James 4 Living in The Humble Way

 Scripture: James 4:7 Chose to serve God. Stand against the offerings of the devil and the pleasures of this world and they will no longer be a temptation.

Title: Living in The Humble Way

 James One, Living in The God Way

All life is in God's hand and He knows what He is doing.

We need to let Him teach us how to live and live by His agenda and not our own.

 James Two, Living in The Good Way,

All people as God’s children. 

Any sin is breaking the whole Law, so we need to live instead by the Law of Liberty.

And live with a faith that does good deeds for others.

James Three, Living The Quiet Way.

Gaining control over our speech, learning to bless others rather than curse them,

Talking in ways that please God, and then finding ways to rid ourselves of selfishness, bitterness, jealousy, etc. so, when we speak, we speak God's truth

Today, I want us to focus on The Humble Way to live. This comes when we submit to God and accept His guidance in this life. Humbly we accept what we have and do not seek to have everything that others do. We choose to sacrifice our “rights” the things of this world so we can enjoy the pleasures of heaven. We choose to let God be the judge of right and wrong and rest in His ability to know the difference.

1 Conflicts and disputes do not come our way from sources outside of ourselves. They come from our own personal desires and lusts that rise up within us. 2 When we cannot have what we desire we want to blame it on someone else; make it out to be their fault. When our passions cause us to desire something someone else has, we often end up quarreling with them or someone else. If we need something, all we need to do is ask God. 3 When we do ask, we often do not receive because we are seeking to fulfill our pleasures, rather than the needs of others or the will of God.

HOW CAN WE ELIMINATE WARS?

There are wars between nations of the world because there is fighting among neighbors. There is fighting among neighbors because there is jealousy going on inside of individuals. We desire and covet the things that others have; the things we do not have and cannot get, so we wage was at some level to acquire what we want. Whether it is the run on toilet paper at the beginning of the covid outbreak or the hunger to have the latest fad on the internet, when we cannot have our jealousy can grow into bitterness and hatred and ultimately some level of war.

Prov 18:1 says, “a person who wants only what is best for self, will soon lose all friends. His plight becomes a war against wisdom and truth.” The humble way offers to be loving, to seek for peace, and to be kind. 1 John 2:16-17 says the yearnings of this world, the lusts of the flesh, lusts of the eyes, and the pride of life, are not the ways of God and will never lead us to satisfaction.

However, satisfaction is possible. It comes when we ask for it according to His ways. God's ways encourage us to seek the benefit of others. The more we do that the more we experience satisfaction in life. If our striving is for selfish reasons, it will not produce for us what we expect and long for. It will become empty and vain according to the author of the Book of Ecclesiastes.

Prayer is a bit of an art and takes practice to learn to get things right. God asks us to pray, and pray about everything, including all of our requests that we want to have come our way. However, some prayers will be answered with a resounding, “NO!” if the answer would not be the best for us. We do need to ask and keep on asking because sometimes God knows that the answer coming at a different timing would be far better. It becomes all about His will and His timing, and not our human desires and pleasures.

Keep in mind that God’s plan may not include an easy life for us, or a life without suffering, or a life of worldly status and accolades from others or the accumulation of worldly pleasures and things. It more than likely will include opportunities to sacrifice our time and our treasures to benefit the needs of others so that God can serve them and answer their prayers through the things we do in the Name of Jesus.

 

HOW CAN WE ELIMINATE WARS? HOW CAN WE FIND PEACE IN THE WORLD AND IN OUR LIVES?

Seek the fruit of the Spirit in our lives.

Seek God's will in all of our actions, words, and thoughts. 

4 You are committing adultery in the eyes of God, because you are leaving Him behind to become friends with the pleasures of this world. Do you understand that? You become God's rival when you choose to join forces with the ways of the world.

HOW CAN WE BECOME GOD'S ENEMIES?

If we do things striving to satisfy our own desires and passions, we are called friends of the world. We cannot be friends of the world and friends of God at the same time. Thus, if we choose to be friends of the world and long for the things of the world, we are choosing to be God’s enemies.

It is a choice we make. We either to choose to humbly submit to God and do things His way. Or we choose to submit to our own desires, our human desires and strive for what the world says is good for us and the things we need. And in making this choice, we are really choosing to accept the temptations of the devil and the trappings of the world as better for us than the truth of God and His wisdom.

Keep in mind. In the long run, God will always win. His side is the better one to choose. Absolutely nothing can happen for the best without being under His care and guidance.

          HOW CAN WE BECOME GOD'S ENEMIES?

