An Earnest Appeal to Preserve and Promote True Peace within the Body of Christ (Part 5)

AN EARNEST APPEAL TO PRESERVE AND PROMOTE TRUE PEACE WITHIN THE BODY OF CHRIST–PART 5

An Exposition of James 3:13-4:10

By Pastor Brian Wilbur

Date: February 11, 2024

Series: Peace in the Church

Note: Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

THE SCRIPTURAL TEXT

Holy Scripture says:

3 ¹³ Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom.¹⁴ But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. ¹⁵ This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. ¹⁶ For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. ¹⁷ But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. ¹⁸ And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

4 ¹ What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? ² You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. ³ You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. ⁴ 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. ⁵ 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”? ⁶ But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” ⁷ Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. ⁸ Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. ⁹ Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. ¹⁰ Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.” (James 3:13-4:10)

Introduction

The goal of this sermon series is that we would get better at making honest efforts to preserve and promote true peace within the body of Christ. In pursuit of that goal, we have already unpacked three peacemaking tactics.

The first peacemaking tactic we considered is forbearance: humbly, gently, and patiently “[bear] with one another in love”. When we lovingly put up with each other, a thousand potential conflicts never happen, because we’re treating each other graciously despite our many flaws.

The second peacemaking tactic we considered is dealing with conflict head-on: when conflict does happen, which it most certainly will, then speak directly with the person with whom you are having conflict, so that the relevant issues can be clarified, and so that the conflicted parties can be reconciled through confession and forgiveness. Don’t be offensive or defensive, but be level-headed and eager to be at peace with your brothers and sisters.

The third peacemaking tactic we considered is not speaking negatively about the people with whom you are having conflict. The conflict itself is challenging enough; adding gossip, critical speech, and backbiting into the mix makes the whole thing a thousand times worse. When it comes to conflicts, disagreements, and grievances, don’t speak about people, speak to people.

Now we come to the fourth peacemaking tactic: in the midst of conflict, slow down to honestly evaluate your own motivations, and turn away from any sinful desires. I found Robert Plummer’s comment on James 4:1-12 really helpful:

“James teaches us not to point fingers at others but rather to ask God to lay bare our own hearts. When we experience conflict, we should pray, “Oh God, in what ways is sin in my heart contributing to this conflict? Where is my pride, anger, and defensiveness on display?”[1]

In other words, be really serious about identifying any possible logs in your own eye, and put your own sins to death. The 17^th century theologian John Owen said: “be killing sin or it will be killing you”. What is true individually is also true congregationally: we must be a body of many members that is killing our sins, or our sins will be killing us.

Disconnection and Deception

Before we take a close look at James 3:13-4:10, I want you to see an important theme that is unpacked in the Book of James. Sometimes churchgoing people like us are not honest about the degree to which sin often thrives in religious settings. Of course, sin thrives in all settings that involve sinful human beings. But religious settings often pose a greater challenge, because they are often a breeding ground for hypocrisy and deception. We can fool ourselves into thinking that simply because we have learned God-talk, Bible-talk, faith-talk, and ministry-talk, that therefore we are okay. But what often happens is that we learn the God-talk, Bible-talk, faith-talk, and ministry-talk, and we learn how to keep up appearances, but frankly the reality in our hearts is totally disconnected from our professed religiosity. We can talk a big game, put on the mask of respectability, and play the part, while at the very same time our hearts are a cesspool of wickedness. And so, there can be a massive disconnect between what we claim to believe, and how we actually live. The New Testament Book of James confronts this disconnect, this hypocrisy and deceit, head-on!

It is possible to ask God for wisdom and to doubt that He will give it to you (see James 1:5-8). James says that petitioning God for help while disbelieving His willingness to help you, reveals a tumultuous and unhealthy heart.

It is possible to be a hearer of God’s Word and not be a doer of God’s Word (see James 1:22-25)

It is possible to be religious and to have no control over your tongue (see James 1:26).

It is possible to be religious and to have no concern for orphans and widows (see James 1:27).

It is possible to be religious and to be stained by worldliness (see James 1:27).

It is possible to gather together for worship in the name of Jesus and to favor the well-dressed rich people while looking down on the poorly-dressed poor people who are strong in faith (see James 2:1-7).

It is possible to claim to have faith and yet refuse to show mercy (see James 2:8-17)

It is possible to have a form of faith that simply doesn’t work – faith without works, a dead faith (see James 2:14-26).

