Humble Yourselves Before The Lord

James 4:7-10
May 30, 2021
Abraham Hong

Sermon Script

Two Sundays ago, we went through James 4:1-3. We learned that quarrels and fights are caused by sinful passions and desires that are profoundly covetous and murderous. And we learned that quarrels and fights are caused by the fact that we do not ask God for help - and when we do ask God for help, we ask wrongly.

One Sunday ago, we went through James 4:4-6. We learned that worldliness is spiritual adultery against God and enmity against God. And we learned that God yearns jealously for us, we learned that God gives more grace to us, and we learned that God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.

Today, we are through through James 4:7-10. Today’s passage is directly connected to everything that we went through two Sundays ago and one Sunday ago. And today’s passage is special and wonderful. Because in verses 7-10, our Lord instructs us on what we are to do when we get into quarrels and fights, and when we struggle with worldliness.

This is special and wonderful because it is often the case that we do not know what to do when we go through quarrels and fights. And it is often the case that we do not know what to do when we struggle with worldliness. We can feel stuck in our ways. We can think that we will never grow and change. And so we end up doing nothing really. All because we do not know what to do.

But thanks be to our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus loves his church. Jesus shepherds us and gives us his wisdom from above. And Jesus tells us what we are to do - what we are to do in light of his salvation and his grace.

So dear Highland, to all of you who has an ear, may you hear what the Spirit of Christ says to our church today. And may you do the following.

First, Highland, submit yourselves to God. What does it mean to submit to God? Submission to God is loving and joyful obedience to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It is about listening attentively to what our King has said to us in his written word and making his heart, mind, and will our highest priority. And it is done with willingness and happiness, with a joyful love for him. We love the fact that our God made us and redeemed us for his glory. We want Jesus to be our King and we want to live for him because of everything that he has done for us. Because of his amazing grace. This is submission to God. Now you know what to do. Submit yourselves to God when you go through quarrels and fights. Submit yourselves to God when you struggle with worldliness.

Second, Highland, resist the devil and he will flee from you. What does it mean to resist the devil? Resistance to the devil is spiritual warfare in which we put on the whole armor of God and stand firm and strong in Christ against the schemes of the devil (Ephesians 6). It is about knowing that Jesus has defeated our enemy. And it is done with the fact that we are united with the Lord. Jesus is our prophet, priest, and king. And if you are united with him, then you are also prophetic, priestly, and kingly in your own ways. As as prophetic Christian, you confess God’s word. As a priestly believer, you offer yourself as a living sacrifice. And as a kingly saint, you resist the devil. You are kingly. Therefore, do what a good king would do and resist your enemy. He will flee from you. Just like when he fled from Jesus after he failed to tempt Jesus in the wilderness. This is resistance to the devil. Now you know what to do. Resist the devil when you go through quarrels and fights. Resist the devil when you struggle with worldliness.

Third, Highland, draw near to God and he will draw near to you. What does it mean to draw near to God? Drawing near to God is relating to God with trust (Zephaniah 3:2) and coming to him with reverent confidence because of the body and blood of the Lord (Hebrews 4:14-16; 10:19-22). It is about returning to God instead of running away from him. And it is about knowing that the Lord invites us and loves us and forgives us and assures us. This is amazing grace. Remember the story of the prodigal son. When the prodigal son returned home, the father saw him and felt compassion and ran and embraced his son. Your Father in heaven loves you. Draw near to him and he will draw near to you. This is not a conditional statement. This is a confidence statement. If you draw near to God, you can be sure that God will draw near to you. Do not hide. Do not be afraid. Go to God. Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith. Let us with confidence draw near to the throne of grace. This is drawing near to God. Now you know what to do. Draw near to God when you go through quarrels and fights. Draw near to God when you struggle with worldliness.

Fourth, Highland, cleanse your hands and purify your hearts. What does it mean to cleanse our hands and purify our hearts? Cleaning our hands and purifying our hearts is action and change. It is about putting off what does not please the Lord and putting on what does. It is about being doers of the word, not sinners of the word. It is about being single-minded, not double-minded. And in particular, it is about acting innocently toward others (cleanse your hands) and having worthy motives toward others (purify your hearts). We are a royal priesthood. You are a holy nation. You are a people for God’s own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9). Let us be holy as our God is holy. This is the idea behind cleaning our hands and purifying our hearts. Now you know what to do. Cleanse your hands and purify your hearts when you go through quarrels and fights. Cleanse your hands and purify your hearts when you struggle with worldliness.

Fifth, Highland, be wretched and mourn and weep, and let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Why do we need to be wretched and mourn and weep? Why must our laughter by turned to mourning and our joy to gloom? When we do all of these things, we do so because of sin. We realize the seriousness and the wickedness of sin. We are heartbroken over sin because it is an offense against our God, against our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who loves us and saves us. And we are heartbroken over sin because it hurts others. It is about being appropriate. The Holy Spirit does not laugh and rejoice when we sin. The Holy Spirit is grieved when we sin. How then can we not be wretched and mourn and weep over sin? How then can we have laughter and joy when we sin? Paul cried out in Romans 7, “Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” This is the idea behind being wretched and mourning and weeping. Now you know what to do. Be wretched and mourn and weep when you go through quarrels and fights. Be wretched and mourn and weep when you struggle with worldliness.

Sixth and finally, Highland, humble yourselves before the Lord and he will exalt you. What does it mean to humble ourselves before the Lord? When we humble ourselves before God, we profoundly admit many things. We admit that God is God and that we are not. We admit that God is always right and that we are often wrong (2 Chronicles 12:6). When we humble ourselves, it is like entering a wedding feast and going and sitting down in the lowest place (Luke 14:7-11). When we humble ourselves, it is like not like the Pharisee who prays to God and says, “God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.” When we humble ourselves, it is like the tax collector who prays to God, but he prays to God standing far off, without even lifting up his eyes to heaven, and instead beating his breast and saying, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!” But remember this. It is about having the mind of Christ and reflecting his person and work as he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death and was therefore highly exalted so that at his name every knee should bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (Philippians 2). If you are united with Christ, then you will share in his exaltation. The Lord will exalt you when you humble yourself before him. This is amazing grace. You will partake in the glory that is going to be revealed; you will receive the unfading crown of glory when Christ appears (1 Peter 5). Now you know what to do. Humble yourself before the Lord when you go through quarrels and fights. Humble yourself before the Lord when you struggle with worldliness.

In closing, Highland, quarrels and fights are very difficult in Christian life. And worldliness is a really big struggle. But now you know what to do. Jesus gives you his will, his ways, and his wisdom. And Jesus loves you very much. Praise the Lord. There is much for us to do. Let us do these things together with love for Jesus as we wait and prepare for his return.

Come soon, Lord Jesus!

May the grace of the Lord Jesus be with you all.

Soli Deo Gloria