Chronological Life Application Study Bible 2nd Edition - Flipbook - Page 15
DIVIDED KINGDOM
930–586 BC
EXILE
586–538 BC
RETURN & DIASPORA
538–6 BC
jealousy and selfishness are not God’s kind of wisdom.
Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. 16For
wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there
you will find disorder and evil of every kind.
17 But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It
is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to
yield to others. It is full of mercy and the fruit of good
deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere.
18 And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of
peace and reap a harvest of righteousness.*
Drawing Close to God
JESUS THE MESSIAH
6 BC–AD 30
THE MESSIAH’S PEOPLE
AD 30–present
it away from them. Yet you don’t have what you want
because you don’t ask God for it. 3 And even when
you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all
wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure.
4 You adulterers!* Don’t you realize that friendship
with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it
again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make
yourself an enemy of God. 5 Do you think the Scriptures have no meaning? They say that God is passionate that the spirit he has placed within us should be
faithful to him.* 6And he gives grace generously. As
the Scriptures say,
JAMES 4:1-10
“God opposes the proud
What is causing the quarrels and fights among you?
but gives grace to the humble.”*
Don’t they come from the evil desires at war within
7 So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil,
you? 2 You want what you don’t have, so you scheme
and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, and he will flee from you. 8 Come close to God, and
but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you
Jas 3:18 Or of good things, or of justice. Jas 4:4 Greek You adulteresses! Jas 4:5 Or They say that the spirit God has placed within us is filled with envy; or They say that
the Holy Spirit, whom God has placed within us, opposes our envy. Jas 4:6 Prov 3:34 (Greek version).
SPEECH
When our speech is motivated by
It is full of
Satan
Bitter jealousy
Selfish ambition
Earthly concerns and desires
Unspiritual thoughts and ideas
Disorder
Evil
God and his wisdom
Purity
Peace
Consideration for others
Submission
Mercy
Sincerity, impartiality
Goodness
by well-meaning believers. While advice
such as “assert yourself,” “go for it,” or
“set high goals” can be helpful at the right
times, we can also be easily drawn into
greed and destructive competitiveness.
God’s wisdom delivers us from the need to
compare ourselves with others and to want
what they have.
Jas 4:1-3 Quarrels and fights among believers are always harmful. James explains that
these conflicts result from evil desires battling within us: We want more possessions,
more money, higher status, more recognition.
When we don’t get what we want, we fight
in order to have it. Instead of aggressively
grabbing what we want, we should submit
ourselves to God, ask God to help us get rid
of our selfish desires, and trust him to give
us what we really need.
Jas 4:2-3 James mentions the most common problems in prayer: not asking, asking
for the wrong things, and asking for the wrong
reasons. Do you talk to God at all? When you
do, what do you talk about? Do you ask only
to satisfy your desires? Do you seek God’s
approval for what you already plan to do?
Your prayers will become powerful when you
allow God to change your desires so that
they perfectly correspond to his will for you
(1 Jn 3:21-22).
Jas 4:3-4 There is nothing wrong with wanting a pleasurable life. God gives us good gifts
that he wants us to enjoy (Jas 1:17; Eph 4:7;
1 Tim 4:4-5). But having friendship with the
world involves seeking pleasure at others’
expense or at the expense of obeying God.
Pleasure that keeps us from pleasing God is
sinful; pleasure from God’s rich bounty is good.
Jas 4:4-6 The cure for evil desires is humility (see Prov 16:18-19; 1 Pet 5:5-6). Pride
makes us self-centered and leads us to conclude that we deserve all we can see, touch,
or imagine. It creates greedy appetites for far
more than we need. We can be released from
our self-centered desires by humbling ourselves before God, realizing that all we really
need is his approval. When the Holy Spirit fills
us, we see that this world’s seductive attractions are only cheap substitutes for what God
has to offer.
Jas 4:5 This verse may mean that because
of our fallen nature, we have a tendency
toward envy (see textual note on this verse).
James is not quoting a specific verse or
passage—he is summing up a teaching of
Scripture. (See Rom 6:6-8; Gal 5:17-21 for
more on the human tendency toward envy
and discontent.)
Jas 4:7 Although God and the devil are at
war, we don’t have to wait until the end to see
who will win. God has already defeated Satan
(Rev 12:10-12), and when Jesus returns, the
devil and all he stands for will be eliminated
forever (Rev 20:10-15). Satan is here now,
and he is trying to win us over to his evil
cause. With the Holy Spirit’s power, we can
resist the devil, and he will flee from us.
Jas 4:7-10 How can you come close to
God? James gives five ways: (1) Humble
yourself before God (Jas 4:7). Yield to his
authority and will, commit your life to him
and his control, and be willing to follow him.
(2) Resist the devil (Jas 4:7). Don’t allow
Satan to entice and tempt you. (3) Lead a
pure life (Jas 4:8). Be cleansed from sin,
replacing your desire to sin with your desire
to experience God’s purity. (4) Let there be
sorrow and deep grief for your sins (Jas 4:9).
Don’t be afraid to express deep, heartfelt
sorrow for what you have done. (5) Humble
yourself before the Lord, and he will lift you
up in honor (Jas 4:10; 1 Pet 5:6).
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