Chico Alliance Church
Pastor David Welch
“Living Above the Passions”
The book of James is all about living by genuine faith. James describes the kind of life the one who claims to live by faith lives.
I. Faith’s response to trials 1:2-27
II. Faith’s response to partiality and prejudice 2:1-13
III. Faith’s True Nature 2:14-26
IV. Faith’s response to conversation 3:1-12
V. Faith’s way of life 3:13-18
Live wisely
A. Instruction – If you think you are wise, live wisely 3:13
James instructed the readers to live according to God’s ways. He called them out for claiming to understand God’s ways but not living by them. Admonitions to live what we believe flow throughout the whole letter.
Blessed is the one who hears and DOES the word of God. James follows this instruction with eight insights pertaining to living wisely. We explored four of them last week.
B. Insights
1. Claiming wisdom without living wisely makes you a liar. 3:14
2. Human wisdom arises from three sources. 3:15
a. “earthly”
b. “Soulish”
c. “Demonic”
3. Jealousy and strife breed a multitude of other evils 3:16
4. Peace promotes righteous living 3:17-18
God’s wisdom revealed in God’s implanted truth produces specific results. I suggested using this list as an effective template to examine our hearts. Pay attention to what comes out of our mouth. Pay attention to how we relate to others.
a. Purity vs stained
b. Peaceable vs hostile
c. Gentle vs inconsiderate
d. Reasonable vs stubborn
e. Full of mercy vs indifferent
f. Full of good fruits vs bad fruits
g. Unwavering vs unstable
h. Sincere vs hypocritical
James continued further insights regarding the differences between human wisdom and divine wisdom; between life according to the ways of God and life promoted by earthly, soulish and demonic sources. After the eight insights, James issues seven curative commands. He lists seven actions we should take to restore our heart to function according to God’s ways; the way of wisdom.
5. The war within triggers wars without 4:1-3
James already exposed the chaos created by a heart driven by bitter jealousy and selfish ambition. He provided additional insight into the cause of human conflict. He traces human conflict to an internal war of unbridled passions.
What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions 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.
“Your passions that are at war within you.” We are a walking civil war that breaks out into global wars. The word translated wars indicates a long drawn out battle. The war within triggers wars without.
James referenced these unbridled passions earlier.
But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. James 1:14
Peter referenced the war within.
Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul. 1 Peter 2:11
Paul referenced this war of inner passions.
For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. Romans 7:18
For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. Galatians 5:17
Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires. Romans 13:13-14
Christians wage war on three fronts. Selfish passions still imbedded in our brain and physiology, an anti-god world systemin which we live and a devil who energizes it all through an army of demons. If you lose on the inner personal level, you will lose on the relational level. We struggle with conflicting inner passions vying for control of the soul/heart. It looks something like this.
Self-serving passions and pursuits lie at the core of nearly every conflict. We get our English term “hedonism” from this Greek term.
It carries the idea of the gratification of sensual, natural, fleshly desires. When used in the New Testament, it is always used in a negative, ungodly sense. Hedonism is the uncontrolled personal desire to fulfill every passion and wish that promises sensual satisfaction and delight. Mattoon's Treasures
Paul warned Timothy about those who would be “lovers of their own selves”. 3:2 James wrote you “desire, set your heart upon” something and can’t have it.
Someone blocks our pursuit of whatever. Someone refuses to promote or fulfill our pursuit of whatever. We react and demand your way with slight to severe means.
Jesus warned against setting our heart on “stuff”.
Then He said to them, "Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions." Luke 12:15
This takes us back to the bitter jealousy and selfish ambition poison. It is toxic! Unbridled passion for self-gratification poisons all our relationships. The world naively promotes such a life focus. It even considers it a basic human need and labels it “self-actualization.” Many in Christian circles embrace this “basic need” and urge us to package the gospel message to appeal to this desire for self-fulfillment.
Jesus call us to die to our self-centered passions not seek to fulfil them.
Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. Matthew 16:24-25
God transforms a self-focused heart into a God-focused, others-centered heart.
Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people. For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. Titus 3:1-3
Love for God and others forms the firm foundation of Christianity.
Now we who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of those without strength and not just please ourselves. Each of us is to please his neighbor for his good, to his edification. Romans 15:1-2
Culture promotes self-fulfillment first. If everyone lives as a “taker”, there would be no “givers” only relational chaos and conflict. The pursuit of self-promotion (power), pleasure and possession without God breeds angry, hurtful people. James pointed out murder, fighting, quarreling happening “among you!” This was the church culture. This was not just disagreements, this was war.
James addressed a group of Jesus followers living the opposite of peace. The ultimate destructive expression of jealousy appears throughout the Bible.
Cain and Abel. David and Uriah. Ahab and Naboth. Pharisees and Jesus. Jews and Paul.
Such an environment, in any group of Christians, should grieve us. Paul addressed conflict among the Corinthian believers.
