1. The history of mankind is filled with repetitious accounts of distrust, hatred, and warfare.


2. From the earliest history of mankind, bitter rivalries and prolonged enmities have worked great havoc in the earth.


3. James asserts that these things spring from conflicting passions within the hearts of men - desires that contradict each other, but each insisting on having its own way.


4. Such conflict is found in every heart where Jesus Christ does not reign supremely.

1. How sad and tragic are the grievous misunderstandings that arise among Christians.
1. Churches are sometimes kept in perpetual confusion by the self-will of two or three people who quarrel over things that are really very insignificant.
2. Such brawling arise from the "lusts that war in our members" - unlawful desires that are permitted to go unrestrained in their struggle for self-satisfaction.


2. The natural heart is ever seeking, but never finding, contentment; it is ever empty; its desire unfulfilled.
1. Nothing in this world can give real and lasting satisfaction to that which was made for eternity. (See the book of Ecclesiastes)
2. God alone can give the satisfaction that makes life worth living.

1. "Ye lust and have not."


2. "Ye kill, and desire (covet, and jealous) to have, and cannot obtain", (see I John 3:15).


3. "Ye fight and war"; but still have no satisfaction, because you are seeking the wrong thing, and seeking in the wrong direction!


4. "Ye ask(pray) not", (Prov. 1:22-33)/
1. "Ye ask amiss", (Ps. 66:18; Is. 1:15; Prov. 15:29).
2. You have a wrong motive - desiring this thing that you may waste it on your own pleasures, (comp. Luke 15:14; contr. II Cor. 12:15; I John 3:22; 5:14).

        When people seek such satisfaction as contradicts their spiritual nature, they find disgust instead of bliss. When nations make power and possession their goal, they destroy themselves in seeking to conquer others.


3. The prayer of faith is not one of anxiety, but neither is it one of presumption; one does not truly pray "in Jesus name" until he has first placed himself under Jesus' control! One who is under Jesus' control seeks nothing for himself; his delight will be to do Gods will and to live for God's glory!

1. At times Biblical writers employed the term "the world" in describing that material universe and all that is within it. In this sense, true Christians are in the world, but not of it!
1. James is not showing contempt for the world that God has made beautiful; he is able to rejoice in that.
2. What he counsels against is the setting of one's heart on the obtaining of mere things! Things tend to distract one from giving proper honor, love, and attentiveness to the God who made us, (comp. Romans 8:7-8; II Tim. 4:10).
3. There may be no better commentary on these words than what Jesus said, as recorded in Matthew 6:24: "No man can serve two masters!" We may permit the things of the world to so dominate our thinking that we are mastered by them. Or, we may so employ them as to serve our fellow-men and lay up for ourselves "treasure in heaven."


2. However, the term is sometimes used to describe that system of wickedness which now rules the earth. It not only ignores the rightful claims of God; it positively opposes Him, Dr. Jowett long ago defined "worldliness" as:
   
           " ... a spirit, a temperament, an attitude of soul. It is life without high callings; life devoid of lofty ideals. It is a gaze horizontal, never vertical. Its motto is "Forward", never "Onward!" Its goal is success, not holiness. Hearing no mystic voices, it is destitute of reverence. It never bows in rapt and silent wonder in the secret place. It experiences no awe-inspiring perceptions of a mysterious presence. It has lust, but no supplications. It has ambition, but no aspiration. God is not denied; He is simply forgotten and ignored." (Apostolic Optimism, P. 81).

1. James likens such an alliance, on the part of his brethren, to the reckless abandonment of an unfaithful and adulterous wife, (vs. 4).
1. The word "adulterous" is not meant to be taken literally, of physical sexual wantonness, but of spiritual infidelity to our convenant-God, (Jer. 2:2-5).
2. Since Israel was constituted a nation at Mt. Sinai, the nation has been represented as the wife or bride of Jehovah-God, (Is. 54:5; Jer. 3:20).
3. For the people of Jehovah to make a covenant with strange gods - offering sacrifice to them or intermarrying with their devotees - is to "play the harlot", (Ex. 34:15-16; Deut. 31:16; Ezek. 16:29-33; Hos. 9:1; comp. Matt. 16:4; Mark 8:38).
4. In this age the Lord's church is the espoused Bride of Christ, (II Cor. 11:1-2; Eph. 5:24-28; Rev. 19:7; 21:9).
5. Such a relationship to Christ is one of gracious privilege that may be forfeited through such a disobedient unbelief as refuses to walk in the way our Lord has appointed.
1) Rebellion, disobedience, and unfaithfulness are comparable to the breaking of marriage vows!
2) The relationship between Christ and his faithful church people is one of close intimacy - like that between a man and his wife!
3) Thus, to violate this relationship is to sin against LOVE and to break God's heart!


