Overview
Roots of Conflicts and Quarrels (Verses 1-3):
James starts by asking why conflicts and fights occur among believers. He identifies the root cause as worldly desires that wage war within us. He emphasizes that, often, prayers go unanswered because they stem from selfish, earthly desires rather than alignment with God's will.
Friendship with the World (Verses 4-10):
The apostle warns against befriending the world, equating it to enmity with God. He urges believers to draw near to God through repentance and humility, assuring them that God will, in turn, draw near to them. James encourages believers to cleanse their hands and hearts as a mark of spiritual purity.
Judging Others and Boasting (Verses 11-17):
James tackles the issue of judging others, declaring that only God is the Lawgiver and Judge. He also warns against boasting about future plans without acknowledging the will of God, reminding believers of the uncertainty and brevity of life.
James 4 addresses the deep-seated issues causing divisions within the Christian community. James urges believers to examine their motives, abandon worldly desires, and adopt a posture of humility and dependence on God. In essence, the chapter serves as a wake-up call to prioritize a God-centered life, stressing the importance of humility and the dangers of worldliness.
James starts by asking why conflicts and fights occur among believers. He identifies the root cause as worldly desires that wage war within us. He emphasizes that, often, prayers go unanswered because they stem from selfish, earthly desires rather than alignment with God's will.
Friendship with the World (Verses 4-10):
The apostle warns against befriending the world, equating it to enmity with God. He urges believers to draw near to God through repentance and humility, assuring them that God will, in turn, draw near to them. James encourages believers to cleanse their hands and hearts as a mark of spiritual purity.
Judging Others and Boasting (Verses 11-17):
James tackles the issue of judging others, declaring that only God is the Lawgiver and Judge. He also warns against boasting about future plans without acknowledging the will of God, reminding believers of the uncertainty and brevity of life.
James 4 addresses the deep-seated issues causing divisions within the Christian community. James urges believers to examine their motives, abandon worldly desires, and adopt a posture of humility and dependence on God. In essence, the chapter serves as a wake-up call to prioritize a God-centered life, stressing the importance of humility and the dangers of worldliness.
James 4
1 From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?
2 Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.
3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.
4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
5 Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?
6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.
7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.
10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.
11 Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge.
12 There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?
13 Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain:
14 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.
15 For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.
16 But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil.
17 Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.
End of James 4
1 Year Plan: Nov 6 - Eze 8, Eze 9, Jam 4 [next day]
2 Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.
3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.
4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
5 Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?
6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.
7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.
10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.
11 Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge.
12 There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?
13 Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain:
14 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.
15 For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.
16 But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil.
17 Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.
End of James 4
1 Year Plan: Nov 6 - Eze 8, Eze 9, Jam 4 [next day]
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