James 4
Church members with wrong motivesverses 1-3
From whence come wars and fightings among you?
come they not hence – even of your LUSTS
that war in your members?
You LUST – AND HAVE NOT
you kill – and desire to have – and cannot obtain
you fight and war – yet you have not
because you ask not
You ask – and receive not – because you ask amiss
that you may consume it upon your LUSTS
Church members love the worldverses 4-5
You adulterers and adulteresses
know you not that the friendship of the world
is enmity with God?
Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world
is the enemy of God
Do you think that the scripture says in vain
The Spirit that dwells in us LUSTS to envy?
Church members need to be humbleverses 6-10
BUT HE gives more grace – wherefore HE says
God resists the proud but gives grace to the HUMBLE
Submit yourselves therefore to God
resist the devil – and he will flee from you
Draw nigh to God – and HE will draw nigh to you
cleanse your hands – you sinners
and purify your hearts – you double-minded
Be afflicted – and mourn – and weep
let your laughter be turned to mourning
and your joy to heaviness
HUMBLE yourselves in the sight of the Lord
and HE shall lift you up
Church members need to not judge each otherverses 11-12
Speak not evil one of another – brethren
He that speaks evil of his brother and JUDGES his brother
speaks evil of 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 one LAWGIVER – WHO is able to save and to destroy
who are you that JUDGES another?
Church members need to know God’s willverses 13-17
Go to now – you that say
Today or tomorrow we will go into such a city
and continue there a year – and buy and sell
and get gain
whereas you know not what shall be
on the morrow
FOR what is your life? It is even a vapor
that appears for a little time – and then vanished away
FOR that you ought to say – IF the Lord will
we shall live – and do this or that
BUT now you rejoice in your boastings
all such rejoicing is evil
THEREFORE to him that knows to do good – and does it not
to him it is sin
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 1 From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? (2237 “lusts” [hedone] means pleasure, desire for pleasure, passion, enjoyment, or sensual delight)
DEVOTION: James wanted the church to understand where wars and fighting comes from. He had an answer from God. He knew that the only reason for our fighting was our own passion for our own way in a given situation.
Remember that we keep as part of our old nature the two characteristics: laziness and selfishness. It is these two characteristics that cause all the fighting in our churches. The members of the local church make up the individuals who cause fighting when they are selfish and don’t want to work together on a program or project.
It seems that we have in our nature the idea that we can come up with a better idea than another person all the time. We want everyone to listen to our idea for what is necessary for the improvement of the local church.
This not only affects the local church but also the individual life of a believer. There is a war between our old nature and our new nature. It is a daily war. Our old nature wants to do what it wants to do when it wants to do it. Our new nature prayers for guidance from the LORD regarding what we should do in a given situation.
If we have a church full of individuals who want to do what the LORD wants them to do then we have a revival and the work of the church moves forward bringing glory to the LORD.
If we have a church full of individuals who want to do their own thing then we have confusion in the church and in our life. This is what is going on in a typical church today.
Our prayer meetings are either canceled or poorly attended. Guidance from the LORD is not even the main concern at a prayer meeting. This can even happen in a board meeting of the leadership of the church. Many start and end with prayer but what goes on in between is not usually done in the power of the Holy Spirit to move a church forward for the LORD.
There is just too much status quo in a church. This is the outcome of everyone wanting their own desires.
CHALLENGE: James wants this to change in the church. We need it to change as well. Proper prayer is the answer!!!
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 3 You ask, and receive not, because you ask amiss, that you may consume it upon your lusts. (1159 “consume” [dapanao] means to expend, pay their expense, to use up, to spend, to incur cost, spend, be at charges, to waste, or squander)
DEVOTION: James continues to impress on believers that there is a right way and a wrong way to live the Christian life. The right way includes the motives we have for our actions. We will not receive any rewards for any actions where the motives are wrong. Too often we want praise from men instead of praise from the LORD. We can be people pleasers rather than those who please the LORD.
This problem affects our prayer life. Our perspective on life can be different from the LORD’S perspective of our life. We think that there are certain things that we need. The LORD knows what we need.
There is a battle going on in our lives over these issues. The second problem is that this battle not only affects our life but the life of the church. There are many Christians in local assemblies that are having battles over minor issues as well as major issues. Everyone one wants what they want and doesn’t want to give in to their fellow members. There are votes taken that are not honoring to the LORD because they are voting for what they want and have not asked the LORD what HE wants for their church.
