INDISPUTABLE COMMANDS, PART IV: JAMES 4:10

Indisputable Commands: #10

Verse 4:10: Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.

The command in this verse, humble yourself,1 means to lower an overly inflated opinion we may have of ourselves. Primarily, we must dismiss the false idea that we are on an equal level with God. The fact is that there is a Creator-creature distinction: God is our Creator, which means we are His creatures. This is the attitude of humbling ourselves which James intends for his readers (and us) to understand: that God is the authority of our lives. The command of verse 7 to submit is different, it is a directive for our obedience within His divine order; to humble yourselves is a directive to recognize our position within His divine order.

This attitude of humbling ourselves is not just one-time—it is “in the presence of the Lord.” The word for presence is a compound of two Greek words: in + eye = in eyesight. This pertains to the Biblical fact that God sees all, that “there is no creature hidden from His sight” (Hebrews 4:13; cf. Proverbs 15:3; Jeremiah 16:17; Zechariah 4:10). We should ask ourselves as Job did:

Does He not see my ways and number all my steps? (Job 31:4)

Therefore, we are always in His presence and our attitude must always be that of being His humble creature.

The latter part of this verse, and He will exalt you, expresses the fulfillment of the conditional command to humble yourselves. The word exalt means to raise or to elevate. A commonly mistaken understanding of this verse has been that God’s exalting of us is exclusively for personal promotion or gain—in employment, in marriage, in wealth, etc. We must remember the formula which Jesus gave in His great sermon concerning the details of life:

“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33)

That is not to say God doesn’t provide for our creature comforts, but what James has primarily in mind in this verse is a rise in a position of spiritual prosperity. This principle he has already established in 4:6 with the quote from Proverbs: “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”2 Jesus Christ is our example of humility and what it takes to be exalted. The writer of Hebrews aptly instructs what our motivation should be:

Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:2; cf. Acts 2:33; 5:31)

Now this promise of being exalted means that we will be able to enjoy His greater grace provision (4:6) in time and eternity. But what is this greater grace provision and what are its features?

First, God’s grace is His “favor conferred freely, with no expectation of return, and finding its only motive in the bounty and free-heartedness of the giver."3 The believer first encounters God’s grace at the point of salvation: “For by grace you have been saved...it is the gift of God.”4 For there is no greater love than this, when we consider that He accomplished this even though we were His enemies (Romans 5:10).

Secondly, the apostle Peter declares that our knowledge of God and Jesus Christ is paramount to partaking in His grace provision:

Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. (2 Peter 1:2–3)

Peter further stipulates the timing of God exalting the believer,

Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time. (1 Peter 5:6)

At the proper time essentially means “in His wisely appointed time.”5 We can be assured that when the proper time comes—now or in the future—that it will fulfill His divine purpose for our spiritual good (Romans 8:28).

Therefore, it is imperative for the believer to dedicate time and energy in the study of His Word, understanding that He decides what needs we really have “pertaining to life and godliness” and not necessarily our “selfish ambitions” (3:14, 16) or personal “pleasures” (4:1). For the “Father knows what you need before you ask Him” (Matthew 6:8).

It is equally important for believers to humble themselves and seek forgiveness of sin in order to maintain their fellowship with the Lord. Self-humiliation may be difficult for the proud person. But we should remember that “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6).

In contemplating His greater grace provisions, are we comforted by what Paul tells us?

And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:19)

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1 The word yourself is ‘built’ into the Greek verb humble.

2 Proverbs 3:34

3 Wuest, K. S. (1997). Wuest’s Word Studies from the Greek New Testament. Eerdmans, 19.17.

4 Ephesians 2:8

5 MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur Study Bible: New American Standard Bible. Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1 Peter 5:6.

 

© 2022 David M. Rossi

INDISPUTABLE COMMANDS, PART III: JAMES 4:9

 Indisputable Commands: #6-9

 Commands #6, #7, #8 → Verse 4:9a: Be miserable and mourn and weep

It may seem strange that these three words are commands, but in reality, they represent divine discipline intended to bring the believer to the place of recognizing and repenting of their sin. James’ readers would have understood divine discipline from their previous knowledge of Judaism. W.E. Oesterley stated:

It was a recognized tenet in Jewish theology that self-inflicted punishment of any kind was a means of reconciliation.1

By ‘self-inflicted’ Oesterley is referring to the divine discipline which they invite upon themselves for their transgression against God. The Psalmist points this out,

Then I will punish their transgression with the rod and their iniquity with stripes.(Psalm 89:32)

In the previous verse, James’ readers were instructed to confess their sins; these commands (disciplinary measures) are intended to encourage them to repent and confess. True repentance of sin means that believers are convinced (changed their minds) that what they have done is sin.

