JAMES
CHAPTER 4
Wars are born of lusts—The friends of the world are the enemies of God—Sin is failure to walk in the light we have received.
[Continuing the contention theme from chapter 3 - James basically states that contention is a by product of sinfulness including envy (v. 14), arrogance (v. 14), lying (v. 14), hypocrisy (v. 17), covetousness (cf. 4:2), adultery (cf. 4:4), double-mindedness (cf. 4:8). Therefore when we see contention we usually also see that there are usually other major problems going on including the before mentioned]
1 FROM whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?
2 Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.
4 Ye adulterers and
adulteresses, [while James is probably speaking
literally here, we also have to recognize that in the OT the figure of
an adulteress is used to represent those who are unfaithful to the Lord, the "husband" of
Israel, in a religious sense. so, the accusation may be a figurative
one.] know
ye 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.
5 Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The
spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy? ["the
(natural)
spirit that hath its dwelling in us lusts with (literally, 'to,' or 'towards') envy." Ye lust, and because ye have not what ye lust after (Jas 4:1, 2), ye envy your neighbor who has, and so the spirit of envy leads you on to "fight."]
spirit that hath its dwelling in us lusts with (literally, 'to,' or 'towards') envy." Ye lust, and because ye have not what ye lust after (Jas 4:1, 2), ye envy your neighbor who has, and so the spirit of envy leads you on to "fight."]
6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.
8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.
11 Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge.
13 Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: