I'm going to give the title to
this message at the end, rather than the beginning. James chapter
4. I, for some reason, can't get
this off my mind. I remember when Lynn and I were
dating, and it might have been even before that, but I perceived
that she was becoming too worldly. And I read this passage of scripture
to her. And I was trying to use this
passage of scripture to beat her down. And I had not yet come
to the understanding that scripture doesn't speak to other people,
it just speaks to me. I'm ashamed of that. I look at
it, I wonder how many times I've done that, tried to blast people
with that. I don't know why I needed to
sell that, but I did. James asks a very poignant question in chapter
4, verse 1, from whence come wars and fighting among you? What is the origin or the source
of the findings among you. The strife, the contentions,
the ill will, the interpersonal conflicts, the disquietness,
the lack of peace, turmoil. Where does that come from? Well,
it's because so and so is so hard to get along with. looking
in the wrong direction. I'm sure we've all thought that
before, but you're looking in the wrong direction if that's
what you thought. James tells us, and I know he's
speaking to himself as well, take a look in the mirror. You're
the problem. I had a boss once who loved to
say, you're either part of the solution or you're part of the
problem. And what you meant by that is,
I'm the solution and you're the problem. I know that's what you
meant. But you, I, personally are to
look within for the problem. The lust, the sinful desires,
the pleasures that war in the members of your body. From whence
cometh wars and fighting among you? Come they not hence even
of your lusts that war in your members? Now, I don't have any
doubt that James is speaking to believers. And every believer
knows something about the lusts that war in your members. Didn't Paul say in Galatians
chapter 5 verse 17, the flesh lusteth against the spirit and
the spirit lusteth against the flesh and these two are contrary
one to another so that you cannot do the things that you would.
Every believer knows something about a war going on in their
members. Now look in chapter 1, James
is not talking to unbelievers. He's talking to believers. As
a matter of fact, unbelievers don't have the battle he's speaking
of. They know nothing of it. Verse
2, he says, my brethren. That's who he's speaking to,
my brethren. Look in verse 9. Let the brother of low degree
rejoice in that he is exalted. Verse 16, do not err, my beloved
brethren. Verse 18, of his own will begat he us with
the word of truth, talking about people who have been born from
above. Verse 19, wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man
be swift to hear and slow to speak. Look at chapter 2, verse
1, my brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ,
the Lord of glory, with respect of persons. Verse 5, hearken,
my beloved brethren, verse 14, What doth it profit my brethren,
though a man say he has faith and has not works? Look in chapter
3. My brethren, be not many masters. Verse 10. Out of the same mouth
proceedeth blessings and cursings. My brethren, these things ought
not so. So we see, and there's a lot
of other scriptures, he is speaking to believers in this passage
of scripture. He's not speaking to unbelievers.
He's speaking to believers. Now, it's very clear that with
regard to conflict with others or conflict with our own heart,
look within. Look within. It's my fault. It's my fault. Look within. The lust that wore in our members.
Now look in verse 2. He says, You lust and have not. Now that word lust
is the same word that Paul used in Romans chapter 7 verse 7 when
he said, I've not known sin except the law hath said thou shalt
not covet. Thou shalt not covet. You covet. That's the word, covetousness,
desiring that which God hadn't given you. I think that's so
interesting. Paul said, I did not really understand
what sin was until the law said, Thou shalt not covet. You covet
and you don't have what you're coveting. You kill. You're willing to murder men's
characters at any rate. and desire to have, and you can't
obtain that which you want, you fight in war, yet you have not
because you ask not." That's simple enough, isn't it? The
reason you don't have is because you don't ask. Did not the Lord
say, ask and you shall receive? That's His promise. Somebody
says, well, I've asked and I haven't received. You didn't ask. You
tried to bargain with God. You tried to strike a deal with
God. You said, if you do this, I'll do that. That's not asking.
