![]() We think differently, we see value in different things, we approach problems in different ways, and our personalities differ in significant ways. God did not intend to make all human beings the same (what a boring world that would be). Rather than being constant critics of the work, life, and service of other disciples, we need to remember that it is not our place to judge where God has not legislated. Churches whose members are only partially devoted to Jesus will never affect the world in any meaningful way.Ģ. As long as he can keep us from devoting our whole heart to God, he has won the battle. Satan has done a good job at convincing the Church they can give God part of their heart, while devoting the rest to other affections. There is a pandemic of divided affections in modern Christian culture. “So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.”ġ. Instead of assuming we will be alive tomorrow, we should say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” Only God knows whether we will live another day or if this will be our last.Ĭhristians should view themselves as a vapor which quickly vanishes. He said, whoever speaks evil of another disciple, speaks evil of God’s law.Ĭhristians should not be in the business of judging other Christians based on their opinions.Ĭhristians should be “doers” (practitioners) of God’s law, rather than illegitimate judges.īe Careful Not to Presume the Future (4:13-17):ĭisciples should be careful not to assume what the future holds for them. In close connection with the previous points, James condemned the action of slandering other disciples. Speaking Evil about other Christians (4:11-12): ![]() “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you.” James wanted the Christians to repent, cleanse their hearts of selfishness, and be single-minded. If we draw near to God, he will draw near to us. If we resist the devil, he will “flee” from us. Pursuing your own passions is a submission to Satan’s will for your life. “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”ĭisciples are to submit themselves to God as His servants, rather than devoting themselves to selfishly and pridefully pursuing their own passions. God put His Spirit in His disciples to make them new, not to have them return to the things they loved in their past life. Some disciples were trying to love the world (money, pleasure, honor, etc) as much as they loved God.Īnyone who tries to have “friendship” with the world is the enemy of God. He already knew the answer, they were caused by Christians who had divided affections. ![]() James asked the disciples what caused contentions among them. ![]() The Result of Trying to Love the World and God at the Same Time (4:1-10): Fights break out because of self-interest and disciples start to speak negatively about each other. In chapter 4, we get a glimpse into what happens when our religion is no longer selfless and free from the contamination of the world. In chapter 1, James described “pure” religion as caring for orphans and widows and keeping oneself unspotted from the world. HOW THIS CHAPTER FITS INTO THE LARGER MESSAGE OF THE BOOK: Why We Shouldn’t be Overconfident about the Future ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |