Sermon: Friends or Foes?

It's good to see you all here. This evening. We're in James chapter 4. So if you can grab your Bibles and turn there as you do, so, let me pray and ask for the Lord's blessing tonight. The unfolding Lord of your words gives light it imparts understanding to the simple. Lord. We are simple people here gathered tonight. We pray that as we come to your word, you would convict us that you would comfort us that you would encourage Us by

Your Word. Lord. Your servants are listening. We pray in Jesus name. Amen. James chapter 4, we've been working through this book in our evening. Series there's a theme that has been woven through this entire book and tonight in our our verses, we see the flower as it were come out. And so if you look back in the first chapter, 1:27, James tells us this He says, religion that is pure and undefiled before God. The father, is this to

visit orphans and widows and to keep oneself unstained from the world to keep oneself unstained from the world. This is a theme that James has all through this letter to keep oneself unstained from the world. Why is James concerned about this? He's a queuing for us. Jesus is Birds from John 17. Jesus said to us, I have given them your word and the world has hated them because they are not of the world. Just as I am not of

the world. I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you would keep them from the evil one. This is fundamental to our identity as Christians. And as James is writing this letter, he wants his readers to here and he wants us. To hear the need to be unified in our love and in our fellowship. So that the world would see Christ both in us and through our Witness. So we come now to James chapter 4, follow along as

I read verses 1 through 10. James asked what causes corals 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 in Coral. 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. 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, or do you suppose that it is to no purpose? At the scripture says he yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us, but he gives more grace therefore. It says God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble 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 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. This text opens by James identifying a problem. You see it in verse 1, where he asks, the question James ask, what causes corals and what causes fights among you? This question, in our text parallels, a question. He's already asked

up in chapter 3 verse 13, where he asked, who is wise and who is understanding among you by his Good Conduct? Let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. James is concerned for Good Conduct. You could translate that phrase, the good life James wants his readers, his listeners to live the good life. And so he asked these questions. He's asking these questions. Challenge. What's at the center of our very living? The Good Life, as we see in our text tonight

is lived in friendship. And James says, that there is fighting and quarreling among you. He's not referencing here. The spiritual fight that Believers have against the world. The principalities of this world, rather. He's saying that this fighting is happening among them as Believers instead of being friends. They're actually living as enemies. This this theme of Coraline and fighting is all over the scriptures in the book of 1st Corinthians.

The Apostle Paul says this, he says for it has been reported to be. My Chloe's people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers. And what is the nature of this coral? And Paul goes on to tell us that some were arguing that I follow Paul others say I follow Apollo's others say I follow cephas or some say I follow Christ. They were quarreling and fighting and arguing about which other leaders. Is the best. In 1st Timothy Chapter 6, Paul speaks of

those who depart from sound Doctrine, from the teaching that Accords with godliness, and he says, of these teachers that they are, puffed up with conceit, and they understand nothing. These teachers. He says, have an unhealthy craving for controversy and for corals about words. False teachers love to fight and quarrel over words and of these false teachers. Paul says this this Cora lean that they stir up. He says produces envy and dissension

and slander and evil suspicions and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth. This is one of the reasons why the qualifications for officers in the church is to not be quarrelsome. The opposite of being quarrelsome, would be to be gentle and to show perfect courtesy toward all people Titus 32. So James knows that there's this fighting and there's this correlation among the people. He knows it probably because like Paul, he's received

reports about it, but I think he knows it as well because he knows the depravity of the human heart. And so, he asked this question and notice the word he uses. He says, what causes he's not asking. What are the fights among you? He's, he's asking a deeper question. What causes the corals and the fights that are among you? He knows there's coral and he knows there's fighting, because he knows the nature of their hearts, whatever we find jealousy and

selfish ambition, what James mentions in 3:14 instead of this heavenly? Fights and quarrels will necessarily be present. And so James is rhetorical question. Here is meant for self-reflection and it's a good question for us to consider as well. What causes fights and what causes corals Among Us. What caused the fight you had with your spouse or perhaps with your kids or another friend in the church? This is the problem that James opens here in this chapter

James Goes On from there, to give a diagnosis. And he gives two of these diagnoses in the text. Look back at verse 2. He answers the question. He says this is it not this that your passions are at War within you verse 2. Here's the first diagnosis. We have passions and desires that are at War within us. Now, where do these passions come from? Well, James here uses two words. In this verse. The first word for passion is the Greek word, Heaton.

