Bible Study in the book of James

The book of James

Study 13

Chapter 4 Verses 6-10

Welcome back to this week's study in the book of James.

James 4:6-10 6 But He gives more grace. Therefore He says:
"God resists the proud,
But gives grace to the humble."
7 Therefore submit 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 Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.

Last week we studied arguing and fighting.
James first statement here is in regards to what we were learning about last week.

"God resists the proud,
But gives grace to the humble."

The word resists here means: to set one's self against,

In other words, God is against those who are full of pride. As we learned last week pride will lead to arguments or prevent reconciliation to happen.
In our pride, we want God to be on our side in an argument, even if we are wrong. I don't know about you, but I don't want God to be against me. But then I wouldn't want God to be against someone that I love or care about, and when I argue with them who ever is full of pride God will be against, whether it's you, me or the person we are arguing with.

James goes on to say: Therefore submit to God.

Notice he doesn't say to submit to that person, but rather to God. And when we do we will find ourselves in that place that God wants us to be concerning arguments and how they are handled.
Also when we submit to God, we find out when we are wrong and should apologize to that person.

But in order to "submit to God" we must "resist the devil" .
So what does it mean to resist?
Well, it means the same thing we just read about where God resists the proud,

Joshua said it well to the children of Israel after Moses had died and he was directed by God to lead them into the Promised Land.

Josh 24:15 "And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.

Have you chosen whom you will serve?
No matter what anyone says they are serving something or someone.
No matter what anyone says they are either serving God or the devil. Even though many will not admit that they are serving the devil, if they are rejecting God and His Son Jesus then they are serving satan.

How can I say this, well when it's all over and your physical body is buried six feet underground, you will spend eternity in either heaven or hell. There is no better way to put it. (I can't, as a teacher of God's word, sugar coat the truth.) So wherever you spend eternity determines whom you served here on this earth.

"Well, I don't believe there is a heaven or hell or even a God or the devil" You may be thinking or some may say.

We see all these drawings and paintings of satan. he is always pictured as a red guy with horns and a pointed tail. The bible does not portray him as these pictures make him out to be. Those who believe in a devil will always believe in a god, in one sense or another. And if someone believes in a god or possibly GOD, then there is always a chance they will believe in God's Son Jesus, and this is something that satan does not want. So if he can have you believe that God or himself does not exist, then there is less chance that you will believe in Jesus and be saved.
So by saying you don't believe you are actually serving satan and fulfilling just what he wants you to in this life, and that's to reject God and His Son Jesus so that you will spend eternity in hell.

Now I can write till my fingers are blue, but you will not believe by anything I say, or write. Belief comes by hearing and/or reading God's word.

Romans 10:16-17 16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed our report?" 17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Luke 13:5 "I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish."

Mark 1:14-15 14 Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, 15 and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel."

John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

"I hear that word, repent all the time. I don't like it, it turns me off."

It's a word you will find throughout the bible starting in the book of Exodus and all the way through Revelation.

John the Baptist said it, Jesus said it, his disciples said it and Paul said it.
We try to sugar coat the gospel and tell people that they only need to believe in Jesus and say a little prayer and they are saved. We are afraid if we tell them that they need to repent of their sins, (which means to no longer continue) they will not accept Jesus.
But they and you must understand that by accepting Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you are also deciding that sin is wrong and not good for you and that you will try to no longer continue in it.
Sure you may and will fall into sin after you become a Christian, but you don't continue in it, that is where the repentance comes in.

This is not a new or different gospel, but one Jesus spoke and taught his disciples to speak.

Luke 24:46-48 (NLT) 46 And he said, "Yes, it was written long ago that the Messiah must suffer and die and rise again from the dead on the third day. 47 With my authority, take this message of repentance to all the nations, beginning in Jerusalem: 'There is forgiveness of sins for all who turn to me.' 48 You are witnesses of all these things.

We read the words believe in the gospel but we seem to overlook all of Jesus' statement that includes Repent.

"So how do I repent and be saved?" You may ask.

All you need to do is acknowledge that you are a sinner and that you cannot save yourself. You must realize that Jesus died for all your sins on the cross and will forgive you if you ask Him to.

