James 5:12 - Say What You Mean; Mean What You Say

In the next few verses as James closes out the letter, he gives a series of directions, not necessarily commands, but advice on living together in the Christian family of believers. This is the first of a series instructions that end the letter, on how to live while waiting for Christ’s return

He deals with:

• honesty and reputation (v. 12); 
• praying for the sick in health and circumstances (vs. 13-15); 
• prayer for those who are struggling in their faith (vs. 16-18); 
• and helping those who struggle in their faith to return (vs. 19-20).

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12 “Above all, my friends, do not use an oath when you make a promise. Do not swear by heaven or by earth or by anything else. Say only ‘Yes’ when you mean yes, and ‘No’ when you mean no, and then you will not come under God's judgment.”

Let Your Word Be Your Bond

V. 12 - “above all” - James is saying, “In addition to all the issues just discussed in this letter, include the following in your life in Christ.”

“Do not use an oath” - This is not about foul language, but appealing to a ‘higher power’ to guarantee a promise. It seems that it had become a common occurrence for someone to say, “I swear by all that is holy that I will…” or, (I swear by God that what I said is the truth.” It had become a Jewish custom of swearing oaths, unnecessary and improper; basically using God in an oath appeals to His involvement.

Here is an example of ‘swearing’ from our court system: “Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?” (I think in our degraded society, this question is no longer asked, especially using a Bible and the name of the Lord.)

I got the following from a commentary by Matthew Henry: “The true nature of an oath is, by our speech, to pawn the reputation of some certain or great thing, for the averring of a doubted less thing; and not (as is commonly held) an appeal to God or other judge."

Don’t use God, His Name, or His Son as a guarantor of your commitment or pledge. Your personal reputation must be evident to those around you based on the way you act and live. There should be no question when you say you will do thus or so. “You said it, that settles it.” (Note 1) A handshake is all the contract needed because you are trustworthy.

How is this different than praying in Jesus' name? An ‘oath’ is asking a higher power to guarantee the result. Asking in “Jesus’ Name” is appealing to God’s grace and mercy based on the price Christ paid for our sins. For that reason alone, we should be aware to not use Jesus’ Name when asking for frivolous things, for wants and desires and pleasures. I do not mean it is a sin to ask for ‘wants’ to be fulfilled, but God is not a piggy bank to be raided to get what I want.

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Note 1: I think that is a quote from an old Walter Brennan TV series “The Guns of Will Sonnett”.

James 5:7-11 - Don’t Be Frustrated

7 Be patient, then, my friends, until the Lord comes. See how patient farmers are as they wait for their land to produce precious crops. They wait patiently for the autumn and spring rains.
8 You also must be patient. Keep your hopes high, for the day of the Lord's coming is near.
9 Do not complain against one another, my friends, so that God will not judge you. The Judge is near, ready to appear.
10 My friends, remember the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. Take them as examples of patient endurance under suffering.
11 We call them happy because they endured. You have heard of Job's patience, and you know how the Lord provided for him in the end. For the Lord is full of mercy and compassion. (GNB)

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Up to this point James has dealt with specific problems the church was having. He closes the letter with several paragraphs in which he discusses some of the same topics that concern us. For example: how long will it take for the Lord to return? We are ready for Him, now!

He counsels patience, it is God’s timing, not ours. Don’t let the frustration of waiting, and waiting, and waiting, cause you to snip at other believers. Keep your life simple, clinging to the Lord. Don’t over-promise. Help each other in their troubles. Pray for each other. Confess your sins to each other. Baring your troubles to each other does not absolve you, or cleanse you, but it does keep you honest and centered on Jesus.

Jesus has promised eternal life with Him. He does not promise an easy life while you live on earth. The early church suffered, a lot! When you experience hardship, what enables you to be patient and wait for God?

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In this section of the letter, one of the most frequently mentioned words is patience. He deals with patience among friends, and how they deal and talk with each other. In some ways, the patience referenced here is more passive than that mentioned in chapter 1. We are waiting for the Lord’s return, which has not been announced, yet. James also notes that the Old Testament prophets are worthy of imitation. Why? Because they knew, or believed the Messiah was coming, maybe even imminent. But they had the same time frame we do - unknown to us, and known only to the Lord.

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Subjects of Patience are brought up in the following verses:

• Waiting for Lord's return. (v. 7)
• Strengthen hearts.  (v. 8)
• Fellow believers.  (v. 9)
• Prophets.  (v. 10)
• Job.  (v. 11)

James gives us several examples of patience:

• The Farmer who must wait for God (See 5:7); 
• The prophets who showed attitudes of faithfulness and obedience (v. 5:10); 
• And Job, who shows us that trials can be used to mature our faith (v. 5:11).

Have Patience. Have Patience. Don't Be In Such A Hurry

V. 7 - “Be patient, then, my friends, until the Lord comes. See how patient farmers are as they wait for their land to produce precious crops. They wait patiently for the autumn and spring rains.”

“Be patient, then, my friends, until the Lord comes.” - All right, believers, wait patiently because something big is coming - Lord's return!

“See how patient farmers are” - We can learn from farmers. They must be patient, because they can do nothing to hasten or delay the rains, which they need to irrigate the crops. They were dry land farmers - no circle pivot sprinkler system for them! You might carry water in clay jugs to water a garden or some spices. In some ways, this makes me think of the wheat farmers in Central and Eastern Oregon or Washington. You can drive by thousands of acres of wheat farms in that area. There are no sprinkler systems to water those fields, other than the rains. The farmer can do nothing but wait for the land to produce the planted crop. (See Note 1, below)

V. 8 - “Keep your hopes high, for the day of the Lord's coming is near.” -

Christ's return: IMMINENT! That’s how they thought, and it added some urgency to their message and lives. We look back at over 2000 years of waiting and go, “Meh!” We shrug our shoulders. We have lost the urgency; we really don’t think it will happen SOON! That is on us. We tell ourselves that if we knew it was next week, or month, or year, that we would get excited and get moving. But since we don’t really believe it is imminent we are lackadaisical.

James is urging us to stand firm in our faith and hope for Christ’s return. Don’t slip into the world’s way. The longer we wait, the stronger the temptation is to doubt Christ’s return, and in some cases to doubt the efficacy of our faith. We may think why should we “establish our hearts”, be resolute, firm, have courage, strengthen, or stand firm?

