Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Evening Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/ev/ev19990425.htm

JAMES: OVERCOMING DEAD RELIGIOSITY IN OUR BACKGROUNDS
Part II: Overcoming A False Spirituality's HEARTLESS Errors In Relating To Other Believers
E. Overcoming A Contentious Spirit By Countering One's Lusts With God's Humility
(James 4:1-12)
  1. Introduction
    1. Various forms of conflict between believers that are seemingly enduring unfortunately arise at times!
    2. James 4:1-12 squares off to confront the cause behind such problems and offers clear solutions as follows:
  2. Overcoming A Contentious Spirit By Countering One's Lusts With God's Humility, James 4:1-12.
    1. Without mincing his words, James says conflicts between believers arise from their carnal lusts, James 4:1.
    2. He then describes the frustrating treadmill of unsavory interpersonal conflicts such lusts produce, 4:2-3:
      1. First, carnal lusts are allowed to go unchecked in the believer as he lives by his sinful nature, 4:2a.
      2. Then, because the sin nature cannot produce anything worthwhile by way of fulfillment (cf. Rom. 7:18), the carnal believer is frustrated and becomes oppressive toward other believers as he carnally makes unrighteous aggressive moves ag ainst them, James 4:2b.
      3. In reality, only by prayerfully depending on the Lord can such needs be met, but the carnal believer is not operating in faith, so he may not bother praying and so goes with his frustrations unmet, verse 2c.
      4. If the carnal one does think to pray with his request, his needs are not met because he is motivated to ask for what will gratify his lusts rather than praying within the will of God, James 4:3 with 1 John 5:14.
      5. This only adds to his frustration and makes him more disagreeable in his relationships with others.
    3. Accordingly, James calls the carnal, disagreeable believer to face his carnality head-on, James 4:4-5:
      1. James states that a disagreeable, irritable attitude in relationships comes from a believer who has adopted the world's outlook and values, and that he is actually spiritually adulterous in adhering to the world instead of fellowshipping with God, James 4:4a.
      2. As adopting the world's values to become selfishly carnal and irritable in relationships opposes fellowship with God, one in such a position acts as God's enemy, James 4:4b.
      3. This is in accord with the teachings of Scripture that the human spirit with its carnal nature lusts to envy (as Paul clearly taught in Romans 7:15-24), James 4:5.
    4. Having faced his carnality, the carnal believer can find a solution by heeding James' following suggestions:
      1. First, he must recall that God gives grace to the humble while resisting help to the proud, which pride James thus implies is behind the carnal, irritable attitude of the troubled believer in the context, 4:6.
      2. Thereupon, the carnal believer must exchange his pride for God's humility as follows, James 4:7-12:
        1. The carnal believer must submit to God instead of going his way independent of the Lord, 4:7a.
        2. He must resist the devil's effort to keep him proud and holding to a worldly view and value system, James 4:7b. 1 Peter 5:9 tells us such resisting comes by way of trusting God's Word in how he views the problem situation, and acting thereby in faith upon God's viewpoint to solve the problem.
        3. He must draw nigh to God and find cleansing through confession of sin, 1 John 1:9, James 4:8.
        4. He must make such confession with full realization of his sinfulness, a realization that is sober and sorrowful rather than insensitively merry and hence exhibiting a false confession, James 4:9.
        5. He must humble himself before God so that God can exalt him in his need for respect from others, 10
        6. This must all be followed up by interpersonal actions of humility and respect for other believers: (a) Instead of slandering and being censorious of fellow believers, the cleansed believer needs to view such activity as putting himself above God's law that prohibits this, 4:11-12; Ex. 20:16; Lev. 19:16a. (b) He must see that only God has the jurisdiction to denounce others, not man, James 4:12 .
Lesson: Conflicts between Christians arise from their adopting a carnal view that exalts one's SELF insubordinate of God in a worldly viewpoint that opposes real fellowship with God. The carnal believer must see and repent of this state, t hereby SUBMITTING to God, and relate humbly to fellow believers. God then gives him honor with other believers to meet his relational needs.

Application: To avoid interpersonal problems, or solve conflicts that begin to arise with other believers, we must constantly watch that we are submitting humbly to God and not going our own way.