Lesson 62 December 8

 

4:7-12  Exhortation to those who are pursuing the cosmos, its thinking and values instead of God and divine viewpoint.

It is a call to reverse direction by those who have become a friend of the world and therefore an enemy of God.

 

In vs:7-10 we have 10 aorist imperatives, commands, to point us toward the correct action needed.  They introduce a strong note of urgency.

 

If these imperatives are applied, there will be personal as well as corporate holiness, experiential righteousness, a life lived consistent with God's will for them.

That is exploiting the awesome grace provision made for each of us in Christ.

 

4:7  The Foundational  Command - (2 parts)

(#1)   Submit therefore to God  

 

Since God opposes the proud - but helps the humble - gives them grace therefore believers should submit to God.

 

- Submission is not the same as being obedient - there is a difference

 

 

(#2)  Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 

 

- This indicates the need for a definite act on the part of the believer to take a stand in opposition to the devil and his vpt expressed in the many counterfeits he uses.

 

- We must arm ourselves for perpetual resistance to the influence of the cosmic mindset  - which is under Satan's authority.

 

 

KEY: Satan cannot stand against truth - if you apply truth, live truth he must flee from you.

 

 

 

Summary:

1. From the conditions that resulted from their spiritual unfaithfulness (conflicts - verbal assaults - selfish ambition - self centeredness)  James calls for their complete turnaround.  (spiritual recovery)

 

2. They must reestablish a proper relationship to God. (objective of  vs: 7-10)

 

3. The first cmd here demands that they accept the authority of God, which includes His Word, and His will.

 

4. Having been so proud and self reliant they must learn to submit themselves to God's supremacy over their lives.

 

5. Their friendship with the cosmos has made them the enemy of God.

 

6. They must voluntarily choose to acknowledge that God is their captain.

 

7. To resist indicates that believer must take a definite stand in opposition to the devil and his plan.

 

8. They must resist any and all associations which compromise doctrine.

 

9. The devil being the believers' archenemy is all to happy to entangle believers with those who are negative to God and/or doctrine.

 

10. Know that no Satanic influence directed your way can impact you apart from your volition making a choice. 

 

11. You must have discernment from truth to say no to any and all temptations and to all cosmic thinking.

 

12. When you stand against the devil and his operatives will flee from  you.  Saw the mechanic for doing this in Eph 6:10-18.

 

13. As long as you are a fence rider you set yourself up for constant attack by the devil.

 

14. The one who stands on the implanted Word and applies it, from that one,  Satan flees!!

 

4:8 Specific requirements for attaining this Greater Grace

If it is your desire to be the recipient of Greater Grace here's the how!!

(#3) Draw near to God and He will draw near to you,

-  Lit.  Draw near to God then He will draw near to you.

 

-  To understand what is in view here we need to evaluate how it is used in Scripture - first use in LXX of the OT.  Ex 19:22; Lev 10:3; 21:21-23

- It was also used in a wider sense of man's approach to God in worship in Isa 29:13;   Hos 12:6 LXE and draw nigh to thy God continually.

-  Heb 10:22

 

 

(#4)  Cleanse your hands, you sinners  (aor imp) kaqari,zw  -  to cleanse to purify (with emphasis on washing in a ritual sense)

- for these Jews that James is writing this word would bring into focus the Priest going to the bronze laver and washing before he  began any functions in the tabernacle. The ritual cleansing before  worship or service was to picture the spiritual cleansing needed for the believer of the C/A before drawing near to worship or service.

 

- The mechanic of this cleansing from the pollution of sin is given  in 1 Jn 1:9

 

(#5) and purify your hearts, you double-minded 

 

- emphasis here is on the purity of thoughts and motives