My Way

MyWay…
•Sinatra made the song famous– but it
has always been a sad song to me
•Some people would sell their mothers
to get the power or $$$ they want, no matter
what has to be done, just to claim success
•That is the way of the world– but what about
the way Jesus would go– is it different?
•Obviously the Jewish Christians were having
some problems among their members

MyWay…
•Chapter 4 of James warns against the
practice of worldly behavior such as…
•Quarrelsomeness & Covetousness (v.1-2)
•Unanswered Prayers because of selfishness (v. 3)
•Spiritual Unfaithfulness & Pride (v. 4-10)
•Slander (v. 11-12)
•Boasting (v. 13-17)
•None of these should be characteristics of
Believers, but the fact is we battle them daily

“What is the source of quarrels and conflicts
among you? Is not the source your pleasures
that wage war in your members? 2You lust and
do not have; so you commit murder.You are
envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and
quarrel.You do not have because you do not
ask. 3You ask and do not receive, because you
ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend
it on your pleasures. 4You adulteresses, do you
not know that friendship with the world is

hostility toward God?Therefore whoever
wishes to be a friend of the world makes
himself an enemy of God. 5 Or do you think that
the Scripture speaks to no purpose: ‘He
jealously desires the Spirit which He has made
to dwell in us’? 6 But He gives a greater grace.
Therefore it says, ‘GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD,
BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE.’ 7 Submit
therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will
flee from you. 8 Draw near to God and He will

draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you
sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-
minded. 9 Be miserable and mourn and weep;
let your laughter be turned into mourning and
your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves in the
presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.”
James 4:1-10, NASB

A. Quarrelsome and Covetous…
•Vs 1-2,

“What is the source of quarrels and conflicts
among you? Is not the source your pleasures
that wage war in your members? 2You lust and
do not have; so you commit murder.You are
envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and
quarrel.You do not have because you do not
ask.”
James 4:1-2, NASB

•Vs 1-2, Echoes Exodus 20:17 and
1 John 3:15…

“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house;
you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife or his
male servant or his female servant or his ox or
his donkey or anything that belongs to your
neighbor.” Exodus 20:17, NASB
“15 Everyone who hates his brother is a
murderer; and you know that no murderer has
eternal life abiding in him.” 1 John 3 :15, NASB

•Vs 1-2, Echoes Exodus 20:17 and
1 John 3:15
•Lust, fromVs 2, is the Greek word
“epithumeo”– means ‘seeking forbidden things’
•You may not actually murder someone today, but
some translations swap ‘hate’ for murder
•God gave us a conscience
•There’s a huge difference between want and covet

B. Unanswered selfish prayers…
•Vs 3,

“3You ask and do not receive, because you
ask with wrong motives, so that you may
spend it on your pleasures.”
James 4:3, NASB

B. Unanswered selfish prayers…
•Vs 3, Our prayers must align with
God’sWill
•The reason for prayer is your daily
relationship with God
•The reason prayers go “un-
answered”?
•Because they were lifted up for the
purpose of self gratification and or
worldly pleasure

C. Spiritual Unfaithfulness & Pride…
•Vs 4, He is actually talking about
the first commandment

“You adulteresses, do you not know that
friendship with the world is hostility toward
God?Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend
of the world makes himself an enemy of God.”
James 4:4, NASB

•Vs 4, In this short passage from
v1-v10, James managed to put
four of theTen Commandments;
Here he is actually talking about
the first commandment—
•“You shall have no other gods
before Me.” Ex 20:3, NIV
•What does it mean to have
“hostility”, or “enmity” with God?

•The Greek word is “Ech-thra’”– it
literally means hatred with passion
•It’s an expansion on Jesus’
statement that you can’t love God
and money, Matt 6:24, and John’s
warning against loving the world
in 1 John chapter 5, the “sin unto
death” passage

“15 And if we know that He hears us in whatever
we ask, we know that we have the requests
which we have asked from Him. 16 If anyone
sees his brother committing a sin not leading to
death, he shall ask and God will for him give life
to those who commit sin not leading to death.
There is a sin leading to death; I do not say that
he should make request for this. 17 All
unrighteousness is sin, and there is a sin not
leading to death.” 1 John 5:15-17, NASB

•Vs 5,What??Are we trying to
arouse God’s jealousy???

“Or do you think that the Scripture speaks to
no purpose: ‘He jealously desires the Spirit
which He has made to dwell in us’?”
James 4:5, NASB

•Vs 5, Pardon the pun, God forbid!!
•It is a terrible thing to fall into the
hands of an angry God– ask
Johnathan Edwards
•The scripture clearly says we are
“for” Him or against Him– no grey
areas or double mindedness
allowed– there is no “Happy
Medium”

“You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any
likeness of what is in heaven above or on the
earth beneath or in the water under the earth.
5You shall not worship them or serve them; for
I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God,
visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the
children, on the third and the fourth
generations of those who hate Me...”
Exodus 20:4-5, NASB

•Vs 6 quotes Proverbs 3:34…

“But He gives a greater grace.Therefore it
says, ‘GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES
GRACE TO THE HUMBLE.’ ”
James 4:6, NASB

•Vs 6 quotes Proverbs 3:34…
•Vv 7-10 contain 10 commands, each
having an imperative grammar state in
the Greek, meaning– they call for
immediate action in “digging out” the
sinful attitude of pride, once the reader
hears the verses…
•See next…

•James 4:7, (1)Therefore submit to God.
(2) Resist the Devil and he will
flee from you.
•James 4:8, (3) Draw near to God and He
will draw near to you.
(4) Cleanse your hands, you sinners;
(5) and purify your hearts you
double-minded.

•James 4:9, (6) Be Miserable (Lament)
(7) mourn and
(8) weep!
(9) Let your laughter be turned to
mourning and your joy to gloom
(6-9 shows repentance)
•James 4:10, (10) Humble yourselves in the
sight of the Lord, and He will lift
you up.

“12Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled;
and whoever humbles himself shall be
exalted.”
Mat 23:12, NASB

•See the sequence of 1-10?
•We can picture the sinner coming to the
Throne of Grace & Mercy step by step
•Every step requires your own decision
•God prepares the way, but He will not force us
to do anything
•He wants me/you to take that important first
step

Take Home!
•Today’s scriptures indicate
an ever-unceasing need for
self examination!
•Jesus washed His disciples’
feet for this, remember
•Constantly-- Draw NEAR
to Him, “Wash your Hands”, purify
your heart, and HUMBLE yourself!

My Way

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My Way