1-10 Friendship with the World
James continues with his discussion on the sources of conflicts among brothers.
- Your conflicts and disputes come from inner cravings:
- You want something but cannot have it, so you murder.
- You covet something and argue to get it.
- You ask for things only to spend them on your pleasures
- This amounts to adultery, for it shows that you seek friendship with the world rather than with God.
- God “yearns jealously” for the spirit he has put in us; “he opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” There is throughout scripture this concept that a spirit within us reaches out to God, and we must let it make that connection. I am reminded of the phrase, “and the soul returns to the God who gave it” (Ecclesiastes 12:7) and the psalm that begins “As a deer pants for the water, so my soul longs for Thee” (Psalm 42:1).
- Submit to God, then, by:
- resisting the devil – he will flee from you
- drawing near to God – he will come to you
- cleansing your hands and purifying your hearts
- turning your laughter into mourning [for your sins]
- humbling yourselves before God – he will exalt you.
11-12 Warning against Judging Another
- This does not give you license to judge your brethren, for this in essence makes you a judge of the law.
- Why? Because (by law) there is only one lawgiver and one judge, and it is not you.
13-17 Boasting about Tomorrow
- Don’t place too much confidence in your plans, for you don’t know what tomorrow will bring.
- Your life is like a mist, so keep the Lord’s will in mind as you make plans.
- Boasting born of arrogance is sinful.
- Neglecting to do what you know to be right is sinful. This goes back to 3:13: Spiritual wisdom and understanding produce good works.
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