James 4:1-12 – Working With God’s Wisdom

An argument could be made that James should have ended his letter after he wrote, “And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace” (James 4:12). He presented the problem with the tongue (3:1-12) and then offered the solution (4:1-12): God’s wisdom from above purifies us and we become peacemakers and children of God. What else could there be? Disciples of Jesus going throughout the world bringing peace wherever they go — doesn’t that sound like heaven on earth?

Yes, it certainly does!

But James knows that the life of a disciple is an active one; we can’t just passively wait for God’s word of truth to flow over us, we need to act on it as well. And so James continues with his letter and writes,

What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel.

James 4:1-2

Do you remember James writing that temptations come from within us (James 1:13-15)? Do you also remember that he wrote about how our temptations turn into sinful actions and sinful words (James 1:19-21)?

Yeah…?

Well, taming the tongue and squelching our actions are not sufficient; even as we receive God’s wisdom from above, our hearts are filled with temptations, deadly passions, envy, and covetousness. Years after James wrote this, Paul addresses the same tension between God’s wisdom and our sinful flesh when he wrote in Romans 7:13-25, “For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.” The flame that our tongue ignites constantly smolders within our own hearts.

I find it disconcerting to realize that even by having nearly everything I could ever want — something most of us in the United States can say — I still envy the other guy. I might have a nice car, but if I only had his… I might have a nice house, but if I only had his… I might have some nice friends or a nice spouse, but if I only had his… But when I can’t have what I want, I get cranky. I might not fight or quarrel with him — with the other guy — but I quarrel with people close to me; I come home and kick the cat.

You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.

James 4:2-3

But James writes that we only have to ask. I suppose James could be saying that we should ask the “other guy” for his stuff. I mean, people are more generous than we often think, right? Maybe he’ll take you for a ride in his car or let you borrow the backyard for a party. Certainly, he’ll let you use his tools. But I don’t think that’s what James meant.

Have you ever found yourself asking God for just a little bit more? A little bit larger paycheck? A little bit larger house? A little nicer car? Just a little bit more…something?

Yeah. So what?

Well, I don’t expect God will ever answer those prayers.

What?

Really, God isn’t about giving you your best life now; he’s about giving you your best life (period). But that often means we don’t get what we ask for; usually when we ask for just a “little bit more” we spend it on our own stupid pleasures like that gasoline-powered turtleneck sweater we have been envying the past few weeks. This is why James continued and wrote,

You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

James 4:4

Have you ever noticed how often God talks about adultery?

Go on…

God isn’t a fan of marital infidelity, but when God called Israel an adulterous nation in the Old Testament it was because even after they committed to following all of God’s Laws (Joshua 24:16-28), they didn’t follow through with their commitment (Judges 1). The Israelites chose to live side-by-side with the sinful nations, eventually accepting their foreign gods as their own. It is never good to cheat on your spouse, but when you are God’s bride, cheating on your spouse carries with it some grave consequences. The Israelites, God’s chosen bride (Ezekiel 16), spurned him and played the whore (Hosea).

Thus, when James writes the words “You adulterous people” he expected his audience to remember the infidelity of Israel; he possibly even expected them to remember Jesus lambasting the Pharisees for not truly serving God (Luke 16:10-13). James knew how quickly our hearts can betray our first love. Even though we might receive God’s wisdom from above our hearts will eventually betray us. It won’t be long before we begin asking for those things that we want — requests coming from our sinful passions — but those things never please God.

Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”?

James 4:5

This is why we say that God is jealous. He is jealous for us. He made us in his image (Genesis 1:27) and we are his representatives on earth, but when we strike out on our own, as did Adam and Eve in the garden, he wants us back. When we choose to pursue those passions that rage within us — envy, covetousness, bitter jealousy, and selfish ambition — he becomes the spurned lover.

But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

James 4:6

But even so, we aren’t doomed. Of all the lovers that have ever been spurned, none are as gracious as God. He forgives and gives grace, but we must come to him, humble ourselves, and repent of our adulterous ways. Actually, you know what? I think one of the best chapters in the entire Bible is Leviticus 26.