It is possible to bless the Lord with our words and curse our neighbors with our words (see James 3:9-12). James says, “Do not speak evil against one another, brothers.” (James 4:11) The quarrels and fights of James 4:1-2 take place largely through edgy words that give vent to our runaway desires.

And this exposes yet one more disconnect that can exist among those who profess Christ: it is possible to be very religious within a Christian context and to be very contentious at the same time. When James writes “What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you?” he isn’t writing to politicians, company executives, or members of a sports team. James is writing to Christians. It is possible for Christians to get so hot-headed or so preoccupied with their own agenda that they would rather put away their fellow Christian than to put away their sin.

Do you see all these possible disconnects? To have these disconnects is to be what James calls double-minded (James 1:8, 4:8). You speak one way, but feel and act a different way. You claim one thing, but your conduct is just the opposite. You profess godliness, but your everyday practice is ungodly.

One of the great dangers in all this is the possibility of self-deception: we can think that our professed God-talk is good enough and yet be totally blind to our bankrupt condition. If we as a church family are encouraging people to be intellectual hearers of the Word, but are not encouraging people to be obedient doers of the Word, then we are not making disciples; we are making self-deceived hypocrites: “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” (James 1:22) As to the goal of this sermon series, it should be clearly understood that hearing messages about peacemaking within the body of Christ is no substitute for taking the concrete actions that are required to make peace within the body of Christ. Instruction, without corresponding action, is ultimately worthless.

So, one of the great burdens of the Book of James is to get professing believers like you and me to take a good look in the mirror, and to see if there be in us any of these tragic disconnects between the faith that we profess and the life that we actually live, to see if there be in us any of these tragic disconnects between the wonderful grace that we claim to have received and the manner in which we relate to other people.

In James 3:13-18, James sets forth the only two alternatives: true heavenly wisdom or diabolical attitudes. Here we encounter God’s standard for our character and conduct.  

In James 4:1-4, James confronts his hearers with their diabolical attitudes. They have violated God’s standard.

Then in James 4:5-10, summons these wayward believers to repentance. God’s people are urged to return to God and His standard, with the promise that a gracious spiritual renewal will take place.

God’s Standard for Our Character and Conduct (James 3:13-18)

Notice right off the bat that the test of whether or not you are wise and whether or not you have understanding, is how you conduct yourself in the presence of other people. “Who is wise and understanding among you?” (v. 13) Let him show you his theological library, let him show you the amount of Bible knowledge he has stored in his brain, let him show you his vast ministry experience, let him show you how smart he is. Don’t misunderstand me: Bible knowledge is essential to the Christian life, sound doctrine is essential to being a healthy Christian. But the test of spiritual maturity is not in your ability to recall doctrinal data, but in your ability to humbly obey the Lord and relate to others with love and kindness: “By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom.” (v. 13)

Interestingly enough, in terms of the temptation to quarrel and fight that is mentioned in Chapter 4, one of the ways that a truly wise person demonstrates his wisdom is through silence: “A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion.” (Proverbs 18:2) “It is an honor for a man to keep aloof from strife, but every fool will be quarreling.” (Proverbs 20:3) “Whoever restrains his words has knowledge, and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding.” (Proverbs 17:27) Other people rush into a fool’s conflict, but the wise man keeps his feet firmly planted, and carefully considers his ways.

Another way that a truly wise person demonstrates his wisdom is through listening: “If one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame.” (Proverbs 18:13) He hears in order to understand, and he also listens to advice: “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice.” (Proverbs 12:15)

The truly wise man is not impressed with himself, doesn’t run over people, and doesn’t angrily force upon others the outcome that he desires. The word “meekness” shows up in James 3:13 and James 1:21 – and this is the same word that is translated “gentleness” in Ephesians 4:2. Look at James 1:19-21 –

“Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.” (James 1:19-21, italics added)

Short-tempered, impulsive, angry speech is not the pathway to righteousness. The “harvest of righteousness” (James 3:18) doesn’t grow on the tree of selfish attitudes, however religious or legalistic or self-righteous those attitudes might possibly feel. Instead there must be a meekness, a gentleness, a humble receptivity to God’s Word which transforms us from the inside out, and when that Word is transforming us from the inside out, we will retain that meekness, gentleness, and humble consideration of others in our conduct toward others: “let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom” (James 3:13). The bottom line is that the truly wise person is not full of himself, not preoccupied with his own advantage, not fixated on his own perspective. Whether works of merciful action or works of thoughtful speech, the wise person is a meek person who desires to serve others for the Lord’s sake.

