Resist Being Proud
James 4:1-8 (NIV) Submit Yourselves to God
1 What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? 2 You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. 3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.
4 You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. 5 Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us? 6 But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:
“God opposes the proud
but shows favor to the humble.”
7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come near to God and he will come near to you.
James 3:17 – 4:7 (MSG) Get Serious
1-2 Where do you think all these appalling wars and quarrels come from? Do you think they just happen? Think again. They come about because you want your own way, and fight for it deep inside yourselves. You lust for what you don’t have and are willing to kill to get it. You want what isn’t yours and will risk violence to get your hands on it.
2-3 You wouldn’t think of just asking God for it, would you? And why not? Because you know you’d be asking for what you have no right to. You’re spoiled children, each wanting your own way.
4-6 You’re cheating on God. If all you want is your own way, flirting with the world every chance you get, you end up enemies of God and his way. And do you suppose God doesn’t care? The proverb has it that “he’s a fiercely jealous lover.” And what he gives in love is far better than anything else you’ll find. It’s common knowledge that “God goes against the willful proud; God gives grace to the willing humble.”
7-10 So let God work his will in you. Yell a loud no to the Devil and watch him make himself scarce. Say a quiet yes to God and he’ll be there in no time. Quit dabbling in sin. Purify your inner life. Quit playing the field. Hit bottom, and cry your eyes out. The fun and games are over. Get serious, really serious. Get down on your knees before the Master; it’s the only way you’ll get on your feet.
I have spent the last few days in the Epistle of James, and today I read the first eight verses in Chapter 4 in both the NIV and the Message. It is apparent that James was not concerned with bringing the sinner to Christ, but instead his focus was teaching the Christ follower to live holy.
I love the way the Message paraphrases the final verse: Get down on your knees before the Master; it’s the only way you’ll get on your feet. It reminds me of a song in the ‘80’s—“Get on Your Knees and Fight Like A Man” by Petra. I made the statement earlier this week that one of the worst mistakes I ever made was ceasing to get on my knees in prayer.
Why is our prayer posture important? It conveys our attitude toward God. When we humble ourselves before a holy God we are recognizing our sinfulness before Him. Can we show our humility while sitting in a chair or lying in our bed? Of course, we can. It is all about our heart attitude.
Today, what would happen if we began relating to God as the Supreme authority in our lives? What would happen if, when we end our prayers “in Jesus’ name” we were asking only for something that Jesus would want us to have?
May we learn from today’s scripture that either God is first in our lives, or we are first. We cannot have it both ways. Choose God.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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Seeking Holiness 