. He opposes the proud. Rather, He gives grace to the humble, who admit that they are empty and ask God to fill them. As Psalm 107:9 (note) puts it, “For He has satisfied the thirsty soul, and the hungry soul He has filled with what is good.” If you have drifted from God into any form of spiritual adultery, don’t miss James’ words, “He gives a greater grace.” You may be thinking, “But you don’t know what I’ve done!” True, but God does, and His Word plainly states, “He gives a greater grace.” As we often sing, it is “grace greater than all our sins.” And, it is grace greater than all of our trials and burdens. It draws us to the Lord Jesus Himself as our all in all. (Full Sermon Text) Annie Johnson Flint wrote, He giveth more grace when the burdens grow greater; He sendeth more strength when the labors increase. To added affliction He addeth His mercy; To multiplied trials, His multiplied peace. When we have exhausted our store of endurance, When our strength has failed ere the day is half done, When we reach the end of our hoarded resources, Our Father’s full giving is only begun. His love has no limit; His grace has no measure; His power has no boundary known unto men. For out of His infinite riches in Jesus, He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again! (He Giveth More Grace) If you’re in conflict in any relationship, consider the shocking possibility that you’re living for self, which is the essence of worldliness. Turn from such spiritual adultery, humble yourself and entreat God’s grace. As Paul said when addressing the conflicts between Jews and Gentiles, “For He Himself is our peace” (Eph 2:14-note). Let Christ be your peace in conflict! The God who says, 'Here is My grace to receive' says in the same breath, 'here are My commands to obey'" (Motyer, J. A. The Message of James: The Tests of Faith. The Bible Speaks Today) (Ed: Referring to the 10 commands in Jas 4:7-10) John MacArthur… Despite the natural, unbelieving, worldly hearts of men, God nevertheless gives greater grace; but He does not give it to His proud and ungodly enemies… “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” In other words, if a person is consumed with worldly lusts, desires, ambitions, pride, and love, he has no claim on this greater grace. (Macarthur J. James. Moody) Kistemaker… Sixteenth-century German theologian Zacharias Ursinus considered whether he was able to comply with what God required of him. He concluded, “No. I have a natural tendency to hate God and my neighbor.” The spirit of man longs for the pleasures of this world and perversely seeks its friendship. Is there no hope, then? Certainly! Note the contrast with the adversative but in the next sentence (Jas 4:6). “But [God] gives us more grace.” God comes to us in the redeeming love of his Son, who is full of grace. “From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another,” writes John in the prologue of his Gospel (Ro 1:16-note). (Kistemaker, S. J., & Hendriksen, W. Vol. 14: New Testament commentary : Exposition of James and the Epistles of John. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House) Jamieson… ever increasing grace; the farther ye depart from "envy" [BENGEL]. Phillips paraphrases it… No, he gives us grace potent enough to meet this and every other evil spirit, A T Robertson quoting Ropes says "Greater grace in view of the greater requirement" (Ropes), like Ro 5:20-note. God does this. Dave Roper commenting on greater grace says… That is the kind of heavenly husband we have. When we have gone the world's way and have become adulterous he pours his grace out to us. And the rest of this passage, from verse 6 through verse 10, is an account of how we can receive that grace. He gives a grace—a gift greater than you can receive by pursuing your passions on you own—a grace greater than the world can give, a grace greater than any other resource. He wants to give, and give, and give. That is the kind of Lord we have. He does not want to withhold one good thing from you or from me. He wants us to have everything good, worthwhile, valuable, proper, and constructive. And he will give it. So why do we seek it apart from God?—because we want it according to our time schedule. We want it now. So we trample over people, and engage in arguments and conflict with people because we want it now. God says, ‘‘Wait. I will give it to you. Ask me, and I will give you the desires of you heart.” (HOW TO HANDLE STRIFE) Phil Newton explains that… Here is the promise of grace for our need. The world may pull but God gives grace to resist: in our daily need he gives daily grace, in our sudden need he gives sudden grace, in our overwhelming need he gives overwhelming grace. Grace stands "greater" that all that opposes us. An art gallery was sent a painting of Niagara Falls shortly before it was to open. With no title to the work the gallery gave it a name, "More to follow." That aptly describes the abundance of God's grace given to us: there is always more to follow (Kent Hughes, Faith that Works, 179). (Walking By Grace - James 4:6-10) John Gill… "greater grace"; than the world can give, whose friendship is courted by men; the least measure of grace, of faith, and hope, and love, and of a spiritual knowledge of Christ, and interest in him, and of peace, joy, and comfort, is more worth than all the world, and everything in it: or greater grace, more favors than the saints are able to ask or think; so Solomon had more favours given him than he could think of asking for: or greater grace, and larger measures of it, even