Bible Study - Pressure Points - Conflict - James 4:1-10 - September 29, 2013

Bible Study – Pressure Points – Conflict – September 29, 2013

This is lesson five in our series entitled “Pressure Points.”

Our scripture is James 4:1-10.

Conflict and conflict resolution - Conflict happens in churches, families, businesses, between best friends, teams, social forms and the list goes on. How Christians respond to conflict is an indication of their Spiritual maturity. Ouch! Let’s explore.

Let’s read James 4:1-5:

1 What is the source of wars and fights among you? Don’t they come from the cravings that are at war within you? 2 You desire and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. You do not have because you do not ask. 3 You ask and don’t receive because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your evil desires. 4 Adulteresses! Don’t you know that friendship with the • world is hostility toward God? So whoever wants to be the world’s friend becomes God’s enemy. 5 Or do you think it’s without reason the Scripture says that the Spirit who lives in us yearns jealously?

James admonishes his fellow Christians to ask themselves a very important question. This was question one.

What is the source of wars and fights among you? Considering the original Greek words James used for “war” and “fights”, it would read, “What is the source for violent quarrels that can become deadly and disputes that result from an emotional or heat of the moment argument that does not become hostile or deadly.” Asking his readers to consider the source was asking them to dig deep into their relationship with GOD, through CHRIST.

Fellow Christians would discover that it was a problem of the heart toward GOD. The flesh which was being ruled by Satan was leading their lives and not the indwelling Holy Spirit.

James provided the answer to question one in his second question. Don’t they come from the cravings that are at war within you? What did James mean by cravings?

The Greek word that he used for cravings carried the idea of desires that bring pleasure. He was telling them that they enjoyed it. Have you ever met people that just enjoyed arguing just for the sake of arguing? They will always take the opposite viewpoint in a discussion. It is a form of lust or desire. Some people may lust after something or someone but in reality they know they cannot obtain the object or person they are lusting after. A dog barks and chases a moving car but when the car stops, the dog stops, until the car begins to move again and at some point the dog gives up and returns to home base or gets hurt or killed.

James spelled it out using cause and effect: (Keep in mind that James was addressing Christians.)

You desire and do not have, therefore you murder. It could have been actual killing or it could have been a reference to bitterness or hatred toward others who have the desired object, person or position. JESUS’ gave a message about keeping the letter of the law, “Thou shall not kill,” as well as, the Spirit of the law in Matthew 5:21-22:

21 “You have heard that it was said to our ancestors, Do not murder, and whoever murders will be subject to judgment. 22 But I tell you, everyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment.

When a person desires something or someone so bad and tries very hard to achieve it but cannot, it triggers many emotions – envy, anger, frustration, hatred, bitterness and the list goes on. This often is directed within and creates physiological problems or toward others who may have achieved the thing, position or person desired. Such emotions manifested toward others are a form of murder of their character.    

James continued, you covet and cannot obtain, therefore you fight and war or quarrel. James used the word “covet”, which is an intense human desire for something or someone another person has. It consumes the person and that is all he/she thinks about. Such obsession could lead to murder or harsh words. It is clear that the person is being led by his/her flesh and it opens him/her up to Satan leading him/her into destruction. The person has blocked out any help from GOD and their relationship with GOD, has been broken. Remember, James is addressing this to Christians.

You do not have because you do not ask. James addressed these overwhelming desires. The person desiring does not consult GOD, they try to achieve what they desire in spite of what GOD may be leading him/her to do. They trust themselves to accomplish what they desire so that when they accomplish it, they will not have to be accountable to GOD.

You ask and don’t receive because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your evil desires.

James anticipated that Christian readers might say, “But I prayed about this until I was blue in the face and GOD did not take away the desire or help me!” Often, Christians use prayer as a copout, “Oh, I prayed but GOD did not listen or HE did not take away my desire.” Excuse me!! GOD always listens to the prayers of HIS children but HE may say NO! Wait! Or that is not good for you now because you need to grow more Spiritually! Christians can be blinded by their evil desires or flesh desires.

James up to this point, in his written message, had been referring to his audience as “brothers” or “brethren” but now he used a stark word to get their attention “Adulteresses!” Wow, that must have gotten the attention of his readers and sent a chill down their spines.  

In a previous lesson, James used adultery and killing together to show the Jewish readers that one commandment is not greater or less than another. In this lesson, James combined killing or murder and coveting. Again in GOD’S eyes there is no difference. Then James called his fellow Christians adulteresses, his intent was to cover both male and female in his exclamation. The males, in general, during that time were not included in the sin of adultery but James included them. It was not that they were having affairs with others but they were breaking covenant with GOD. GOD considered HIS chosen as HIS bride and HE was the groom and when they allowed sin to enter into their lives they had committed Spiritual adultery.

James puts this in context:

Don’t you know that friendship with the • world is hostility toward God? So whoever wants to be the world’s friend becomes God’s enemy. 5 Or do you think it’s without reason the Scripture says that the Spirit who lives in us yearns jealously?

GOD is jealous and HE does not share, just as husbands or wives do not share their spouse.

