"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT HUMILITY AND GRACE"
James 4:6 “But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.””
James 4:7 “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”
James 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.”
James 4:9 “Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom.”
James 4:10 “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.”
Taken from today's reading in The One Year Bible.
Some explanatory thoughts, application, questions and a prayer:
Man has so many problems, and they come from the problem of sin, and the lustful and selfish desires that dwell within our fallen natures.
But God has all the answers to all of our problems.
This section of James deals with those answers, what they are, and how we receive them..
1. God gives more grace.
James 4:6 “But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.””
Here we are told what God gives.
He gives more grace.
We have many problems, and many sins.
But God has and gives more grace than our problems and sins.
2. God resists the proud.
James 4:6 “But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.””
Now we see how we access or how we can receive what God has for us.
It's not hard to do.
It's actually very simple.
It does take a decision of our will
God resists the proud.
But He gives grace to the humble.
That's the answer right there.
It's called humility.
To bow our hearts and lives before God.
3. Submit to God and resist the devil.
James 4:7 “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”
4. Draw near to God.
James 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.”
Another wonderful promise is given us here.
If we draw near to God, He will draw near to us.
How blessed we can be by simply drawing near to Him.
Also, God calls us to cleanse our hands.
If we are doing things that are dirty, we ought to stop doing those things.
We can cleanse ourselves by repenting of what we were doing.
Asking God to forgive us.
This cleansing includes our hearts or our inner life.
So, both on the outside, and on the inside, God calls us to be clean or holy, or set apart to Him.
5. Lament and mourn it's good for us.
James 4:9 “Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom.”
This is the pathway to blessing.
It has to do with dealing properly with our sin.
Sin is silly and destructive.
We are to weepand lament and mourn over our sins.
Let our laughter be turned to mourning.
Let our joy be turned to gloom.
In other words as the NLT put it: “Let there be tears for the wrong things you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy.”
6. Humble ourselves before God.
James 4:10 “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.”
Again from the NLT: “When you bow down before the Lord and admit your dependence on him, he will lift you up and give you honor.”
Humility is a great virtue to pursue.
Pride is a dangerous attitude to maintain.
Leave pride.
Pursue humility.
It will bring God's blessing.
Some Questions:
1. Do you know the true meaning of grace?
2. It means God's unmerited, undeserved favor.
3. Have you ever read what God resists and what He is drawn to?
4. Would you take another look at these few short verses?
5. Will you prayerfully consider your own life at this moment in relation to what is said in these verses?
A Prayer:
Father, You are the God of all grace, and we thank You that You give grace to us, for we need it desperately.
You are the God who resists pride, but You give grace to the humble. So, Lord, would You please teach us to forsake our pride, and to pursue humility that we might enjoy Your "More Grace”.
We thank You that there is a way out of the sins and problems we create, and a way into the untold blessings of God.
In Jesus’ name, amen.
Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia
