Commentary on James 4, Written by Mel

Commentary on James 4, Written by my Husband, Mel

I have witnessed many family battles over inheritance issues. It is very sad to see families torn apart over material possessions. I’m sure the deceased family member did not want their family to divide over their stuff. James chapter four warns us about the desires for pleasure and greed. Wars and fights among many come from the lust for possessions and coveting what another has. I have observed many wealthy people who are quite miserable because money cannot buy happiness. What does it profit a man to gain the whole world then lose his soul?

 God’s Word says that in the last days they will be lovers of pleasure and money more than God. Many people lust after power, or position, or acquiring their toys, and do not give God a second thought. I have seen bumper stickers that read, “He who dies with the most toys wins.” You cannot bring your toys to hell with you. Christ said to lay up your treasures in Heaven, not the earth. The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil, and you cannot serve God and money.

(2 Timothy3:1) But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!

(James 4:4) Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

Friendship with the world and it’s carnal pleasures is enmity with God. Many people have been deceived, by the grace without repentance doctrine that is being preached in most churches today. James 4:4 warns us that if you are a friend of the sinful world, you are an enemy of God. You may say, “I have been saved and baptized, and I tithe my ten percent, and I even speak in tongues.” However, if you are not separated from the sinful nature you are lost. If you dress, talk, or joke, in a sinful way, you are compromising your faith. In addition, if you watch sinful movies, or listen to ungodly music, you are a friend of the world, and an enemy of God. I have ministered deliverance to people indwelt with demons, who were faithful church members, and spoke in tongues. However, they were prisoners of sin, and in need of deliverance. In fact, everyone I have ministered deliverance to, were Christians, and church members. Until Christians understand what it means to be born again, they will continue on their path to hell. You must walk on the highway of holiness to inherit eternal life. The churches are not teaching people to get the sin out of their lives, because they are afraid of offending their means of support. Christ said to deny yourself daily, take up your cross, and follow him.

(James 4:7) 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.

 

If you want to be free from sinful bondages which will send you to hell, you must submit to God. (James 4:7-10) states, that if you cleanse your hands you sinners, and purify your hearts you double minded, lament, and mourn, and weep, with humility, God will lift you up. This passage is saying, that true, heartfelt repentance, is submission to God, and if you resist the devil he will flee. To be truly saved, you must allow the Holy Spirit to have his perfect work and live a sanctified life. To be set apart from the sinful world, is to be born again.

 

James also tells us that we should not speak evil of, or judge, a brother. In the last teaching, we discussed the dangers of gossip, and how it destroys relationships. There is righteous judgment; however, if you judge another with hypocrisy, you commit sin. If you will remove the beam in your own eye, then you will see clearly to remove the speck in another’s eye. We must learn to love one another, as well as to bear one another’s burdens. If we will seek the good for another, we will fulfill scripture.

 

Verse 14 tells us that our lives are like a vapor that appears for a little while, and then vanishes away. We should not boast in our long term plans, rather say, “If it is the Lord’s will we will do that.” Since we do not know when we will draw our final breath, we must be prepared daily to meet our maker. Today is the day of salvation! Don’t put your relationship with God off, you may not see tomorrow.

 

(James 4:17) Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.

If you see your brother in need, and have the ability to help him, and do nothing, you sin. Do you know someone who needs groceries, or help paying their utilities, or house payment? If you are in a position to help, then you should. There are some able-bodied people who refuse to work; you are not doing them a favor by bailing them out. They need to learn how to eat their own bread. However, there are many struggling families who could use a helping hand, and you would be truly blessed if you could meet their needs.

(James 4:1) Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members?

2 You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask.

3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.

4 Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

5 Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, "The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously"?

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. 11 Do not speak evil of one another, brethren. He who speaks evil of a brother and judges his brother, speaks evil of the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. 12 There is one Lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy. Who are you to judge another? 13 Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit";

14 whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.

15 Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that."

16 But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.

17 Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.

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Commentary on James 3, Written by Mel

Commentary on James 3, Written by my Husband, Mel 

In the commentary on James chapter one, I shared some dreams God gave me about the power of the tongue. We will now look at other ways that our tongue affects our lives, as well as others. James states that not many of us should become teachers, because teachers will receive a stricter judgment. I have seen much hypocrisy in the lives of those who hold ministry positions. A minister should live a life that is above reproach.  1  Timothy 3:1-13, gives us the standard by which all potential ministers should be tested. A minister should live by what he preaches, so that he will receive praise from God, and not judgment at the Bema Seat. There are many ministers nowadays given over to greed, they live in multi-million dollar mansions and drive luxury cars. They will incur a harsh judgment for their mishandling of God’s money. There are many poor people, as well as missionaries, who need support. Whether you are a Sunday school teacher, street minister, home group, or youth leader, you need to live a holy, clean life, which lines up with God’s Word.

(1Tim 3:1) This is a faithful saying: If a man desires the position of a bishop, he desires a good work. 2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach; 3 not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous; 4 one who rules his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence 5 (for if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?); 6 not a novice, lest being puffed up with pride he fall into the same condemnation as the devil. 7 Moreover he must have a good testimony among those who are outside, lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil. 8 Likewise deacons must be reverent, not double-tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy for money, 9 holding the mystery of the faith with a pure conscience. 10 But let these also first be tested; then let them serve as deacons, being found blameless. 11 Likewise their wives must be reverent, not slanderers, temperate, faithful in all things. 12 Let deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well. 13 For those who have served well as deacons obtain for themselves a good standing and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.

I have seen many people hurt by malicious gossip. A person’s character may be scrutinized, or trust damaged, due to rumors. Our tongues can be a deadly poison, if we do not learn how to control them. James compares our tongues to a small fire that can burn down a whole forest. The little fire within our mouths can destroy the lives of others. I have seen families and churches divided, as well as co-workers at odds with each other over gossip. The tongue has the power to isolate us from the blessing of fellowship with family, friends, and fellow believers. The tongue is like the small rudder of a ship that can steer our lives in many directions.

If we will learn to sanctify our speech, we may become a blessing to many. There is power in the tongue. We may bless or curse others with it. I always pray that the Lord will use my tongue to edify and encourage others. If we quote scriptures, and speak words of faith, we will reap the benefits of a healthy relationship with the Lord. Words of fear, doubt, and anxiety, are the opposite of faith, and will empower the devil in your lives. Faith conquers fear, sickness, and the oppression of the enemy. Christ told some that he healed, “May it be done unto you according to your faith, or your faith has made you well.” Words of faith can move mountains and tear down strongholds of the enemy. May we learn to bless others with our speech, and give praise, honor, and glory, to our Father in heaven.

(James3:1) My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment.

2 For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body.

3 Indeed, we put bits in horses' mouths that they may obey us, and we turn their whole body.

4 Look also at ships: although they are so large and are driven by fierce winds, they are turned by a very small rudder wherever the pilot desires.

5 Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things. See how great a forest a little fire kindles!

6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell.

7 For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind.

8 But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.

9 With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God.

10 Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so.

11 Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening?

12 Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh.  13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom.

14 But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth.

15 This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic.

16 For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there.

17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.

18 Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.