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I. The Question (v1a)

II. The Preliminary Answer (v1b)

III. A Deeper Understanding Of The Problem (v2-4) IV. The Solution (v5-10)

Our scripture text is from James chapter 4—the Epistle of James, chapter 4. Our text is from verse 1 to verse 10. I'll read this for us; please follow along in your Bibles.

James 4:1–10 “From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy? But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.” Amen.

Christianity is a religion of peace. Our message is the gospel of peace. Our Saviour is the Prince of Peace. Our God is the God of peace, and it is the peacemakers who are called His children. This is what James has just, in effect, emphasised at the end of the previous chapter, at the end of James chapter 3, “But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.” (James 3:17–18).

This is the theory, if you like; this is the expectation. Yet, what do we see in reality? What do we see when we actually look at the Christian Church? We see no peace. We see personal feuds; we see animosities; we see grudges. We see church members—fellow Christians—looking at one another, smiling and nodding, but in the heart, bitterness and resentment.

We see private grievances spread abroad. We see complaints circulated—a kind of unholy recruitment drive to get others on our side against the enemy—not the devil, but our brethren, whom we consider our enemies. We see factions and rivalries, one pitted against another. We see envy and strife. We see anger breaking out.

This is a conundrum; it's a contradiction. Worse than that, it is a calamity for our mission to the world as God's people and as God's Church. How can we speak a message of peace when our hearts are full of war? The gospel light is darkened by such strife and infighting. If the ambassadors of God's kingdom are fighting with one another—fighting among themselves—how can that kingdom advance? How can that kingdom make any progress in this world? How can such a situation come to be? How can the household of peace be riven by wars and fightings?

I. The Question

That is the question that James asks in verse 1, two thousand years ago. How relevant that question is for us today, this is the word of God.

“From whence come wars and fightings among you?” (James 4:1a)

Where do they come from? God knows our hearts. His Word pierces us like a sword to reveal our faults and our errors, but also like a scalpel to cut away all that is corrupt and defiled—all that is unholy and impure—so that we can be holy and pure.

We have here in our text a comprehensive treatment of the problem of conflict within the Church—the problem of strife, the problem of wars and fightings. We find here in the Word of God an incisive diagnosis of the problem, and we find the perfect solution prescribed for us. James asks the question in the beginning of verse 1. He gives a preliminary answer in the second part of the verse. He elaborates on this answer and brings us to a deeper understanding of the problem from verses 2 to 4, and then he gives us the solution from verses 5 to 10.

This is God's Word for us to hear and to obey.

II. The Preliminary Answer

So, what is the problem? What is this preliminary answer to the question? Where do these wars and fightings come from?

“Come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?” (James 4:1b)

This war—this fighting among Christians—comes from the lusts that war within us. James is not talking about doctrinal differences that may divide Christians; he's talking about personal conflicts, animosities, grudges, and so on. He says that these can be traced back to our own selfish lusts.

The word "lusts" here has the idea of a desire for what is pleasing to yourself. The word "war" here—"your lusts that war in your members"—is different from the word "war" in the first part of the verse, "wars and fightings." This word here, your lusts that "war" in your members, has the sense of a military campaign—a military campaign that is waged against our souls by these self-seeking lusts.

Similar to what Peter says in 1 Peter 2:11, “Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul.” - which wage war against the soul. Hence the idea here. There is a war that is waged within us by the selfish and self-seeking lusts. And these lusts corrupt our souls and turns us against one another. There is war among us because there is war within us. We may have some desire to serve God and obey Him, but at the same time, there is another desire that campaigns within us, to cause us to serve and obey not God but the impulses of the flesh: the impulses of envy, covetousness, lust, and pride, impulses which drive us into conflict with one another.

III. A Deeper Understanding Of The Problem

James describes the seriously twisted situation that results. Look at James 4:2, “Ye lust, and have not.” These are twisted corruptions of God's will for us. Ye lust, for what? You desire, what? You lust for that which is outside of God's will for you. We desire that which is contrary to God's desire for us. We lust selfishly, not according to God's will but according to our own selfish desires and pleasures.

That is why "Ye lust, and have not," because when you lust for what is outside of God's will, how can you expect to have it? This is God's world—God's universe. This is His creation. It obeys His order; it answers to His design, not to our desires. Anyone who steps outside God's will and lusts for something apart from that will never be satisfied - can never be satisfied.

Anyone who steps outside the bounds of God-ordained marriage for instance and lusts for another will never be satisfied and can never be satisfied by adultery and fornication, because that is not God's design for human life. There is no satisfaction in seeking after those lusts, in chasing those things. So it will be for all such fleshly and selfish lusts and impulses.

Those who refuse to think soberly but think more highly of themselves than they ought to think, and seek power and position for their own promotion and glory - they will never be satisfied with such things. They will always want more and more power and position. Those who refuse to rest content in God's provisions but indulge in this impulse to vent their frustrations, complain, and grumble will never run out of such things. They will never run out of complaints. They will never be able to say, ‘Now it is enough; now I am satisfied.’

