My Friend James: Fight Club, Part 2

In our last discussion of James, we asked, “Where do fights come from?” – specifically fights and contentions within the body of Christ, according to James.  And we found the answer in James 4:1-4. Church wars come from lust – from wanting something that isn’t yours enough to fight for it. It comes from being willing to take it away from whomever currently is, or feels they are, the rightful owner of what we want. Fights among church brethren are often about power or position, and sometimes about the feeling that one has special knowledge that others must agree with, whether about one of the commandments or church doctrine or how to runs services or any tenant of Christian life.

Today, let’s discuss the cure for lust-driven wars among God’s people. The cure is two-fold. First, if we want to stop fighting among brethren, we must be humble – we must humble ourselves. The next few verses of James 4. James 4:6-10 [NIV] 6 But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: "God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble." 7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

You want favor from God? You want some particular power or influence in the body of Christ? Work at being humble. These verses tell us that we must grieve our own sins and wash our hearts with the precious blood of Jesus.

The second step toward curing wars in the church is one that should help us with becoming more humble. That step is to realize that the rightful owner of anything we want is not the person who currently has it, but rather God Himself.

James 4:12 [NIV] tells us, There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you--who are you to judge your neighbor? The power that your neighbor in the faith has, whether information or position, comes from the Just Judge whom your neighbor must answer to. If you fight over something you want, you’ll be answering to Him as well.

James may have been echoing what he’d read in the Psalms. David makes a similar point on who owns all we want and about the need to purify ourselves in order to receive the blessing or gift we desire. Psalm 24:1-5 [NIV] 1 Of David. A psalm. The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; 2 for he founded it on the seas and established it on the waters. 3 Who may ascend the mountain of the LORD? Who may stand in his holy place? 4 The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not trust in an idol or swear by a false god. 5 They will receive blessing from the LORD and vindication from God their Savior.

Rather than fighting or arguing, we are directed to humbly ask for what we want. We are told to ask the One who owns it all – not just things but also power, wisdom, authority, position and everything else.

James 4:12 [NIV]There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you--who are you to judge your neighbor?

What is the cure for wars in the church? Humble recognition that God is the rightful owner of anything and everything, and humble seeking (and waiting for) God’s gift of what we seek.

I hope you will continue to meet with me here and will share your own thoughts on the book of James. We have just one and a half chapters to go, but several more concepts to cover.

You can write me any time at Nancy@DynamicChristianMinistries.org