Ralph Porter

© 2003

    Based on this morning's sermon title, you might have come expecting me to say something about the war. However, James is concerned about a different kind of fighting. He's not nearly as concerned about what's going on in Iraq today, as he is about what;'s going on in the church!

    How do we deal with turmoil in the midst of suffering? James is speaking to the Jewish church in the first century. They have been scattered all over the known world in their day because of persecution for their faith in Christ. Many have lost their jobs and been cut off from friends and family. They are struggling on account of their affliction.

    James told us in his introduction to this issue (1:5) that when we can't figure it all out, we should ask God for wisdom! He is calling us to a living faith in the living God, as we face the daily problems of life and the pressure is rising around us (2:1-5:6). He has already shown us what this faith looks like in the midst of some of these struggles.

    James has demonstrated that a living faith shows no partiality for the rich and powerful, in order to get benefits for ourselves (2:1-13). A living faith produces sacrificial work in order to help others in their time of need, even when we aren't sure where our next meal is coming from (2:14-26). He also points out that a living faith is able to control the tongue, even when the pressure is rising (3:1-12).

    A specific application of how we use our tongues is introduced in the next section, as James deals with the conflicts and quarrels which sometimes arise in the church (3:13-4:6). He begins to consider this problem with a question: "Who among you is wise and understanding?" (3:13). He answers that question by describing what it looks like. We'll "know one when we see one," by the following visible demonstration of wisdom: "Let him show it by his good life, his deeds which are done in humility, which wisdom produces." To describe the logical order in which wisdom produces its fruit, James is saying that wisdom produces the humility that leads us to appropriate behavior.

MAN'S WAY LEADS TO CONFLICT   3:13-16

    As we deal with the pressures of life there are two basic approaches we can take. The first, and most common option, is to approach our problems from man's point of view which produces conflict. In referring to this as man's approach, we're not eliminating women from this picture. This is the way that all people normally face life. It's essentially "doing what comes naturally" to us as humans.

    When we approach hard times from man's perspective, it results in two things: bitter jealousy and selfish ambition. James presents these two results in contrast to the way a wise person responds to pressure. Instead of the appropriate behavior that the humility wisdom produces leads to, he warns us: "But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth" (3:14).

    This kind of "wisdom" doesn't come from God. While it may be the natural human response to the pressures we face, the Creator didn't build it into us when He made us. We can't blame God for it! James describes three sources for these attitudes that so readily appear among us: "Such "wisdom" does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice" (3:15-16).

    These three sources parallel the three sources of evil that frequently arise to cause us trouble: the world, the flesh, and the devil. These three combine to produce instability and evil deeds.

    Let's trace back up through this sequence in reverse. When you find things out of control and all kinds of evil practice going on among us, when you find jealousy and selfish ambition rampant, when conflict and quarrels are prevalent, assume that man's point of view is at work! This way of thinking doesn't come from God! Don't blame it on Him!

GOD'S WAY LEADS TO PEACE   3:17-18

    The second approach we can take when we deal with the pressures of life is to approach our problems from God's point of view which produces peace. God's perspective produces godly spiritual fruit. What are some things that God's way of seeing things produces? "But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness" (3:17-18).

    Seeing things from God's perspective produces His brand of righteous behavior! God's viewpoint produces everything normally thought of as the conduct of the righteous. In a word, peace.

    When you consider these alternatives, which do you expect to find at church? Which alternative do you look for among God's people? James' next question is striking (4:1a). It suggests that James has discovered exactly the opposite of what we would have assumed should be the answer to our question: "Then why are there fights and quarrels among YOU"(among God's people)?

    Where do these come from? "Don't they come from your desires that wage war inside of you" (4:1b). It's our desires that produce this! You've gone to the wrong source! You're seeking the wrong thing! This is the result of our normal human pursuits: "I want what I want when I want it!" "I want MY way!" This is what man's way produces!

    "You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures."

    Do you feel the struggle going on here? We fight and claw to get our own way. We try everything we can think of. But it doesn't work! We don't get what we're looking for. We come up empty!

    1.    You want something, but you don't get it.

    2.    You kill and covet to get something, but you can't have what you want.

    3.    You quarrel and fight, but you don't have what you want.

    4.    You ask for what you want, but you don't receive it.

    James choice of words that describe what the church looks like doesn't paint an attractive picture: fights, quarrels, battle, killing, coveting, jealousy, selfish ambition! And all this was present among God's people!

    He says they were "killing each other." This thought may refer to hating our brother as the Lord taught (Matt. 5:21-22). It could also mean that in order to get what they wanted, they may have betrayed each other. Some may have actually died by betrayal. At the least they weren't showing love for one another!

Where does all this struggle get us? With all that effort, we still aren't satisfied: "You don't have what you want!" Do you know that feeling? Have you been fighting to get something that God hasn't let you have?

    James says "Count it all joy when you're bombarded by all kinds of attacks! Have you been going through hard times--trying to get away from it--only to discover that you get away from one wave, get back on your feet, look up, and here comes another one crashing down on top of you? Fighting and struggling to get out of the turmoil doesn't work! It won't get you what you want!

    What reasons does God give for this frustration when we try to resolve our problems man's way? James suggests three reasons we will never find peace by looking for it man's way.

1.    WE AREN'T LOOKING TO GOD FOR WHAT WE NEED   4:1-2

    "You do not have, because you do not ask God."

