Find God In A Godless World Series

Finding God in a Godless World

(Directions: Part 3) James 4:7-10

Dr. Roger W. Thomas, Preaching Minister

First Christian Church, Vandalia, MO

Review: In our previous study we explored the normal human tendency to be independent and self-reliant. Independence and self-reliance are good qualities until they come between us and our God. Our human nature tells us to believe that God helps those who help themselves. The Bible teaches us to believe that God helps those who ask for his help. The Bible teaches us that what God wants from us is humility, trust, and dependence. He wants us to come to him in prayer as a first impulse, not a last resort.

Look back at chapter 4 for a minute. James’ theme throughout is friendship with the world. The marks of such a lifestyle are: 1) a wrong understanding of ourselves, living as if our wants were the center of the universe; 2) the wrong attitude toward things, covetousness; 3) broken fellowship with other people whom we see as getting in the way of our wants; 4) and a broken relationship with God. He becomes a means to our ends, not the goal of our life and faith.

James literally calls his readers "adulteresses" (a fact obscured by the NIV translation). This does not mean that he is addressing only women, but that he wants us to see that he is borrowing language from the Old Testament. The Old Testament pictures Israel as God’s bride, who at the same time wanted to enjoy other "lovers," finding security in other gods and imperial powers (see Isa. 1:21; Jer 3; Hos 1-3). Given the New Testament bride-of-Christ language (2 Cor 11:2; Eph 5:22-24; Rev 19; 21), borrowing this language for the New Testament is quite appropriate. The "other lover" in this case is "the world"; that is, the values and goals of the non-Christian culture.

James 4 is about ridding our selves of the world’s pollution, from stinking thinking. The world thinks this way; we shouldn’t. The prevailing non-Christian culture acts this way; we must not. For example, most people think we should take care of ourselves and only ask for God’s help as a last resort. People who know the Living God think and act differently. And when we don’t, when we allow our lives to be polluted with the world’s way of thinking, is when we get into big trouble. Individually and as a church, we regularly face the struggle about whether we will be a worldly church or a praying church. Both styles pray; one prays as a last resort, the other as a first impulse.

I call this choice—living by Plan A or Plan B. Plan A is the normal human pattern of independence and self-reliance. It is the normal, natural way of thinking and living. Plan B is a personal walk with a God who is intimately involved with the affairs of our lives and wants to be in our decisions from the beginning. In our individual lives and as a church together, we either stop and ask for directions sooner or later. The difference is telling.

We ended the previous study with the marvelous note of hope in verse 6, “But he gives us more grace.” Who doesn’t need to hear that? Grace—the unmerited favor of God poured out for us in Christ. Grace is the distinguishing mark of the Christian experience. We know from beginning to end that we are not saved by our merit, our efforts, not even our good intentions, but by the grace of God. How easily we forget! Too quickly we begin to think we are children of God because of something we have done or something we have brought to the table of God. We conclude that our obedience, our knowledge, our service have made our eternal destiny possible. No, it is God’s grace!

Remember these Scriptures: (Eph 2:8-10) "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- {9} not by works, so that no one can boast. {10} For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." (Rom 5:5-11) "And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. {6} You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. {7} Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. {8} But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. {9} Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! {10} For if, when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! {11} Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation."