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We have here a question that I have long sought after for an answer. "What causes fighting among Christian people?" Why is it that every congregation, sooner or later, will have disagreements arise within their ranks? James says it is because of their passions (desires).
A careful study of Paul's letter and others will show that lack of knowledge about the scriptures and lack of communication amongst the members, causes most of the disagreements. At the time of the writing of this letter, the churches were made up of diversified people from all walks of life and many cultural backgrounds. They had had a history of fighting amongst themselves even before they became believers. Now they were required to worship and witness together. They each had a corner on the "truth" and fought with one another for the sake to their "zeal for the truth" and the "honor of God". James says that they are deceiving themselves. It was their pride, malice, covetousness and ambition for revenge that caused their problems.
Notice what he calls them. "Unfaithful creatures." They wanted, but did not know what they wanted. Each group had desires which they considered to be necessary to their membership in the community of believers. Sometimes, according to James, they did ask and ask wrongly. They sought their own way, they were not seeking God's way.
So these quarrelsome Jews didn't get what they wanted because they either didn't ask or the asked "wrongly". What was it that was giving these Jews a problem? Matthew Henry says that it was their "perfidiousness" to God. I didn't know what that meant so I looked it up and Webster says it means "the act of violating ones faith or vow or promise." James calls it "worldliness". They gave their best efforts to the world and the "left overs" to God.
Because of that, God became "jealous". He had invested much in them. He suffered indignation, persecution and the death of the cross, all this He did that these people might have dwelling within them a "godly spirit". Instead of gratitude, they had developed a "proud spirit".
A proud spirit causes you to seek after what you do not have in a wrong way. It causes you to ask of God improperly. It creates a self-reliant attitude. It causes you to love worldly things. It puts amenity between you and God. God opposes the proud, therefore, we should humble ourselves, for God gives Grace to the humble.
To be humble, we must submit ourselves to God, resist the Devil, cleanse our minds, purify our hearts, be single minded and be repentant. "Humble yourselves, and God will exalt you", says James.
Then James closes this section of his letter on humility by condemning a practice
that was prevalent amongst Jews of the dispersion, that of "down-playing" each
other, even speaking evil of one another. James condemns them for this. According
to Matthew Henry, James was condemning the speaking of anything, even if it was
true, that might cause injury to a brother. When we cannot speak well of someone,
it is better to say nothing. It would appear that these Christian Jews were
speaking very harshly about one anther. Paul addressed this problem in
Rom. 14:1-13. "Who are you," James says, "to judge your neighbor?" So be humble,
and love your neighbor.
Faith Produces Dependence Upon God
["Click here for James 4:13-17"]
When we are humble we depend upon God. Notice the first two words in verse 13. The K.J. says, "Now listen,..", the R.S.V. says, "Come now,..." the Living Bible says, "Look here,..." what is James saying? It is the same two words used by James in verse 1 of Chapter 5. It is a phrase used only by James in the New Testament. It has a duel purpose. First it is to disturb the reader, then it is to gain their undivided attention. So listen up.
This is a warning, never make your plans apart from God. Self confidence, when it is merited, may be fine, but in life, there is so much that must be left in the hands of God. This was aimed at the Jewish nature which is self sufficient and humility is not a natural state for them. They were talented, they were well able to meet their own needs with the God given talents that they had, so, at times, they got the feeling that they didn't need God. James is saying to them, you are good, but only because God has blessed you with this ability. Do not become arrogant, you will accomplish only what God allows you to accomplish.
Our lives are in the hands of God, if we have achieved anything in this life, we should not boast about it, for James says, "boasting is evil". Verse 17 says, "Whoever knows to do right and fails to do it, has sinned." This is why James wrote this letter. He believed that these Jew knew right from wrong, they could not plead ignorance, therefore they were sinning.
Spiritual enlightenment is not to be taken lightly, it always brings responsibility. We who obtain, by the Grace of God, some degree of spiritual knowledge, must demonstrate strength, in the time of trials, compassion, in our dealings with others, freedom from prejudice, in all our decisions, wisdom, in our speech, willingness to submit to God in all things and must not boast of our own accomplishments, for of a truth, we ourselves, have no accomplishments. This sums up what "spiritual maturity" should be.
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