What are we supposed to be asking for when we go to the Lord in prayer? This verse tells that we can ask for the wrong things from the Lord. HE doesn’t give it to them. HE knows that we are asking for our own wrong motives. We are asking for something that will give us pleasure that is not good for us.
Sometimes we ask for things that we think we need and God doesn’t give them to us and we get mad at God. God knows what we need. We don’t know what we need unless we are under the direction of the Holy Spirit. We have to be asking for what the Lord wants us to have in our life at the right time period in our life.
Timing is everything with the LORD, the thing we think we need is not necessary until we are older and wiser and more mature in the Lord. We can squander some of the gifts God has given us. We can waste our talent. God is long-suffering.
We need to be humble and wait for the right time for what we think we need. Are we willing to wait for the Lord’s timing? The devil wants us to be impatient with God. He comes into our thought life and tells us that we deserve better things from the LORD. He is wrong.
What we deserve from the LORD is eternity in a place called hell. HE has given us grace and mercy. HE has prepared a mansion for us in heaven. HE is walking with us every moment of every day to give us strength and direction. We need to follow HIS leading. Are we listening to HIM?
CHALLENGE: Be content with the answers to our prayers that we receive. Be aware that God knows the proper timing for us to receive some of the things we think we need now. Resist the devil and he will flee from us.
: 4 You adulterers and adulteresses, know you not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. (5373 “friendship” [philia] means to have affection for, love, tenderness, treaty of friendship, or the state of being inclined to help or support someone or something, especially not being antagonistic or hostile)
DEVOTION: The children of Israel went away from the LORD by worshiping the false gods of the people they conquered with the help of the LORD. They would soon forget about worshiping the LORD because these false religions gave them more pleasure than worshiping the ONE TRUE GOD.
With false gods and their worship they could satisfy their own desires. This catered to their selfishness. Also they could bring any sacrifice to these false gods whereas the LORD had a system that required more. This catered to their laziness.
Now James warns the church members that if they chose friendship with the world or society or the lifestyle of those around them they would not be able to please GOD.
He presented a choice that had to be made by every believer. If they wanted to please themselves by worshiping the world they would be considered an enemy of God. There was no middle ground.
We have to make the same choices today. If we worship the gods of our world over the ONE TRUE GOD we will be judged by the LORD. The gods that we worship are money, movies, sports and free time.
We need to have a regular daily devotional time with the LORD. We need to be using our spiritual gift in the local church. We need to be witnessing to those around us each day. CHALLENGE: We need to worship the LORD each Sunday in a local church where we can give our tithe and build relationships with other believers.
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
:14 Whereas you know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time, and then vanishes away. (822 “vapour” [atmis] means vapor. [Strong, J. (1995). Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon. Woodside Bible Fellowship])
DEVOTION: In this season of life, I often hear people reminiscing about the past, and that is frequently accompanied by a statement like, “I wonder where all the time went.” Life seems to have a way of disappearing, even though we all live one day at a time throughout of lives. Part of this is probably due to the fact that as children and young people we think that we still have most of our lives ahead of us, and that we are preparing for these future days. As we age, we realize that most of our lives are now behind us, and what is left for us is our legacy.
So the best thing we can do is be wise in our use of time, and invest in others (especially our own families). That requires intentionality, and not always looking for fun or to have a good time. Children require your attention, especially during the formative years (when we are most likely to place them in front of some kind of screen to get them out of our hair. Likewise, one does not grow in their walk with Christ over time without spending time in God’s Word and prayer.
The average lifespan of an American is between 70 and 80 years, with some getting a whole lot less time than that. I have often challenged people to think through the question, “Which is longer, 80 years here on earth, or eternity in heaven?” When we think about life from that perspective, we no longer want to simply pass time, but rather to invest it. Each day starts out with exactly 24 hours in it which we may choose how we invest.
CHALLENGE: Regardless of your age, plan your legacy now and what you will do to help the next generation become followers of Jesus Christ. Invest your life in something that will last for eternity. (MW)
: 17 Therefore to him that knows to do good, and does it not, to him it is sin. (2566 “good” [kallion] means very well, better, moral excellence or admirableness, praiseworthy, fitting, beautiful, useful, or pertaining to a positive moral quality.)
DEVOTION: Once someone becomes a follower of Jesus Christ he/she is indwelt with the Holy Spirit. The indwelling Holy Spirit gives the believer discernment regarding what is right and wrong. As a believer grows in the LORD he/she learns more about what is right and wrong in his/her service to the LORD.
Now right from the beginning to the end of our Christian life we have to make decisions regarding our actions. Our main goal is to bring glory to God through our good actions. Remember that there is a connection between actions and motives for those actions.
If we do our actions to be seen of men we have our reward already here on this earth. If we do it to bring glory to God HE will bless us in heaven. The choice is ours.
Now James is concerned with whether we do what we know is good. If we do something that the Holy Spirit tells us is wrong through HIS ministry or through the Word of God or through our conscience or through other people than we are sinning.
We have to remember that what a mature believer does and what an immature believer does can be different in different circumstances. New believers have to build their ability before they can go into a situation that might tempt them to do evil. A mature believer might face the same situation and be able to handle it without sinning.
Every believer needs to be a witness for the LORD. The immature believer can witness to someone who is a member of a cult that is visiting his house. This would be good only if he presents the gospel and gives the individual an opportunity to become a true believer.
However, the immature believer shouldn’t get into a doctrinal dispute with these individuals. The mature believer can deal with them better because they have more understanding of where to find things in the Bible and correct doctrinal beliefs.
With the proper follow up to new believers they can become mature believers sooner than those who don’t receive follow up. Each church should have a program to help new believers understand the basics of the Christian faith.
CHALLENGE: Sin is doing what the LORD informs you is wrong. Let the Holy Spirit give you a good conscience between right and wrong and then listen to HIM.
DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
Not prayingverse 2
Asking with wrong motiveverse 3
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
Scriptureverse 5
Says in vainverse 5
Lawverse 11
Speaks evil of lawverse 11
Judges lawverse 11
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
Godverses 4, 6-8
Enmity with Godverse 4
Enemy of Godverse 4
God resists the proudverse 6
Draw close to those who draw near to HIMverse 8
One Lawgiververse 12
Able to saveverse 12
Able to destroyverse 12
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead –God/man, Messiah)
Lordverses 10, 15
Sight of the Lordverse 10
Lift believers upverse 10
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Indwelling Holy Spiritverse 5
Lusts to envyverse 5
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Devilverse 7
Flee from believers who resistverse 7
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Worldverse 4
Say verse 13
Go into a city for year
Buy
Sell
Get gain
Not know what is coming tomorrowverse 14
Life is a vaporverse 14
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Warsverses 1, 2
Fightingsverses 1, 2
Lustsverses 1-3, 5
Asking wrongverses 2, 3
Killverse 2
Desire to haveverse 2
Consumeverse 3
Adulterersverse 4
Adulteressesverse 4
Friendship of the worldverse 4
Enmity with Godverse 4
Enemy of Godverse 4
Envyverse 5
Proudverse 6
Sinnersverse 8
Double- mindedverse 8
Speaking evilverses 11, 16
Judging brothersverses 11, 12
Judging lawverse 11
Speak evil of lawverse 11
Not doer of lawverse 11
Judgeverse 11
Rejoice in boastingverse 16
Rejoicing in such things is evilverse 16
Doesn’t do what is goodverse 17
Sinverse 17
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Prayerverse 3
Indwelling Holy Spiritverse 5
Graceverse 6
Humbleverses 6, 10
Submit to Godverse 7
Resist the devilverse 7
Draw nigh to Godverse 8
Cleanse your handsverse 8
Purify heartsverse 8
Afflictedverse 9
Mourningverse 9
Joy to heavinessverse 9
LORD will lift you upverse 10
Saveverse 12
Say if the LORD willverse 15
Knows to do goodverse 17
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Church (New Testament people of God)
Membersverse 1
Speak not evil one to anotherverse 11
Brethrenverse 11
Ought to sayverse 15
If the Lord will we will do this or that
Last Things (Future Events)
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QUOTES redarding passage
5 This verse is one of the most difficult in the epistle. Various translations have been suggested, but there is good reason to believe that the translation given in the NIV footnote for the last part of the verse is correct, “that God jealously longs for the spirit that he made to live in us.” This rendering fits the immediate context better than the NIV text, “that the spirit he caused to live in us tends toward envy.” Verse 4, which is closely tied to v. 5 by the conjunction “or,” indicates that the believer who is a friend of the world is guilty of spiritual adultery. Although his love and devotion belong to God, he has fallen in love with the world. It is natural, therefore, to expect v. 5 to speak of God’s jealous longing for his people’s love, rather than of their envious spirit. And there are OT passages that refer to God as jealously desiring the devotion of his people. Since there is no passage of which James 4:5 is a verbatim quotation, it is best to understand it as giving the gist of such passages as Exodus 20:5 and 34:14.