2. We need to understand how worldliness manifests itself. The worldly spirit seeks after such self-satisfaction as it expects to find in pleasure, position, honor, recognition, popularity, and praise; it desires the commendation of the world that ignores God, and actively seeks that recognition.


3. To so love (befriend) the world, which crucified the Son of God, is to make one's self the enemy and adversary of God. And this is especially true when one forsakes the order of worship God has established to follow a more popular, enjoyable or seemingly successful form of religious activity. This is the kind of spiritual fornication that the Scriptures constantly warn against!


4. True happiness can never be found in worldliness; the most restless and unhappy people in any church are those who constantly manifest a self-seeking spirit.

1. Our God is a jealous God, (Ex.20:5; 34:14; Deut. 4:23-24; 5:8-9; 6:14-15; Josh. 24:19-21).
1. Moses reports that the people of Israel "stirred God to jealousy", (Ex. 32:16, 21).
2. Zechariah witnesses of God's deep jealousy over Zion, (Zech. 8:2).
3. The word "jealous" has taken on such evil connotations until it is difficult for us to connect it with a holy God, but, behind God's jealousy is the marvelous truth that he is such a lover of our souls and is deeply hurt when we so despise his love as to give our affections and devotion to a cheap and deceptive rival that will fail us in the end!


2. In the hour of our weakness and doubting, the Spirit of God groans in our behalf, (Romans 8:26).

1. God does not abandon us because we sin; He makes more grace available!

"He giveth more grace when the burdens grow greater,
He sendth more strength when the labors increase;
To added afflictions He addeth His mercy,
To multiplied trials, His multiplied peace.

When we have exhausted our store of endurance,
When our strength has failed ere the day is half done;
When we reach the end of our hoarded resources,
Our Father's full giving is only begun.

His love has no limit; His grace has no measure,
His power no boundary known unto men;
For out of His infinite riches in Jesus,
He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again."
          (Annie Johnson Flint)

2. Though demanding full surrender of our lives unto Himself, God bestows the wealth of His love upon us; resisting the proud, He gives grace to the humble.

1. It is the way of submission to God, (vs. 7; I Peter 5:6-9).


2. It is the way of resisting the devil, (John 14:30; Eph. 6:11); such as are proud and self-willed will fall into his condemnation, (I Tim. 3:6).


3. It is the way of drawing near to God, (vs. 8; Ps. 73:28; 145:18; Heb. 4:16; I Jn 3:8).


4. It is the way of clean hands and pure hearts; the double-minded will never attain such a height, (Ex. 30:19-21; Lev. 16:4; Ps. 26:6; 24:3; I Peter 1:22; I John 3:3; Ps. 73:13; Isa. 1:16; James 1:8). Jesus' call is for reality in serving God, as opposed to mere lip service.


5. It is the way of affliction, morning, weeping, and heaviness - not because of our gall stones, a constantly-recurring headache, or fits of depression; but because of our SIN! (vs. 9; II Cor. 7:10; Matt. 5:4). Contrast the Pharisee & Publican (Luke 18).


6. It is the way of true, honest, genuine, pedigreed HUMILITY - a humbleness of mind that is willing, if God so order it, to be counted as refuse, or as the scum of the earth, for Jesus' sake, (vs. 10; Luke 14:11).

1. To "speak evil", as used here, means "to talk someone down", "to disparage", "to speak harshly of", "to slander".
1. It is to speak of another in a way designed to destroy his credibility in the eyes of others - the critic trying to exalt himself at the expense of his brother's character.
2. Of course, when one so speaks he does it in the absence of the one concerning whom he speaks so disparagingly!
3. Some of the older translations rendered this word as "backbite", - with the implication that such malicious gossip is spoken behind the back of another, when he has no opportunity the clear the record.


2. Few people seem to realize how vigorously the Scriptures condemn this despicable, yet common, sin against brotherhood! (Ps. 15:3; 50:20; 101:5; Prov. 16:28; 26:20; comp. Rom. 1:30; II Cor. 12:20; I Peter 2:21).