We need to stand firm and be resolute because we do not know, and we must be ready for His return. Note the 'tone' shifts from passive to more active endurance...

V. 9 - “Do not complain against one another, my friends, so that God will not judge you. The Judge is near, ready to appear. “

“Do not complain against one another, my friends” - Because we are waiting, and are not sure of the timing, our patience is tested and may grow weak. Then we begin to grumble at each other, losing patience with each other. If you are suffering persecution because of your confession of faith, some groaning may be appropriate (See: Rom 8:23, Mk 7:34) as we long for His return. Grumbling and sniping at each other is not what we should be doing.

V. 10 - “My friends, remember the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. Take them as examples of patient endurance under suffering.”

“remember the prophets” - James brings forth the Old Testament prophets as part of this theme of trials and testing. The Jewish culture would know, and think of the names all by themselves. The Gentile Christians may need a refresher course on the prophets to help them see how these people were given a glimpse of the future coming of the Savior and Messiah, but it was not something they saw during their lifetimes. They did not lose heart. They did not doubt the Lord’s promise of a coming savior.

V. 11 - “We call them happy because they endured. You have heard of Job's patience, and you know how the Lord provided for him in the end. For the Lord is full of mercy and compassion.”

“We call them happy because they endured” - There were several hundred years between the prophets visions and the advent of the Lord, that is about 500 year gap between the exiles returning from Babylon and Christ’s birth.

“You have heard of Job's patience” - What were they to learn from Job's example? (He endured and was blessed (he was indwelt by God, the Holy Spirit, and was blessed). By implication, we are to hold on to the promise of Christ’s return for us, and our reward will be great also!

James has completed what he wanted to say about testing, temptation, wisdom and generosity - next two paragraphs are the conclusion...

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Note 1: "early and late rains" - most commentators tell us that there are two rainy seasons in Judah/Israel - Fall (the early rain) and Spring (the late rain). Because they did not have irrigation systems or powered farm equipment, they were very dependent on the rains. The early rains moistened the soil so it could be tilled and planted. The late rains provided the needed moisture so the crops would grow ripen and produce. Rain was critical, so the farmers waited, there was little else they could do. Some commentators indicate this is an idiom for first and second coming of the messiah. The Jews waited patiently for the Messiah. Unfortunately, most rejected Him. Which led to salvation for Gentiles as well as Jews - Praise the Lord. Now, we wait patiently (mostly) for the triumphal return of our Lord and Savior.
Note 2: Instead of retaliating or seeking vengeance, what are the poor to do? (hold on, and your reward too, will be great)

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James 5:1-6 - Rich People. Wake Up!

OUTLINE - James Chapter 5 5:1-6 – Rich vs. Poor 5:7-8 - Poor vs. Rich 5:9-11 – Be patient 5:12 - No Oaths 5:13-15 - Pray for the sick 5:16-18 – Pray for one another

The basic sin described in this paragraph is greed. The previous passage (4:12-17) seemed to be aimed at the merchant class, or businessmen. This passage is addressed to the landowner class. James is speaking in these two paragraphs (4:12-17 and 5:1-6) to relatively wealthy people. Some commentaries indicated this part of the epistle was not written to believers. That doesn’t make sense since the epistle was addressed to believers (as were all the epistles). There is nothing essentially evil about money.

Big Idea: Wealth is worthless in the face of judgement, esp., wealth gained at the expense of the poor.

It would be real easy to conclude that being rich is a sin and Christians should avoid being rich! I do not think that is what is being taught here. If we look back through scripture, we see several people who were rich. Note that Abraham was quite wealthy, as was Barnabas in the NT. Mary, Martha, and Lazarus may have been wealthy, and there were several wealthy disciples that support Paul in his missionary journeys. We are warned “But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. But flee from these things, you man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness.” (1 Tim 6:9-11) (See Note 1)

The problem is not that you own riches, but that the riches own you. Christianity is to be lived in complete dependence on the Lord. This is not a screed against wealth. James is rebuking those people most likely to live independent from God - the rich. Riches can present an additional and significant obstacle the kingdom of God. (See: “ And Jesus said to his disciples, Truly I say to you, It is hard for a man with much money to go into the kingdom of heaven. And again I say to you, It is simpler for a camel to go through a needle's eye, than for a man with much money to go into the kingdom of God.” Matt 19:23-24).

Wallowing in wealth is wicked. See the woe: Luke 6:24. “But unhappy are you who have wealth: for you have been comforted now.”

 James 5:1-6 - Rich People! Wake Up! 

1 And now, you rich people, listen to me! Weep and wail over the miseries that are coming upon you!
2 Your riches have rotted away, and your clothes have been eaten by moths.
3 Your gold and silver are covered with rust, and this rust will be a witness against you and will eat up your flesh like fire. You have piled up riches in these last days.
4 You have not paid any wages to those who work in your fields. Listen to their complaints! The cries of those who gather in your crops have reached the ears of God, the Lord Almighty.
5 Your life here on earth has been full of luxury and pleasure. You have made yourselves fat for the day of slaughter
6 You have condemned and murdered innocent people, and they do not resist you. (GNB)

Rich Versus Poor

V. 1 - “And now, you rich people, listen to me! Weep and wail over the miseries that are coming upon you!”

“rich people, listen to me!” - There is a great gulf between the rich and poor. We in the United States probably do not understand how blessed we are. I just saw a speech to a college class. The speaker was addressing ‘global warming’, and was making the point that the majority of humans do not care about ‘global warming’. We might wonder how can this be! He made the point that most people on the planet are so poor that staying alive took all of their attention and effort. One of his points: the majority of people do not have indoor plumbing; some don’t have an outhouse either! Are those people are worried about whether the oceans may rise 6”? Who worries about the fate of spotted owls when every waking moment is spent desperately seeking food in order to survive?

That is part of the point being made by James. The rich are focused on riches, with no concern about the needs and desperate situation of the rest of people around them. The poor lived day-to-day, scraping together enough to make it until tomorrow when they would scrape again to meet their needs. Most people did not have multiple sets of clothing - they had enough to cover their backs, period. (Note God warns creditors who take a debtors outer garment as payment for a debt, that the garment had to be given back each evening so the debtor will not freeze at night. Deut 24:12ff).

So whatever concerns a rich man may have, those concerns pale compared to people around them.

“Weep and wail over the miseries that are coming upon you!” - The hyperbole in these six verses is there to grab your attention. You may react with, “Oh. Come on, it can’t be that bad.” Of course nothing James says here applies to us…

The heated language, the stark images, grab you and lead you to consider that your actions may be harmful to others, even though you haven’t sought to harm them. Unintentional sin harms in the same way that being deliberately disobedient harms. God knows that we sin, and has provided salvation from those sins. He also knows we may reject His teachings and instruction, turning our back upon Him and His laws, indicating that we believe His laws do not apply to us. The forgiveness provided by Jesus does not mean we won’t suffer some consequences both here on earth and when we face the Judgment Seat of Christ when He returns.

There will be consequences. The weeping and wailing may come when our actions towards those in need are compared, and we see what we should have done! Then it is noted that our names are in the Lamb’s Book of Life - we are eternally with the Lord! No more weeping and wailing, because bore the penalty for those sins also. He has taken our punishment upon Himself.

We are told in Revelation there will be no weeping and wailing in heaven when all is completed. (See Note 2, below) But there is a lot of weeping, worrying, and crying by those people who have placed their hopes in their money, their businesses, their wheeling and dealing. They stand far off and wail at what is happening (See: Rev 17-19).

If we compare verse 4:9 to v. 5:1, we see James encouraging self-imposed moderation and concern for the poor, leading to repentance; versus the fear and trembling caused by the horror of judgement for those who reject Christ. No Christian should ever have the fear of judgment because of the way they have failed to live for Christ. Our lives are changed by the Holy Spirit to follow and obey Jesus’ teachings. The “miseries” are the realizations that come from looking realistically at the Day of Judgment.

V. 2 - “Your riches have rotted away, and your clothes have been eaten by moths.” -

Here James posits some of the miseries that will come. What is your greatest fear as a rich person? All your riches are gone. You have nothing to live on. You have no home. Think about the dire warning for those thinking of retiring: have enough put away so you can be independent for as long as you live. You don’t want to run out of retirement funds. Think of the huge business that investment companies and the massive government bureaucracy that supports Social Security (there it is: Security).

Our clothes are part of the costume we assume when we live. What you wear, what you drive, and your home (or homes) all are signs of your ‘wealth’. Watch some TV programs located in early 1900’s, say in London - it is easy to tell if a person is of ‘substance’ with riches and power or is a ‘working stiff’. If a guy steps out of a fancy luxury car, wearing an expensive suit, you immediately form a judgment about his wealth. Certain home addresses are prestigious - signs to us of riches and power (note: you know you can’t afford to live there). The following are verses about clothing and riches: Gen 45:22; Josh 7:21; Jdg 14:12; 2 Kings 5:5; Acts 20:33.

V. 3 - “Your gold and silver are covered with rust, and this rust will be a witness against you and will eat up your flesh like fire. You have piled up riches in these last days.”

“Your gold and silver are covered with rust ” - More hyperbole from James! The picture here is wealth will not get you out of judgement. You cannot buy your way out now. You definitely will not after you die. Your riches are worthless, it will lay there gathering dust and rust but you will still be lost. Rust is a symbol of disuse, and an indication of destruction.

“In a these last days” - James reminded them of their inappropriate efforts to accumulate treasures. They are focusing on ‘getting enough’ without paying attention to what is truly important - their relationship with Jesus.

Although this letter is written to a specific group of people. It’s warning should not be lost on us. We must re-examine our focus and efforts. Are we working to accumulate wealth? Are we using our talents and finances to further God’s work here and around. us?Although this letter is written to a specific group of people. It’s warning should not be lost on us. We must re-examine our focus and efforts. Are we working to accumulate wealth? Are we using our talents and finances to further God’s work here and around. us?

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V. 4 - “You have not paid any wages to those who work in your fields. Listen to their complaints! The cries of those who gather in your crops have reached the ears of God, the Lord Almighty.”

“You have not paid any wages to those who work in your fields” - James is saying the rich in this case are being unjust in dealing with the workers they employ. Did the rich get their wealth by cheating? This does not mean that all rich people cheat those working for them.

“The cries of those who gather in your crops have reached the ears of God, the Lord Almighty” - God gives instructions to the Israelites (See: Lev 19:13; Deut 24:14-15) regarding the payment of wages earned. Note the wages were to be paid to hired workers at the end of each day’s labor (See: Mat 20:8). If they weren’t paid, it was like cheating them, because they may need that money to live on. These people were day laborers, not slaves.

V. 5 - “Your life here on earth has been full of luxury and pleasure. You have made yourselves fat for the day of slaughter"

“Your life here on earth has been full of luxury and pleasure.” - The lifestyle of the ‘rich and famous’ is so vastly different than the day laborer. There is no worrying about if you will eat today, or if you will have a bed to sleep in tonight. For a dose of reality, the lifestyle of the average U. S. American citizen is vastly different than most people in the world (note: “most people” do not live in England or Europe - most of those are not in the ‘lap of luxury’. But we in western countries have indoor plumbing; we can go to stores with food on the shelves, we are not required to walk everywhere, we live in heated homes, or with air conditioning).

“Made yourselves fat for the day of slaughter” - The rich live only for themselves, having indulged selves up to the limit. They have taken no notice of the plight of the poor all around them.

V. 6 - “You have condemned and murdered innocent people, and they do not resist you” -

Basically, James is referring to the rich who have used their wealth to oppress the less fortunate. The poor do no resist. What can they do, since what has been done appears to be legal. Some societies had ‘debtor prisons’, or ‘poor houses’, in order to beat it out of you, force your wife, or relatives to come up with the payment. (Does this make any sense: throwing someone in ‘jail’ until they cough up the cash?)

In some ways we might consider that James is reminding these believers the way they used to live that is before they accepted Christ as Lord and Savior. There are consequences that come from the way we live. Eternally, those costs have been paid by Jesus’ death on the cross. His sacrifice was fully accepted by God, as evidenced in Jesus’ resurrection and glorification! But, while we are here on earth, we (the rich) may be reviled, even persecuted for having too much stuff.

