Few of us forget the grace of God in the salvation of our souls, but how many of us experience the grace of God in our Christian lives? What does grace in the Christian life look like?
If you are like me, you have no doubt heard James 4:7-8 before many times. "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you . . ." This is an important passage, but even more so including the entire context of the chapter.
Chapter 4 opens calling for Christians to not fight or quarrel because the origin of these actions is from selfish desire and lusts. (v.1-3). He then states that you do not receive the things you want because you either don't pray about it, or when you pray, you are praying according to your desires (v.4) Basically, you bring your conclusions and your will to the Lord and then ask Him to bless your actions. James then calls these Christians "adulterers and adulteresses" because we are violating the purity of our marriage to Christ since the church is the bride of Christ. He reminds us that we are enemies of Christ if we love the things of the world (v. 4)
In v. 6 we find out about grace. " . . . God RESISTETH the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble." When we fight to fulfill selfish desires and our own will, the Holy Spirit is not allowed to inhabit us fully. He's there, but we push Him deep inside. We push, hurt others, and move forward fearlessly in our own power to accomplish what we have set out to do. All the while, we miss out on the grace of our Lord.
Maybe you're like me and haven't fully understood what the grace of the Lord to the Christian is! In AWANA (children's Bible program), I learned that grace is "God giving me a gift I don't deserve" which is correct. Salvation alone is evidence of God's free gift to us. Sometimes, however, we forget about grace once we become Christians. We go on with life as usual never allowing the Holy Spirit to consume us so that we can experience the grace of God. While listening to a sermon a couple of weeks ago, the pastor defined grace as, "God allowing me to be part of the furthering of the gospel."
What does grace look like? He was using the example of Mary when Gabriel came and told her she would have Jesus. In Luke 1, Gabriel says, " . . . Hail thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee; blessed are thou among women. "(v.28) In v. 38, Mary responds, ". . . Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word . . ." Mary was about to face the biggest challenge of her life. She lived in a society that would persecute and exclude her completely for being pregnant outside of marriage. She was engaged to a man that she didn't know for sure would stay with her when she told him about her pregnancy. Imagine her having to tell her parents this news! Mary had no easy road ahead of her and she ended up having Jesus in a barn! I don't know about you, but that just didn't sound like someone that was "highly favoured" to me! The point I missed was that God's grace will include suffering, and grace can be given to any ordinary person that is humbled before God. The point of God's grace is that I can be included in bringing glory to God by furthering His gospel and seeing souls saved and the world changed! As a result of her total commitment to God, Mary was the mother of Jesus Christ our Savior! That is grace!
I don't know about you, but I want to be as close to God as possible to experience this grace! When we think of drawing near to the Lord, some translations use the words come near, but according to my study, a more proper understanding of the meaning of "drawing nigh" is found in Hosea 12: 6 "Therefore turn thou to thy God:keep mercy and judgment, and wait on thy God continually." The waiting on God is what the drawing near is referring to. And isn't it in our time of struggle that we are closest to God? We learn to depend and trust in God alone for our strength. (Zondervan Illustrated Bible Background Commentary) So what are the steps to drawing near to God?
1. Submit yourself to God (v.7) We must follow Him and His will for our lives. He should lead us in our steps- not us bring our will and our ambition to Him for approval.
2. Resist the Devil (v.7) We must realize that we have a sin nature and that God alone has the power to keep us strong in the face of temptation. God has already defeated satan, and the Holy Spirit that has that power lives in us!
3. Cleanse your hands and purify your hearts (v.8)Hands are part of the outward appearance while the heart is part of our inner soul. Our actions must be practically pure- this is always the foundation. What we put in our bodies, what we see with our eyes, how we speak to others, etc. is a manifestation of how pure our hearts are. Beg God to purify your heart and your hands will be cleansed.
4. Be afflicted, mourn, and weep (v.9) We should be genuinely sorrowful over our sin and seek true repentance which includes actions that point in the opposite direction.
5. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord (v.10) This never means to demean yourself. This means that you must realize that your identity and worth comes from your Creator. He is your Lord and Savior and so we must remember our relation to Him as our Lord.
(Partially taken from Life Application Study Bible)
James concludes by reminding us that our words are so important and that none of us has the promise of tomorrow. We are not invincible, and we should not take what we have for granted. James reminds us that our lives are like a "vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. (v.14)" We should live everyday to glorify the Lord because we have no promise of tomorrow. Our lives are so short in relation to eternity, so let's ask God to fill us up and help us to glorify Him and Him alone every day! James concludes by saying, "Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin." (v. 17) Just a reminder here, when God calls us to do something like loving our neighbor, it's not enough to refrain from fighting with them. We must be proactive in showing the love of Christ to our neighbor.
The grace of God is the privilege waiting for us and "great and mighty things which we know not" are the result! Surrender and experience the grace of God on a regular basis!
