The Book Of James Pt. 34 Internal Strife Dishonors Jesus Christ.
The apostle James is going to address the sin of worldliness and contention among believers in the church.
Internal strife in the church dishonors our Lord Jesus Christ.
James 4:1 From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?
I mentioned some of the problems within the church at Corinth, and it appears James needed to address similar problems within the Jerusalem church.
There was no civil war among the Jews at this time, nor among the Jewish Christians.
Acts Chapters 2 through 4 make it clear that the early church was a strong Christian family, worshipping together, hearing the Word, and enjoying rich, Christian fellowship.
James is referring to private quarrels and law-suits, social rivalries and factions, and religious controversies. In other words, very similar to the church at Corinth.
The cause of these disputes and contentions is not indicated, because that is not what James denounced. He did not rebuke them for having differences about rights of property, or posts of honor, or ecclesiastical questions.
Rather, James rebuked them for having a rancorous, greedy, and worldly spirit, in how they handled their differences.
The interrogative "From whence" is very pointed in the Greek. James is getting right to the root of Christians warring with and fighting each other.
The cause of quarrels is often sought in external circumstances, whereas internal lusts are the true origin. The apostle is going to expose the Jew's pretentions used to justify warring and fighting.
James showed the Jewish Christians that the origin of their warring and fighting was not from a true zeal for the honour of God. Rather, their prevailing lusts caused internal wars and fighting.
What is hidden under a pretence of zeal for God, often springs from men's pride, malice, covetousness, ambition, and revenge.
Internal strife come from fleshly lusts.
James 4:1 From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?
The word translated "wars" is found in the word "polemic" which is an aggressive verbal attack on someone.
The word "fighting" refers to people at odds with each other, engaged in a dispute or a quarrel.
Remember, James is writing to Christians. He has called them "brethren" eight times in the first three chapters.
What about the word "lusts?" This is not the usual word translated "lust", which most often refers to sexual lust.
The word translated "lusts" in this text, is found in the word "hedonism." Hedonism is relentless pursuit of pleasure is the main goal of life.
In other words, the wars and fighting among Jewish Christians had to do with lusting after worldliness in their lives. Worldly lusts were warring within their own bodies.
We must abstain from and avoid fleshly lust at all costs.
1 Peter 2:11-12 Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;12) Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.
Peter also addressed the sin of fleshly lust and pleasure seeking behaviors. He urges us to abstain from, or have nothing to do with any fleshly lust.
Why did the apostle give such a strong command? Because we must constantly guard against fleshly lust because it wars against our soul.
Instead of falling into a deadly pattern marked by satisfying fleshly lusts, we should live for the glory of God. We do this by completing the good works the Father has planned for us to do.
Our spirit is willing, but our flesh is the weak spot.
Matthew 26:41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
When Jesus says our spirit is willing but that our flesh is the weak, vulnerable spot, this is what He was getting at.
Jesus tells us this is something believers must pray about, seeking strength and help from the indwelling Spirit of God, and from our Father in heaven.
Christians at Corinth were fighting in a court of law.
1 Corinthians 6:1-3 Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints? 2) Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? 3) Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?
Christians at Corinth filed lawsuits against other Christians with whom they had a dispute. The apostle Paul strongly chastised them for this evil behavior.
He reminds them that Christians, here called saints, will judge the world. Therefore, they should be more than competent to settle petty grievances and silly disputes.
1 Corinthians 6:5 I speak to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you? no, not one that shall be able to judge between his brethren?
Paul condemns the Corinthians for their awful actions, because it tarnishes the precious name of Jesus Christ. He said they should be ashamed of their actions, and the fact that no believer was competent, or willing to act as judge and settle their differences.
Internal war and strife dishonors God and ruins our testimony.
1 Corinthians 6:6-8 But brother goeth to law with brother, and that before the unbelievers. 7) Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded? 8) Nay, ye do wrong, and defraud, and that your brethren.
Instead, one brother in Christ was suing another brother in Christ, in the secular Roman courts. Paul rebuked them with the strongest possible words.
The apostle then said that one of the disputing parties ought to be willing to suffer the wrong, so that the name of Jesus Christ and Christianity is not dragged through legal entanglements.
They lacked forbearance for one another. This is a willingness to suffer wrong, that the name of Christ is glorified rather than vilified by common people.
This is the same kind of behaviors that James is addressing, except worldliness and hedonism was lusted after, instead of legal vengeance.
Thoughts to Ponder...
The Christian Jews James is addressing had some serious problems. We ,must not forget that they were born again and that he refers to them as brothers in Christ, eight times.
Therefore, if Christians in that day had problems with fleshly lust and worldliness, we can be sure that we may have the same struggles.
Both the Jewish Christians and the Corinthian Christians had big problems, and were fighting, causing division and turmoil within the church.
This was wrong then, it is wrong now and it will always be wrong. Thus, Paul says we must be forbearing toward one another. This is true evidence of the Spirit of God in us, if we are willing to suffer loss, for the sake of Jesus Christ.
Notice the apostle's words. This is a "put on" an imperative from God for all Christians.
We need to be merciful instead of merciless.
We need to be kind and humble instead of unkind and prideful.
We need to be meek as Jesus was meek, rather than being arrogant and asserting our rights.
We need to be longsuffering not short tempered.
We need to be forbearing, willing to suffer loss or indignity, so that the name of Jesus is not blasphemed by the unbelievers.
Instead of suing another believer, we are to forgive them as Jesus forgave us. How did Jesus forgive us? Fully, completely, utterly, and unconditionally.
Let this be our heart's desire, so that Christ is magnified even as we suffer loss. Let us rejoice in our Lord and trust Him to work out the problems we face.
Colossians 3:12-13 Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; 13) Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.
Bob
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