Conclusion: James has exposed some of the sins related to wealth (as if we didn’t know them already):

1. Covetousness, (vs. 2-3) - we want what they have, and will do anything to get it; 
2. Oppression, (v. 4) - we want to keep what we have, and will harm others to keep it;  
3. Sensuality and voluptuousness, (v. 5) - Luxury makes people wanton (See Hos. 13:6 - “When I gave them food they were full, and their hearts were full of pride, and they did not keep me in mind.”), we like what we have, and want more of it; 
4. Persecution, (v.6) - going after others to keep them from having what we have.

James also helps us see some of the problems caused by amassing wealth, and can be seenalso in the following scriptures: The worries of the world intrude (Mt 13:22; Mk 4:19): we can become self-satisfied; and not rich toward God (Lk 18:14, 12:21);and, the rich are tempted by riches, and can desire more than is needed to live on (1Tim 6:9). This is a small list, but it gets us thinking…

Which brings us to the question: Is it a sin to be wealthy? Most definitely not (note the previous comment that several Biblical saints were very wealthy). God reminded the Jews, that their riches are from God, to confirm the covenant (Deut 8:17-18); that God provides all you need, working hard adds nothing (Pro 10:22); and He provides a warning - Woe! To those who have gained by cheating (Isa 10:1-4).

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In summary, here are some examples of James uses and warnings about being rich: Jam. 1:10-11 - The riches you have now are not permanent, “You can’t take it with you.” Jam. 2:3-6 - Showing favor to the rich over all others. Jam. 5:1-6 - Depending on your riches will fail when you face judgement day.

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Note 1: Guy H. King; “A Belief That Behaves”; etc.
Note 2: We are also told in Revelation, that believers will face Christ and receive 'rewards' based on our living for Christ here on earth. Some will receive crowns; others will get in by the skin of their teeth.

Historical Background: I believe that each family of each tribe received a plot of land on which to grow crops and animals (See Lev.-Joshua). A large family received a larger plot than an small family. If a family had to sell their plot due to financial stress, the sale was not permanent - the property returned to the family on the Sabbath Year. There may have been instances when a family tragedy wiped them all out, in which case the ‘new owner’ would have no one to whom to return the land. It is also likely that hugger-mugger was afoot at times, and families would be cheated out of land, enriching the cheater. If you had more land than needed to feed your family, you could make money selling your crops and herds to those in need. If you owed money you could not pay, then you could go to work for that person to pay your debt. The property was ‘his’ until the debt was paid; the property reverted back to you when the debt was cancelled.
(Note: There was an instance of some women who were single (unmarried or widowed). They and their plot were assigned to tribe member (not family, but tribe) until such time as the women bore a male child. The plot was then assigned to that male child so as to retain the plot in the family (See Lev/Deut).

James 4:13-17 - Making Plans

13 Now listen to me, you that say, “Today or tomorrow we will travel to a certain city, where we will stay a year and go into business and make a lot of money.”
14 You don't even know what your life tomorrow will be! You are like a puff of smoke, which appears for a moment and then disappears.
15 What you should say is this: “If the Lord is willing, we will live and do this or that.”
16 But now you are proud, and you boast; all such boasting is wrong.
17 So then, if we do not do the good we know we should do, we are guilty of sin. (GNB)

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Remember, the purpose of this letter is to emphasize works as a result of faith. Look back to the previous chapters - each ‘paragraph’ deals with how you should be living out your faith in Christ. Faith is not a ‘one-way’ activity in which you proclaim you believe in Jesus. Your life is changed by your faith in Christ. See: “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.” (2 Cor 5:17)

Notice the change in the way James addresses them? Some anger, some disdain vss 1-12; and some impatience vss 13-17.

Live and Plan By Faith

V. 13 - “Today or tomorrow we will travel… we will stay a year… go into business… make a lot of money. ” - James is talking about a merchants, business men, making plans to grow their wealth. This is probably not referring to a local peddler or farmer. Although, the local businessman may have plans to increase the size of his store, farm, or ranch. [See note 1, below]

I do not think this is a teaching against business, making a profit, or work in general. If a business is to be successful, there must be planning and hard work to bring the plans to pass. We can see in Col 3:23 “Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men,” And we are reminded to be diligent in all that we do (Rom 12:11).
The issue James is addressing is that they are leaving God out of their plans. They are having “an affair with the world.” God’s will is not evident in the business plan - anywhere. We cannot serve two masters - the world and God (Mt 6:24). We become lovers of self (we are always that, but this shuns the Lord), boastful, and arrogant (2 Tim 3:2-4). And John’s letter reminds us to “not love the world…” (1 John 2:15) There is testing and trials that come with respect to wealth.

”We will…” - Definite plans of things to do, but without any mention of God and His will for their lives. This paragraph is not a screed against business. It is a warning against a mindset that leaves God out. James is urging us to take up a new norm for our human activity - ‘as God wills’ should be added to all of our planning. Saying, “We are selling our house and moving to Wyoming”, is making plans without the Lord. Or, “We are going to buy a house on the coast and use it for vacations”, is no better than the businessman planning his life out.

V. 14 - “You don't even know what your life tomorrow will be!” -
We don’t know the future. We cannot see one minute into the future. My wife had no idea several months ago that she would trip and fall while walking the dog, breaking her left wrist and right forearm, that she would need surgery to repair the damage. I never dreamed that I would tear a leg muscle while cleaning up a flower bed. Believe me, I would not have been working on my hands and knees that day had I known. She would not have walked the dog. See Pro 27:1 - “Do not boast about tomorrow, For you do not know what a day may bring forth.” Our lives are so fleeting, yet we have a false sense of security when things seem to be going well.

V. 15 - “What you should say is this: “If the Lord is willing, we will live and do this or that.” -
James is indicating that boasting about the future is an affront to God. Get yourself in the habit of saying, “If God wills…” when you are making plans.

More than saying that, get in the habit of asking God what He wants you to do. Ask Him for guidance. I remind God (although He doesn’t need it) that I am not a bright man, and don’t read clues real well. He knows that I don’t catch hints very well. It is not God’s fault. It is my lack.

When I graduated from college - an electrical engineering student out of OSU - I went through seemingly unending job interviews, with no prospects or offers. We were praying for God to show us the way. One day I mentioned to Donna that God may need to send me a letter because I wasn’t seeing any hope. Yup, you guessed it. A few days later, I got a letter from Hyster Company (they manufacture forklifts) for an interview, and got an offer. God met my need with a ‘miracle’ job - I may have been the only electrical engineer working at Hyster at that time - testing their prototype electric powered forklifts! Praise the Lord!