In verses 14-16, James shows us the dark alternative to true wisdom:

“But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.” (James 3:14-16)

The alternative to true wisdom is diabolical folly, and each and every one of us is keeping company with one or the other. James shows us the nature, source, and result of diabolical folly.

The Nature, Source, and Result of Diabolical Folly

The nature of diabolical folly is “bitter jealousy and selfish ambition”. It is selfish, self-absorbed, self-willed – you are ruled by your own desires, and thus you have a sharp pointy acidic attitude toward other people: you will form a faction with people who agree with you, and you will adopt a negative or adversarial stance toward people who disagree with you or who have something that you covet.[2] The word translated “bitter” in verse 14 is the same word that is translated “salt” in verse 11: “Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water?” In other words: Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh water and bitter water? This “bitter” jealousy is impure, polluted, and only suitable for spitting out.

Those who have this “bitter jealousy and selfish ambition” are apt to boast, for the unbridled mouth likes to “[boast] of great things” (James 3:5) But James says that such people must “not boast and be false to the truth”. Remember, James is speaking to religious people within a Christian context. Self-absorbed people would boast of how self-righteous they are, of how insightful their opinions are about other people in the church, of how shrewd their approach to controversial religious questions, of how wonderful their ideas for church ministry are, of how superior their own little church sub-culture is. In the name of piety and wisdom, they glorify their own opinions and the people who are willing to coalesce with them around those opinions, and they antagonize or avoid others within the body. Such people should learn to honor the truth be humbly confessing their arrogance; they shouldn’t “be false to the truth” by exalting their own ego under the cloak of religiosity.

The source of this self-absorbed diabolical folly is discussed in verse 15. Actually, verse 15 tells us what isn’t the source of jealousy and selfish ambition: heaven. Heaven, the kingdom of heaven, the kingdom above, is not the source of jealousy and selfish ambition. If selfish attitudes are not from heaven, then where are they from? The world, the flesh, and the devil! James deploys the adjectives “earthly” (corresponding to this present sinful world, not heaven), “unspiritual” (corresponding to our fleshly and sensual desires, not holy desires), and “demonic” (corresponding to what demons do, not the Holy Spirit). The devil and his demons stir up your fleshly desires to get yourself a larger share of this present world at other people’s expense, to get what other people have, to see to it that you increase and others decrease. The fact that we are gathering together as a church family doesn’t automatically mean that the world, the flesh, and the devil aren’t working overtime in our midst.

The result of this self-absorbed diabolical folly is identified in verse 16: “For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.” It cannot be otherwise. Our habitual attitudes yield habitual actions and habitual ways of relating to each other, and those habitual actions and habitual ways of relating to each other build culture. Jealousy and selfish ambition are unstable attitudes that breed social instability, disorder, in-fighting, backbiting, factions, jockeying for position, backroom deals, shameful efforts to bring other people down. Furthermore, when fleshly attitudes are in the driver’s seat, these fleshly attitudes will ­ – given enough time – generate “every vile practice”: slander, sabotage, abuse of power, resistance to authority, embezzlement, adultery, manipulation, and blackmail, and worship turns into entertainment, the church’s teaching devolves into heresies, and pastoral leadership turns into a cult of personality, and Bible Studies turn into group therapy sessions, and ministry undergirded by prayer turns into professional marketing. Some of you have no idea how bad it can get in church settings. Some of you, sadly enough, do know how bad it can get. We expect pagans to be earthly, unspiritual, and demonic in Hollywood, but when professing Christians are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic in the church, the stench is unbearable. We are not called to manage the downstream effects of disorder and dysfunction. Instead, we are called to flee the upstream attitudes that lead to the chaos.

The Nature and Result of Heavenly Wisdom

There is, after all, a better way. The characteristics of heavenly wisdom are identified in verse 17:

“But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.”