Wednesday, December 16, 2015
Wednesday, December 9, 2015
Wisdom and the Tongue
It takes one spark to light a fire, one match, one candle. It doesn't take much and paramount destruction is the result. At the end of James 2, James concludes that "faith . . . if it hath not works, is dead." The statement here refers to the fact that good works should be a natural reaction to a growing faith in the Lord, and does NOT recommend works-based salvation. You were saved by faith, and good works is a natural outpouring of that. Just like an apple tree produces apples-it can't produce anything else. On the heels of this statement, James turns to a more practical subject in chapter 3. That of the tongue- more specifically our mind that controls the actions of our tongue.
James 3:2 " . . . If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect [holy] man, and able also to bridle the whole body."
James 3: 6 " And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity; so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell."
James compares the strength of our words to a ship's rudder or a bit in a horse's mouth (v.3-4). They are both such small objects that bring a huge object under submission in an instant! (see picture below)
Wow! That's some strong language! We all know it's true. Think about a gossip-how many times does a gossip cause someone to judge others based on lies all by using his/her mouth? Think about a complainer- how many times do we find ourselves in a foul mood complaining after listening to this person do it with their mouth for an hour. Think about a heated argument- How many times have you said something that you instantly regretted and ruined a relationship that had taken years to grow?
If we are to be like Christ, how can we spew blessing and cursing out of our mouths at the same time (v. 10)?. According to the Expositor's Bible Commentary, "We use the same instrument to 'praise our Lord and Father' and to 'curse men.' " But praising God and cursing men is tantamount [virtually the same as] . . . praising and cursing the same person for in v.9 James describes man as 'made in God's
likeness' ['made after the similitude of God' in KJV]. "
Let's face it-our mouth can do a world of hurt in an instant. But what controls our mouth? It's a choice to speak made by our mind. We dwell and think on these things and then our hateful statement comes out. That's why James says our mind defiles our whole body and like that old saying goes, "What's down in the well will come up in the bucket!" So we need to ask God to clean our water so that when our buckets come up its' clean! While the next section, which touches on genuine wisdom, is separated by paragraph, we find the answer we're seeking for.
James 3: 13-18
13 Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.
14 But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.
15 This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.
16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.
17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.
18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.
It states here that the genuinely spiritually wise man will live a godly lifestyle (conversation in KJV) with gentleness or "an active attitude of deliberate acceptance" (Expositor's Bible Commentary). It is an active attitude of submission to and acceptance of the Father's will and his presence and power to be preeminent in my life.
The opposite is selfish zeal ("bitter envy" according to Expositor's Bible Commentary) and selfish strife (quarreling, antagonism, vigorous or bitter conflict). A Christian should not be so zealous for their cause that they destroy other people, whether Christians or not, with their words. Being hateful is not going to change anyone's heart. Also, we should not quarrel with others out of envy or just to be destructive because we're prideful, insecure, or just plain bitter because of past experiences. Sometimes the words we use when we say things can be demeaning or just stir up trouble that isn't necessary. Please don't misunderstand- Biblical truth and standing publicly for that is important- but what is your motivation for bringing up controversial topics? What words do you use when you don't agree with others- is it demeaning or judgmental in tone? Point is, don't bring up things for the sake of a need to show superiority or to just be quarrelsome. Even if you're Biblically correct, use gentle, peaceable words to make your point. Also, realize that someone may have more wisdom than you in this area and you may be wrong or they may just have another valid viewpoint that is equally correct. (" . . . let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:" James 1:19). Why? James says the end result of these attitudes is confusion and every evil (or meaningless) work. And satan loves that- confusion in the church coupled with every one tearing down one another makes the joint work of Christ non-existent.
Now the question is "How do I know if I am a truly wise person?" James challenges us to ask, " Do I mirror these characteristics?"
1. Pure- this is the root of true Godly wisdom. Pure actions motivated by a pure heart made that way by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Never forget the basics! Total commitment and obedience to the Lord is always the most important! And that applies to every day life- what you watch on tv, what you put in your body, sexual purity, etc.
2. Peaceable- He/she is not unkind and does not stir up strife intentionally. It is an active approach to being a peacemaker with all.
3. Gentle- He/She speaks the truth in a gentle way with the motivation of glorifying God.
4. Easy to be intreated- It is not a struggle for this person to submit totally to it. He/She does not continue in stubborn disobedience once wisdom is given.
5. Full of mercy and good fruits- He/She is compassionate toward the other person, Christian or not, and their situation, and it is effective!
