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
- 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