That's bargaining. The Lord promised, ask and you
shall receive. That's his promise. But let's
go on reading. Verse 3, you ask and receive
not, because you ask amiss, that you may consume it on your lusts. You're not looking for grace,
but something to satisfy your cravings and give food for your
lusts, is what he's saying. Now, which of us, when we hear
that, don't think, bingo, I know I've done that. I've asked to
miss, that I might consume it upon my lusts. Now, that's the
same word translated in Luke 8, 14, pleasures, the pleasures
of this life. that choke the word and make
someone a thorn-choked deer. You ask amiss that you may consume
it upon that which you think you'll find pleasure in. Now,
I know when I read passages of scripture like that, I know what
they say to me. Verse 5, look at the strength
of this language. You adulterers and adulteresses, You've got to be married to be
an adulterer, don't you? And you've got to be married
to be an adulteress. And how many times does God call
Israel an adulterer and an adulteress? Now, adultery is a horrible thing. It's a horrible thing. It's a
great sin. And he's speaking of spiritual
adultery. Physical adultery, oh, what a
great sin, what problems it creates. It stamps through this picture
of Christ. Spiritual adultery, what is adultery? It's looking for love and satisfaction
outside of the covenant. What is spiritual adultery? It's
looking for some kind of pleasure or assurance or satisfaction
outside of the covenant of grace. It's looking somewhere other
than Christ. When I do that, I'm guilty of
spiritual adultery. Now, here is a dead giveaway
for spiritual adulterers. He says, you adulterers and adulteresses,
know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever will be a friend of
the world, is the enemy of God. Now, what is meant by the world? Like I said, I was thinking Lynn
was getting too worldly. I don't remember why I was thinking
that. It's just stupid self-righteousness on my part, is all you can call
it, trying to tell people how to live and what to do. And what
is worldliness? What's the Bible mean by it? Does it mean the enjoyments of
this life? Friends? Enjoying your friends?
Enjoying family? Enjoying good food and good drink? Is it enjoying entertainment?
What a worldly activity. Lacking nice clothes and nice
cars and nice homes and nice vacations. How worldly. Is that
what that is talking about? Well, if I make an idol of those
things, it certainly could be. There's no doubt about it. But
doesn't the scripture say, He hath given us richly all things
to enjoy? To enjoy! Not to feel guilty
for having them, but to enjoy. That's what the Bible says. He
hath given us richly all things to enjoy. So what is James talking
about when he talks about somebody being a friend of the world?
If you're a friend of the world, you're the enemy of God. Friendship
with the world is enmity with God. He's speaking of the world
of which Christ said, I pray not for the world. Christ refused to pray for this
world that James is speaking of. He said, they are not of
the world, speaking of his people. They are not of the world, even
as I am not of the world. The Lord's origin is God. The believer's origin is God,
not the world. But God, the Lord said, the world
cannot hate you, but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that
the deeds thereof are evil. Now that's so simple. All the
deeds, all the deeds, the righteous deeds, the unrighteous deeds,
whatever they do, because of who did it, I testify that the
deeds are evil. You're going to tell me that
that's evil? Yes, that's what the Lord says. That's the world. If you love the world, the Lord
said, The world would love his own, but I've chosen you out
of the world. Therefore, the world hates you. If the world
hates you, you know it hated me before it hated you. Turn to 1 John chapter 2. This is a familiar verse of scripture
beginning in verse 15. John says, Love not the world,
neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the
world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is
in the world, the lust of the flesh, the desire for sinful
pleasure, and the lust of the eyes, being concerned about what
men see rather than what God sees, and the pride of life,
that desire for power, what the world would call power, is not
of the Father, but is of the world, and the world passes away
in the lust thereof. But he that doeth the will of
God abideth forever. Now the world is that which has
Satan as its God. You know, Satan is called the
God of this world. And the Lord said to the religious,
you're of your father, the devil, and the lusts of your father
you will do. He's called the prince of this
world and he comes masquerading as an angel of light. And his
ministers are ministers of righteousness. His main sphere of operation
is the pulpit. And the closer he can come to
the truth, the more dangerous it is. That's how Satan works. The religion of this world. Now,
it might be vicious, wicked actions. That's of the world. Or the religion
of this world. But whoever's a friend of the
world is the enemy of God. The world that's opposed to God
and His Gospel. Turn with me to Galatians 6 for
a moment. I love this passage of Scripture. Verse 14, Paul says, But God forbid that
I should glory, that I should have confidence in, that I should
rejoice in, that I should boast in anything save in the cross
of our Lord Jesus Christ. That's all I have confidence
in is what he did on Calvary Street because of who he is and
what he accomplished by. That's what I glory in, what
he did. But look what else he says. By
whom the world is crucified in the I see such glory in the cross
and being saved by what Christ did that I see this world as
a crucified thing. I don't lust after it. My flesh does, but I don't. The
new man doesn't. And the world sees me as crucified,
worthless. Now that's what glory in the
cross does. Paul viewed the world and lighted
the cross. Now go back to our text in James chapter 6, verse 5. James chapter 4, I'm sorry, James
chapter 4, verse 5. He says, did you think that the
scripture saith in vain the spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to
envy? Now my marginal reference speaks
of this as being James' way of quoting Genesis chapter 6 verse
5. And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth
and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was
only evil continually. And James doesn't quote it that
way, but Actually, you don't find this particular verse anywhere
in the Bible, in the Old Testament, yet it is the universal testimony
of Scripture, isn't it? While he didn't quote the particular
verse right, he gave the meaning of it. Do you think the Scripture
saith in vain to no purpose that the Spirit that dwelleth in us
lusteth to envy? Now, when I was reading different
men about this passage of Scripture, I was surprised to hear them
say that the jealousy of the Spirit, this is God's Spirit
in us, jealous and greatly desiring our complete affection and our
complete devotion because God's a jealous God. Now, I would have
never thought that in reading that, although I agree with that.
