We’re going to start in James chapter 4 and read the whole thing because we need the full weight of it. James asks, “What is causing the quarrels and fights among you?” Then he answers it plainly. It’s the war of desires within us, wanting what we don’t have and being willing to fight for it instead of humbling ourselves before God
He says we don’t have what we want because we don’t ask God, and even when we do ask, our motives are wrong. We want what gives us pleasure. Then he drops the hammer and says friendship with the world makes us enemies of God
That is not light language. But right in the middle of that correction, he gives us hope. God is passionate that the spirit he placed within us be faithful to him, and he gives grace generously
I love how that ties together. God wants faithfulness from what he placed in us, and he gives grace generously so we can actually live that way. Grace is the power to do what pleases God.
Grace is not an enabler. It is not an excuse that lets us keep doing wrong while it quietly covers it up. Grace is the power to change and continue doing what is right
Without the grace of God, you are not able to live the life he’s calling you to live. Some of you have tried. You held it together for a while. Maybe you even did well for months. Then something happened, and you realized your best effort only goes so far.
The grace of God enables you to live a life that pleases him. The grace of God enables you to be faithful to him. Without receiving from him daily and saying, “God, I need your grace,” you will eventually fall back into your own strength.
God has called you to purity. He has called you to faithfulness. But do not ever hear that call as a hard job he is sending you out to accomplish alone
His yoke is easy. His burden is light. He gives you the direction, and then he gives you the power to walk in it.
If you are struggling to live in holiness, take the grace that has already been given. Reach out and receive it. He broke the power of sin over your life, and he gives grace generously
James says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Then he says, “Humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you”
New King James says, “Submit yourselves to God.” Submission and humility are tied together. It takes humility to say, “I don’t know what I’m doing. My way is in conflict with yours, so I’m going to submit.”
We often think we are submitted because we agree. But submission is only required when you do not agree. Agreement is easy. Submission is hard.
This is going to happen between you and God over and over again. He will say, “Do this,” and you will say, “I don’t agree.” You will have a better plan. You will have a podcast that said something different. You will have something you learned that conflicts with his instruction
So many Christians live like this. They obey as long as they agree. Then they try to resist the devil, and it does not work
The devil is not fooled. If he can keep you in pride, thinking your way is better, you are already in his realm. God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble
Humility kills the devil.
Pride is sneaky. The people in pride usually do not know it until the Lord confronts them.
It is almost impossible to convince someone else they are in pride. That conversation rarely goes well. Instead of pointing out pride in others, we need to pray, “Lord, show me where I am prideful.”
He will. And it might shock you.
I had a moment like that with a trade. The Holy Spirit had already told me what to do, and I did something different because I thought my way was better. That was pride.
When the Lord showed it to me, there was sorrow. I felt the weight of my unbelief. But the moment I humbled myself and said, “I was wrong,” he rushed in with joy and peace
James says, “Let there be tears… sorrow and deep grief… Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor”
That lifting happens fast. If you have been carrying heaviness for a long time, it is probably because you have not truly repented. Repentance is not explaining yourself. It is saying, “I was wrong.”
And then he lifts you.
James says, “Don’t speak evil against each other… What right do you have to judge your neighbor?”
It is so easy to notice someone else’s fault and let it consume you. But that thought is not obedient to the Lord. Take every thought captive.
When we correct someone, Scripture warns us to watch ourselves, because we could fall into the same thing. Correction must come with humility, gentleness, and an awareness that it could be us next
Work out your own salvation. You do not get to work out mine for me.
James ends by reminding us that life is like morning fog. Instead of boasting about tomorrow, we should say, “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.” And remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it
Get your eyes off tomorrow. Get your eyes off your neighbor. Ask the Lord what he wants you to do today.
In Philippians 2, we are told to have the same attitude as Christ. Though he was God, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death on a cross. Because of that humility, God elevated him to the highest place of honor
Humility does not belittle you. It positions you for God to lift you.
In Philippians 3, Paul says everything is worthless compared to knowing Christ. He does not rely on his own righteousness but on faith in Christ
That is what humility sounds like. “Nothing else matters. I just want to know him.”
If you are impressed with yourself, you do not know him. Your eyes are on you.
In Ephesians 4, Paul urges us to live worthy of our calling. Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other’s faults because of your love
Then he says, “Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace”
Once unity is established, it takes effort to maintain it. Unity is not in the mind. It is in the Spirit.
Peace is the glue that binds us together. If peace disappears in a disagreement, pause. Find peace first.
Jesus did not say peace comes after resolution. He said, “I give it to you.” That means you can take it before the issue is solved
This is especially true in marriage. When it turns into me versus you, the enemy is working. Division is his goal.
We are on the same team.
The Lord is bringing us together as one. But if we want to go from glory to glory, we must handle disagreements better.
We must become one. Learn to disagree and stay one. Bind yourselves together with peace
We are breaking strongholds. We hit walls and break through them. But it would be faster if we broke through them together.
When a conversation becomes me versus you, that is division. Recognize it. Shut it down. We are not at odds.
We are on the same team, going after the same thing.
Humility kills the devil. Unity defeats division. Peace binds us together.
Let’s become one.
