Guided Bible Studies for Hungry Christians

James - The Pillar of Working Faithful Lesson 8

The Faith of Overcoming the Things of the World

Work hard to keep yourself in the spiritual life to the point of affliction. Cry and grieve for the things of your human nature that attempt to separate you from your LORD GOD. Silence the laughter of your fulfilled lusts in the world, and let it be turned into mourning for your inability to fulfill; to do this, will bring you a wonderful joy in the midst of your heaviness. Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up, away from the human natures of lust, to the state of renewed righteousness and holiness!

“1 ¶ From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? 2 Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. 3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.” (James 4:1-3 AV)

85. The arguments and fights that occur among the fellowship of the faithful, spring from the lusts of individual members that do not have what they want. These members fail to ask the LORD GOD for their desires, because they will not submit to His Will. Often they ask Him with the wrong heart to gratify their lusts, rather than advance His Will and Word, and their desires for pleasure are never met. As a result of their desire and need for sensual pleasures never being fulfilled, they become bitter and angry and filled with strife, creating situations where arguments and fights can begin among the brothers and sisters in Christ.

“4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. 5 Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?” (James 4:4-5 AV)

85. Christian men and women who hold a friendship with the world are #apostates, and unfaithful enemies to the Word of God

86. The spirit of your nature is such that you have lust that occurs naturally within your being. This lust causes envy to be present, which then leads to a Christian to become a friend of the world, to fulfill these desires that are ever present.

There is no place in Scripture where the exact quote “The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy” is written precisely. James usually is so precise in his writings, yet he even has left out a pronoun in this sentence that would make interpretation more clear to us. This is important...Just because the exact rendering of the sentence is not searchable in God’s Word, the concept of a natural lustful spirit in man that causes worldliness and separation of him from the Things of the LORD GOD, is valid and supported throughout Scripture.

“But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.” (James 4:6 AV)

87. When you are humble and accept the fact that your very nature is lustful and desires the things of the world, the LORD GOD will give you more grace to enable you to resist these cravings.

88. If you are proud of who you are and not ashamed of these lustful cravings, the LORD GOD will do nothing to help you overcome them, and will in fact resist you and oppose your doings.

“7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. 9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.” (James 4:7-10 AV)

89. If you want the LORD GOD to give you more grace to help you overcome your human nature of lust, then you must submit yourself to Him.

90. You must resist the devil, and this will cause him to flee from you.

91. You must draw close to the LORD GOD, and He will draw close to you.

92. You must cleanse your hands if you are sinning. This means that you stop sinning and repent in accordance with Jesus Christ’s Will for the forgiveness of sin.

93. You must purify your hearts, and quit being doubleminded, by one part of your desires being focused toward the worldly natural life of man, and one part of your desires focused toward the righteous spiritual life of your Lord Jesus Christ.

94. Toil heavily (work hard) to keep yourself in the spiritual life to the point of affliction.

95. Cry and grieve for the things of your human nature that attempt to separate you from your LORD GOD. Silence the laughter of your fulfilled lusts in the world, and let it be turned into mourning for your inability to fulfill; to do this, will bring you a wonderful joy, in the midst of your heaviness.

96. Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up, away from the human natures of lust, and to the state of renewed righteousness and holiness!

Consideration for a Brother

“11 ¶ Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge. 12 There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?” (James 4:11-12 AV)

97. Brothers and sister in Christ should not speak evil about each other.

98. If you speak evil about them and judge them, then you are speaking evil of the law and are judging the law.

99. If you judge the law, then you are not a doer of the law but a judge.

100. There is only one lawgiver and one Judge, our Lord Jesus Christ who is able to save and destroy. What right do you have to judge another?

“13 Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: 14 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. 15 For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.” (James 4:13-15 AV)

101. Don’t plan your spiritual and natural walks for tomorrows. You may not be alive tomorrow. Instead, let your attitude be that if the Lord Wills, you will do and live in the present and accomplish His Works and Will.

“16 But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil. 17 Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.” (James 4:16-17 AV)

102. Rejoicing in your self confidence and pride in your works is evil.

103. If you know to do good, and do not do it, it is a sin.

Worksheet

Cite Article Source

MLA Style Citation:
McFarland, Kathy L. "The Faith of Overcoming the Things of the World." James - The Pillar of Working Faithful Jan 2006. <http://guidedbiblestudies.com/sermon/james7.htm>.

APA Style Citation:
McFarland, Kathy L. (2006, January) "The Faith of Overcoming the Things of the World." James - The Pillar of Working Faithful Retrieved from http://guidedbiblestudies.com/james7.htm

Chicago Style Citation:
McFarland, Kathy L. (2006) "The Faith of Overcoming the Things of the World." James - The Pillar of Working Faithful (January), http://guidedbiblestudies.com/james7.htm (accessed )

About the Author

Kathy L. McFarland is a Becker Bible Studies Teacher and Author of Guided Bible Studies for Hungry Christians. She has received her Bachelor of Science degree in Religious Studies from Liberty University, and is currently seeking her Master of Divinity (Professional Ministries Track) degree from Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary & Graduate School. Kathy is also a Hebrew language student attending an Israeli taught Ulpan and a noted expert on Old Testament exegesis, Christian apologetics, and Bible typology and mysteries.

Receive our Becker Bible Studies newsletter and updates