Series on James - Walk in Grace and Humility

 

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 on a life that displayed abundant grace and humility, for it came from God. God’s unmerited favor rests on those who walk in the ways of God as Paul stated as well. “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it.” (Eph. 4:2-7)

The church in Jerusalem and the diaspora churches had many challenges, trials, and persecution; but what kept them moving forward was the grace of God in the life of reigning humility. The church was learning that they were saved by God’s grace through His Son’s atoning work upon the cross and the faith in believing, trusting in the Son for salvation, and it is the confidence and hope they had in one day living with Him in His kingdom in Heaven. They also understood they need this grace to abound (increase) in the churches through their struggles and trials as Peter stated as well, “And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.” (1 Peter 5:10). James understood the words Jesus gave to Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” (2 Cor. 12:9)

It was in this humility in weakness that the church would find the strength and power to endure and flourish in troubled times. They could walk in humility and in the power of God, proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the world.

Application - Grace is an incredible word that is often misunderstood in the church and in the world. Grace literally means for the church “God’s unmerited favor”. It affects every area of our lives because it is God who is living in us and directing us “For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age” (Titus 2:11-12 NIV), and keep us for the day of salvation “For he says, “In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.” I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.” (2 Cor. 6:2 NIV) But in salvation, there is no grace without the remission of sin by the atoning blood of Jesus Christ. “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.” “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” (Eph.1:7; Heb. 9:22b)  For in our faith, we have been cleansed by His blood and this grace allows us to enter into the Holy place of God’s throne room with confidence and in righteousness, “Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.” (Heb. 10:22)

So now knowing the grace that comes through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ from the Father and through the Spirit of Grace. Let us hold steadfast to our faith that grace may abound in our lives.

Second, James knew the attacks of the devil and those possessed and oppressed by him and those living in the flesh for pleasure, these believers needed to repent, and understand the spiritual warfare needed to be free in the grace of God. So let’s read the next portion of the text, “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.”

James knew his strength was not in human abilities but in the Spirit and in humility, as Zechariah the prophet stated, “Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the LORD Almighty.” (Zech. 4:6) and he knew the believers in the church had fallen into loving the pleasures of the world instead of God or a mixture of both.

James gave the church the Word from God, and they also had the Holy Spirit’s indwelling presence and convicting power, but in order to be victorious over the Devil and the desires of the world, they need to repent and submit their lives to God in everything. For it was in yielding to God with their lives and resisting the temptations and the lies that the enemy of God and His false ones spoke, then they would be victorious and the devil had to flee from them. It is again back to walking in humility and in the grace of God. For it is impossible to draw near to God in an unsubmitted life to Him if you are still loving the pleasures of the world. “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16)

Application - Again we are living in a great time of deception. In the last three years or so, the three most common words used were misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation, and the allure of the world’s pleasures. Each of these words are based in lying, deceit, and deviousness, and the author of that is the Devil, and the church has bought into the lies and needs to repent. James and Paul by the Holy spirit have given us great weapons to use against the wiles and schemes of the Devil and the world. Submit our lives to God in everything. Ask Him for wisdom, understanding, discernment, and insight, for He will instruct you through His Holy Spirit and in His Word.

Next, one of the most awesome weapons that God has given us is found in 2 Cor. 10:4-5 (NIV). “The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” 

First, God gives us a weapon against the physical: arguments and every pretension (false assertion, declaration, or claim that sets itself against the true knowledge of God. This is His infallible and immutable Word. Second He gives us the spiritual weapons of taking every thought captive and making it obedient to Jesus. This is a weapon I use daily because the world is full of deception to the mind, and I can give all my thoughts both the random external and the internal to Jesus and He will make it obedient to God. This is liberating, for the truth will set you free.  “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:32b-33)

The believers today need to be equipped with the spiritual weapons to deal with the deception and deceitful lambasting against the Word of God and of themselves daily by the evil one, his minions, and the world to the minds of believers and to the Word of God. Like Jesus, we don’t accept the devil’s ploy to the pleasures of this world instead to our loving God. “Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.” (Matt. 4:8-10 NIV)

For this is the battleground in the world and in the spiritual realm that we live in today. That is why we must submit and yield to God’s will and not our own, or we will be like the church of Laodicea, a church that is lukewarm and embracing the love for the world.