I don't agree with that for this scripture because God is a jealous
God. His name is Jealous. And He's
jealous of His own honor. He's jealous of His own glory.
And He's jealous of me and you. He said He's a jealous God. He
desires our devotion and our affection in all things. But
looking in the context, the way he said, from which comes wars
and fightings among you, the lust at war in your members,
you lust and have not, and kill and desire to have, and so on,
that lets me know that what James is talking about is what's going
on on the inside. Do you think the scripture speaks
in vain that the spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy,
the most base of all human feelings? That's how bad it is. You know,
when I see myself envying somebody, how base, how sinful. Verse 6, but, but. Now, he painted a pretty
bleak picture, didn't he? But, he giveth more grace. Yet, he giveth more grace. Nevertheless, he giveth more
grace. In spite of all that I've said,
that we're so messed up, and we have lust, warring in our
members, and the Spirit is in us, lust is to envy, and all
those horrible descriptions of us, that when I read them, I
know it's true about me. But, in spite of that, He giveth
more grace. First, what is meant by grace? He giveth more grace. Now, how many hundreds of times
have I said grace means unmerited favor? It's God's favor toward
you that you did not merit. I won't deny that that's what
it means, but that doesn't take it far enough. Very often, when I'm getting
off New Circle Road onto the Nicholasville exit to go home,
there's some guy standing there with signs, needing money, money
for food, will work for food. I mean, they're able-bodied men.
They look like they ought to be having a job. And I don't
know what a lot of times kind of aggravates me when I see that
I'm thinking get a job man. You know I mean you've got health
and you've got ability and it could be that they can't and
I've got so I don't maybe I'm in a wrong attitude. I don't
know. But they are asking for things. Now what if I just decided
I'm going to give him five thousand dollars. Now that would be unmerited
favor. They didn't work for it. I just
gave it to them. That would be unmerited favor. That's grace. What if they killed my child?
What if they murdered my daughter? And then I still gave them $5,000. That's not unmerited favor. That's demerited favor. And I think that gives us a little
bit clearer understanding of what grace is. It's God lavishing
somebody with something that he absolutely, that person absolutely
deserves everything in the opposite. Grace. The bet. that he uses in, but
he giveth more grace. It's the same but that's in Ephesians
chapter 2 verse 4, but God. You are dead in trespasses and
sins. You are walking according to the course of this world,
the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now works
in the children of disobedience, but God. who is rich in mercy
for his great love wherewith he loved us even when we were
dead in sins hath quickened us together with Christ. The but
is the same but in Genesis chapter 6 verse 8. But Noah found grace
in the eyes of the Lord. He was in that bunch When God
looked at the wickedness and saw that the wickedness of man
was great in the earth and that every imagination of the thoughts
of his heart was only evil continually, Noah was in that bunch, but Noah
found grace in the eyes of the Lord. Now aren't you glad grace
isn't a one-time thing? He gives more grace. It's not a one-time act. He gives
more grace. In spite of the fact that we
have all these raging lusts in us, but he gives more grace. James is saying that even though
we're such a mess with these raging lusts warring in our members
that reach the point of envy, the basest of all human emotions,
he still gives more grace. Now when you are saved, as far
as your experience goes, how are you saved? Utterly and completely by grace. Isn't that so? It never changes. It's always
the same. It's always sovereign. God's
grace is always sovereign. You know what that means? He
gives it to you simply because He wills to do it. It doesn't
have anything to do with you. It's always free. There's nothing
you did to get it. God didn't say, look, they're reigning in
their lust now. I'm going to go ahead and give them grace. No, not
at all. It's always utterly free. It's always saving, but He giveth
more grace. You know how I can tell about
what a man believes about grace, about what a man believes about
election. I love that scripture, Romans
chapter 9 verse 11, But the children, being not yet born, neither having
done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election
might stand, Not of works. That's what election says. Salvation
has nothing to do with your works. It's all God. Not of works, but
of him that calleth. Now that, what do you think about
that? Let me tell you what I think
about it. I love it. I love the fact that God is absolutely
sovereign and glorifies God. He's God. Salvation is by grace. What a man believes about election.
will tell what he really believes about grace. I mean, everybody
says, well, I believe in grace. Well, tell me what you think
about Romans 9 and 11. And that will expose as to whether or
not someone really believes in grace. But how much of election is by grace?
