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A TIME TO REPENT. James 4:6-10. 10/20/2024. #15.
6 But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.”
7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8 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. 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.
1. The grace of God
a. James spent his letter admonishing his readers to turn away from their own wisdom, cravings, favoritism, double-mindedness, selfishness, insensitivity, corrupt speech, and worldly pleasures
b. In harsh bold terms James impresses on them that they were at war with God, themselves, and others
a1. This caused divisiveness and chaos
a2. To bring the world inside the church is to produce a worldly church (no use to God or to others)
c. Despite their worldliness, God still gives grace
a1. God offers to forgive and restore if the wayward believers will just repent
a2. Romans 6:8-14 the grace of God put Jesus on the cross to die for our sins
b1. In gratitude and commitment we are to live for Christ and not our own lusts
b2. II Corinthians 5:17 given a new life, we are to live in newness of life
d. Grace is given to the humble
a1. The key battle against sin is the fight against our own pride (my wants, my credit, my things, my desires, my honor…)
a2. Can’t both exalt self and submit to God
2. A command performance
a. James lists 10 commands to his readers
b. The 1st command is to submit to God
a1. Submit = a military term, to line up behind, as in rank and file (used in Ep. 5:22 of wives)
a2. Can’t submit to self and God at same time
c. Resist the devil and he will flee from you
a1. Eve did not resist the devil
a2. Seeking God’s will only resists the devil
d. Draw near to God = active seeking God through word, prayer, service (removing distractions)
e. Cleanse your hands = not using body for sin
f. Purify your heart (Philippians 4:8) = focus on pure things
a1. To think on vile things is unclean and sin
a2. Double-minded is used differently here than in 1:8 = in 1:8, the believer is going back and forth between God and world, but here he is trying to do both at the same time
g. Lament, mourn, weep (lit., wail) = to grieve over sin in life, not for display, but in genuine repentance
a1. To grieve because you feel bad about sin and its results never leads to repentance
a2. To grieve over broken relationship with God via violating trust and covenant, break your holy vows leads to humility and healing
a3. Sin is a serious matter, not to be taken lightly or frivolously (Is. 6 a land of sinners)
a4. Sin surrounds us (world, business, TV, radio, cell phone) = desensitization (need saturation of Word and spiritual believers)
3. From contrition to consecration
a. Humble yourself in the sight of God = to bring oneself under submission to God
a1. A purposeful lowering self, not for self-loathing, but to exalt God in life
a2. All things come from God and he is to be glorified in and for all things
b. I Corinthians 4:7 he gives intelligence, abilities, and ends
c. By humbling ourselves, he will lift us up
a1. 1 Peter 5:7 God exalts those who exalt him
a2. By our humble service, he rewards us
Key passage: Romans 6:8-148 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. 10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11 Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. 12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. 13 And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. 14 For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.