A second reason for preferring the NIV footnote rendering is that it more accurately represents the Greek text. It is true that the words pros phthonon can literally mean “to envy,” but BAG indicates that this phrase was a Greek adverbial idiom meaning “jealously” (p. 718; cf. Ropes, p. 262). Furthermore, the Greek verb epipothei is not adequately represented by “tends.” Epipothei means “to long for,” “to yearn for” something or someone. It is much better, therefore, to translate pros phthonon epipothei as “longs jealously for.” Thus, in v. 4 James has accused his readers of spiritual unfaithfulness. If they are not willing to accept this indictment, he asks in v. 5 what they think about the OT passages dealing with God’s jealous longing for his people. This is the significance of the introductory conjunction “or.” Do they think Scripture speaks “without reason” or emptily? Of course they don’t think this. Consequently, it is necessary to believe that friendship with the world is enmity toward God, and thus it is spiritual unfaithfulness. (Burdick, D. W. (1981). James. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Hebrews through Revelation (Vol. 12, pp. 193–194). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)
The Scripture (ἡ γραφη [hē graphē]). Personification as in Gal. 3:8 and James 2:23. But no O. T. passage is precisely like this, though it is “a poetical rendering” (Ropes) of Ex. 20:5. The general thought occurs also in Gen. 6:3–5; Is. 63:8–16, etc. Paul has the same idea also (Gal. 5:17, 21; Rom. 8:6, 8). It is possible that the reference is really to the quotation in verse 6 from Prov. 3:34 and treating all before as a parenthesis. There is no way to decide positively. In vain (κενως [kenōs]). Old adverb (Aristotle) from κενως [kenōs] (2:20), here alone in N. T. “Emptily,” not meaning what it says. Made to dwell (κατῳκισεν [katōikisen]). First aorist active of κατοικιζω [katoikizō], old verb, to give a dwelling to, only here in N. T. Long unto envying (προς φθονον ἐπιποθει [pros phthonon epipothei]). A difficult phrase. Some even take προς φθονον [pros phthonon] with λεγει [legei] rather than with ἐπιποθει [epipothei], as it naturally does go, meaning “jealously.” But even so, with God presented as a jealous lover, does το πνευμα [to pneuma] refer to the Holy Spirit as the subject of ἐπιποθει [epipothei] or to man’s spirit as the object of ἐπιποθει [epipothei]? Probably the former and ἐπιποθει [epipothei] then means to yearn after in the good sense as in Phil. 1:8. (Robertson, A. T. (1933). Word Pictures in the New Testament (Jas 4:5). Nashville, TN: Broadman Press.)
4:5. This is one of the most difficult verses to translate in the entire letter. A very literal translation would be, “Or think you that vainly the Scripture says to envy yearns the spirit which was made to dwell in you, but He gives great grace.” Is the “spirit” the Holy Spirit or the human spirit? Is the spirit to be taken as the subject of the verb “yearns” or as its object? Is “envy” to be seen as “unrighteous desire” or as “righteous jealousy”? Numerous translations are possible: (a) “The Spirit who indwells you jealously yearns [for you] and He gives more grace.” (b) “He [God] yearns jealously for the Holy Spirit which indwells you and He gives more grace.” (c) “The [human] spirit which indwells you yearns to envy, but He [God] gives more grace.” The NIV favors the latter idea: Or do you think … that the spirit He caused to live in us tends toward envy, but “He gives us more grace?” (v. 6)
Not only is the translation of the sentence a problem, but also the apparent indication that it is a part of Scripture poses difficulties. James’ question, typically rhetorical, “or do you think Scripture says without reason” (kenōs, lit., “vainly”), introduces the section. The ambiguous sentence that follows is not a direct quotation of any passage in Scripture. Rather than assume that James quoted some other sacred book, or some unknown Greek translation of the Old Testament, or that he simply referred to the general sense of Scripture, it seems more reasonable to assume that he focused on the quotation in verse 6, a statement clearly taken from Proverbs 3:34: “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” (also quoted in 1 Peter 5:5). (Blue, J. R. (1985). James. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, p. 830). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
The flesh (vv. 1, 5). By “the flesh” is meant the old nature that we inherited from Adam, that is prone to sin. The flesh is not the body. The body is not sinful; the body is neutral. The Spirit may use the body to glorify God, or the flesh may use the body to serve sin. When a sinner yields to Christ, he receives a new nature within, but the old nature is neither removed nor reformed. For this reason, there is a battle within: “For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other so that you do not do what you want” (Gal. 5:17, niv). This is what James terms “your lusts that are in your members” (James 4:1).