That’s kind of random. But of all the books in the Bible, you pick Leviticus?

Yeah. Really. It’s really a great chapter; you should read it! In fact, Leviticus is an amazing book. If you just look at the structure of it…

Get to the point.

Okay. Sorry. But really…you should study Leviticus sometime.

…

Anyway…Leviticus 26 tells us about God’s loving and merciful nature. God said, “If you walk in my statutes and observe my commandments and do them, then I will…” give you peace and make you prosper in the land (Lev. 26:3-13). But then he says, “if you will not listen to me and not do all these commandments…” I will discipline you with panic, disease, fever, and more (Lev. 26:14-17). God says a version of “If you will not listen to me…” five more times, each time getting more extreme with his punishments for those who reject him.

Wait. You said this was one of the best chapters in the Bible? It seems pretty harsh and gloomy.

Be patient Daniel-son; it’s coming.

…

Okay…But after all of the punishments, God finally says, “But if they confess their iniquity…then I will remember my covenant” (Lev. 26:40-45). No matter how adulterous Israel became God was willing to forgive them and receive them back. Instead of being harsh and gloomy, Leviticus 26 tells us that God is long-suffering and loving. God gives grace upon grace to those who humble themselves before him. We, who are prone to sin — prone to do that which we do not want to do — are forgiven by God for our adultery every time we return to him.

How many times?

Well, Jesus did tell Peter to forgive others “seventy times seven” (Matt 18:22), so that’s quite a lot.

Yeah.

Yeah. Then James writes,

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

James 4:7-8

Once James talks about all that God does — forgives, sends his wisdom from above, continually pours out grace — James comes to our part of the bargain. We don’t just lay down and let God’s forgiveness, wisdom, and grace wash over us, we act. James has already told us that faith in God produces works of love (James 1:22-2:26), now he tells us that God’s wisdom precipitates a response from us (James 4:7-12). God acts and we respond. Our actions don’t diminish God’s sovereignty; they are our response to his work.

We need to submit ourselves to God and resist the devil. We can’t continue living an adulterous life. We can’t continue giving in to the temptations and sinful passions that are within us. At some point, we have to just say no. I realize that is easier said than done, but that doesn’t diminish the fact that we have to do it. We must resist the devil and his enticements, and guess what? James tells us that he will leave us alone.

But there is more to this than just our own willpower. When we draw near to God we must push away from Satan and our passions. This is the only way that we cleanse ourselves and purify our hearts. There is no in-between; we can’t be double-minded. And when we choose God our choice must be followed with actions.

Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.

James 4:9-10

These odd words are reminiscent of something his brother, Jesus, said, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted” (Matt 5:4). Jesus wasn’t talking about mourning that comes as a result of the loss of a loved one, even though God does provide comfort in those times of grief. But this mourning and comfort — the first step of the Beatitudes — is mourning that results from having seen ourselves in the mirror and recognizing that we are horrible messes filled with sinful desires. It is that for which we must mourn and be humbled. Only then can look to God for his comfort. We, like the Israelites (Lev. 26), can turn away from God over and over and over again, but if we turn back to him, he will receive us with open arms. Grace upon grace.

Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?

James 4:11-12

In what seems to be an interesting conclusion to this section, James reminds us of the mote and splinter Jesus discussed in the Sermon on the Mount (Matt 7:1-5). This is also something Paul writes about Romans 1 and 2. In Romans 1 Paul uses the pronoun “they” or “them” about all the sin we see in the world, but when he gets to Romans 2:1 he writes, “Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things” (Romans 2:1). Essentially, Paul is saying that we do not have to look any farther than the nose on the front of our face to find the world’s most wicked person.

Maybe you are like me and when you read the Bible or listen to a sermon you think about how the words apply to other people. We excel in seeing the problems with others but are not so quick to remember the horrific face glaring back at us from the mirror. This is why James closes this section the way he does. It’s not about the other guy — it’s not their jealousy and selfish ambition that is the problem; it’s ours. Yes, God provides his answer to our problems by sending his wisdom from above, but we must receive it and we must act — we must put in the work.