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- Preaching the Living WORD through
the Written WORD - 2 Tim 4;:2 - |
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THE
SOURCE OF MAN’S CONFLICTS (James 4:1-5) 12-12-12 Grace Bible Church,
Gillette, Wyoming Pastor Daryl Hilbert I. MAN’S SINFUL PASSIONS
(1-2a) A. James is not speaking
directly to the problem of wars and fights in the world, but he could be.
Instead, he is speaking directly to believers who are speaking and acting in
such an ungodly manner that James must tell them to start producing evidence
that shows they are true believers. James dissects the inward heart of man
and reveals the ugly truth that man’s sinful nature is the source of his
problems and conflicts. B. He answers the question, “From where do
these things come?” To which he gives at least four sources: 1) man’s sinful
passions (1-2a), 2) man’s lack of spirituality (2b-3), man’s love for
worldliness, and (4), man’s envious spirit (5). C. He asks where their “quarrels” (po,lemos - war or armed conflict, battle within a community) come from. They are also questioned on the source
of their “conflicts” (ma,chê
- fight or combat, contention or quarrels). James was writing to believers and therefore it was not the “church
of peace” but the “church of pieces.” It was not the “war of the worlds” but
the “war of the worshippers.” D. Now he opens their eyes to the source of these things. The source was their own “sinful pleasures.” Pleasure in and of itself is
not necessarily sinful because God has given us enjoyment of life (1Ti 4:4). But pleasures become sinful when we allow those passions
to take us outside of God’s biblical boundaries. They also are “sinful
passions” when passion and pleasure become our god. The Greek word is hêdonê, (Eng. “Hedonism” where pleasure is the chief purpose
of life) which in the bad sense
means an over indulgence and lack of control, especially in natural
appetites, sensual pleasure, and lust (Jm 4:3; Lk 8:14; Tit 3:3; 2Pe 2:13). E. Such passions were “waging war” (strateu,ō - military service, go to battle) in the “members” of their own body, not church
“members,” though that is where these battles were taking place. F. The problem is that the sinful nature or
“lusts” (epithume,ō - (good sense)impulse or longing or (bad sense)- forbidden and sinful
cravings) cannot be fulfilled (2a).
Lust brings about murderous acts (phoneu,ō)
both literally and figuratively. G. The problem is that the sinful nature
covets and “envies” (zêlo,ō (good sense) - zeal, (bad sense) - jealousy and envying) but cannot “obtain” (epitugcha,nō - lit. to light upon, attain, lay hold of) which heightens sinful passions even to the point
of murder or war. James poignantly states that this was the reason for all
the “fighting and quarreling” among his readers. II. MAN’S LACK OF SPIRITUALITY
(2b-3) A. The second half of vs. 2
coincides with vs. 3. Because of all these passions, they lacked
spirituality. Praying and requesting God is a spiritual fruit that sees God
in charge and sees God as the provider for His will. Their lack of
spirituality kept them from following and looking to God. Eventually they
stopped praying to God. B. When believers stop praying, they stop
“asking” (aite,ō - request from God) God to
work in their lives (3). As a result, God sometimes withdraws and withholds (“not
receive” - ou,
lambanō) from the believer in
order to draw the believer back to Him. C. Another problem with a lack of
spirituality, especially in prayer, is that God will withhold things when
believers ask with “wrong motives” (kakō,s
- adv. Lit. “wrongly ask,” ask for the wrong reasons). Some of these believers were asking so
that, when God answered or supplied, they would “spend” (dapana,ō - “pay expenses” Ac 21:24, sometimes to lavishly
spend, waste, or use up, Lk 15:14)
or use such provisions for selfish reasons and according to their “sinful
passions” (hêdonê, - same as vs. 1). III. MAN’S LOVE FOR WORLDLINESS
(4) A. As if James has not been
honest enough, he accuses them of spiritual adultery and calls them,
“adulterers.” This particular word (moichali,s),
though sometimes used literally (Ro 7:3; 2Pe 2:14), is often used in the NT
to refer to spiritual adultery. It refers to one who is unfaithful toward
God, neglecting God and worship of Him, while at the same time yielding to
lusts and passions. It was used in the OT when His people would commit
spiritual adultery by worshipping idols (Eze 16:32-36; Ho 3:1; Note NT also
Mt 12:39). B. Though the word “friendship” (phili,a ) can be
used in a good sense, it also carries the idea of an illicit or intense
attachment. In this context it would be a sinful and emotional craving for
the things of the world (kosmos - lit. earth, figuratively the evil
chaotic system according to the prince of the power of the air, i.e. Satan,
Ep 2:2), which includes, “lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and
the boastful pride of life” (1Jn 2:16). C. With such worldly friendship, it is
equivalent to “hostility” (e,chthra (from exthos - hatred) means enmity and opposition ) toward God. Worldliness is hostility toward God
because in order to be worldly, a believer has to be disobedient to God’s
Word in reference to the heart and actions. In other words, their allegiance
is to the world and pleasures rather than to God. In fact, a choice (bou,lomai - will or wish, sometimes an intentional and
deliberate choice, 2Co 1:15) has to
be made whether to be a friend of the world or God. No one can be friends of
both. It “makes” (kathi,stêmi - sets or establishes in position) an individual established as a friend of one and an enemy of another. IV. MAN’S ENVIOUS HUMAN SPIRIT
(5) A. James 4:5 is one of the
most difficult passages in the Bible to interpret. There are several
immediate problems. 1. What is
the subject? Is it God or the spirit? 2. In reference to the spirit, is it the
Holy Spirit (capital “S”) or the human spirit (small “s”)? 3. In reference to jealousy, is it jealousy
in a good sense or a negative sense as in jealous envy? 4. In addition, when James speaks of the
Scripture reference in vs. 5, there appears to be no equivalent in the OT. B. These are some of the
variable translations: 1. “He
[God] yearns jealously for the [Holy] Spirit which indwells you.” 2. “He [God] yearns jealously for the
[human] spirit which He made in you.” 3. “The [Holy] Spirit who indwells you
jealously yearns [for you].” 4. “The [human] spirit which He [God] made
to dwell in you yearns to envy. C. In most of the translations
offered, they convey biblical concepts: 1. God is
jealous toward His children (Ex 20:5; 34:14), 2. The Holy Spirit does seek to bring
devotion to God (Ro 5:5; 1Co 2:10-11), 3. and the human
spirit being sinful does lust toward sinful envy (Ga 5:19-20). 4. In addition, an argument could be mad e
for each translation in light of the context of Jm 4:1-7. D. However, in the suggestion
of B. #4, there are some strong arguments: 1. The
context strongly refers to man’s sinful nature as being the source of
conflicts. 2. Vs. 6, suggests that God can “give more
grace” in spite of our sinful nature. 3. “The spirit which He made to dwell in us”
is supported by the better manuscripts. a) The better
manuscripts prefer katōkisen to katōkêsen (katōk-i-sen to
katōk-ê-sen). Katōkisen represents a causative
idea (“the spirit which he [God] has made to dwell in us”) rather than
its intransitive counterpart (“the spirit [or, Spirit] which dwells in us”
(see Metzger’s “A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament in loc.) 4. It is
possible for James to be referring to the quote of Pr 3:34 in vs. 6. E. Either way, James’ point is
that man’s sinful nature (including his “lusting to envy”) is the source of
all conflict, quarrels, lack of spirituality, powerless prayer life,
worldliness, and opposition from God. V. OBSERVATIONS AND
APPLICTIONS A. James gives us a brutally
honest look at identifying the enemy and the enemy “R” us. We are the enemy
because of our own sinful nature (Je 17:9). B. James gives us a brutally honest look at
our sinful nature to help us understand sin in the world (1Jn 2:15-16). C. James gives us a brutally honest look at
our sinful nature to motivate us to walk in God’s Spirit as the only hope to
overcome ourselves (Ro 8:4; Ga 5:16, 25). D. James gives us a brutally honest look at
our sinful nature so that we have a pure and vibrant prayer life. E. James gives us a brutally honest look at
our sinful nature so that we draw closer to Him and away from the world. |
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