The three commands of the first part of verse 4:

·        Be miserable: The Greek word used is the only time it occurs in the New Testament. It indicates how they should endure hardship or distress, tormented and ashamed of their adulterous relationship with God.

·        Mourn: this refers to lamenting with a great regret of their sinfulness.

·        Weep: the command implies “not only the shedding of tears, but also every external expression of grief.”2

What we as believers should derive from these commands is that there should be sufficient evidence of a repentant spirit and a heightened awareness of our transgressions against God. Barnes notes that,

The language here used shows that the apostle supposed that it was possible that those who had done wrong should voluntarily feel sorrow for it, and that, therefore, it was proper to call upon them to do it.3

There is a sense in which we might get caught up in this in a legalistic manner. The apostle John states that confession of sin is a simple matter of naming our sins to God (1 John 1:9). He never mentions preconditions like being miserable, mourning or weeping. It is simply name your sins to God and “He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

So the question is: how do we reconcile these Biblical principles presented by James and John?

First, what John states is the absolute standard of God: He will forgive upon our confession. It should be understood that there are no qualifications or prerequisites attached other than our naming of the sin. I have heard it said that it doesn’t matter how you feel about your sin—almost as if we could be nonchalant about our sinning against the Lord. To a certain degree this is true—that how we feel about our sin is not the issue in confessing our sins. The Lord does not imply that unless we demonstrate misery, mourning and weeping He will not forgive. Fellow believer beware! This does not give us a license to sin indiscriminately.

However, the confession and forgiveness which John discusses is based upon the context of 1 John where he describes our relationship with the Lord as walking “in the Light” and “having fellowship with one another” (1 John 1:7). He does not advocate this as a cold and meaningless relationship. Our relationship with God must be on a rational and personal level: He is holy, gracious and just in His disposition with us; therefore, our relationship with God should be based in our love of Him. The Lord Jesus stated this:

“And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.” (Mark 12:30)

 Secondly, James is outlining the consequences if they fail to recognize and confess their sins. Misery, mourning and weeping is the divine discipline they will experience for their dismissive attitude toward sin. And since these are commands in the Greek, it is assured that they will endure this punish if they continue in their sinful ways.

The author of the epistle to the Hebrews declares that there is consolation to be had in the midst of divine discipline—we are still considered a ‘son’ whom He loves.

And you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons, “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, Nor faint when you are reproved by Him; For those whom the Lord loves He disciplines, And He scourges every son whom He receives.” (Hebrews 12:5–6)

Command #9 →Verse 4:9b: Let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom.

I remember a frowning child being told to “turn that frown upside down into a smile.” In a similar sense, this is what this command is all about—only in the reverse. The adulterous believer is directed to exchange their laughing and joyous moods for sincere mourning and gloom concerning their damaged relationship with the Lord—essentially, to wipe the smile off of their faces and stop the laughter and merry-making.

The point which James is making is that sin of any type breaks the believer’s relationship with God, and that the believer needs to demonstrate that they are sincerely ashamed of their sinful conduct. That is the meaning of gloom: being shamefaced, “hanging down of the eyes like the publican in Luke 18:13.”4

The deeper a sinner gets into their rebelliousness, the greater the enjoyment they experience. However, this is only temporal, because there is always that nagging reminder that what they are doing is wrong and detrimental to their Christian life.

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1 Oesterley, W.E. (1990). The Expositor’s Greek Testament (Nicoll, W. Robertson, ed.). Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 4.461.

2 Zodhiates, S. (2000). The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament (electronic ed.). AMG Publishers, G2799.

3 Barnes, Albert (1884–1885). Notes on the New Testament: James to Jude (R. Frew, Ed.). Blackie & Son, p. 75.

4 Robertson, A. T. (1933). Word Pictures in the New Testament. Broadman Press, James 4:9.

 

© 2022 David M. Rossi

INDISPUTABLE COMMANDS, PART II: JAMES 4:8

 Indisputable Commands 3-5

#3→ 4.8a: Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.