V. 16 - “But now you are proud, and you boast; all such boasting is wrong.” - They are not cheating others, or stealing. What are they not doing? They are not trusting God, not demonstrating faith in Jesus. This is a sinfulness of presumption - assuming you have things under control, and don’t need God. It could be the sin of arrogance, or the sin of thoughtlessness - mindlessly ignoring God and His place in your life. Disregarding God's will tantamount to saying, "I am sovereign..." The unbeliever will seldom have concern for God’s will in their life. But not you, Christian friend. No, not you, for Christ is in you and you have the choice of letting God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit work out your life to His glory.

Look back to Jam 4:12 - God alone can save. God can guide you in the way He wants you to go. That is the recipe for humility - our lives are in His hands. See: “And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.” (Heb 4:13)

V. 17 - “So then, if we do not do the good we know we should do, we are guilty of sin.” - Ponder on how this verse ties it all together. James reminds us that it is our duty to give preference to God’s will. It is both good to do God’s will, and we are reminded we are called to obey Him.

Paul gives us a couple of good examples of basing his actions on “God’s will…” (See: Acts 18:21; 1 Cor 4:19).

Jesus gave us the parable of the foolish man who was making plans without God (Luke 12:16-21). We also see that we need to put God’s will foremost in our planning, as Jesus said, “Not my will, but Thine, be done,” (Luke 22:42). Also, we will learn to love His will over our own. (See Note 2)

His will is not just to be suffered - doing it because we have to do it. We will begin to see His will as ‘good, acceptable, and perfect’ (Rom 12:2).

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Note 1: James deals with rich people and riches in three sections of this letter; 1:10-11, 2:3-6, 4:13-17, and 5:1-6.

Note 2: Guarding against greed in your life is a theme that runs through the NT. See:  “Then He said to them, “Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions.” (Luke 12:15) “being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips,” (Rom 1:29) “But immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints;” (Eph 5:3) “Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry.” (Col 3:5)

Note 3: Some thoughts to ponder - What purchase is highest on your list now?
If you won the lottery, how would you use the first $100,000? 

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End of Chapter
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James 4:11-12 - God Is the Only Judge

11 Do not criticize one another, my friends. If you criticize or judge another Christian, you criticize and judge the Law. If you judge the Law, then you are no longer one who obeys the Law, but one who judges it.
12 God is the only lawgiver and judge. He alone can save and destroy. Who do you think you are, to judge someone else? (GNB) 

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This section continues the discussion about life together as a church. It is about the way we treat others, especially the things you say about other believers.

You Shall Love One Another

V. 11 - “Do not criticize one another, my friends. If you criticize or judge another Christian, you criticize and judge the Law. If you judge the Law, then you are no longer one who obeys the Law, but one who judges it.” -

“Do not criticize one another“ - The word here, ‘criticize’, (used three times) is sometimes translated ‘slander’ or ‘speak evil against’. We think of slander as lies and accusations made against another person when they are not present. We are saying bad things about that person who is not present to defend themselves or rebut our accusations. Slander is a sin of judgement and pride; to speak evil about people when they can't defend themselves. ”It is a harsh and uncharitable spirit that is ever finding fault with other people, whether to their face or behind their back.” (See: Note 1)

I will confess that I found it difficult to understand how ‘criticizing’ another believer is a sin. How is ‘slander’ a sin, and the same as ‘speak evil’ which is a sin? I had to stop and ponder this for a while. How is slander placing myself above the law?

I think I can explain this way: The Law, whether our civil law or that which is from the Bible, is the ‘standard’ which you measure yourself or your actions against. Does your action show obedience or flagrance compared to the standard? If you do not violate the standard there is no problem. If you do violate, you have sinned. I think the answer is in the ninth commandment (Exo. 20:16) and Jesus’ command (John 13:34) - don’t tell lies and love each other.

We can add Jesus’ answer to the question about which was the great commandment: “‘Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?’ And He said to him, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.’ This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’ ” (Matt 22:36-39)
I think I understand: If what I say about another is not said in Jesus’ love, it is a sin.

“Judge another Christian” - A reason to not criticize each other: We are “brothers”, family - See Gal 6:10 - “So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith.”

“If you criticize or judge another Christian, you criticize and judge the Law. If you judge the law” - Another reason to keep from slander - you are placing yourself above God’s Law. Not the Ten Commandments (and subsequent laws), but the Law as pronounced by Jesus “You shall love one another.” (Cf.: John 13:34-35, 15:12; Rom 12:10, 12:8; Eph 4:2; 1 Thes 3:12; 1 Pet 1:22).

You are saying you do not need to follow Jesus commands. “Laws keep people in line, they do not liberate. They are boundaries for a civil life.” [See note 2] Doing what you ‘think is right’ by your own estimation indicates you do not think the laws apply to you; placing yourself above or outside the law. You have ‘judged’ that the law is of no importance.

V. 12 - “God is the only lawgiver and judge. He alone can save and destroy. Who do you think you are, to judge someone else?” -

“Who do you think you are” - God alone gave us the Law. He alone is above and beyond the Law. “For the LORD is our judge, The LORD is our lawgiver, The LORD is our king; He will save us” (Isa 33:22). Also, Cf.: (Deut. 32:39; 2 Ki 5:7a.)

“He alone can save and destroy.” - Jesus told us, “Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Mat 10:28).

We should be careful to not confuse slander of another believer with confronting sinful behavior in a believer. We are urged to confront evil actions in other believers because their actions will damage the witness of the church. See: Mt 18:15-17 - reprove your brother, alone or with help; or, Tit 2:15 - speak, exhort, reprove; and, Tit. 3:10 - reject a factions man.

If we ‘speak evil’ against someone, see: Ps 50:16-20 - ‘slander, or defame your brother’; or, Rom 1:29 - ‘filled with unrighteousness...’; and, Tit 2:3 - ‘malicious gossips’. These are all problems related to our self-controlled spirit not following or obeying the Spirit of God working in us.  

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Note 1: King, Guy H.; “A Belief That Behaves”; Christian LIterature Crusade; Marshall, Morgan, & Scott, Ltd.; 1967.
Note 2: Brian Simmons; “Wrapped in Christ”; Broadstreet Publishing Group, LLC; 2022.