Living for the flesh means grieving the Holy Spirit of God who lives in us. “Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the Spirit He caused to live in us longs jealously?” (James 4:5, niv, margin) Just as the world is the enemy of God the Father, so the flesh is the enemy of God the Holy Spirit. There is a holy, loving jealousy that a husband and wife have over each other, and rightly so. The Spirit within jealously guards our relationship to God, and the Spirit is grieved when we sin against God’s love.
Living to please the old nature means to declare war against God. “The carnal mind is enmity against God” (Rom. 8:7). To allow the flesh to control the mind is to lose the blessing of fellowship with God. Abraham had a spiritual mind; he walked with God and enjoyed peace. Lot had a carnal mind; he disobeyed God and experienced war. “For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace” (Rom. 8:6). (Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 2, pp. 368–369). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
4:5 Scripture speaks. The quote that follows is not found as such in the OT; it is a composite of general OT teaching. jealously desires the Spirit. This difficult phrase is best understood by seeing the “Spirit” as a reference not to the Holy Spirit, but to the human spirit, and translating the phrase “jealously desires” in the negative sense of “lusts to envy.” James’ point is that an unbelieving person’s spirit (inner person) is bent on evil (cf. Ge 6:5; 8:21; Pr 21:10; Ecc 9:3; Jer 17:9; Mk 7:21–23). Those who think otherwise defy the biblical diagnosis of fallen human nature; and those who live in worldly lusts give evidence that their faith is not genuine (cf. Ro 8:5–11; 1Co 2:14). (MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Jas 4:5). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.)
Ver. 5. Do ye think that the Scripture saith in vain? &c.] Some think that the apostle refers to a particular passage of Scripture in the Old Testament, and that he took it from Gen. 6:3 as some; or from Exod. 20:5 as others; or from Deut. 7:2, 5 or from Job 5:2 or from Prov. 21:10 others think he had in view some text in the New Testament; either Rom. 12:2 or Gal. 5:17 and some have imagined that he refers to a passage in the apocryphal book of Wisdom, ch. 1:4 and others have been of opinion that it is taken out of some book of Scripture then extant, but now lost, which by no means can be allowed of: the generality of interpreters, who suppose a particular text of Scripture is referred to, fetch it from Numb. 11:29 but it seems best of all to conclude that the apostle has no regard to any one particular passage of Scripture, in which the following words are expressly had, since no such passage appears; but that his meaning is, the sense of the Scripture everywhere, where it speaks of this matter, is to this purpose: nor does it say this, or any thing else in vain; whatever is written there is to answer some end, as for learning, edification, and comfort, for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness; neither with respect to what is before suggested, that what is asked in a right manner, and for a right end, shall be given; and that the love of the world, and the love of God, are things incompatible; nor with respect to what follows: the spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy? that is, the depraved spirit of man, the spirit of an unregenerate man; that as it is prone to every lust, and prompts to every sin, the imagination of the thought of man’s heart being evil, and that continually, so it instigates to envy the happiness of others; see Gen. 6:5 and 8:21 or this may be put as a distinct question from the other, does the spirit that dwelleth in us lust to envy? that is, the Holy Spirit, who dwells in the hearts of his people, as in his temple: the Ethiopic version reads, the Holy Spirit; and then the sense is, does he lust to envy? no; he lusts against the flesh, and the works of it, and envy among the rest; see Gal. 5:17, 21 but he does not lust to it, or provoke to it, or put persons upon it; nor does he, as the Arabic version renders it, desire that we should envy; he is a spirit of grace; he bestows grace and favours upon men; and is so far from envying, or putting others upon envying any benefit enjoyed by men, that he increases them, adds to them, and enlarges them, as follows. (Gill, J. (1809). An Exposition of the New Testament (Vol. 3, p. 516). London: Mathews and Leigh)
FROM MY READING:
Remember the only author that I totally agree with is the HOLY SPIRIT in the inerrant WORD OF GOD called THE BIBLE! All other I try to gleam what I can to help me grow in the LORD!!)
George Washington shared this view. In his Farewell Address, the old general said, “Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports.” And, he added, “Reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.”