This is a depiction of our intimate fellowship with God. Obeying this command is dependent upon the positive volition of the believer with an understanding of the basis for their relationship with Him. By doing this we recognize our marvelous position in God’s plan.

The Scripture states that we are “a royal priesthood” (1 Peter 2:9) and that Christ is our high priest (Hebrews 4:14; 5:6, 10; 9:11). This is based on the fact that the moment when Jesus Christ died on the cross, the veil in the temple was split down the middle (Matthew 27:50-51). This opened an access to the Holy of Holies—the innermost room of the temple where God resided in Old Testament times.The high priest would enter there once a year to offer sacrifice for the sins of the people. Just as the high priest had offered up a sacrifice for sin, Our Lord sacrificed Himself for all sins once, effective for all times (Hebrews 7:27; 9:12; cf. 1 John 2:2). The writer of the epistle to the Hebrews fully explains how this relates now to our present access to God:

Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. (Hebrews 10:19–22)

This holy place which the writer mentions is the presence of God—the place of fellowship with Him, made available to us by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. James doesn’t explain the manner in which we are to draw near, but the writer of Hebrews tells us that we must do so “with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience.” Our faith must contain sound doctrine, not demonic wisdom (3:15) and we must be clean (free) of sinfulness. This corresponds to the sinless nature of God and the fact that our sinfulness results in a broken fellowship with Him. 

The apostle John illustrates this relationship symbolically: walking in darkness as sinfulness (1 John 1:6); walking in the Light as sinless (1 John 1:5, 7). He specifies the remedy which restores our fellowship: confession of sin (1 John 1:9). Once the believer confesses their sin, they are restored to fellowship and have fulfilled the command of James to draw near. For this is the rightful place of our fellowship with God where “we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16)—and the empowerment needed to understand His divine wisdom and apply it in our lives.

 #4→ 4.8b: Cleanse your hands, you sinners

The word for cleanse has the implication in Scripture of ceremonial cleansing. The high priests in the Old Testament had to prepare themselves with ritual cleaning prior to going into the Holy of Holies (Exodus 30:19-21). Here, the cleaning of the hands is in reference to sinful activities. Now, we as members of the royal priesthood, we must implement this cleansing by recognizing our sinful activities and confessing them as sins to God (1 John 1:9). Being mindful that all sins, past and present, were judged by the blood of Christ’s cross. The writer of the epistle to the Hebrews assures us of His eternal cleansing:

How much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? (Hebrews 9:14)

The cleansing and confessing of sinful activities will ensure the believer of continuous fellowship with his Lord—the position of power for effective service.

 #5→ 4.8c: Purify your hearts, you double-minded.

To purify the heart means to make the core of a person virtuous—a righteous and worthy child of God. James’ readers have already shown that they are living in an unfaithful condition: friends of the world and enemies of God (4:4), and that they have embraced “earthly, natural, demonic” wisdom (3:15). This is a sound rationale that James would declare that they are double-minded. He has previously stated that “a double-minded man is unstable in all his ways (1:8).

The process for purifying the believers’ heart is a consistent regimen of sound doctrine: daily study of God’s Word. The apostle Paul describes this concept of cleansing and purification:

Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:1–2)

This is literally a renovation of the heart and mind of the believer. The process can be understood simply as:

The Word of God → Taught by the Spirit of God → To the child of God → To make the child of God → More like the Son of God.

The apostle John declares that we are His children, asserting that purifying ourselves should be the key aim in our life of faith in Jesus Christ.

See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure. (1 John 3:1–3)

The believer with a purified heart is single-minded, having his hope fixed on Christ—meaning he is “fixing his eyes on Jesus” (Hebrews 12:2). The word fixing which the author of Hebrews uses, means “to look away from one thing so as to see another.”1 It is essential that we look away from anything which distracts our attention from a Christ centered life. Our strategy should be to purge our minds of demonic wisdom and fill ourselves with sound doctrine, so that divine wisdom—the mind of Christ—will saturate the streams of our consciousness, to consistently direct our walk of faith.

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1 Vine, W. E., Unger, M. F., & White, W., Jr. (1996). Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words. T. Nelson, 2.377.