    Our basic problem is that we're seeking our desires our way. "You want something." "You kill and covet." "You quarrel and fight." It's all about us! We want what we want. So we set out to try to get it. But we don't ask God!!

    When we do this man's way, it's not God we're seeking! We aren't looking to God for what we need. We'd rather fight than ask God for it! So we set out to get what we want and to have it our way. However, when we try to find something that satisfies that way, we always end up empty. It doesn't work!

2.    WE ASK FOR WHAT WE WANT WITH THE WRONG MOTIVES   4:3

    "When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures."

    Then, when we finally do get around to asking God, we don't receive what we ask for because our motives are wrong. We're seeking what we want. We're still leaving God out of the picture. We aren't trusting Him to give us what's best for us. We're after what we want. We're seeking our own comfort, instead of God's will for us.

    Two common errors show up when people interpret this verse. Frequently we interpret these desires as more evil than they are. We think these desires are evil, perverse, immoral lusts. Therefore we assume that James isn't talking about the kinds of things we're looking for. In reality, the word James uses here simply refers to our desires-the things we want in life, to accomplish our own goals. We want things to come out our way--the way we want them!

    The second mistaken interpretation is to see these desires as less evil than they are. Once we understand that these aren't the perverted, immoral lusts we thought we were, we tend to think that it's not so bad. However, seeking to have what we want, seeking to have it our way, whenever we want something is sin. It's still serious as far as God is concerned. Our reason for being is to accomplish God's will, not ours! Any other goal IS sin!

3.    WE ARE SEEKING FRIENDSHIP WITH THE WORLD   4:4-6

    "You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the spirit he caused to live in us envies intensely? But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble."

    We're looking for a solution to our problems that goes against the very order of things God has established. This is the way the world functions. We're flirting with the enemy, and with his way of doing things. Therefore, we don't get what we want because it involves friendship with the world for personal benefit and personal exaltation. We hope to find a way to be God's children, but to stay on good terms with the world.

    We haven't understood the nature of the conflict. We haven't understood that the world is at war with God. To be friends with the world, we must give up God. The world wants a God-free society. We can't bring God into a friendly relationship with this world system. They're headed in opposite directions! We can't remain faithful to Him and seek the same things the world seeks.

    When we start thinking this way, we begin to think we have a better plan for ourselves than God's plan! God knows what's best for us! He knows how to give it to us. Throughout his letter, James treats man's attitude as pride, and promises that God will oppose it.

    We must stop trying to use the world as our ally to get away from what God sends our way. We ought to recognize Who's in charge and submit our will to His plan for our life! He gives us grace to endure. In verse 6, James says that He gives more grace. He gives us more than enough to endure the hard times. He gives grace to triumph to those who submit to Him.    However, in order to experience God's peace, we must submit to Him. To refuse to submit to His plan for us is pride. That's why James warns us that "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble" (4:6).

    Where do you find peace in times of trouble? We find peace in times of trouble from the wisdom God gives (3:17-18). And where do you find that? "If anyone lacks wisdom, let him ask GOD who loves to give!" (1:5).

    We have turmoil in times of trouble because we seek the wrong thing. We seek relief! We seek our way! You won't find peace there!

    Let's be sure we get the picture! We want something. We want our way. We set our hearts on it. So we go after it. We fight and struggle to get our way. But we don't get what we want. Why? Because we're fighting for it, instead of talking to God about it. When we do ask God for what we want, we ask God for what we want, instead of what He wants. Since we're struggling to have our own way, He doesn't respond the way we want.

    Prayer is about God's will being done on earth as in heaven, not about manipulating God to get what we want. Until we learn that, we will always come up empty.

    So how does this work in real life? You want God to do something about a difficult home situation? You want God to change something at the office, or at school? You want God to change something at church? How do you go about getting it?

    Have you been fighting for a change? Fighting and quarreling won't get it done! How about asking God for it? We're not talking about asking Him to do what we want, but asking Him to do what He wants. We should be seeking what will please Him!

          If we want God to change our church, . . .

          If we want God to change our community, . . .

          If we want God to change our home, . . .

          If we want God to change our personal life, . . .

Then, we must quit fighting to change it ourselves and seek God and His will first! We find peace when we turn to God first, and seek His and His way! We need to get our eyes off ourselves and onto God.

          --Stop defending ourselves and start depending on God.

          --Seek His purposes for our lives, and praise Him for them.

          --Pray and ask for guidance and strength to endure until He comes.

          --Seek first His purposes and His glory.

    We've been talking this morning about some hard stuff--this is fruit that only God can produce in us. If you're here this morning without God in your life, and think you can pull this off on your own, you just don't understand what you're up against! All a normal, natural-born person can produce comes from those sources we saw at the beginning: the world, our natural selves, and the devil! In our own strength, we aren't capable of any other lifestyle. I might as well tell a dead person: "Get up and clean yourself off!" We can't do it ourselves! That's why God says that He gives more grace!

    God wants to give you a gift this morning. He wants to give you the gift of eternal life; make you His own child! Until you trust Jesus as your personal savior, you are His creature, but not child. You'll never be able to pursue God's will God's way in your own strength. You must be born into God's family. He is offering that to you, if you will acknowledge your sin and receive His gift: Jesus who died in your place. You can trust Him and receive that gift right where you're sitting this morning. Will you trust Him today?