That's the way it always is. But he giveth more grace. And then he says, in the other
part of the verse, wherefore, in light of the fact that he
giveth more grace, wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud. He's against the proud. He's
opposed to the proud. He's an enemy of the proud. God resists the proud. but he giveth grace to the humble. Now who are these proud people?
What's he talking about when he says God resists the proud? This is a quotation of Proverbs
chapter 3 verse 34. He scorneth the scorners but
he giveth grace to the lowly. Who is a proud man? A proud man
is a man. Now listen real carefully. This
will answer that question. A proud man is a man that can
compare himself to somebody else and find in that comparison a
reason why God would do something for him. That's what a proud
man he is. Now, as far as pride, I want
everyone to take pride in what they do. In a sense, I want us
to always do our best. I want us to be successful. I
want us to be all those things in whatever we're doing. Take
pride in workmanship, pride in what you're doing. If you have
a job, be the best at it. That's good. That's the way it
ought to be. We ought to do that for the glory of Christ. But
when he's talking about this pride, God resists the proud. He's talking
about a man who can look at somebody else and see something in himself
that he thinks, well, at least I'm not like that person. God
must be doing something for me. Who's the man that was like this?
You remember the Pharisee in the temple? God, I thank thee. I'm giving you the credit that
I'm not as other men And then he starts talking about what
he didn't do and what he did. I fast twice in the week. I get
tithes of all that I possess. I'm not in torture. I'm not unjust. I'm not like this publican. He
could look at this publican and say, I'm better than he is. I
bet he even said, there go I, but for the grace of God. I'd
be just like that if God didn't enable me to be such a better
person. Now, pride, in that sense, God
is the enemy of that one who is proud. God resists the proud. He resisted that Pharisee. You
remember what he said about the publican? He said, I tell you,
that man went down to his house justified rather than the other.
That other man went down to his house in sins. So pride is looking
at somebody else and finding some hope in me because in some
way I'm better than What's humility? God resists the proud and he
gives grace to the humble. Now, the humble are the poor
in spirit, the poor and needy. The humble
man has nothing. about him that he would dare
to try to use to recommend himself to God. He has nothing. It's only the man who has nothing
that really believes that Christ is all in his salvation. All
he has is Christ. He doesn't have anything else.
God resists the proud, but he gives grace to the humble. Now I read in a Charles Spurgeon
sermon, and I really believe this is the best definition of
humility I've ever read. Humility is a just estimate of
yourself. It's a just estimate of yourself. You know that passage of scripture
in 1 Corinthians chapter 1510 where Paul said, by the grace
of God, I am what I am. Do you know, I don't know how
many times I've quoted that wrong. I've quoted, I am what I am by
the grace of God. Now, that changes the meaning
of it. If I say that, the emphasis is on me. I am what I am. Look
at me. I am what I am by grace, but
look at me. I am what I am by the grace of
God. That's not the way it's to be quoted. It's to be quoted
as Paul said, by the grace of God. I am what I am. What are you, Paul? First of all, I'm united to the
Lord Jesus Christ eternally, and that's by the grace of God.
What are you, Paul? I'm a sinner. I'm a sinner. I really believe
that all I am is a sinner. I cannot refrain and keep from
sin. I can't spend five seconds without
sin. I am a sinner. And the only ones
who know that about themselves are those that God has given
grace to. I am what I am. I'm a sinner
by the grace of God. The songwriter said a sinner
is a sacred thing. The Holy Ghost hath made him
so. I'm a forgiven sinner. Beloved, that's by the grace
of God. It's not because of anything I did. I'm a justified sinner. I stand before God without guilt,
perfect in God's sight. Beloved, that's by the grace
of God. I'm a redeemed sinner. Christ has redeemed me from all
iniquity. I have no sin. Oh, that's by
the grace of God. That has absolutely nothing to
do with any works I've performed. I've been regenerated. I'm a
regenerated sinner. I've been born from above. And
that's by the grace of God. I'm a believing sinner. I have
faith. You know, right now I really
am resting in Jesus Christ as everything in my salvation. I
really am. I'm not looking anywhere else. That's by the grace of
God. I'm a repentant sinner. I'm in a continual state of change
in my mind. That's by the grace of God. I'm
preserved. I'm still believing. I'm continuing
in the faith. That's by the grace of God. Humility
is a just estimate of yourself. By the grace of God, I am what
I am. You know what the Bible says?
God gives grace. God gives grace to the humble. Now, I have entitled this message, The Only Remedy, More Grace. Amen. Let's pray.