 

© 2022 David M. Rossi 

 

INDISPUTABLE COMMANDS, PART I: JAMES 4:7

 Indisputable Commands 1-2

James 4:7-10 encompasses 10 Indisputable Commands for the rehabilitation of spiritually unfaithful believers—it is a call for decisive action.

In the opening verses of chapter 4, James summarized the mindset of the believers to whom he is writing: entangled in quarrels and conflicts; engaging in improper requests in prayer; persistent friendship with the world. This is the epitome of an unfaithful people towards God. James attempts in the next 4 verses to provide the Biblical approach for correcting the error of their ways.

#1→ 4:7a: Submit therefore to God.

Submit is a military term in the Greek meaning to “subject oneself, be subordinated, obey.”1 However, it does not infer inferiority of the one submitting. This is the same word Peter uses when he commands that wives should be submissive to their husbands (1 Peter 3:1). The implication being that wives are not inferior to the husbands, but instead, that there is a divinely instituted orderliness in the marriage relationship.  

There is also a divinely instituted order in God's relationship with His believers. The apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 6:20: “For you were bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body.” And since that price is the precious blood of Christ (1 Peter 1:19), it is only right that we should obey James’ directive: submit to God and diligently glorify Him with our lives.

The question is: How do we submit to God? What must specifically be done?

The answer is in the context of the preceding verses: they must relinquish their allegiance to jealousy and selfish ambitions (3:11); stop their quarreling and conflicts (4:1); cease their frantic search of pleasures (4:3); and untangle themselves from their unfaithful friendship with the Satan controlled world (4:4).

Submitting to God is a mental attitude that concentrates on obedience to divine directives, which can only be acquired by an intense and consistent study of His Word. There is a clever saying: “7 days without prayer makes one weak.” Although this is true but a more astute maxim would be: “7 days without studying God’s Word will make one weak and spiritually destitute.”

In addition to a daily consistent study of God’s Word, a total reliance upon the empowerment of the Holy Spirit is essential for a victorious walk of faith (Galatians 5:16). Lenski correctly states that submitting to God means that we should “do this effectively, definitely, once for all.”2 It is not something to be done some of the time, but all of the time.

 

#2→ 4:7b: Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

The Greek word James uses for resist (anthístēmi) means to “take a stand against”3—specifically, against the devil. But who is the devil? He is Satan, the one “who deceives the whole world...the accuser of our brethren...before our God day and night” (Revelation 12:9-10). So, while he is doing his accusing, his legions of demons are troubling believers today. And as James has already pointed out, they have influenced his readers with earthly, natural, demonic wisdom (3:15), making them friends of the world—which lies in the power of the evil one (1 John 5:19)—and therefore enemies of God (4:4). We believers should be aware of the devil’s powerful diversion from God’s truth and our place of fellowship with Him.    

How do we resist the devil? First, be alert. Peter warns us that we should recognize the reality of our adversary:

Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. (1 Peter 5:8)

And secondly, we are to be firm in our faith:

 But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world. (1 Peter 5:9)

This goes back to the first command to submit to God, which necessitates consistent study of His Word to acquire divine wisdom and to eliminate demonic wisdom.

Thirdly, we must fully arm ourselves for our spiritual battle. This is a real battle, one that can be won. But it can also be lost by those who are unaware that they are even in a battle. The apostle Paul states that God has provided the armament for an assured victory.

Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. (Ephesians 6:11)

Paul goes on to assert the reality of the adversary:

 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 6:12)

Paul commands us to “take up the full armor of God, so that we will be able to resist in the evil day...to stand firm (Ephesians 6:13).” And in doing as we are instructed, Paul concludes that by arming ourselves with the shield of faith—divine wisdom, sound doctrine—we will be able to “extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one (Ephesians 6:16).

James adds that the devil “will flee from you.” But the certainty of this is only true if we resolve to follow the Biblical guidelines on how to resist the devil.

Do we truly believe the Bible that we have an adversary?

Are we active in standing firm in our knowledge of our faith—sound doctrine?

Are we securing the full armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-17)?

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1 Arndt, W., Gingrich, F. W., & Bauer, W. (1957). A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature. University of Chicago Press, p. 855.

2 Lenski, R.C.H. (2001). Commentary on the New Testament. Hendrickson Publishers, 10.631.

3 Blue, J. R. (1985). James. The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures. (J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck, Eds.). Victor Books, 2.830.

 

© David M. Rossi 2022