In Jms. 4:1–2 hēdonái are in the service of sin and stand in contrast to the chará which is the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22). hēdonḗ comes under the same judgment as fallen human nature. (Kittel, G., Friedrich, G., & Bromiley, G. W. (1985). Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (305). Grand Rapids, MI: W.B. Eerdmans.)
d. What is said to God (in prayer) is also adversely affected by hēdonḗ, as we read in Jms. 4:3, where we ask amiss if we make carnal hēdonaí the object of prayer. The attitude of unbridled earthly desire is contrary to the attitude of true prayer, which waits on God and seeks only what can be asked in the name of Jesus. The prayer that is based on hēdonḗ moves in a futile circle which leads only to new hēdonḗ and ends only with death (Jms. 4:1, 3). (Kittel, G., Friedrich, G., & Bromiley, G. W. (1985). Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (305). Grand Rapids, MI: W.B. Eerdmans.)
When we pray, we are doing more than talking with God; we are acknowledging our need for God to act and our trust that he will act. (p. 86)
When prayer is no longer central to the church, we have lost the very life that makes us the unique body of Christ. When we do not pray, we stop being the church and we beome a social club, a place for people to mee, encourage one another, and have fun together, but a place that is no longer in vital relationship with God. (p. 86)
Instead of taking risks and trusting God to provide for the future, we become timid and hesitant. (p.86)
(Developing Leaders for the Small Church by Glenn C. Daman)
A NEW NATURE
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. 2 Corinthians 5:17
The cross of the Lord Jesus Christ makes an entire change. You are “not under the law,” Paul says, “but under grace” (Romans 6:14). You who have believed in the Lord Jesus Christ and His death upon the cross have been taken from that position; you are in an entirely new position. You are under grace, and grace is unmerited favor. It is kindness shown to people who deserve nothing but punishment. Grace means that God, because He is God, looks upon us with favor when we do not deserve anything at all. That is what “under grace” means. It means that God is no longer just a lawgiver to you—He is your Father. He is your Father who loves you with an everlasting love. He is your Father who looks upon you and desires to bless you. He is the one who says, “You are My child—I am your Father. I will give you My own nature. I will count the very hairs of your head. I will number them all. Nothing shall happen to you apart from Me.” That is what it means to be under grace.
Do you see the difference? It is the difference between being in a relationship of law and a relationship of love. You are in an entirely new position, and the cross puts you there. You are under grace, and you do not tremble before God with a craven fear. You know that though you are unworthy, He is your Father, and you say, “My Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come.” And you know that He looks upon you with a smile. You know that He is patient, that He is long-suffering. You know that He is determined to bring you back to the perfection in which He originally made you, and that all the forces of His love and grace and compassion are working in your favor.
A Thought to Ponder: It is the difference between being in a relationship of law and a relationship of love. (From The Cross, pp. 189-190, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
The Lord teaches the disciples about prayer through His own example.
INSIGHT
We often gain by our losses. The one who has suffered no loss is still a shallow person. It was expedient for the disciples that the Lord should leave because the Spirit’s presence was contingent upon His physical absence. Christ’s work must be complete so the Spirit can apply it to the hearts of men. Jesus must die and be resurrected. The Holy Spirit will draw men to His offer of salvation. And the best news? We’ll see Jesus again.
(Quiet Walk)
The Flesh and the Spirit
“This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.” (Galatians 5:16)
The conflict between flesh and spirit is a frequent theme in Scripture, beginning way back in the antediluvian period: “And the Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh” (Genesis 6:3). The “flesh,” of course, refers to the physical body with all its feelings and appetites, while man’s “spirit” refers especially to his spiritual nature with its ability to understand and communicate in terms of spiritual and moral values, along with its potential ability to have fellowship with God.
Because of sin, however, the natural man is spiritually “dead in trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1), and “they that are in the flesh cannot please God” (Romans 8:8). When the flesh dominates, even the apostle Paul would have to say, “I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing” (Romans 7:18). This aspect of human nature became so dominant in the antediluvian world that “all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth” (Genesis 6:12), and God had to wash the world clean with the Flood.
Now, however, the substitutionary death of Christ brings salvation and spiritual life to all who receive Him by the Holy Spirit. “If Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you” (Romans 8:10-11). By the Lord Jesus Christ, the human spirit is made alive right now, through the indwelling Holy Spirit, and the body’s resurrection is promised when Christ returns.
“They that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh.” The daily challenge to the believer is this: “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit” (Galatians 5:24-25).
(HMM, The Institute for Creation Research)
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