3. To reinforce his plea for abandoning such unchristian conduct, James reminds his readers that they are BRETHREN - members of the same household of faith!
1. Three times he employs the term "brother" in this one verse; a sense of family (or body) loyalty should restrain their lips from "talking down", or "disparaging" the household of which they are members! Such conduct wounds the "body of Christ!"
2. The biting, nit-picking tongue, which refuses the bridle of truth and love, should realize that it is slandering a "brother for whom Christ died!" (Romans 14:15).
3. Herbert F. Stevenson comments that he is also exhorting Christians "to avoid polite whisperings, gentle denigration, subtle insinuations about one another, and unpleasant 'pokes' at one another."

1. James evidently refers to what he has already designated "the Royal Law" and "Law of Liberty", (2:8, 12).
1. Jesus summarized God's will for our relationship with others when He said: "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself!" (Mark 12:31; cf. Lev. 19:16, 18).
2. To love one's neighbor (brother) "as one's self" will clearly rule out loose talk about any supposed faults and weaknesses; we definitely would not like the thought of others so scandalizing our names!
3. In addressing the young church that He had established, Jesus went even further in laying on them the increased responsibility of love, (John 13:34-35).


2. By this "law of liberty" the Christian man, or woman, is so liberated from bondage to "self" as to be enabled to "do the will of God from the heart".


3. Thus, to deliberately set ourselves against this law is, in essence, to demonstrate that, in our judgment, it is a bad law - unworthy of being obeyed!
1. By violating this law, we undermine its authority - not only over our own lives, but over the lives of those who observe our actions.
2. When we carelessly disregard the "law of love" we undermine its validity; we disparage it!


4. James is NOT repudiating the kind of "righteous judgment" that our Lord REQUIRES of His people, as "members of His body", but of the kind of censorious, nit-picking criticism that He himself clearly repudiated, (Matt. 7:1).

1. Whoever makes himself a "judge of the law" is not submitting himself, obediently, to that law!


2. God's laws are designed to effect right living - not merely to be rehearsed in formal worship; not "hearers", but "doers of the law" are justified before God, (Romans 2:13).


3. And it certainly does not become a mortal man to sit in judgment on the validity of a law set forth by the eternal, all-wise, Creator-God!

1. In reality, there is but ONE lawgiver; God alone is above the law - with a right to modify or overrule it.
1. No man, church, synod, association, convocation, convention, or council has any right make a law that is binding on the consciences of God's people.
2. Whoever presumes to interfere with the revealed will of God, as expressed in His law, attempts to usurp that which is His prerogative alone!
3. It is man's place to respect and obey the principles of God's law, rather than attempt to supplant them, or to make them more congenial to his own weakness.


2. God is more than a LAWGIVER; He is also Judge with the authority and responsibility to enforce the law. He declares what is right and then upholds it!
1. He alone can "justify" or "condemn".
2. From His "Well done!" or "Depart from me!" there is no higher court of appeal!


3. The true Lawgiver-Judge (Is. 1:10; 51:4-9; 11:4; 16:5; 33:22; 51:5; James 5:9) is One with unquestionable ability to administer universal justice; His two-fold power is repeatedly affirmed in the Scriptures, (Deut. 32:29; I Sam. 2:6-7; II Kings 5:7; Ps. 68:20).
1. God's ability to administer His government to the good of his trusting people is clearly set forth in both the Old and New Testaments, (Is. 25:9; 35:4; 49:25-26; 60:16; II Cor. 9:8; Eph. 3:20; II Tim. 1:12; Heb. 2:18; 7:25; Jude 24).
2. This ability includes the power of destruction, (Matt. 10:28) toward those who despise and refuse to walk according to His Royal Law.
3. "Save" and "destroy" may have a present, spiritual meaning; or they may be used in a future eschatological sense.
1) "Salvation" may suggest the restoration of man's personality (body and soul) to what God originally intended it to be.
2) "Death" may describe the separation that sin has caused between God and man - even in the present life, (Romans 7:9-10).
3) In this context, however, James appears to refer, basically, to the future, eschatological judgment of God upon sin and sinners.


4. Having severely rebuked those who, by their unjust criticism of a brother, have both flouted the law of love and tried to usurp the prerogative that belongs to God alone, James closes this section with a devastating question.