It all starts with purity. The godly heart is not a hotbed of toxic emotion. It is not polluted by double-mindedness or by hypocrisy. It is clean. It is “unstained from the world” (James 1:27). It is holy in its motivation and outlook. It is not a polluted spring, but “pure” all the way down, and all the way across. It is not destabilized by jealousy and selfish ambition. It is wholehearted in its devotion to the Lord and steadfast in its love for the brethren.

This foundational purity generates manifold graciousness when it comes to relating to other people within the church. Heavenly wisdom is “peaceable”: always inclined to keep and cultivate peaceful relationships with others. Heavenly wisdom is “gentle”: meek, mild-mannered, fair-minded, disarming. Heavenly wisdom is “open to reason”: when it comes to a thousand practical and inter-personal matters, your mind is not already made up, but instead you are willing to listen, to consider, to understand, to be persuaded. You are able to be approached, able to be entreated, able to be reasoned with, able to change your mind. You don’t shut down conversation, but rather welcome it for the mutual benefit of all. Heavenly wisdom is “full of mercy and good fruits”: this compassion, kindness, and generosity show up in very practical ways as we serve and help each other.

Heavenly wisdom is also “impartial and sincere”: these words point to the beauty of integrity. The word translated “impartial” conveys the idea of being “unambiguous, undivided, whole-hearted”. The quality of sincerity means no hypocrisy, no play-acting, no putting on mask, no pretending, no duplicity. If you are impartial and sincere, you exhibit honest consistency in all your dealings and conversations. You don’t speak out of both sides of your mouth. You don’t play both sides. You’re not a chameleon who changes colors based on who you’re with. You don’t praise Deacon Jones when you’re with people who like Deacon Jones, and criticize Deacon Jones when you’re with people who don’t like Deacon Jones. You don’t get pressured into saying what other people want you do say. You’re not a perpetual doubter or second-guesser: you know what you believe, and you speak honestly and consistently across the whole range of your conversations and interactions. You don’t play favorites and you aren’t swayed by external appearances, but you treat everyone with the same peaceable, gentle, reasonable, and merciful disposition. You represent yourself honestly, you tell the truth, you live before the audience of One, and don’t change your tune with different sub-groups within the church. Such comprehensive integrity may be uncommon, but it is exceedingly beautiful when it shows up in a faithful man or faithful woman.

Of course, all these characteristics of heavenly wisdom belong together. Theoretically, a person could be sincerely cruel: but the sincerity of a cruel person is not virtuous. Heavenly wisdom is a package deal: heavenly wisdom gives all eight characteristics. To take but one or two preferred characteristics, and bend them to your own wishes, is to miss the whole point. And that, let’s be clear, is not pure.

Just as instability and vileness grow in the soil of selfish attitudes, so a harvest of righteousness – order and stability and goodwill in our relationships, and boatloads of spiritual fruit – a harvest of righteousness grows in the soil of heavenly wisdom: “And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.” Those who give vent to their “jealousy and selfish ambition” are sowing disorder and chaos. By contrast, those who are diligent to “make peace” and show kindness are sowing righteousness.

James confronts his hearers (James 4:1-4)

Now with God’s clear standard of heavenly wisdom in view, James proceeds to confront and reprove his hearers for failing to meet God’s standard. Instead of being a pure spring with peaceable attitudes, far too many of them have become a polluted spring with bitter attitudes, which is showing up in quarrels and fights:

“What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions [or pleasures] are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. 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.” (James 4:1-4)

As we contemplate these words, we must remember that James is addressing their relationships with each other as a church family. He isn’t referring primarily to how their selfish desires are showing up at home or in the workplace. Instead, James is referring primarily to how their selfish desires are showing up in the church, in their relationships with one another as fellow Christians. James is referring to what is happening when they gather together: worship services, Bible studies, leadership meetings, church business meetings, ministry events, fellowship groups, informal get-togethers and everyday conversations. And what is happening is not good! The individual churchgoers are being governed by their passions and pleasures, their desires and personal agendas. They are full of covetousness: they want what they want, they want what other people have, they want things to go their own way, and they are determined to get the outcome that they desire. Regarding verse 2, Robert Plummer comments, “He [James] paints a picture of people driven by covetous desires for others’ belongings, status, relationships, or influence.”[3] This hodgepodge of selfish desires results in open conflict: arguing, fighting, quarreling.