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James 4:6-10 - Submit to God

6 But the grace that God gives is even stronger. As the scripture says, “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
7 So then, submit yourselves to God. Resist the Devil, and he will run away from you.
8 Come near to God, and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners! Purify your hearts, you hypocrites!
9 Be sorrowful, cry, and weep; change your laughter into crying, your joy into gloom!.
10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. (GNB) (See Note 1)

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You Are Not Alone - Jesus Is In You!

The case is not hopeless. God does not leave us alone to struggle with the influence of sin in our lives. This is a major difference between our Christian faith and all other religions or faith (including Judaism!).  

V. 6 - “But the grace that God gives is even stronger. As the scripture says, ‘God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.’ ” -

“grace that God gives is even stronger” - Our spirits are strong, but not necessarily in a good way. Our natural spirit is opposed to being in the control of the Lord. Unfortunately, we aren’t so picky when it comes to being under the control of Satan. That is because we fool ourselves, being led by Satan, that we really haven’t ceded control. We must acknowledge that we relinquish control of our lives to the Lord. We do not need surrender to Satan, because by disobeying the Lord we essentially turn our lives over to Satan.  

God is stronger than Satan. His grace is the only hope we have of defeating Satan’s influence on our behavior. God’s grace is greater than the Law.“The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more” (Rom 5:20) God’s grace is a gift to us. “being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus” (Rom 3:24) 

“As the scripture says“ - James quotes from Proverbs (3:34). In Psalms we hear that God holds the lowly, but keeps the proud or haughty at arms length (at a minimum). (Psa 138:6)  

We are a proud and stubborn lot. We struggle at giving up control, or belief that we are in control. We must be humble enough to acknowledge that we NEED the Lord to save us. Being proud is dangerously close to saying you can make it without the Lord’s offer. Jesus disagreed, “Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.” (Mat 23:12)  

V. 7 - “So then, submit yourselves to God. Resist the Devil, and he will run away from you.” -

There is a line from a movie (I think it is “Once Upon a Time in the West”) when the villain says, “A man has got to know his limitations.” That fits this situation. I cannot resist the Devil on my own. But the grace of God is far, far greater than the power of Satan. Turn to the Lord, seek His help and power. Then, when you resist the Devil in the power and name of the Lord Jesus Christ, victory is the Lord’s (and yours). As you grow more confident in trusting the Lord you become less and less a victim of Satan’s wiles.  

We must not allow ourselves to be led astray by falling to the lies of the Devil. There are at least two aspects of resisting Satan’s influence in your spiritual life. James give us two commands on how to repent and turn your back on the lures of the Devil.  

First, and primary, you must submit to the Lord. As much as we struggle with this concept, we actually are involved in 'submission' throughout our existence. Some examples are: Jesus submitted himself to his parents (Luk 2:51); we need to submit ourselves to authorities (Rom 13:1); Wives are to submit to their husbands who commanded to love their wives (Eph 5:22-24); Servants and bond slaves submit in all circumstances (Tit 2:9, 1 Pet 2:18).
This idea of submission is not about being forced to submit. This is not about submitting at the point of a gun, but recognizing that the Lord is for you not against you. 

The second step pairs with submission - resist. Take a stand against Satan. He has no ultimate power over us. Both of these steps are not done under our own power, but under the control and guidance of the Holy Spirit.  

V. 8 - “Come near to God, and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners! Purify your hearts, you hypocrites!” -

“Come near to God” - The beautiful thing about this is God wants us to come near to Him! Read Psa. 63:1-11 is good example of the desire we should have in our hearts when coming to God. Here are a few snippets from that Psalm: “My soul thirsts for You - my flesh yearns for You - Your lovingkindness is better than life - I sing for joy. My soul clings to You - Everyone who swears by Him will glory.” Does that sound like someone who is approaching God grudgingly? He will never turn is back on us when we approach His throne in joy and thanksgiving.  

“Wash your hands… Purify your hearts” - These are ideas drawn from Psa 24:3-4. It is another poem about ritual, and also symbolic of inner purity. Drawing near to God is impossible in the carnal condition, in lieu of spiritual nearness. A natural man does not accept the things of God. (1 Cor 2:14 ) Is a pure heart a prerequisite to drawing near to God? Yes, it is. By our own power and effort the cause is hopeless. But God has solved that dilemma by the death and resurrection of His Son, and the gift of the Holy Spirit. Again, submitting (there it is again!) to the Holy Spirit’s leading, and confessing our sin (agreeing with His assessment that we have sinned) will do this very thing - purifying our hearts. Under the leading and direction of the Holy Spirit we can be made whole and approach the throne of God without fear. We can rejoice knowing He wants to hear our pleas.  

  V. 9 - “Be sorrowful, cry, and weep; change your laughter into crying, your joy into gloom!. -

  “Be sorrowful, cry, and weep” - I do not believe this is telling us to flagellate ourselves with whips, moan and cry aloud (See the parable in Luke 28:9-14 - told to some people who trusted themselves to be righteous!). This is not at all about outward demonstrations but the spiritual grieving and moaning which happens at the realization of our disobedience. What is desired here is: “the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death.” (2 Cor 7:10) 

“change your laughter into crying, your joy into gloom!. ” - Quit trying to ‘laugh it off’. This is not the time to think, “It wasn’t all that bad.” You can make a compromise like this and convince yourself it is okay. The problem is the next incident will be easier to make the compromise, and so we spiral down. When we begin to realize the trouble we are in… This is not getting out of a traffic ticket, but facing the Living God who knows you in every possible way. We cannot ‘sweet-talk’ our way out of this. The price must be paid.

V. 10 - “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.” - Being humble is the opposite of being proud. Your pride is able to convince yourself there is really no reason to confess your sin. Pride will stand in the way of you submitting to the Lord, which will get in the way of you admitting to the Lord that He is right and you have sinned. (Cf.: Pro 16:19; 3:34) The ‘proud’ are often referred to as ‘scoffers’ or ‘scorners’.           

The pride is not the “I am so good…” attitude, but more toward “Who needs God? Who needs to listen and obey? I don’t need the Word of the Lord, because I can handle this.” Jesus taught this concept in a parable about a Pharisee and a tax collector (cf.: Luk 18:9-14). One man was so glad he was not bad like these others; one of the others, a tax collector, cried out for mercy.  

