Weekly Sermons

Defriend the Devil and send God a friend request

James 4:1-10

Biddy, the Irish woman…

Our outer wars come from our inner wars!                                                            V. 1-4

The word for pleasures in verse 1 is the word we get hedonism from.

In verse 4, Pastor James calls their looking to other places besides God to have their deepest needs met what it is – spiritual adultery.

Many of our prayers wind up being selfish prayers with our base motivation being glory for us without having to take up our cross and suffer for Jesus.

Our friendship with sin shows our hostility toward God                                        V. 4-6

I don’t like the thought that I have committed adultery against my Jesus. But that’s what happens when I have “affairs” with worldly priorities. 

The ‘world’ here means the system that rejects God’s authority & promotes man’s autonomy, making man the measure of all things instead of God.

Exodus 20:4 says the Lord our God is a jealous God.

Since God is omniscient (all-knowing) He knows what’s best for us. He and His ways are what’s best for us – every sinful choice keeps us from experiencing God’s best for us. He is ‘Jealous’ for us to experience His best for us.

Where sin abounded, grace abounded all the more.           -Romans 5:20

God can’t bless the proud! In pride we seek to deflect the glory due God to ourselves. But God will not share His glory with us!

Pride glorifies oneself – the opposite of pride is truly glorifying God. Humility is the turning point to get there!

How to continually receive more of God’s grace                                                     V. 7-10

James has made clear to us that we are in an ongoing battle - Now he gives us 10 key commands and a couple promises that will help us win the battles we face, but we must realize that each is something we will have to do daily.

Satan will find us and every weakness we have. We must resist him with God’s truth. We resist him by rejecting his lies and quickly drawing near to God.

If you’re dirty on the outside, take a bath. If you’re dirty on the inside, take a spiritual bath.

What’s he saying there in verse 9?    The things that grieve God ought to grieve us!