A, it's where we get our word hedonist. It means Pleasures or in the word hedonist the pleasure Seeker. He also uses the word desire. He says you desire and do not have this word desire in. The Greek is epithelia. Both of these words indicate and communicate a A positive or negative, it could be both. But a strong desire, a strong desire for something often. The word desire here is translated as lust of the flesh. So James here is talking about our passions, our

pleasures and desires that are at War within us Titus. Chapter 3 says this for we ourselves were once foolish disobedient, LED astray slaves to various Passions. Our word epithelia, passions and Pleasures heat in a where slaves to these things were LED astray by these things, but they're in tight as Paul reminds us that these were things that were once true of us, but no more be the good news of the Gospel is that in Christ, Our

old master, has been conquered. As the great hymn says he breaks the power of cancelled sin. He sets the prisoner free. His blood can make the foulest clean his blood of veils for me. Praise God that because of in Christ the power of These Foolish passions, and these Pleasures has been subdued in the cross. But even as the power has been broken, the presence of these desires still remain, they still remain. Within us. And that's what James tells us that

these desires are within you. And the Greek you'll notice is that there's a little footnote there. That says it could be translated in your members in your members. The word members here implies members individually as the members of the body of Christ, but it also links back to the tongue which James described as a small member that sets the forest Ablaze. These passions and pleasures and other words are among us as people, but they're also within

us. And James here is telling us that there is fighting among you because there is fighting within you. There's fighting among us, because there's a fight that's happening within me. There's supposed to be as James told us at the end of chapter 3. There's supposed to be a harvest of righteousness that is sown in peace, but that's not happening. Why is it not happening? Because the Peace of Christ is not ruling in our hearts, like,

it should. We've seen this word for desire earlier in the Book of James James, chapter 1, verse 14. He says, but each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire and desire when it has conceived, it gives birth to sin and sin when it is fully grown brings forth, death, and here in our text tonight. James is giving us an explanation of this verse. He says, you desire, you want something and you don't have

Of it. And so this desire brings forth. Death. It results in Murder. He says you covet, but you cannot obtain. And so you fight and coral. We have these inner desires for things, whether its wealth or money, or status, or Career Success Comfort, whatever they are. We all want something? And we, it's not just that we want something, we have a vision for what it looks like to get it. And then a week goes by months go by years. Go

by, and we don't get that thing. Because we don't get that thing. James says, you commit murder. He uses a strong image here to capture our attention. He's speaking of war, and his point is because is that because you did not go to war against their own desires. You went to war against your neighbor. You killed him with your anger, you murdered him with your sharp and slanderous tongue. You sought Revenge with your bitter, bitter attitude and condescending words.

Paul reminds us in Colossians to put to death. Therefore. What is Earthly in you go to war against these things? Sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil, desire and covetousness, which is idolatry. Paul reminds us that on accounts of these things. The wrath of God is coming. There's a serious call here to war, not against other brothers and sisters in Christ, but against the passions and the Where's that are at War within us?

So we have these passions and we have these desires, and James. Also links these things with coveting. The tenth commandment. You'll see that in verse 2, you covet and cannot obtain. And here we see how twisted our inner passions and Pleasures, really can be a desire for more. Can be a good thing. It's a good thing to want a better, a better job better. More opportunities to care for your family, right, growing and godliness. It's

good to want more but how Easily this desire for more leads to being discontent with what the Lord has given us. How easy it is for us to Envy. What other believers have that person. We look at over there. They seem to have a better job. They have a bigger house. They have more kids. They have better health and more opportunities than I do. We could go on and on. Think of how social media is designed to stir these sorts of inner passions with

us. We see Pope other people posting about their good life. Look how great my life is all these pictures and how easily it is to be tempted by this Mirage of online content. We think all there's a better marriage over there. There's a better job over here, a better Church down the road, a more fulfilled life. If only I had with, they have how quickly this discontentment stirs our inner. Shins. But as James is pointing out here, the problem with these

inner passions is that they are never satisfied. They're never fulfilled by the thing that is desired. He says you desire, but you do not have you covet and you cannot obtain it. Calvin says commenting. On this verse of the person who's pictured here. This person who is envious in desirous of things. He said, we're even the world given to him. He would wish other worlds to be created for him. In his Envy men, seek torments, which exceed

