“A Divided Heart”
James 4:1-10
James wrote twelve teachings on how to be wholeheartedly devoted to Jesus, in chapters 2-5, in his letter to the twelve tribes scattered among the nations, following Jesus’ ascension into heaven. He began with reminding them that they should never show favoritism, but instead love everyone. He then stressed that if we are going to confess that we believe we should be acting like we believe. He went on in chapter three to stress how quickly the tongue can give us away. Chapter three ended with James offering us ways to determine true and false wisdom.
Today we look at James’ view of the “Divided Heart.” Even in the first century, without Gucci or Marzaratis, people covetted their neighbor’s things.
Not only that, but even amongst the Christian church James witnessed members at war with each other. He boiled these conflicts down to “your desires for pleasure.” Often the battles amongst Christians are bitter and severe. It’s because both sides dig their heels into what they believe is “sacred.” It’s like they are defending God’s Holy right. The truth be told, there is some root of carnality, an internal war within one or both of the believers regarding the lusts of the flesh. Any two believers who are walking in the Spirit of the Lord cannot live with wars and fights among themselves, 1 Corinthians 14:33
For God is not a God of disorder but of peace
Did you notice that James seems to be more bothered with the selfish spirit and bitterness of the quarrels rather than the rights and wrongs of what they are arguing?
Watch out for the critical and contentious attitude that claims it has been prompted and supported by the Spirit of God. James makes it very clear in this passage that any contentious manner comes directly from personal desires. He goes on to describe the desires that produce conflict.
Covetousness, You desire but do not have
Anger and animosity, you quarrel and fight
And after all this… James goes on to state,
You do not have
This demonstrates just how futile living a life for the desires of pleasure can be. Not only does it create conflict, but ultimately it is unsatisfactory, wanting for more.
It’s not as if you
are not satisfied
because of
lack of effort.
Just the opposite.
You strive with all you have for the things you think that will bring you happiness, when in the end, they bring the opposite, they bring brokenness and dissatisfaction.
Were we to rationally think about this, we would understand how ridiculous it is to waste time working at fulfilling a sinful desire because you think (or hope) that it may be satisfied, but deep down know that it will never be truly satisfied.
Realistically it makes more sense to accept our lack of such satisfaction
before
we participate in so much pain and harmful sin.
The following of our flesh makes sense for those who are not following Jesus, but for these destructive desires to exist amongst Christians seems a bit off.
James tells us it is because they do not seek God for their needs. Instead, they rely on themselves or the world to do so. James reminds us of the great power of prayer.
Why don’t we ask more often? Have you ever thought of the great things that could happen should we seek God and ask?
I think James has it correct here when he says the problem begins with the motive. Prayer is not supposed to be us trying to persuade a reluctant God to do what we want. Prayer is meant for us to have a conversation with our Maker and friend, and to get to know Him and especially to know His will so that we can align our will with His. Then we seek to be His partner in accomplishing His will on this earth. As if God is going to join us in our selfish desires and lust and give us all we ask?
But that is what most people get frustrated with.
They ask God,
they don’t get what they ask for,
they get mad,
and stop asking.
Figuring out God’s will isn’t always easy. Especially when our thoughts and desires get in the way. I think God is big enough to work it through with us, should we seek to give it a try. Even if we start out with personal desires when we approach God honestly, recognizing we could have a divided heart and ask Him to direct us to His will.
He does.
He is more invested in His will than we could ever be.
James goes so far as to call Christians who have earthly desires,
adulterers and adulteresses,
exclamation point!
James is taking a rebuke straight from the Old Testament. God spoke this way when the Israelites were attracted to the idols around them, in Jeremiah 3:8-9, Ezekiel 6:9; 16:32; 23:37 and Hosea 3:1. Paul put it bluntly in his letter to the Colossians 3:5,
Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.
James reminds his fellow Christians that we cannot be both friends with this world system, which is ultimately in rebellion to God, and be friends with God at the same time. Jesus put this way in Matthew 6:24,
“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”
Based on what James is saying, the New Testament church brought with it a lot of the baggage it had learned from its Jewish heritage. They had plenty of carnality and worldliness to deal with. What seems interesting to me is that the Christian church hasn’t learned from history. We still hang on to our worldly influences today. Is it because the worldly values have such a strong attraction? Where does the conflict really begin? James tells us in verse 5,
Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us[b]?
My version has a footnote, b, and reads,
James 4:5 Or that the spirit he caused to dwell in us envies intensely; or that the Spirit he caused to dwell in us longs jealously
This is our saving grace. James tells us that Christians have the Holy Spirit dwelling in them and that the Holy Spirit has a jealous yearning for us to keep our friendship with God, not the world. We can be assured that the Spirit will convict us when we begin to compromise.
I believe that happens. I also believe many Christians often choose not to listen to the Holy Spirit. I think James did too because his next sentence offers us the solution to this strife, verse 6,
But he gives us more grace. Amen.
That is why Scripture says:
“God opposes the proud
but shows favor to the humble.”[c]
In humility, we are told to get right with God.
James tells us that the same Holy Spirit that is convicting us will also grant us the grace to serve God as we should.
What an obvious and amazing contrast James provides.
Observe:
> how weak we are; how strong He is
> how proud we are; how respectful He is
> how erring we are; how infallible He is
> how changing we are; how steadfast He is
> how provoking we are; how forgiving He is
There is a condition presented here. Did you notice that favor only comes to the humble. It isn’t as if our humility earns God’s favor. Humility puts us in a position to receive His favor, which He freely gives.
Upon being given favor the only proper response then is submission to God and resisting the devil. The verb “resist” James used is powerful, it has the sense of setting oneself up in battle-array, preparing for invaders of a territory.
Why don’t we submit to God?
According to God’s Word as soon as we do, we start receiving the benefits of His reign. Unfortunately many think that to submit to God means giving up all one’s rights. Well, technically that is correct, at least of the evil rights.
And before someone states they don’t submit to God, that they are lord over themselves I venture to say that is not true. For the next verse reveals that if God is not our Lord, the alternative is Satan. The person who does not submit to God, inevitably submits to the devil, for no one is without a master. However, should we resist the temptation, by the power of the Holy Spirit, the devil will flee from us. Give in just a “little bit,” and you’re sunk, the devil’s got you.
The whole concept of “submitting to authority” has changed since the blood of Jesus. God doesn’t just ask us to submit, He also asks us to draw near to Him. When we do, He will draw near to us. The Jewish Christians whom James is speaking to have spent their entire lives under the old covenant where God told Moses to not come any closer to the burning bush, and to take off his shoes.
Under this new covenant,
God says to the sinner,
mind you,
not the person who has ceremonially washed and presented a sacrificial offering,
but a down right active sinner to “draw near” and
God will do the same, “draw near.”
Thanks to the blood of Jesus, there no longer remains a ground between God and the sinner.
As we draw near to God, we become convicted. James gives some instructions to the sinner in response to that conviction. It is significant to note the word used for sinner in this sentence means the hardened sinner, the person whose sin is obvious. James also goes back to their Hebrew roots using words like lament and mourn and weep. Let me read how Eugene Peterson translated these verses in today’s vernacular, from The Message.
So let God work his will in you. Yell a loud no to the Devil and watch him make himself scarce. Say a quiet yes to God and he’ll be there in no time. Quit dabbling in sin. Purify your inner life. Quit playing the field. Hit bottom, and cry your eyes out. The fun and games are over. Get serious, really serious. Get down on your knees before the Master; it’s the only way you’ll get on your feet.
Check in time. How does this fit in our lives today?
God desires His children to stop arguing and bickering. We are told to draw close to Him. As we come, as sinners, before the Holy God, we need to appropriately humble ourselves before Him. When we do, we are told He will lift us up.
It’s the only way you’ll get on your feet.
Let’s pray.