6. Without partiality- He/She is no respecter of persons regardless of appearance, race, or status.
7. Without hypocrisy- A person with wisdom does not say one thing and do the other!
In conclusion, it is stated that the fruits of righteousness are sown in peace. Be an active pursuer of letting the Lord control your mind and take away that selfishness, misplaced zeal, envy, or personal insecurity. People will not always be peaceable with you because if you are living righteously, that exposes their sin and makes them want to avoid you. This doesn't give you any reason to not be peaceable with them, and that starts with your mind because if your mind is at peace, your words and actions will naturally reflect that. Remember, faith without works is dead.
James 3:2 " . . . If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect [holy] man, and able also to bridle the whole body."
James 3: 6 " And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity; so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell."
James compares the strength of our words to a ship's rudder or a bit in a horse's mouth (v.3-4). They are both such small objects that bring a huge object under submission in an instant! (see picture below)
Wow! That's some strong language! We all know it's true. Think about a gossip-how many times does a gossip cause someone to judge others based on lies all by using his/her mouth? Think about a complainer- how many times do we find ourselves in a foul mood complaining after listening to this person do it with their mouth for an hour. Think about a heated argument- How many times have you said something that you instantly regretted and ruined a relationship that had taken years to grow?
If we are to be like Christ, how can we spew blessing and cursing out of our mouths at the same time (v. 10)?. According to the Expositor's Bible Commentary, "We use the same instrument to 'praise our Lord and Father' and to 'curse men.' " But praising God and cursing men is tantamount [virtually the same as] . . . praising and cursing the same person for in v.9 James describes man as 'made in God's
likeness' ['made after the similitude of God' in KJV]. "
Let's face it-our mouth can do a world of hurt in an instant. But what controls our mouth? It's a choice to speak made by our mind. We dwell and think on these things and then our hateful statement comes out. That's why James says our mind defiles our whole body and like that old saying goes, "What's down in the well will come up in the bucket!" So we need to ask God to clean our water so that when our buckets come up its' clean! While the next section, which touches on genuine wisdom, is separated by paragraph, we find the answer we're seeking for.
James 3: 13-18
13 Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.
14 But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.
15 This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.
16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.
17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.
18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.
It states here that the genuinely spiritually wise man will live a godly lifestyle (conversation in KJV) with gentleness or "an active attitude of deliberate acceptance" (Expositor's Bible Commentary). It is an active attitude of submission to and acceptance of the Father's will and his presence and power to be preeminent in my life.
The opposite is selfish zeal ("bitter envy" according to Expositor's Bible Commentary) and selfish strife (quarreling, antagonism, vigorous or bitter conflict). A Christian should not be so zealous for their cause that they destroy other people, whether Christians or not, with their words. Being hateful is not going to change anyone's heart. Also, we should not quarrel with others out of envy or just to be destructive because we're prideful, insecure, or just plain bitter because of past experiences. Sometimes the words we use when we say things can be demeaning or just stir up trouble that isn't necessary. Please don't misunderstand- Biblical truth and standing publicly for that is important- but what is your motivation for bringing up controversial topics? What words do you use when you don't agree with others- is it demeaning or judgmental in tone? Point is, don't bring up things for the sake of a need to show superiority or to just be quarrelsome. Even if you're Biblically correct, use gentle, peaceable words to make your point. Also, realize that someone may have more wisdom than you in this area and you may be wrong or they may just have another valid viewpoint that is equally correct. (" . . . let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:" James 1:19). Why? James says the end result of these attitudes is confusion and every evil (or meaningless) work. And satan loves that- confusion in the church coupled with every one tearing down one another makes the joint work of Christ non-existent.
Now the question is "How do I know if I am a truly wise person?" James challenges us to ask, " Do I mirror these characteristics?"
1. Pure- this is the root of true Godly wisdom. Pure actions motivated by a pure heart made that way by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Never forget the basics! Total commitment and obedience to the Lord is always the most important! And that applies to every day life- what you watch on tv, what you put in your body, sexual purity, etc.
2. Peaceable- He/she is not unkind and does not stir up strife intentionally. It is an active approach to being a peacemaker with all.
3. Gentle- He/She speaks the truth in a gentle way with the motivation of glorifying God.
4. Easy to be intreated- It is not a struggle for this person to submit totally to it. He/She does not continue in stubborn disobedience once wisdom is given.
5. Full of mercy and good fruits- He/She is compassionate toward the other person, Christian or not, and their situation, and it is effective!
6. Without partiality- He/She is no respecter of persons regardless of appearance, race, or status.
7. Without hypocrisy- A person with wisdom does not say one thing and do the other!
In conclusion, it is stated that the fruits of righteousness are sown in peace. Be an active pursuer of letting the Lord control your mind and take away that selfishness, misplaced zeal, envy, or personal insecurity. People will not always be peaceable with you because if you are living righteously, that exposes their sin and makes them want to avoid you. This doesn't give you any reason to not be peaceable with them, and that starts with your mind because if your mind is at peace, your words and actions will naturally reflect that. Remember, faith without works is dead.
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