In His Service

  Walk in Grace and Humility James 4:6-10 If there were a perfect example of walking in humility and in the favor of God, it would be our Lord and Savior during the Holy Week. Last week we studied the sins that accompany the loving of the world, the violence, and enmity towards God’s way of living life. James now appeals to the church to walk in grace and humility. So let’s read the first portion of the text,   “But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: ‘God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.’”  The contrast is too evident. The church had some who knew Jesus personally, James was Jesus’ step brother. James had witnessed the life of Jesus as a younger brother. He saw the life of one who walked in God’s favor, “ And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on him. ... “ And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.” (Lk. 2:40; 2:52)  James wanted the church to focus ...

  Camine en Gracia y Humildad Santiago 4:6-10 Si existiera un ejemplo perfecto de caminar en humildad y en el favor de Dios, ese sería nuestro Señor y Salvador durante la Semana Santa. La semana pasada estudiamos los pecados que acompañan el amor al mundo, la violencia y la enemistad hacia la forma de vivir la vida de Dios. Santiago ahora apela a la iglesia a caminar en gracia y humildad. Entonces, leamos la primera parte del texto, “Pero él nos da más gracia. Por eso la Escritura dice: “Dios se opone a los soberbios pero muestra favor a los humildes’”. El contraste es demasiado evidente. La iglesia tenía algunos que conocían a Jesús personalmente, Santiago era el hermanastro de Jesús. Santiago había sido testigo de la vida de Jesús como hermano menor. Vio la vida de alguien que caminaba en el favor de Dios”, Y el niño creció y se hizo fuerte; estaba lleno de sabiduría y la gracia de Dios estaba sobre él. ... “ Y Jesús creció en sabiduría y en estatura, y en favor de Dios y ...

  The Cost of Unfaithfulness James 4:4-5 The cost of unfaithfulness is great. It goes beyond the flesh of the body, to the heart and the mind, and most important to the soul and spirit. James is now drawing back to the covenant adultery (unfaithfulness) that man committed against God. So let’s read the first portion of the text, “You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.” James knew the horrid stories of the unfaithfulness of his ancestors, and the disciplines and judgments that God brought upon them for their spiritual and physical unfaithfulness that warred against Him and to each other. They were living under Roman gentile rule, they had abominable stress and unrelenting persecution from ungodly gentiles, and an intolerable religious system dominated by the teachings of men and not of God. Yet, God had come to fight and set them free by grac...