the cruelty of Executioner's, how true that is how our own Envy, how our own selfish ambition and desires are worse than the Of all Executioner's. Now, if we keep moving in this text in James 4, look back at the end of verse 2. James here, gives us another way of seeing how these passions are at War within us. He says, you do not have because you do not ask here's a wonderful gospel truth that as our heavenly father when we come to him humbly and

ask for his grace, he promises to give it to us. It recalls to mind. What James has already told us and 1:5 if any One lacks wisdom. Let him ask God and it will be given to him. He and the gospel. God has given us everything that we need for life and godliness, but instead of pursuing him and humble faith-filled prayer instead. What do we do? We pursue ourselves. We fixate on our own pleasures and desires. We forget to pray, we

forget to ask God. How often do these passions crowd out our prayers? But then James anticipates an objection, some will say hey, look I do ask. I do. Pray verse 3, We asked all the time and it seems like we're not getting what we're asking for. But then James draws out their motives. He says you do ask, but you do not receive because you ask wrongly. Do you at blessing from God? Whether it's material Goods or Heavenly

wisdom, not because you want to honor and serve him and to build others up, but because you want to use them to feel your own Passions. In other words, James is telling us there's a wrong way to pray prayer, should be a means of communion with God. It's not a means to our own ends. Beware the temptation to use spirituality as a means to satisfy our Earthly pleasures. James is telling us our passions are at War within us. Here's the second diagnosis brings us

to in verse 4. He says you adulterous people in Greek. It's one word adulteresses. Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? But here's the second diagnosis, James tells us your friendship is in the wrong place. Your friendship is in the wrong place. James here is taking the mantle upon himself of as an Old Testament. Prophet warning of adultery. Just as Israel was to be a wife and her husband and God anytime

Israel would turn to the idols. She was committing spiritual adultery. She was unfaithful to her husband. The Jeremiah 3 verse 20. This is all over the Old Testament. But here's one example. Surely as a treacherous wife, leaves her husband. So you have been treacherous to me o House of Israel. Declares the Lord and James here is using this same strong language as he speaks to the church. His warning is severe just as Israel was

unfaithful in her Covenant with God. So you the church are in danger of being unfaithful to The God Who has saved you. James highlights this by changing the metaphor. He switches from adultery to Friendship. The word. Friendship. Here in the Greek is the word that in other places can be translated, as love one of the four ways to speak of love in the New Testament balletto here. James is speaking, as he's thinking about loving the

world. He's not speaking of Simply enjoying the things of the world. He's not talking about enjoying a day at the beach, or a sunset or a good. Make dinner. He's not talking about what TV shows we can or cannot watch her, whether or not. It's okay to drink, alcohol. What James is doing is he's speaking in Covenant to language. And you see this in the second part of verse for whoever wishes. I were wishes could be translated as

Choose Or decides. Whoever decides whoever makes this his commitment to be a friend of the world makes himself. That word can be translated appoints declares himself an enemy of God. And so again, like the prophets of old James is giving this ultimatum choose this day whom you will serve, who will have your Allegiance. What will you affirm as ultimately good? And valuable, which way, will you align yourself with, with the ways of the world, or with

the ways of the Lord? Reminded here of what the Apostle, John tells us in his epistle. John tells us this for all that is in the world. The desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life is not from the father, but is from the world. To be worldly. Then according to John means that my allegiance is with the world. I'm committed to it that I'm pursuing the desires of My Flesh, no matter where they take me,

there's an allegiance involved. There's also an affirmation involved. I affirm that all my desires, all my Pleasures, all these things are good. And in turn, the world will then affirm me. There's Allegiance, there's affirmation. And there's alignment that I'm boasting. And I'm taking pride in what my sinful desires are telling me. In other words to say, it another way worldliness, being a friend of the world means making it the source of

my identity, and the decider of my ethics. And James is Raising this question of worldliness of friendship because it gets to the heart of the Gospel itself. He says, do you not know do you not see this? Don't you realize this, don't you understand this? What is he speaking of? Look, back in chapter 2, verse 23, they are James quotes from Genesis 15. And here's what he says. He says, the scripture was fulfilled that says, Abraham

believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness. See, there's the gospel by faith. Abraham believed God. And what did God do, God Justified him. He declared him righteous. He imputed this righteousness to his account. That's the gospel. And then notice, what James says, because of all of this. Abraham was called a friend of God friendship, friendship with God. This is the gospel that while we were still Sinners,

while we were still enemies Christ, came to die for us. He paid the Redemption price for our sin. He delivered us from the domain of the world's Darkness into the Kingdom of Light. He killed the enemy that stood between us and God. This is the gospel that God out of love, would make his enemies. His friends. And so for a Christian to turn back to loving the world, is to reverse the gospel. It undoes the work of Christ. It puts Christ back in the

Tomb and instead resurrects. The enmity that has already been defeated. Now, here's where James gets really practical and very personal. Remember, he's addressing Christians. He's addressing those in the church. He's asking his readers and he's asking us at the Same time. Do you believe this gospel news? Have you believed like Abraham in God's grace to us in Christ. Are you a friend of God and pause here for a minute? Maybe some here

tonight your answer my honestly be no to that question. Well friends, I would invite you to receive this Good News by faith just like Abraham did what a wonderful thing to be made and considered and called a friend of God. But now James is saying, okay, for you, who believe this gospel for you? Who believe it, then? Why are there fights and quarrels among you don't? You see, James says, you're fighting and quarreling is because

your passions are at War within you. And they're these passions that are at War within you is because you have turned your friendship with God into friendship with the world. And the God, of this age is seeking to undo the Cross by putting Christ back in the Tomb and raising the enmity that has already been defeated. He's seeking to Allure God's people into attacking God himself, friends are fights and quarrels are symptoms of

of a deeper problem. And for James it all boils down to this one decision. Are you a friend or are you a foe? What do you profess is your Allegiance? Where do you look for your affirmation? How do you seek to live your life as a friend of God or as an enemy? So what does James give for the antidote? What is the antidote to this problem? We can summarize it like this. James says, we fight Desire with desire. We fight our sinful desires and Pleasures, not by

loving the world, but by loving God. And how can we love God? Well, verse 6, he gives us the answer. Verse 6 says and he gives more grace. Here's the antidote for are disordered desires. It's the grace of God, the grace of God, Titus 2. We've heard it several times here. Already Titus 2 tells us for the grace of God has appeared bringing salvation. For all people training us to renounce, ungodliness and worldly, passions and to live self-controlled.

Upright. And godly lives in the present. Age God's grace. It saves us. And it also trains us to walk in the way of Grace. It makes us friends and it keeps us walking in that friendship. How does it do? It instructs us to recognize and to denounce the worldly passions that are at War within us. Now I skipped over verse 5 look back at verse 5. New Testament commentator Doug. Moo says this is the most difficult verse in the entire Bible

to untangle. And so I'm not going to try to untangle it dramatically here. Tonight. We're going to just stick with how the ESV has rendered it. I think it's a faithful way of rendering it. What verse 5 tells us is that God is a jealous God. It says he yearns intensely for the spirit that is within us. In other words. He yearns intensely for our full Legions and this is what makes God's grace. So amazing. His own jealousy that

God requires our full Allegiance, and praise God. He gives us Grace to meet that requirement. He did it in the gospel and we receive his grace by believing in this good news. But as James tells us, he gives more Grace. It's not just a one-time event, he gives More grace, we all need the grace of God. Verse 6. James tells us the recipients of God's grace are always the humble. The proud heart doesn't see. Its need for Grace, the

proud heart will continue to embrace and be shaped by the ways of this world, but the humble is the one who recognizes his inner struggle. The Humble woman sees her own jealousy and selfish ambition. She understands her pleasures and desires. Is are Waging War within her members. When the world tells us to embrace our sinful desires to embrace them in full. It's the humble who see their need for the grace of God to deliver them from the destruction of these same desires. So