Let’s read James 4:6-10:

6 But He gives greater grace. Therefore He says: God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. 7 Therefore, submit to God. But resist the Devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, sinners, and purify your hearts, double-minded people! 9 Be miserable and mourn and weep. Your laughter must change to mourning and your joy to sorrow. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you.

We need to look back to verse 5. Verse 5 reveals that GOD did not give Christians the Holy Spirit to lead them to envy. Christians may say but I cannot help myself, I want such-and-such. James revealed to Christian’s battling envy or coveting, that GOD provides additional grace when envy or coveting raises its head in their lives, so battle it by:

-          Submitting to GOD

-          Resist the devil and when you do he (the devil) will flee from you.

-         Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. When Christians desire to have a closer relationship with GOD and they make the move toward HIM, HE will move toward them. GOD knows the heart and knows when a person is sincere or just playing games.

-         Cleanse your hands, sinners – James’ Jewish audience would understand washing of the hands. Washing of the hands is an outward symbol expressing the recognition of sin in their lives but the physical acknowledgement must go to the core of the problem, which James expresses in his next statement.

-         Purify your hearts, double-minded people. Christians are to confess their sins and repent. Repenting, which means to stop doing what you were doing, must go to the next level and that is recognizing and acknowledging that when Christians sin, they need to examine the source of that sin and that is their hearts. Christian’s battle being doubled-minded, that is being friends with the world or flesh and maintaining their relationship with GOD through CHRIST. Christians vacillate. When they vacillate long enough they often give up and ask CHRIST to take them as they are and to give them the strength to live the Christian life in HIS strength. They relinquish their wills to HIM and depend upon the Holy Spirit to lead, guide, direct and nourish them. GOD forgives and restores. Recognize and acknowledge your double-mindedness and be honest with GOD. HIS desire is for you to worship HIM in Spirit and truth and stop sitting on the fence.

-         Be miserable and mourn and weep. Your laughter must change to mourning and your joy to sorrow. I think this is a carryover from being self-centered, arrogant and attempting to play games with GOD. Recognize and acknowledge your pitiful Spiritual nature and when you do, your arrogance will turn into mourning and your misplaced joy will turn into sorrow. Christians recognize that they were trying to con GOD.

-         Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you. When Christians recognize, acknowledge and repent for not having the heart that GOD desires for them, they become humble toward the LORD. The Christian is more willing to allow GOD to mold them into the image HE has for them, when they yield to HIM and trust HIM. GOD exalts the humble. As James stated in verse 6 - God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. The proud often believe they are self-sufficient and depend upon themselves. Such arrogance blocks GOD from getting through to them. Every Christian needs to understand that he/she cannot save themselves and depend upon CHRIST. Salvation is a free gift to all who place their faith in CHRIST. Salvation is a simple, “Yes, I accept CHRIST as my Savior and believe that HE gave HIS life for my sins.” Or “No, I reject HIM as my Savior.” The choice is yours. I accepted HIM at the age of 9-10 years old but did not commit my life to HIM until 1971. Have I lived the perfect life since then? No! But GOD’S grace sustains me as HIS grace will sustain you as a Christian. GOD is like a loving parent. When a child attempts to walk for the first time and stumbles and falls, we do not scold the child and place him or her into a chair and say, “Do not get out of that chair until you can walk perfectly!” Heavens no, we rejoice in that first step and so does GOD when we begin our journey with HIM. Yes, we will stumble but HE says, GREAT!! Keep it up because I will help you every step of the way. Often, walking with CHRIST is OJT or on-the-job-training.

Every Christian who has ever lived or will ever live must have grace. Christians sin every moment of every day and it is the love of GOD and HIS grace that always makes them acceptable to HIM every instant.

It is all about having and maintaining the right relationship with GOD through CHRIST. When Christians are in relationship and fellowship with GOD, HE lifts them up during times of trouble. When they are in right relationship with HIM, they are in right relationship with others – friends, family, fellow workers and the list goes on.

When GOD lifts Christians up, it is a worshipful experience. HE exalts the Christian because he/she has placed their complete trust in HIM. That is GOD’S unlimited grace. Are Christians worthy of that grace? No but that is what grace is. Grace is GOD’S unmerited favor. It is HIS free gift to HIS children. GOD loves you and is not trying to sneak up on you to zap you. But HE does want you to experience HIS presence in your life.

GOD knows that Christians will have ample opportunity to get into conflicts. When they do get into conflicts, their level of Spiritual maturity will be revealed based upon how they respond. If a Christian’s life or the lives of his/her family is in jeopardy, he/she must respond according to the situation to protect himself/herself or his/her family. Spiritual maturity does not mean that a Christian does not respond accordingly. I am speaking of conflicts that have not escalated to that level of response.

James is all about Christians living as mature Christians in relationship with GOD through CHRIST. Being a mature Christian is a process and takes time and yielding our wills to CHRIST as we journey through life. Christians will be tested to help them determine how they are doing along the process of becoming more Spiritually mature. Every Christian depends upon GOD’S grace as they journey through life and HE gives the measure of grace needed for the issues of life. Yes, Christians will blow it and need to confess it and likely will need to ask others to forgive him or her. Apologizing is a tough thing to do but it is good for healing and maturing.

Do you have unresolved conflicts? If so, pray and ask CHRIST to give you the courage and opportunity to resolve them. Blessings!!!