JAMES 4:6-10 – But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” 7 Submit yourselves 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 wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.
THEME OF THE DAY. THE OBEDIENT LIFE OF A CHRISTIAN. The Christian life doesn’t just happen. No believer wakes in the morning, rushes into the day, and lives the Christian life automatically. There is no “cruise control” Christian button we hit and then cruise through living a life of pleasing obedience to God. It is certainly true that it cost us nothing to become a Christian, but it will cost us everything to live as a Christian. Our Lord Jesus paid it all – the price for our sin – to make us Christians but He won’t live the Christian life for us. That is up to us and depends on us.
In today’s scripture, the Apostle James identifies six commands Christians are given. When we look at them, we see all the Christian life. What James provides are the practical applications directing us to a life of God-honoring obedience. First, Christians submit themselves to God – “submit yourselves therefore to God.” The Christian life from start to finish may be summarized by the word “submission.” From salvation to glorification, we daily seek to submit ourselves to God’s will by refusing ours. Here is where a fruitful Christian life is formed. Submission is everything.
Next, Christians resist the devil – “resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” Spiritual warfare defines our short journey on earth. Consistently harassed by evil forces, the obedient Christian discerns their attacks and relentlessly resists them. We know if we understand Christianity not only by the peace God gives us but the warfare we fight. Our call to resist is a daily and continual call.
A third act of obedience in the Christian life is a drawing near to God – “draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.” The height of Christian experience is fellowship with God or being near to Him. Our joy is found here. Our strength to resist the devil is found here. Our willingness to submit to Him is found here. Make it a daily practice to draw near to God with the sure promise of Him returning the act by drawing near to us.
Fourthly, Christians seek to walk close to God by confession of sin and reliance upon the Gospel of Christ – “Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” What is the only means of getting our lives cleansed from sin and living with a pure or clear conscience? Confession of sin and preaching the Gospel of the Lord Jesus to ourselves. Only the Gospel cleanses and purifies hearts. Keep a short account of sin by daily confession and keep a conscience clear by telling ourselves over and over the liberating truth of the Gospel.
The fifth command from James given to direct our Christian life is remember what we are – “Be wretched, mourn and weep.” This is not a call to morbid introspection. It is a call to live in the Beatitudes Jesus preached – “Blessed are the poor in spirit” (Matthew 5:3a). It is a command to constantly see ourselves as we really are – spiritually bankrupt, totally dependent on grace, and realizing that apart from the Lord’s intervention, we are nothing and will be nothing.
Finally, and most importantly, is that Christians willingly embrace the chief virtue in the Christian life – humility – “Humble yourselves before the Lord.” And though the work of humility is done by the Holy Spirit, we maintain the God-given responsibility to “humble” ourselves. We do this by two things; remembering who God is and then seeing ourselves for what we really are before Him. The Christian life is an active life. We are called to purposeful obedience to God’s commands. May He impress upon us that the measurement of life in Him and love for Him is a life of obeying His Word.
PRAYER: “Father, help me to daily do the things You command with joy and zeal.”
QUOTE: “The Christian life is lived on purpose by conscious decisions to obey what God commands.”