“he will lift you up.” - You won’t ‘lift you up.’ You cannot. God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life. Only God can ‘lift you up.’ Trust Him. Confess to Him. He will forgive you, and you will be lifted up.

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Note 1: GNB = Good News Bible

James 4:1-5 - Sources of Quarrels

Introduction:

OUTLINE - James Chapter 4     4:1-5     – Sources of quarrels     4:6-10   – Draw near to God (Resist the Devil)     4:11-12 – Judging     4:13-17 – Planning the future

1 Where do all the fights and quarrels among you come from? They come from your desires for pleasure, which are constantly fighting within you.
2 You want things, but you cannot have them, so you are ready to kill; you strongly desire things, but you cannot get them, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have what you want because you do not ask God for it.
3 And when you ask, you do not receive it, because your motives are bad; you ask for things to use for your own pleasures.
4 Unfaithful people! Don't you know that to be the world's friend means to be God's enemy? If you want to be the world's friend, you make yourself God's enemy.
5 Don't think that there is no truth in the scripture that says, “The spirit that God placed in us is filled with fierce desires.” (GNB)

Quarrels Within the Church Body

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This section deals with life together as a church.

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V. 1 - “Where do all the fights and quarrels among you come from? They come from your desires for pleasure, which are constantly fighting within you.” -

The root cause of strife within the church comes from the strife that is going on within you - it is personal, internal, and it spills out into the church body. Compare this to 1 Cor 3:3 - “for you are still fleshly. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like mere men?”

“They come from your desires for pleasure“ - These cravings for pleasures within you are the problem, not the body of believers. It shows up as conflict between church members as they attempt to get their own way. The word ‘pleasure’ is the Greek word 'hedone', from which we get “hedonism”. See: “The mind of the wise is in the house of mourning, While the mind of fools is in the house of pleasure.” (Ecc 7:4 ) And see: “I said of laughter, ‘It is madness,’ and of pleasure, ‘What does it accomplish?’” (Ecc 2:2) Also: “The righteousness of the upright will deliver them, But the treacherous will be caught by their own greed.” (Pro 11:6) And then from the New Testament we have more admonitions about greed and seeking pleasure, see: Luk 12:15; Rom 1:29; Eph 5:3; Col 3:5.

“which are constantly fighting within you.” - Personal pleasure is not wrong, but the desire for continual gratification is sin. The ‘within you’ is internal, not with other church members. It is a struggle between your self (your spirit) and the Holy Spirit. Your self/spirit is not listening to the Holy Spirit and His leading, but to the hedonistic desires. This is an ongoing battle - one that will last until you stand face-to-face with the Lord in heaven. Then you will be free, free indeed. The fights and quarrels, the constant fighting, is a general discord that is not part of God’s design.

V. 2 - “You want things, but you cannot have them, so you are ready to kill; you strongly desire things, but you cannot get them, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have what you want because you do not ask God for it.

“You want things… strongly desire things,” - Strongly worded, this is not ”Oh, I wish I had…”; this is a desire that commands your every waking moment, your attention. You feel you can’t ‘live without it’. And when don't get what you want, it leads to frustration.

“Ready to kill” - You are so frustrated you are willing to do anything to satisfy those desires. In most instances this desire is 'metaphysical', an emotional escalation in which your mind cannot drop the issue. Look at Jesus’ teaching from his sermon “You have heard that it was said to our ancestors, Do not murder, and whoever murders will be subject to judgment. But I tell you, everyone who is angry with his brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Whoever insults his brother or sister, will be subject to the court. Whoever says, ‘You fool! ’ will be subject to hellfire.” (Mt 5:21,22)
It isn’t just the physical act of killing someone that demonstrates your basic sin nature. Your anger, your insults and denigrating people by calling them names shows that your spirit is not in the control of the Holy Spirit.

“so you quarrel and fight” - The result of letting your desires control your life is hostile actions against others. You trample on others - physically and emotionally. You show disregard for anyone but yourself. James repeats the idea that there is a war going on within you, a fight is being waged for control of your thoughts and actions.

“You do not ask” - You spend all of your efforts and time wishing, hoping, longing, and wanting. There is frustration. James says it is due lack of asking.

“You do not have what you want because you do not ask God for it.” - This is a strong and condemning statement.

V. 3 - “And when you ask, you do not receive it, because your motives are bad; you ask for things to use for your own pleasures. ” -

Simple. Per verse 2, all you have to do is ask God for what you want.

But wait, there’s more…

“And when you ask, you do not receive it” - That doesn’t seem right, or fair. You don’t have because you don’t ask God for it, and then when you ask He says, “No.” What’s up with that? But someone will say, "But I did ask." This is an instance that shows an inappropriate use of the expression 'in the name of Jesus' - implying (because of the phrase) that we are submissive to God; or we are using the name of Jesus as a magic talisman. Where did this ‘fake critic’ go wrong? Their aim was wrong because they were asking with wrong motives.

Motivation is the key. Prayer is not magic: i.e., You ask, therefore, you get. James is teaching us that the focus of our prayers is to be on Christ and what He has planned for us. When we are attuned to His plans, our prayers will be asked according to His will, not our selfish desires. He is not saying personal prayers are wrong, just personal prayers for self pleasure, wealth, revenge, etc.

Pray for healing of a friend or family member. Pray for peace in our nation, state, or city. Pray for family and friends to accept Jesus as Lord and Savior. These will all bring you joy. They are not for the collection and accumulation of stuff. The focus of these prayers are on Christ working in the lives of family, friends, neighbors and community. By these Jesus will be glorified. No one is glorified when you pray for a new car, new golf clubs, a diamond necklace - the motivation is wrong.

V. 4 - “Unfaithful people! Don't you know that to be the world's friend means to be God's enemy? If you want to be the world's friend, you make yourself God's enemy.” -

The central truth of this paragraph is “do not love the world...” (1 John 2:15-17) The ‘world’ is not only about the physical universe, but the spiritual, man-centered, Satan directed world. This where the enemies of God reside.