of spiritual light and knowledge, under the Gospel dispensation, than under the former dispensation; or where God bestows gifts qualifying for service and usefulness, and these are made use of and employed for such purposes, he gives more: or this may refer to internal grace wrought by the Spirit of God, in the hearts of his people; more of which he may be said to give, when he causes it to abound, as to its acts and exercises; when faith grows exceedingly, hope revives, and is lively, and abounds through his power and influence, and love to God and Christ, and one another, abounds yet more and more; when there is a growth in every grace, and in the knowledge of Christ Jesus, so that this grace becomes a well of living waters, springing up into eternal life, which at last will have its perfection in glory: Regarding greater grace, Hiebert asks… Greater than what? Johnstone thinks the comparative indicates that God's grace is "greater than the strength of depravity, greater than the power of the spirit of darkness, from whom temptations to envy and all forms of worldliness come. "Mitton suggests that the comparative may be loosely used to mean "more and more grace" or "abundant grace." But the expression seems to point to a comparison with some other measure of grace. Perhaps the thought is that because of their worldliness, God graciously works in their lives so that they actually experience a greater measure of His grace than they would otherwise have been conscious of. "Where sin abounded, grace did abound more exceedingly" (Ro 5:20b). "God's desire to forgive is a precept upon which his [James's] whole book is based (Jas 5:19,20)." Grace here seems to suggest the thought of God's "gracious gift" of help (cf. Heb 4:16-note). It may be understood in a very concrete sense as the practical equivalent of His power. His grace works in them the desire and ability to surrender completely to God's love and to serve Him with their whole heart. This brief statement has been called "one of the mostly comforting verses in Scripture. (D Edmond Hiebert - James - Highly Recommended Commentary - Any commentary written by Hiebert is excellent!) Constable… God has set a high standard of wholehearted love and devotion for His people, but He gives grace that is greater than His rigorous demand. Tony Evans has some practical thoughts on "greater grace" which he explains as… This is the grace we need to live victorious lives as believers. James is talking about grace that is greater than the mess you may be in right now. It doesn’t matter how big the mess is or what you’ve been through, the grace that is available to you in Christ is bigger than your mess. (Evans, A. T. (1998). The Battle is the Lord's: Chicago, Ill.: Moody Press) Guzik… He gives more grace: The same Holy Spirit convicting us of our compromise will also grant us the grace to serve God as we should. But this grace only comes to the humble. Therefore it says, "GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD: dio legei, (3SPAI) O theos huperephanois antitassetai, (3SPMI): God opposes pride - Exodus 10:3,4; 15:9,10; 18:11; 1Samuel 2:3; Job 22:29; 40:10, 11, 12; Psalms 138:6; Proverbs 3:34; 6:16,17; 29:23; Isaiah 2:11,12,17; 10:8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14; 16:6,7; Daniel 4:37; Daniel 5:20, 21, 22, 23; Matthew 23:12; Luke 1:52; 14:11; 18:14; 1Peter 5:5 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 Here are some of the parallel cross references… Pr 6:16 — There are six things which the LORD hates, Yes, seven which are an abomination to Him: 17 — Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, Pr 29:23 — A man's pride will bring him low, but a humble spirit will obtain honor. Ps 138:6 For though the LORD is exalted, yet He regards the lowly (tapeinos = same word in Jas 4:6); but the haughty (Lxx = hupselos = literally = lofty, fig = arrogant, proud) He knows from afar.
Tiago 4:8
Cole writes that when James commands us to draw near, he is not saying… that God is waiting for sinners to make the first move toward Him, and then He will respond. Not only does that run counter to all of Scripture, it also runs counter to this verse, which is God commanding us to draw near to Him! Jesus said, “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him” (Jn 6:44+). In case we missed it, He repeated, “For this reason I have said to you, that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted him from the Father” (Jn 6:65+). God always makes the first move toward us… these words in James are written primarily to believers. It is easy even for believers to drift away from the Lord. James’ point is, “Guess who moved?” It wasn’t God! If you’re engaging in continuing quarrels and conflicts (Jas 4:1+), you are not close to God. You’ve drifted. He is calling you to draw near to Him, with the promise that He is ready and waiting to draw near to you. The thought of not enjoying sweet fellowship with our loving Lord should move you to clear up whatever stands between you and Him. You cannot be close to God at the same time that you’re angry or bitter toward someone else. That’s why immediately after teaching how serious the sin of anger is, Jesus said (Mt 5:23,24+), “Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering.” You can’t draw near to God until you first clear up, as much as it is in your power, any relational difficulties. If you think that you’re close to God, but you’re angry and bitter, you’re deceiving yourself! Submit to God; draw near to God. (James 4:7-10 Resolving Conflicts God's Way) Arthur