James tells us it starts with humility. And how do we receive more of this Grace? Well, he gives us six commands in the verses that follow to show us what it looks like and how we can receive more of this Grace. So these six commands will take as our applications tonight as well. So number 1, verse 7, James tells us submit to God submit to God. This is the antithesis of what we saw up in verse 4. Whose side are you on? Who are you choosing to serve this day

submission to God starts with a decision. It means a conscious choice to trust that all of God's ways are Right and good. Even if I can't see it, and part of our daily devotion with God, is to submit to him. It means daily. We wake up and say, Lord. I am choosing this day. I am submitted myself. This day. My mind, my heart. My hands to you and your ways. We submit to God. Second, we resist the devil verse 7. We resist, the devil

part of our repentance is to turn away from the devil in his schemes. Peter reminds us that the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. And how does he seek to devour us? He does it by Waging War within us through our love's, through our desires. And so in receiving the grace of God, we resist the devil. We wage war precisely where he seeks to attack us in our love's and in our desires and the promise

James gives us. This is a great promise that as we do. So, as we resist the devil, he will flee from us. He will, he must he has to, he will flee from us. So, meditate Upon This Promise, make it, a daily meditation, that two, such as I resist the devil, he will. Will flee number three draw near to God verse 8. In the gospel. Our Union with God is fixed. But our communion with God Rose. There's a daily battle here for regularity and

consistency. In the ordinary means of Grace that we come to God. We draw near to God. How do we do that? We come to him by reading the Bible by praying by memorizing and meditating upon the word by sitting under the ministry of the word by participating, in the sacraments. Our capacity to receive more grace grows, as we deliberately cultivate this kind of fellowship with the Lord and just like the last command. With this command James gives a promise. He says, draw

near to God and He will draw near to you. And so friends, if you feel tonight, as if you are distant from the Lord, this is a great promise to come back to find confidence in this promise. That as I take those Out to draw near to God, He will draw near draw near to me. So we draw near to him. Number 4, verse 8 cleanse your hands and purify your hearts. There's both an outward and inward cleansing. That is part of our daily devotion with

the Lord James. Here is adding to the language of verse 4, when he says adulterous is and he has this other one word sinners. And now double-minded we need humility to look at our lives honestly and see where is this double-mindedness coming out? Where am I prone to wander? Where am I prone to commit spiritual adultery, this ought to be part of our daily devotion to put off these desires and sins of the Flesh and to put on the virtues and Graces of

our new life in Christ. And so we cleanse our And we purify our hearts number five, we mourn and weep verse 9, James is highlighting our need for contrition and true sorrow for our sin. He speaking here of worldly, laughter and worldly, Joy, but as we recognize this sort of worldly laughter and joy within us, it should become a source of morning and Gloom when we see the world trying to redefine God's ways calling. What is good evil. And what is it?

Evil, good. It in more specifically not just when we see it out there, but when we see it in our own hearts, and when we say our own minds, begin to align in similar ways, we ought to mourn and we ought to weep. We mourn for the state of the world. We also mourn for the state of our own Hearts. So we mourn and weep over our sin. And lastly, number 6, James says, humble yourself verse 10. Humble yourself before the Lord.

We're coming full circle to where he started in verse 6, it's only when we truly humble ourselves before God, and his ways that were able to receive his grace. We can't go, we can't continue to boast in our sinful desires and expect to receive the grace of God. It's only when we humble ourselves, will we be able and ready to receive the grace of God, and notice the promise attached to this as well? When we humble ourselves?

James tells us he will exalt you. In other words, he will fill you. He will satisfy you. Now, he will raise you up whole and filled and complete on the last day. And so, as we fight our desires that are at War within us as we humble ourselves before the Lord, be reminded that God will satisfy us. He will fill us up by his grace. Conclude with this. We looked at this outline, this series of commands. This is the way of Grace. This is

how God gives more grace. We come to Christ. We believe in the gospel and then we humbly submit to him and live for him. There is always more grace for the Christian. Remember Jesus's words. Jesus tells us no longer. Do I call you servants, but I have called you friends. And John in his gospel writes, the world is passing away along with its desires. But whoever does the will of God, we can put in here whoever walks as a friend of God will

abide forever. Hallelujah, what a savior! Hallelujah, what a friend, saving helping, keeping loving. He is with me to the End. Amen. Let us pray.

God, we thank you for your Amazing Grace. And would you floored by your grace? Teach us to recognize and renounce, the sinful passions in the sinful Pleasures that are at War within us. Grant us more grace Lord, even as we sleep tonight, and we wake up to start a new week tomorrow that we would daily seek to draw near to you. We ask all this in Jesus name. Amen.