Tag: fights and quarrels
More Grace Needed!
Scripture reading for November 5: James 4
“What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that He has made to dwell in us”? But He gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”” James 4:1-6
Human nature without Jesus Christ is full of quarreling and strife. Each person centers on themselves and their own passions and desires. Selfishness is worked out through fighting, sometimes leading to murder either with a weapon or the tongue. Coveting is a lustful desire to have what belongs to someone else. This may include property, positions, or affections which leads to theft, gossip, adultery or fornication. James also pointed his finger at the religious who prayed for their fleshly desires to be fulfilled. They asked God but asked with selfish motives, and God did not answer.
These worldly people were adulterous in their relationship with God. They often claimed to love God but were really adulterous as they followed their own desires and passions. James said that God was jealous for their affections, yearning over them and desiring their loyalty. Through the gift of His Son, God had provided grace needed to break free from the world and their own passions. What was needed in the believers was to appropriate the grace provided by humble confession of sin and repentance. The foundational truth James based this instruction on was “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” More grace was already provided to enable them to break free from their passions and be fully committed to God.
Are you currently struggling with fleshly passions and desires that seem to dominate your thinking and life? Have you been asking God for fulfillment of your desires or grace to yield to His desires? Have you struggled with pride or feeling that God doesn’t care about you?
Prayer: Father God, thank You for jealously yearning over my spirit and giving me more grace. I humbly ask you to continue to provide grace to live fully for You and Your will. Use me to bring the Gospel of grace to those who quarrel and fight. May my life reflect Your grace to live in peace. Amen.
Grace to the humble!
Scripture reading for November 20th: James 4:1-17
James was a Jew and ministered as the pastor of the church in Jerusalem. Pastoring a flock of Jewish believers had it’s challenges and he dealt with some quarrels among the brothers and sisters. In his epistle, James gave instructions in practical humility that would help his flock avoid strife and work together. Let’s be quick to listen and apply his instructions in order to help the church we are a part of!
“What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? 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.” (James 4:1-3) James speaks plainly to brothers and sisters that he loves. Selfishness is at the heart of most strife in the church! It starts in our flesh with desires and then is worked out in anger, slander (murder with the tongue), jealousy, and even spiritual manipulation! Some of his flock were praying to God, but God could not grant an answer because they had selfish motives. They simply weren’t asking God in accordance with His will!
“But He gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up.” (James 4:6-10)
We all need more grace to overcome our selfish desires and flesh. Grace comes to the humble. A mark of true humility is submission to God and obedience to His word. When we submit, we draw near to Him to listen and learn. Another mark of humility is a sincere desire to be clean of sin. Sincere brokenness is marked by a change of heart and by cleansing our hands from evil works. If we humble ourselves, God will lift us up!
Grace flowing to the humble!
Scripture reading for November 20th: James 4:1-17
James was a Jew and ministered as the pastor of the church in Jerusalem. Pastoring a flock of Jewish believers had it’s challenges and he dealt with some quarrels among the brothers and sisters. In his epistle, James gave instructions in practical humility that would help his flock avoid the strife and work together. Let’s be quick to listen and then apply his instructions in order to help the church we are a part of!
“What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? 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.” (James 4:1-3) James speaks plainly to brothers and sisters that he loves. Selfishness is at the heart of most strife in the church! It starts in our flesh with desires and then is worked out in anger, slander (murder with the tongue), jealousy, and even spiritual manipulation! Some of his flock were praying to God, but God could not grant an answer because they had selfish motives. They simply weren’t asking God in accordance with His will!
“But He gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up.” (James 4:6-10)
We all need more grace to overcome our selfish desires and flesh. Grace comes to the humble. A mark of true humility is submission to God and obedience to His word. When we submit, we draw near to Him to listen and learn. Another mark of humility is a sincere desire to be clean of sin. Sincere brokenness is marked by a change of heart and by cleansing our hands from evil works. If we humble ourselves, God will lift us up!