By choosing to be led astray by temptations, lurings of things, and the pleasures of this world.

5 Remember the Scripture that says, "He deeply desires for us to be His friend and find our hope in Him. 6 He is so full of grace towards those who are humble, and He desires to have mercy on the proud who stand in opposition to His ways. 7 Chose to serve God. Stand against the offerings of the devil and the pleasures of this world and they will no longer be a temptation. 8 When we seek to be close to God, He makes Himself known to us. As sinners, we need to repent regularly to cleanse our hearts and minds, so that we are not double-minded, trying to live by God's laws and at the same time, indulge in the pleasures of the world. 9 Sometimes this choice is difficult, and we might not enjoy it as much as if we have followed the ways of the world, but eventually we will be happy. 10 Humility in the presence of God is very rewarding for us as He gives us the strength to stand firm in His ways.

HOW CAN WE BE GOD'S FRIENDS?

God yearns to have fellowship with us. That relationship is hampered by our pride and our desire for the things of the world. (Col. 3:5-9). Thus, we must humble ourselves before God and receive his grace. We gain a relationship with God through our humility; our resignation that God is in control, and He loves and forgives us. This humility and faith lead us to a servant attitude, a servant role before God. As humble servants, we draw near to God, we are cleansed in the blood of Christ daily, and we set our hearts only on Jesus Christ and the life He desires for us to live.

Do not be surprised how easily we can become mournful of our old condition, and repentant of the life we once thought was the right way to live. Accept this feeling of repentance, share it with Jesus, let Him bring to us the joys and satisfactions that will be ours as His children.

HOW CAN WE BE GOD'S FRIENDS?

                        Spend time with Him, choosing to serve in the Name of Jesus.

11 Those of us who are followers of Jesus need to get along. Saying bad things about one another is the same as judging them and also judging the Law which God enacted. Are we judges? No, we are doers of the Law. 12 Only one judge exists, the Lawgiver Himself, God. He is able to save a life or destroy it. When we judge others, we destroy them and condemn ourselves.

HOW DO WE BECOME A JUDGE OF MEN?

By our words!!! When we speak evil things against others then we are saying we are better than they are, and we start judging the law of God i.e., His ways, and stop doing it. We cannot be both a judge of the law and a doer of the law. Matthew tells us that Jesus reminded us to not judge others. If we do, we will be judged in the same way we have judged them.

Instead of judging others, try speaking good about them, finding something good to say or do not say anything at all. Look for ways to encourage others and affirm the things they are doing well.

HOW DO WE BECOME A JUDGE OF MEN?

Remember we put ourselves in the place of God, every time we think or speak something negative or critical of others.

13 When we make plans for our future, we need to be careful. If we boldly tell others what we expect, we might be wrong. 14 We do not know what will happen tomorrow. Our lives are similar to vapors that appear and then vanish. 15 I suggest we say, "If the Lord wills, these are our plans and expectations." 16 When we boast without knowing the future, we are being arrogant and that makes the boasting, evil.

HOW CAN WE KNOW THE FUTURE?

The truth is we cannot!!! Only God knows what tomorrow holds. But we talk as if we know the future because we are always making definite plans for tomorrow when we are not even sure we will be here. Instead, God knows the future and we will do things only if He wills. So, rest in Him and His knowledge and oversight of the future. And be thankful when the life He brings our way is one of joy and peace.

Solomon says in the Proverbs, “A person makes the plans in his heart, but when all is said and done, the will of the Lord comes to pass.” Knowing the future keeps us from being able to trust in God, to reverence Him. Solomon also said in Ecclesiastes, “I am confident that God will establish His will for the future; and try as we might, we cannot make anything happen other than His will, nor can eliminate any part of His plan. God has laid out all plans that we should honor Him in all things.” (Eccl 3:14-15) 

HOW CAN WE KNOW THE FUTURE?

We cannot. But we can trust that God has all things under control in the bigger picture of life.

 

17 Sin, by definition, is knowing the right thing to do and choosing not to do it.

 HOW DO WE KNOW WHEN WE HAVE SINNED?

When we do what something other than what we know is right.

God has placed His Law in our hearts. So, do the things which we know to be good and avoid the things we know to be evil. (Matt 4:19; Luke 10:42; John 21:19-23).

Learn from our mistakes and over time, learn to discern the difference between good and evil.

 

In the Name of Jesus, I bless you with peace in your hearts, patience with yourself and with others, and a sensitivity to what the Spirit is speaking to you. 

Pastor Edd