…perhaps there will be strife, jealousy, angry tempers, disputes, slanders, gossip, arrogance, disturbances… 2 Corinthians 12:20
It befits us to look inside anytime we find ourselves in a conflict with others.
Jesus suggested the same thing.
Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye. Matthew 7:3-5
Conflict on the outside indicates a conflict on the inside. Conflict on the inside causes conflict on the outside.
A self-centered focus adversely affects our prayer life. It prevents a regular prayer life. It pollutes one’s prayer life with impure self -centered motivations. Our prayer requests should focus on the glory of God and good of others. We are to pray according to HIS will.
The war within triggers wars without. We must address the inner passions that wage war against the soul.
We must also address our relationship with the world in which we live.
6. Friendship with the world is enmity with God 4:4
James bluntly calls them out not only for a self-centered focus but a failure to be fully devoted to God.
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 4:4
The word picture is brutal. He elicits all the emotion associated with adultery. To cultivate a warm fondness for a world system that opposes God is akin to cheating on your spouse. To develop a friendship with ISIS dedicated to destroying America makes you an enemy of America. John warned his readers not to love the world or its stuff intended to divert our full devotion to God.
Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. 1 John 2:15-16
Paul lamented the Corinthians lack of full devotion to Christ.
But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ. 2 Corinthians 11:3
We live in a culture with more distractions from full devotion to God than ever before. James lays it on the line.
It is not a small issue. We intentionally allow the development of an adversarial relationship with God. He cannot condone much of the stuff we consider entertaining or fulfilling. Many of the things we love, God loathes. Satan seeks to entice us to find pleasure in what God finds poisoned. Trying to maintain friendship with the world and God is as incompatible as pursuing two spouses. What is God’s desire?
7. God jealously desires intimate relationship 4:5
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”? James 4:5
A variety of interpretations have been proposed for this verse. This translation sees God, the one who breathed into humans the breath of life, as the one intently desiring our fidelity. Others interpret it as the indwelling Holy Spirit jealously longing for fidelity. One translation picks up on this idea.
“The Spirit which He sent to live in us wants us for himself alone"
We grieve the Holy Spirit whenever we find gratification outside of Him. I lean toward this view given the context of fidelity to God. Don’t you know God desires intimate relationship with His children? Don’t you know that friendship with the world provokes Him to jealousy?
You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, Exodus 20:5
Even in the midst of infidelity God responds to us with grace.
8. God gives grace to the humble 4:6
But he gives more grace. Therefore, it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
He reaches out to us with favor. Yet, that favor cannot be accessed apart from humility. If we relate to God with a proud heart, He not only withholds grace but opposes us. We have arrogantly made ourselves His enemy. James painfully exposes issues with the divided heart; the divided-soul. He lovingly offers His favor, His grace, His life changing power. He promises to enable the humble heart to return to intimate relationship. James laid out the process of this humbling of the heart in the next six verses which include seven specific instructions.
Something I have never noticed before has to do with the fact that these commands are ALL directed to the body. They apply to the individual as well but I believe James address the body. Amid the relational chaos due to a failure to deal with their unbridled passions. James calls them as a body to do the following seven things.
C. Instructions for a clean heart 4:7-12
1. Submit to God
Any corruption or chaos in the heart exposes an obedience problem. All sin begins with a deliberate decision to reject God and His ways. I proudly choose to do it my way rather than His. I arrogantly choose to obey the dictates of the world, my flesh or the devil. Such alignment opposes God. I deliberately and arrogantly make myself an enemy of God. I choose to spurn God’s desire for intimate relationship with me for personal satisfaction. The only option for restoration is a deliberate choice to submit to Him.
2. Resist the devil
Just as I need to categorically declare my allegiance toward God and His ways, I must also vigorously declare my opposition to the devil and his ways. The result of such resistance is the withdrawal of the devil’s attack. The assumption is that the devil has been instrumental in my departure form pure devotion to Christ. The need is to refuse the world, deny the flesh and resist the devil.
3. Draw near to God 4:8a
Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.
Whereas the submission involved an act of my will come back under the authority of God over my life, the drawing near involves a passionate inclining of my heart to restored intimacy. As we draw near to God, He draws near to us. The restoration of relationship includes a realization of the gravity of my offense.
4. Cleanse your hands and heart 4:8b
Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
It was necessary to address their sinful actions and their sinful hearts.
5. Get serious about your sin. 4:9
Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom.
He called them to recognize the seriousness of their infidelity to God and offenses toward each other.
6. Humble yourselves before the Lord 4:10
Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.
This command summarized the heart necessary to maintain intimacy with God.
7. Don’t speak evil against one another 4:11-12
He concluded his instruction as he began; control your speech.
Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?
Allow the conflicts in your life expose the conflict in your heart. Pay attention to the inner war. Cultivate your passion toward God. Confess your infidelity. Humble yourself. Return. Draw near.
