JAMES 4
What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passionsare at war within you? 2 You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. 4 You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 5 Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”? – James 4:1-5
JAMES 4 WORLDLY PASSIONS LEAD TO SIN
A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses
When we desire earthly things, we open doors to sin
The devil prowls to keep us away from Him
The Lord God made us in his own image
So that we look more and more like Him
We were created for worshiping only Him
When we pursue worldly things, it leads to sin.
The book of James exposes the many causes of sin. In these following verses, he identifies the sources of quarrels and fights which in itself are sins. He points out that passions and desires make us do things that lead to quarrels and fights. Passions and desire can be good if it is going to bring glory to the Lord, but if they are things that are worldly, it will definitely open doors to sin. In verse 4, James mentions adultery as friendship with the world. Many bible verses especially in the book of Hosea, spiritual adultery is synonymous to idolatry. God is steadfast and faithful and he expects his people to also be devoted to him alone because he is a jealous God, wanting our loyalty and service to him alone. He won’t settle for less or won’t be pleased if we are seeking worldly pleasures instead of his love for us. James uses very strong language as an enemy of God if we are hedonistic or pleasure seekers. In verse 5, God yearns jealously for the desire that he has put in our hearts which is to long for him alone. When we have idols that we place prior to our devotion to Him, he hates that because we are hurting ourselves when we do that.
Covetousness is also another source of such sins. When we want to possess what we do not have or own, we resort to doing anything in our power to get that desire or want. That is covetousness. That will lead to other sins such as murder as he talks about in verse 2.
He also identifies in verse 3 that selfishness and pride also lead to conflicts. When a believer is not humble enough to ask God for something good for him, pride is clearly the reason for such self-sufficiency. When we are independent and self-reliant, we discount the need to ask for help from a higher source. We think we can take care of things. This mindset clearly removes God in the picture who is the source of all help and wisdom.
REFLECTION
· Cite instances when a good passion or desire can easily turn into an idol that God hates?