All it takes is a prayer by faith, just like this one.

Jesus, I admit I am a sinner and the sins I have been committing are wrong. I ask you to please forgive me for all my sins and to give me the strength and ability to no longer continue in them. Please be my Lord and Savior because I believe that You died on the cross for me and rose from the dead on the third day. Please fill me with Your Holy Spirit and may I share You with others. I ask this in Your name Jesus. AMEN!

If you prayed this prayer from your heart and meant it, you are now saved and a Christian. Welcome to the family of God.
I would encourage you to find a good bible teaching church to go to and tell someone what you just did. Also keep praying and spend time in God's word everyday. I would suggest starting in the book of John. You will find once you now start reading your bible, you wont want to put it down as the Holy Spirit makes it come alive to you.

Also please e-mail me and let me know that you just accepted the Lord as your Savior so that I can rejoice with you and the angels in heaven.

Also if you just prayed this prayer you have done the next thing James says.

8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

Double minded means: wavering, uncertain, doubting

Maybe you are a Christian but you have been doubting your salvation or even that God is still with you.
Jesus may have a word for you today.

Heb 13:5b For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you."

Maybe you have been wavering back and forth between God and the world. Going to church on Sunday and living like hell the other six days of the week.
I think Jesus may have a word for you.

Rev 2:5 "Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place--unless you repent.

James goes on to say this to you.

9 Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.

If you are living like hell or have turned you back on God, it's time to stop and return to the Lord. Not with a proud smile on your face, but instead lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom.

Return to the Lord whole heartedly humbling yourself before God.

So how do I become humble?

There is a good example in the bible. Someone God called to most humble man. Do you know who he is?
If you said Moses you get extra credit in this weeks study.

Num 12:3 (Now the man Moses was very humble, more than all men who were on the face of the earth.)

If you really want to humble yourself, read Exodus to Deuteronomy and study Moses for yourself.

One last thing concerning arguments to end this week's study.

Read the following argument.

Num 12:1-13 1 Then Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married; for he had married an Ethiopian woman. 2 So they said, "Has the LORD indeed spoken only through Moses? Has He not spoken through us also?" And the LORD heard it. 3 (Now the man Moses was very humble, more than all men who were on the face of the earth.) 4 Suddenly the LORD said to Moses, Aaron, and Miriam, "Come out, you three, to the tabernacle of meeting!" So the three came out. 5 Then the LORD came down in the pillar of cloud and stood in the door of the tabernacle, and called Aaron and Miriam. And they both went forward. 6 Then He said, "Hear now My words:
If there is a prophet among you,
I, the LORD, make Myself known to him in a vision;
I speak to him in a dream.
7 Not so with My servant Moses;
He is faithful in all My house.
8 I speak with him face to face,
Even plainly, and not in dark sayings;
And he sees the form of the LORD.
Why then were you not afraid
To speak against My servant Moses?"
9 So the anger of the LORD was aroused against them, and He departed. 10 And when the cloud departed from above the tabernacle, suddenly Miriam became leprous, as white as snow. Then Aaron turned toward Miriam, and there she was, a leper. 11 So Aaron said to Moses, "Oh, my lord! Please do not lay this sin on us, in which we have done foolishly and in which we have sinned. 12 "Please do not let her be as one dead, whose flesh is half consumed when he comes out of his mother's womb!" 13 So Moses cried out to the LORD, saying, "Please heal her, O God, I pray!"

Notice what Moses did? He didn't say forget you guys, you came against me so let the Lord God destroy you.
No Moses prayed to God and said, "Please heal her, O God, I pray!"
So you want to know how to humble yourself before the Lord? Bring your argument before the Lord and accept what ever He says, and if you are right in God's eye's, don't boast about it and throw it in the other persons face, but instead love them and pray for them. On the other hand, if you were the wrong one, seek their forgiveness and pray together with him or her.

Keep hanging in there, I know these are tough studies. They are tough for me as I teach them, because I not only teach them but I should do what I teach. This book of the bible has been the most challenging study I have done, but it is helping me to grow spiritually, and I bet you are growing to.

May God richly bless you in His love, grace and mercy as you humble yourself before His throne!

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