Last, James instructs the Churches into examining and cleansing of their hearts and minds. So let’s read the last portion of the text. “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.”

The church of the diaspora, was dabbling in the world of pride (Laodicea), and in the misusing of the grace of God. God was not desiring people who are in a love relationship with the world and in a lukewarm relationship with Jesus. He blatantly tells them to clean up their lives by repentance, by the washing of the Word and the purifying of their hearts and minds by confession and denying their passion for the world. They should be in shame for their worldliness and dragging the name of Christ down through it. God had no place for the double-minded. Their grief and mourning should be in earnest for God knows the motives of the heart and the mind as James had already warned them. 

James knew that humility is the way that Christ showed all who followed Him to live. For God had spoken through the proverbs on humility, “To fear the LORD is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behaviour and perverse speech.” “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.” (Proverbs 8:13,11:2)

Again, it is only through faith in the atoning work of Jesus on the cross that our sins are forgiven by His unmerited grace, and it is through His humble walk through this world, showing us the grace of God the Father and the humility of submission to the Father’s will and purpose in every aspect of His life and death. As John also said, “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them.” (1 John 2:15 NIV)

Application - Grace begins with God through the atoning work of Jesus on the cross. It was in the shedding of His atoning blood and the sacrifice of himself for us, he is the sacrificial Lamb that we can receive the grace of the Father. Jesus died not for himself, but for us. He saw the lostness of humanity and gave himself for all mankind instead of himself, we are more significant to himself. In humility, “Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!” (Phil.2:6-8) 

So let us put to death this world that brings grief, shame, and ultimately gloom and despair to our lives, and humbly submit ourselves to the Lord our God who loves us, and one day will come and take us to be with Him in His kingdom. Let us walk in grace and humility! “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.” (Col. 3:1-4)

I’m again including the ABC’s of salvation for all those who have not yet received Jesus Christ for salvation. For Jesus, God the Son, came to this world to save all who would believe and trust in him. He desires to reveal himself to you, He is the Light that overcomes the darkness of this lawless world. He hears your prayers, and all authority in heaven and earth have been given to him. He will answer you if you will truly believe. If you haven’t asked him to be your Lord and Savior, today could be that day.

 First, A - Admit that you are a sinner. This is where that godly sorrow leads to genuine repentance for sinning against a righteous God and there is a change of heart, we change our mind and God changes our hearts and regenerates us from the inside out. Romans 3:10 - As it is written: "There is none righteous, no, not one." Romans 3:23 - For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (We are all born sinners which is why we must be born spiritually in order to enter the Kingdom of Heaven). Romans 6:23 - For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. The bad news is that the wages of sin is death, in other words our sin means that we have been given a death sentence, we have the death penalty hanging over our heads, that's the bad news. But here's the good news: The good news is that the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Ephesians 2:8-9 - For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith —and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. Second,

 B - Believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died for your sins, was buried, and that God raised Jesus from the dead. This is trusting with all of your heart that Jesus Christ is who he said he was. Romans 10:9-10 - That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. Third, 

C - Call upon the name of the Lord. Every single person who ever lived since Adam will bend their knee and confess with their mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord, the Lord of lords and the King of kings. Romans 14:11 - For it is written: "As I live, says the Lord, Every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall confess to God." Don't wait until later — do this now. Romans 10:13 - For "whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved." "O God, I am a sinner. I'm sorry for my sin. I want to turn from my sin. I believe Jesus Christ is Your Son; I believe that He died on the cross for my sin and that He was buried and You raised Him to life. I have decided to place my faith in Jesus Christ as my Savior, trusting only in His shed blood as sufficient to save my soul and to take me to heaven. Thank You, Lord Jesus, for saving me. Amen."

Please share this with someone this week, the Lord knows that we and they need it.

If you would like other lessons, please go to http://pmdinhisservice.blogspot.com 

Until next week, In His Service Mike Davis

I have revised my webpage on Spiritual warfare. Please give it a look. Thank you. http://uss-warfare3.webnode.com