“Unfaithful people” - The concept here is “Adulterers”! The Jewish readers would quickly recognize this reference. They, too, were called unfaithful. See (Hos 9:1) “Do not rejoice, O Israel, with exultation like the nations! For you have played the harlot, forsaking your God. You have loved harlots’ earnings on every threshing floor.”
- This is human history, starting in Eden - we want to do what we want to do, whether God likes it or not. God tells Israel that their sin of rejecting Him was because they had received the necessary informationThis is to be expected from those who have not accepted Jesus or God as Lord of their lives. It is a tragedy when believers prefer to behave like unbelievers.

“World's friend” - This indicates a strong emotional attachment. This is not a hungry child asking for a scrap, but a greedy child demanding the best piece, or a spoiled child demanding his way. James is emphasizing the stark reality there are only two choices. There is no ‘homogenizing’ - a lot of God mixed in with a little Satan, stir well… No. This is a choice that must be made - black or white, light or dark, God or not-God.

Now, for those of us who have accepted Jesus Christ as Lord being the world’s friend means we have turned our back to the Lord. We choose to go in a direction we should not. See Rom 8:5-11 where we see that people have set their minds to seek the world, the flesh instead of God.

For believers, does this mean we lose our salvation? I do not think so. Christ has said that He will never let us go, we cannot be taken from His hand. He declares that we are his and he gave His life for us - who can give more than that? Answer: No One! We lose the guidance of the Holy Spirit in our lives, so we will struggle. We will live frustrated lives, knowing there is a better way, God will urge us and prompt us to repent and return to Him. We can repent and confess and be renewed as a ‘friend of God’.

“God’s enemy” - We cannot be God’s friend and God’s enemy at the same time. “But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.” (1 Cor 2:14) The ‘natural man’ does not have the Holy Spirit, who is given to every person who believes and accepts Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. But the believer who listens to the world, who decides to sin in lieu following the leading of the Holy Spirit loses the guiding of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit in present but is not being followed because of sin and stubbornness. Confession, repentance and submitting our spirit to God’s spirit will restore the Holy Spirit’s effectiveness in our lives.

Enmity with God means that we will subjected to His justice. (see Deut 32:41-43) God will have justice for those who are his enemies.

V. 5 - “Don't think that there is no truth in the scripture that says, ‘The spirit that God placed in us is filled with fierce desires.’ ” -

This verse is one of those that can have more than one implication. You might think, “What does this verse have to do with verse 4?” How does being God’s friend or God’s enemy fit with a ‘spirit with fierce desires’? Let’s see if we can work this out…

Using the ‘Blue Letter Bible’ app, I could find no place where this sentence, “The spirit that God placed in us is filled with fierce desires” is used. However, Paul does refer to each of us believers receiving the Holy Spirit from the Lord when we believe and accept Jesus Christ as Lord. See: “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?” (1 Cor 6:19) It is promised: We have the Holy Spirit in us. This is God’s own spirit.

Paul also notes: “For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, ‘I WILL DWELL IN THEM AND WALK AMONG THEM; AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE.’ ” (2 Cor 6:16) God lives within us! This is incredible information - The God of the universe, who created all things, who is all-powerful and all-knowing loves us and comes to live within us. This is astounding, mind-blowing!

If we look back into the OT, we see that God describes Himself as a ‘jealous’ God. See: “You 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,” (Exo 20:5) Or: “for you shall not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God” (Exo 34:14) This means that God will not share worship of Him with any other god or being. Worship God and Him alone. (See also: Num 23:19; Deut 4:24; Nah 1:2)

An additional viewpoint is that the spirit (that’s “small s” spirit) God has placed in each human is stubborn and seeks what it wants in spite of what God desires. The human spirit, which 'yearns' to lust and envy. Our spirit is so bent on evil, and to think otherwise is to defy the scriptural teaching. It started in Eden, and has not abated in the centuries since.

So, our spirit is always fighting with God’s Spirit. The Holy Spirit wrestles with our spirit to draw us to God. We want what we want - we jealously strive to meet our desires. At the same time, the Holy Spirit, who is a jealous God, wrestles with our spirit. Note that God does not overwhelm and defeat our spirit. God desires that we make the right decision. He does not make it for us. He does not force it upon us. He works to help us see that the decision to follow the Holy Spirit is the decision that will benefit us in eternity.

We can freely decide to reject His leading. But when we do so, we must understand that the consequences may be dire. We can do what we want, even if it violates God’s commandments, and must realize that there will be a price to pay. You may wish that God will use your choice of penalties, but it doesn’t work that way. See what Job understood, “For has anyone said to God, ‘I have borne chastisement; I will not offend anymore; Teach me what I do not see; If I have done iniquity, I will not do it again’? Shall He recompense on your terms, because you have rejected it? For you must choose, and not I; Therefore declare what you know.” (Job 34:31-33) In other words: I have sinned and you have punished me. I have learned from that and will no do that again. Help me to see what I am doing offends You, O Lord.  

Job asks: should God give you the punishment you think is fair even though you have violated His laws. God continually wrestles with us to guide us into His way. It is highly probable that we will not choose God’s way on our own without guidance from God’s Spirit. Christians have a distinct advantage over unbelievers, because we have God’s Spirit living within us. He can communicate directly with our spirit. The Holy Spirit brings our spirit to conviction, (He speaks with our spirit), and we confess that we have sinned, and then we repent of that sin. 

There are no hints and allegations, but straightforward teaching and leading our spirit by His Spirit.

And this takes us into verse 6, which tells us God will drive Satan away from us when we submit to Him. Praise the Lord.

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The following are verses and notes not used in this study… As I read them, it struck me that God is no namby-pamby, with slippery and malleable standards. I couldn’t see how to fit them in the study cleanly, but felt they were powerful, such as:  “God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent; Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?” (Num 23:19)

See, also: “For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.” (Deut 4:24)  
“A jealous and avenging God is the LORD; The LORD is avenging and wrathful. The LORD takes vengeance on His adversaries, And He reserves wrath for His enemies.” (Nah 1:2) Does that sound like someone you want to mock and belittle because you think you can succeed defending your actions?
Paul emphasized that the object of his teaching, those instructions that went beyond preaching salavation through Christ alone, was to help them live pure Christian lives knowing that we all will face the Lord Jesus Christ one day. “For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy; for I betrothed you to one husband, so that to Christ I might present you as a pure virgin.” (2 Cor 11:2)

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