The ability of such people to be contentious about the color of the new carpet is just the tip of the iceberg. These people will fight over budgets, ministries, decisions, personnel, building usage, lack of attention to their pet issues, and a whole host of secondary issues. Having honest and “open to reason” discussions would be just fine, all conducted in a spirit of peace and mutual goodwill – and those kinds of discussions ought to happen. The purpose of James 4:1-2 and the purpose of this sermon is not to shut down all conversation, for constructive conversation is often needed in order to address conflicts and work through disagreements. The purpose of James 4:1-2 is to expose the toxic attitudes that give rise to destructive conversations and fleshly maneuvers, for what is envisioned here is tooth and nail fighting. These people want certain ministries killed. This is the attitude that says: if the ministry won’t succeed under my leadership for my glory, then I want it to fail under your leadership to your shame.

Even worse, these churchgoers with toxic attitudes want certain people gone. Don’t miss that phrase: “You desire and do not have, so you murder.” (James 4:2, italics added) Now I suspect that James is utilizing hyperbole in order to make an important point. I doubt that these Christians were physically killing one another in cold blood. But James wants us to realize that another person’s death is the logical outcome of our selfish desires. For one thing, Jesus teaches us that unjust anger is tantamount to murder in Matthew 5:21-22. For another thing, we often use our words to tear people down: hence the concept of character assassination. Many who would never assassinate a brother with a gun, will do so with the tongue. And for a third thing, when selfish passions are unchecked and come into open hostility with your brothers and sisters, then what you will really want – unless you repent – is for the other person to be gone. If your vision for the future of the church family involves certain people being gone, consider James 4:1-4 an invitation to repentance. Of course, if it were to be revealed that someone was entrenched in serious sin and was unwilling to repent after repeated exhortations, then with a humble, broken, and loving heart we would need to remove such a person from our fellowship – not by killing them, but by excluding them from the fellowship. But short of that, it is “earthly, unspiritual, demonic” “bitter jealousy and selfish ambition” that wants Deacon Jones, or Sister Sue, or Brother Tony, to be gone.

Waging war in the wrong direction

The obvious problem is that these Christian people are waging war in the wrong direction. They are fighting against each other. This is stupid, of course, and will result in their biting, devouring, and consuming each other (see Galatians 5:15). These dear Christian people ought to be fighting, of course, but each one ought to be fighting against his or her own sin. If they would take all of that energy that they are currently channeling against each other, and instead use that energy to put their own sins to death, that would make a world of difference. Don’t put away each other. Instead, “put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness” (James 1:21). Don’t put away your brothers and sisters. Instead, “put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander” (1 Peter 2:1). Don’t put one another to death. Instead, “[put] to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.” (Colossians 3:5) Strike blows against your own sin, not against your fellow believer. Fight the right fight, with humble dependence on the Lord. Instead of rushing into a fight to insist on your own way, be a man or woman who prays: “You do not have, because you do not ask.” (v. 3) Prayer is not a way to manipulate God: we must not “ask wrongly, to spend it on [our] passions.” (v. 3) Prayer is an expressing of trusting God: humbly asking, patiently waiting, always trusting. Being prayerful, patient, and peaceable people is how we walk in friendship with the Lord. The alternative – demanding, impatient, quarrelsome – means that we are operating with a worldly mindset that turns us into God’s enemies, into adulterous people who have forsaken our first love (v. 4). When we have descended to such a low place, or if we realize that we are heading that way, then we must turn back to the Lord.

A clear call to repentance (James 4:5-10)

And so, to such people who are falling far short of God’s standard of heavenly wisdom and who are fighting one another instead of fighting against their sin, James issues a clear call to repentance. This call to repentance flows out of the fact that God Himself eagerly desires our repentance: “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us.” (v. 5) Just as a goodhearted husband has a strong desire for his wife to be faithful to him, because he loves her and is covenanted to her in marriage, so God has a strong desire for His people to be faithful to Him, because He loves His people and is bound to them in the covenant of redemption. Unlike petty lords who angrily dismiss their unfaithful subjects, God stands ready to pour forth an abundance of grace upon His unfaithful people who turn back to Him in humble repentance. Let the truth sink in: “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” (v. 6)

You may be deceived into thinking that the only way to get positive change is by being proud and angry, for only the proud and angry get results. But that is deception and only results in opposition from God Himself. If we remain proud and self-absorbed, then God will most certainly oppose us. But if we would wake up and realize that it is not good for us – for me, for you, for our church family – to have God opposing us, then we will humbly return to the Shepherd of our souls. We believe that God has an abundance of grace for His messed up people. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ secured plentiful redemption for His messed up people. We believe that returning home to the Father who sought us and to the Lord who bought us and to the Holy Spirit who taught us and to the grace that once caught us is infinitely better than the fleshly battles that always lead to painful dead ends. Believing these things, we turn back to the Lord.

