The Book Of James Pt. 35 God Will Not Answer Prayers Driven By Lust.

{Please take advantage of the index for 2022 posted on January 24, and indexes for the years 2019 through 2021, posted on September 7, 2022. These will help you find lessons to study by topic or book.}

Remember James' background as he addresses sin issues. 

As James addresses various sin issues, he often uses strong language to condemn bad behavior. 

Remember, James was a brother of the Lord Jesus Christ who refused to believe that Jesus was the Messiah (John 7:5). 

We do not know when James believed on Jesus Christ for salvation, but he did and was an integral part of the disciples prior to the day of Pentecost (Acts 1:14). 

Therefore, James was present at the dramatic coming of the Holy Ghost with tongues of fire and sound of rushing winds. James was present when the church was born by the regenerating work of God's Spirit. 

He was martyred by wicked King Herod in 44 A.D. (Acts 12:2). Therefore, this letter must have been written between 33 A.D. and 44 A.D. This is very early in the history of the New Testament Church. 

Think about this for a moment. James went from unbelief to believing that his brother Jesus Christ, was the Son of God and Israel's Messiah. 

He witnessed the extraordinary birth of the church, and he was part of that beautiful fellowship of Christians described in Acts 2 through 4.  

It must have greatly grieved James to see Satan attack the church (Acts 5 through 9) and to see division and dissension creep into the Jerusalem church. 

This is why the Spirit of God guided James to address these sin issues with vigor and passion. 

Lust of pleasure seeking led to verbal wars.

James 4:1-3  From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? 

The apostle James has very strong words to say about believers warring and fighting with each other. This brings shame upon the church of Jesus Christ and drags His blessed name through the mud of public opinion. 

The word "lust" is our word "hedonism" which means the chief goal in life is pursuing as much pleasure as possible. This kind of lust caused internal strife, heated disputes and angry rhetoric. 

The word "war" is our word "polemic" which is an aggressive verbal attack upon someone else. Launching scorching verbal attacks on those with whom they disagreed.

These things are shameful actions for Christians, for Jesus was always meek and lowly, forbearing and patient. He never attacked others with verbal rage. 

Jesus is our example and He did not sin with His Words!

1 Peter 2:21-23  For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: 22)  Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: 23)  Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: 

Peter also addressed sin issues among Christians, and among those was the sin of verbally blasting those who say wrong things about us. 

Peter shows us the heart of God displayed in the Person of His Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus is our example, our pattern to follow. We are to walk in His steps and seek to deal with issues in the same manner that Jesus did.

Jesus never spoke with any guile (deceit or duplicity), nor did He ever sin with His Words. When His evil accusers reviled Christ, He did not verbally attack them. When He suffered, He did not threaten His enemies.

When others reproached Christ, He did not respond in kind, like so many do today. 

Evil thoughts cause grave problems in the church. 

James 4:2  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. 

The apostolic rebuke from James continues. They lust and have not. This is a different Greek word translated "lust." It means experiencing intense coveting of things that rightly belong to someone else. 

It has the idea of having their thoughts and emotions constantly turned toward the object of their coveting. 

The words "have not" mean that they lusted after various things but they did not possess them. Rather, they could only hold those things in their minds. Thus, the polemical words that poured out of their mouths were tainted by this intense lusting.

Covetous thoughts is the same as stealing. 

Matthew 5:27-28  Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: 28)  But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. 

Notice how Jesus connects lust in the mind with sin. It is not enough to refrain from committing the sin. If we think adulterous thoughts then it is as if we had committed the very act of sexual sin. 

Thus, if we are like the believers James is addressing, thinking covetous thoughts is the same as taking that which belongs to someone else. 

Thinking sinful thoughts is as bad as committing the sin. 

Matthew 15:18-20  But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. 19)  For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: 20)  These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man. 

James had addressed evil, polemic barrages of hateful speech. He seems to connect with what Jesus preached in His Sermon on the Mount. What comes out of the mouth comes from our heart.  

Notice what Jesus says about these things, knowing that the word lust refers to intense coveting of things that belong to others. 

What comes out of our hearts? Evil thoughts. Jesus gives examples of what constitutes evil thoughts. He gave the examples of thinking about sexual sins, murdering someone, theft, lying or blasphemy. 

Having covetous thoughts about someone else's possessions is like committing the actual act of stealing.

God will not grant requests for things that satisfy our lusts. 

James 4:2  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. 

It is certainly true among Gentile converts to Christ, that they had sexual sins which needed to be addressed. 

James is not indicating that early Christians were murdering each other out of envy or covetousness. 

Jesus said by their fruits you shall know them, and that a corrupt tree brings forth evil fruit. How could James address these people as beloved brethren eight times, if they actually committed murder? 

Therefore, it is much more fitting to the text to connect with evil thoughts that include murderous thoughts against another person, over envy and covetousness. 

We have the Spirit inspired testimony of that early church, and they were willing to sell their possessions in order to help meet the needs of poorer Christians. 

It did not take too long before evil thoughts and covetous lusts led to verbal sparring over hedonistic pursuits. 

James reminds the "brethren" that they covet, but are still poor, they have murderous thoughts about obtaining the things that they covert, but they are still empty handed. 

They received no special blessing from God as their fathers did, because they did not pray. 

Worldly goods became their god. They would leave no stone unturned in order to get them.  Whatever they asked from God was to satisfy their evil desires. 

Therefore, God did not hear nor answer their prayers.

Asking amiss means the heart is wrongly motivated in prayer. 

James 4:3  Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. 

When they did pray, James said they ask "amiss" which means to make requests of God with an improper, evil motivation. The apostle tells us what their motivation was centered on. 

Instead of desiring the things of God and seeking first the kingdom of God, these Christians squandered valuable prayer time by asking for that which would satisfy fleshly, carnal lusts. 

God will never answer a prayer from a heart with evil motivation. 

We will find help from James about praying aright in our next post, but the following observations in the Points to Ponder will give good guidance. 

Points to Ponder...

Our heart's affection must be set on the things of God.  

Colossians 3:1-2  If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 2)  Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.  

Paul shows us a heart that is rightly motivated in prayer, will seek the things of God. 

Such a heart will have its focus and affection on the things of Christ in heaven above, rather than on worthless, earthly things. 

Jesus told us to seek the kingdom of God first.

Matthew 6:33  But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 

James remembered the teaching of Jesus about what believers should pray for. Jesus said that our Father already knows each of our needs, and that He is committed to supply the basic things essential for life. 

Therefore, we can pray seeking the kingdom of God first, knowing that God will honor such a prayer. 

May the Lord have His way in our hearts, as we think about these truths and how they may apply to us as individuals. 

May the Spirit of God help us to have hearts focused upon God and prayers that put His kingdom first.

Bob