"Who do you think you are, to be picking apart the character of your brother? (comp. Matt. 7:1-5; Rom. 2:1; 14:4).


1. Are YOU so much spiritually superior to him, that you can set yourself us as his judge?
2. What makes you think that you may safely assume for yourself an office that belongs to God alone?
3. Those who are wise, who know their own best interest and who are truly loyal to God, will joyfully walk according to the "law of liberty" - involving divine enablement to do God's will from the heart!

1. "Go to" or "Come now", is a colloquial phrase in which James asks for the attention of a particular group of people who have been prosperous in their business engagements.
1. On the basis of past experience, they are confident of their abilities to trade profitably.
2. So, they carefully lay their plans: "We will go into a certain town, spend a year there and come home rich!"
3. Thus, they presumptuously treat next year as if it were their own possession!


2. These words of James should not be taken as a blanket condemnation of all advance planning!
1. Good community relationships and prosperity require wise planning - as that of Joseph, when made Prime Minister of Egypt.
2. What James condemns is the foolish presumption which fails to humbly recognize God as the One who exercises full control over both our lives and our days!
3. It is always foolish to ignore the plain warnings of the Scriptures, (Prov. 27:1).

1. "What is your life?" its nature? Its quality? Are you absolutely sure that you will be alive tomorrow?
1. Does "life" remind you of what the Bible calls "the Everlasting Hills"?
2. Do not the Scriptures, rather, liken it to things that are more unpredictable?


2. "For ye are a vapor" - a mist, an exhaled breath, a smoke, (Ps. 39:5; 68:39; 102:3; 144:4; I Chron. 20:15; Job 14:10).


3. "That appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away."
1. Life is transient, fleeting, and evanescent.
2. Do you depend on the permanence of a mist?
3. Would you attempt to build a permanent, substantial hope on a whiff of smoke?
4. Then how foolish to plan for the future, as if life were not vulnerable?

1. "For ye ought to say: IF THE LORD WILL, we shall both live, and do this or that", (comp. Acts 18:21; I Cor. 4:19; 16:7; Heb. 6:3; comp. Rom. 1:10; 15:32; I Peter 3:17).


2. James is NOT prescribing a qualifying clause to be legalistically spoken with regard to every future purpose. He is, rather, setting forth an underlying principle of recognizing the sovereignty and overruling power of God which ought to be basic in every consideration of the future.


3. Instead of consulting God's will, James accuses them of glorying (boasting) in their arrogance!
1. The word for "boast" (GK. Kauchaomai) is a common one which Paul almost regards as the basic human sin, (I Cor. 1:31; II Cor. 10:17; Gal. 6:14); closely akin to the word "pride".
2. It does not refer so much to spoken words, as to such an attitude of mind (self-confidence and self-congratulation) as finds expression in: defiance of God, or disregard for God and His service.
3. It was the sin of the Pharisees, which turned their devotion to God into nothing more than hypocrisy! While claiming to serve God, they were primarily seeking their own self-interest and recognition of their own importance. Their thoughts were not filled with an humble desire to honor God, but with a desire to publicize their own outstanding achievement and merit!
4. James is not, however, rebuking misdirected religious zeal so much as a total disregard for God - as though human skill and cleverness were Omni-competent!
5. James condemns such arrogance as evil!

1) It is the sin of glorying in human ignorance: "Ye know not what shall be on the morrow!"

2) It is the sin of forgetting life's uncertainty: "For what is your life? It is a vapor that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away."

3) It is the sin of ignoring God's sovereignty - forgetting that we may live and act only under the will of the Almighty. Any attempt to direct one's own life, without seeking His help, is an exercise in supreme folly. It is to assume that we are equal with God! We may expect a glorious and satisfying future ONLY as we seek His will for the future.

AN IMPORTANT CONCLUSION

1. If we hear that someone has robbed a starving child of its food, we would tend to charge that person with an ugly, vicious SIN! Yet, how often do we carelessly bypass opportunities to relieve - hunger when it is within our power to do so!


2. Most of us would regard the practice of locking an elderly person in his room, and forbidding his friends to visit him, as an OBVIOUS SIN! Yet, how many of us actually use our opportunities to be a definite encouragement to some elderly person when it is easily within our power to relieve his, or her, loneliness?


3. What about the person who never enters the Lord's house to give attention to His Word and to praise Him for His goodness among the children of men? Do you suppose that "he does not know any better"?