RESOURCES — SHORT ARTICLES

 

SHORT ARTICLES BY TOM ELSEROAD
	2021-03-25	What Is The Significance of He Gives More Grace (Ja.4:6)
		Jas 4:4 Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Jas 4:5 Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, "The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously"? Jas 4:6 But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: "GOD RESISTS THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE." Jas 4:7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Jas 4:8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Jas 4:9 Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. James is addressing a community of believers who claim to be Christians but live and behave like the unredeemed people of the world. They are self-centered, pleasure-seeking, and spiritually unfaithful. They are very worldly (Ja.4:1-4). While James is warning his readers about the dangerous way they are living, he makes the statement about God, “He gives more grace.” Before James said these words, he rebukes them harshly as “adulterer” (v.4). Jas 4:4 Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. James is saying genuine followers of Christ cannot be faithful to God and at the same time love the world. The Christian life is characterized by submission to the will of God (1Jn.2:15-17). 1Jn 2:15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 1Jn 2:16 For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. 1Jn 2:17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever. Friendship with the world and obedience to God are not compatible. James calls his readers “double-minded” (v.8) because their hearts are divided between the world and God. They are pretending to serve God while in their hearts they are still devoted to the things of the world (Mt.6:24; Ro.8:7; 10:3). How can those in this rebellious condition remedy their condition? James says to be “humble” before the Lord and receive His grace (v.6). He continues with “submit to God” (v.7), and “purify your hearts, you double-minded” (v.8). Whenever we stray from God, the only way to come clean is to humble ourselves, repent, and submit to the Lord. If we draw near to God, He comes near to us. He gives more grace. Because James realizes his call for total loyalty to the Lord may seem hard to his listeners. So, he opens with his solution, “He gives more grace.” If we need more grace, God gives more grace. If we humble ourselves, God will supply all the grace we need to abide by His commands (2Co.12:9; Pr.3:34; 1Pe.5:5). The proud turn away from God, but the humble place their dependence on Him. God’s grace is His divine favor, and He delights in lavishing it on those who desperately recognize how much they need Him. James gives the great kingdom paradox in verse 10, “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.” One way God lifts us up is by empowering us morally and spiritually to live the Christian life. In this manner, He gives us more grace. Pastor Tom Elseroad

 

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