“Submit yourselves therefore to God.” (v. 7) Repentance begins with a resolve to do life God’s way, to do relationships God’s way, to order your life according to God’s heavenly wisdom.

“Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” (v. 7) Selfish attitudes are not niceties to play around in; they are the devil’s workshop, the devil’s effort to shape you according to the image of the demonic. You should be alarmed that the stakes are so high, and quit fooling around. Resist the devil’s overtures, the devil’s influences, the devil’s lies. Remember that unaddressed anger gives the devil an opportunity. Close the door to all such opportunities. If you are submitted to God, then your effort to resist the devil will succeed: “he will flee from you.”

“Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.” (v. 8) Repentance is not a technique to master, but a relationship to be restored. Draw near to God through Scripture, draw near to God by prayer, draw near to God in worship, draw near to God by fellowshipping with other people who are drawing near to God. The God of all grace “will draw near to you” if you draw near to Him.

Of course, drawing near to God is not like going to the movie theater and eating popcorn while you watch a comedy on the big screen. You’ve got guilt on your hands and gunk in your heart. Deal with it. “Cleanse your hands, you sinners”. (v. 8) Wash your hands in the water of the Word. Then use your clean hands to do good, to make amends, to build up, to write notes of encouragement, to shake a hand or give a hug. “[And] purify your hearts, you double-minded.” (v. 8) The ultimate change must take place in the heart. That “bitter jealousy and selfish ambition [is] in your hearts” (James 3:14), and from your heart they must be removed. Purify your heart, your mind, your conscience in the blood of Calvary’s Lamb. Let the love of Christ melt your heart until it is whole-hearted and single-minded in service to Him. You belong as a living sacrifice on the altar of worship:

“For the of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who lives might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.” (2 Corinthians 5:14-15)

You must live for Christ alone. As you are experiencing this spiritual renewal, it won’t feel like superficial excitement: “Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom.” (v. 9) No one ever said that dying to your sin was fun. But the Lord gives grace in answer to the gloom, mercy in answer to the mourning, comfort in answer to the weeping, joy in answer to the misery. Therefore, press on!

The bottom line: “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.” (v. 10) Everyone wants to be exalted, lifted up, strengthened, vindicated. The problem is that the jealous, selfishly ambitious, and quarrelsome people attempt to assert and exalt themselves. The mind gets deceived into thinking that fighting is the best way to get myself exalted and my agenda enthroned. But it is not so. Those who exalt themselves will be humiliated – you can count on it. But those who humble themselves before the Lord and put themselves at His disposal and entrust themselves to His mercy and trust Him to work it out, such ones will be exalted in the only way that truly matters: the God of all grace will exalt you, the King of glory will lift you up, the Lord of heaven’s armies will strengthen you, the Judge of all the earth will vindicate you. This calls us to patient endurance.

Many choose the companionship of the devil, the friendship of the world, and the indulgence of their own fleshly passions, because these offer quicker results. Relationships are broken, people are cut down, churches are splintered, souls are threatened with infinite loss, and the highway to hell is packed tight, because people want quicker results, which soon enough will take the shape of “disorder and every vile practice”. But the only good result is “a harvest of righteousness”, and that result only comes through genuine repentance in which humble sinners receive God’s grace – grace that cleanses, grace that purifies, grace that exalts, and grace that utterly changes the metrics of our relationships with one another. Let’s not settle for anything less.

ENDNOTES

[1] Robert L. Plummer, “James”. In ESV Expository Commentary, Volume 12: Hebrews–Revelation. Wheaton: Crossway, 2018: p. 271.

[2] See Robert L. Plummer, “James”. In ESV Expository Commentary, Volume 12: Hebrews–Revelation. Wheaton: Crossway, 2018: p. 263-264.

[3] Robert L. Plummer, “James”. In ESV Expository Commentary, Volume 12: Hebrews–Revelation. Wheaton: Crossway, 2018: p. 267.