Faith Is Ravaged by Worldliness but Rejuvenated by Submission

Introduction:
Scripture: James 4:1-10
Key verses:
o 4:4, “Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship
with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a
friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.”
o 4:7, “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from
you.”
Topic: Worldliness and Submission
Theme: Worldly lifestyle and loving God cannot mix

Outline:

1) The symptoms of their rebellion (4:1-3)

2) The seriousness of their rebellion (4:4)
3) The solution to their rebellion (4:5-6)
4) Their devotion to God (4:7-10)
5) Their departure from sin (4:7-10)

Detail:

1) The symptoms of their rebellion (4:1-3)

a) One’s internal struggle (4:1)
i) Text: “Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not
come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members?”
ii) Comments:
(1) It’s personal
(a) Paul expressed it in Romans 7
(i) In NKJV
1. “me” = 5 times
2. “I” = 31 times
3. “my” = 4 times

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(b) Romans 7:15-20, “For what I am doing, I do not understand. For

what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do.
16
If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is
good. 17 But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in
me. 18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good
dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is
good I do not find. 19 For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but
the evil I will not to do, that I practice. 20 Now if I do what I will not
to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.”
(2) It’s universal
(a) Because of the universal nature of sin – “all have sinned”
(b) It’s total (total depravity!)
(3) It’s corporal
(a) The “you’s” and “your’s” are plurals!
(b) God’s ideal is that believers are in a local assembly!
(c) Cf James 2:2, “… if there should come into your assembly … ”
(4) “wars and fights”
(a) Cf Matthew 24:6, “And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars.”
(b) “Fights” … Cf Titus 3:9, “But avoid foolish disputes, genealogies,
contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable
and useless”
(5) From a global – nation to nation – perspective. What causes wars?
(a) Some are defensive and Biblically just! (I doubt we would have
much to debate about WW II and the US battle against Imperial
Japan and Nazi Germany!)
(b) Other causes:
(i) National pride
(ii) Finance
(iii) Ancient hatreds
(iv) Resources

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b) Leads to interpersonal struggle (4:2)

i) Text: “You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot
obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask.”
ii) What are the causes of family strife? Church strife?
(1) Jealousies / envies
(2) Miscommunication / misunderstandings
(3) Selfishness
(4) Pride
iii) Cf 1 Peter 2:11, “Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain
from fleshly lusts which war against the soul,”
c) Results in ineffective prayers (4:3)
i) Text: “You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may
spend it on your pleasures.”
ii) Comment on “pleasures” (1,3) (KJV = “lusts”)
(1) Greek: ἡδονή
(2) Cognate of English “hedonism” = “the doctrine that pleasure or
happiness is the sole or chief good in life” / “ a way of life based on or
suggesting the principles of hedonism”
iii) Their infighting and strife and purposing to fight
iv) They aren’t praying: “you do not ask” (2)
v) They are praying for the wrong things: “you ask amiss” (3)
vi) How are they wrongly praying? “that you may spend it on your
pleasures.”
(1) Instead of the glory of God!
(2) The expansion of His kingdom!
(3) For self instead of others!

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 Faith Is Ravaged by Worldliness but Rejuvenated by Submission

2) The seriousness of their rebellion (4:4)

a) Text: “Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with
the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of
the world makes himself an enemy of God.”
b) The degree of unfaithfulness
i) Strong words! “Adulterers and adulteresses!”
ii) Readers of Hebrew ethnicity would understand the seriousness of these
words as they echo the OT prophets
(1) Ezekiel 23:37, “For they have committed adultery, and blood is on
their hands. They have committed adultery with their idols,”
iii) We understand the seriousness of the marriage commitment:
(1) Sample “I promise to be faithful to you”
(2) We understand that marital infidelity hurts the other party!
(3) Loving the world hurts our God! Because He loves us and covets our
relationship!
c) The definition of worldliness – “friendship with the world”
i) I John 2:15-17 is helpful: “Do not love the world or the things in the
world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16
For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and
the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. 17 And the
world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God
abides forever.”
ii) Hard to put arms around “worldliness”
(1) Not directly related to goods.
(a) Ok to “own things” but to be warned against things “owning us”
(b) Recognize that we live in an extremely prosperous and
materialistic culture. Not to succumb to the covetousness of
idolatry! (Colossians 3:5)
(2) Related to standards?
(a) The value of standards
(b) The danger of standards (the Maginot Line illustration)
(3) Probably best to relate worldliness to affections!
(a) Terms “friendship” and “love”
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 Faith Is Ravaged by Worldliness but Rejuvenated by Submission

3) The solution to their rebellion (4:5-6)

a) The graciousness of God (4:5-6a)
i) Text: “Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, “The Spirit who
dwells in us yearns jealously”? 6 But He gives more grace.”
ii) The ministry of the Spirit:
(1) Not a direct quotation of the OT but
(2) A summation of OT principles. EG
(a) Deut 5:9, “For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God”
(b) Zech 1:14 & 8:2, “I am zealous for Jerusalem And for Zion with
great zeal”
iii) The graciousness of God – “He gives more grace”:
(1) Question “More grace than what?”
(2) Literally is “greater grace”
(3) Cf Romans 5:20b, “But where sin abounded, grace abounded much
more”
(4) Hebrews 4:16, “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace,
that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need”
iv) Hiebert: “When the world competes for our love for God, resulting in
our divided loyalty, God does not immediately cast us off but continues
to give “more grace”” ( p. 234)
b) The responsibility of the believer (4:6b)
i) Text: “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble”
4) Their devotion to God (4:7-10)
a) Devotion expressed in fidelity (4:7a)
i) Text: “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from
you.”
ii) Parallel: 1 Peter 5:5-9
iii) Note both passages quote Proverbs 3:34
iv) Series of imperatives:
(1) Submit
(2) Resist
(3) Draw near
(4) Cleanse
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(5) Purify
(6) Lament, mourn, and weep! (X3!)
(7) Humble
b) Devotion expressed in proximity (4:8)
i) Text: “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your
hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”
c) Devotion expressed in humility (4:10)
i) Text: “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up”
5) Their departure from sin (4:7-10)
a) Defeating the devil (4:7b)
i) Text: “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from
you.”
ii) Parallel: 1 Peter 5:5-9
iii) Reminder of the temptation of our Lord! – Luke 4:13, “Now when the
devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Him until an
opportune time.”
b) Divorcing the world (4:8,9)
i) Text: “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your
hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Lament
and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your
joy to gloom.”
c) Denying the sin nature (4:10)
i) Text: “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up”

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