Once we have stepped out of God's will, there is no more satisfaction to be found. We are forever lusting, chasing after a phantom, a counterfeit, a dream, a deception. James describes this vicious cycle in very frightening terms: “Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.” (James 4:2)

Giving in to these self-seeking lusts leads us further and further on a desperate quest for satisfaction that will never come. All the while, we are driven to conflict and strife with those around us, because they stand in the way of us having what we lust for.

"Ye kill," James says. That is very startling, isn’t it? "Ye lust, and have not: ye kill." Where did "kill" come from? But that drives home the point, it reminds us where all this is headed. It speaks of the terrible end of these frustrated and unfulfilled desires. Because as we focus more and more on pleasing self, on seeking selfishly, we become naturally less and less inclined to care about others. Wars and fightings among you because we all care about ourselves and we are all seeking selfish things, giving into these selfish lusts, dreaming that they will give us pleasure and satisfaction—but they never will. And all the while, we fight and we war.

I think we can see something of this right at the beginning, in Genesis 4, with Cain:

“And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD. And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering: But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.” (Genesis 4:3–5)

Cain was angry. He wanted God's approval; he wanted God to accept and receive his offerings. But he refused to do what God wanted. He wanted God's approval but he refused to submit to God's will. God patiently taught him:

“And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.” (Genesis 4:6–7)

If you do well, you will be accepted. If you do my will, you will have joy and pleasure and satisfaction. You will have everything. Is it not so? “If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted?” (Genesis 4:7). But did Cain listen? No. We see that vicious cycle. He stepped outside of God's will. He indulged in these selfish lusts: I want, and I don't care what God wants.

And where did that lead him? “And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.” (Genesis 4:8). He killed, as James says. This is where these selfish lusts lead us. When we are driven by self instead of submitting to God, we kill. We will cut down ruthlessly those who stand in our way. We will do anything to have what we want. We spiral further and further. This self-seeking lust that led Cain to envy and rage and murder is the same lust that we struggle against today, the same lusts that war in our members also. And we must beware of this, lest we end up like Cain.

It’s a very instructive punishment that came upon Cain. What was his punishment? To wander the earth like a vagabond, apart from God, apart from God's presence and blessing. Finding no rest and no satisfaction anywhere on earth—that’s where these selfish lusts lead us. We become vagabonds and wanderers, desperately seeking something that can only be found from God. We will never find it because we have already departed from God. We will not go to Him; we will not seek His will; we will not ask. “Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.” (James 4:2).

No satisfaction because we will not go to God, we will not seek His will, and submit to it. We will not ask Him and submit to what He gives us. So we cannot have peace, joy, and satisfaction, because we will not seek those things from the One who is alone the source of peace, joy, and satisfaction for all His creatures. We don’t have because we don’t ask. And we cannot ask because our desires are not aligned with the will of God.

“Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss.” (James 4:3). We don’t ask rightly. Even if we do appear to ask, it is insincere. There is an ulterior motive, a selfish motive. We ask - not because we desire God’s will - we ask really to demand our own will. “Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss.” (James 4:3).

All this is bad enough, but James goes further to point us to a further aspect of this problem of selfish and self-seeking lusts. It is not only something internal, but there is outside us an instigator who seeks to promote and provoke these selfish lusts—and that instigator is the world.

That’s where verse four comes in. The world that is ruled by the devil, whom the Lord Himself called the “Prince of this world” (John 12:31), who is described in 2 Corinthians 4:4 as the “god of this world”, who is described in Ephesians 2:2 as the “prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience.” This world is ruled and organised by the enemy. This world is influenced and moved and directed by him. This world is full of things that are not of God. All the things that are in the world, the apostle John reminds us, ‘The lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.” (1 John 2:16).

And the devil seeks to use these things to instigate these fleshly lusts. That’s the link to verse four. At first, it seems to come out of nowhere—why suddenly talking about friendship with the world? Because the world instigates these fleshly and self-seeking lusts. The world drives us to seek these things and to depart from God.

The world, ruled by the devil, seeks to tempt us, to allure us, to draw us away. That’s why Peter said in 1 Peter 2:11, the verse that we read just now, “I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts.” They go together. If you want to abstain from fleshly lusts, you must see yourself as a stranger and a pilgrim, not a friend of the world. Because the world seeks precisely to stir up those things that will draw us away from God.

Now we cannot blame the world, of course. James 1:14 “But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.” These lusts are in us, but the world seeks to seduce and allure us away from God by exploiting these lusts that are within us.

Remember that campaign—the war that is waged within us. The world is supplying ammunition to the enemy to use in that war, in that hostile campaign against our souls. And don't we see this in the world as we look around us? Don't we see the world stirring up precisely these fleshly and self-seeking lusts? Don't we see the world seeking to stir up the lust of the flesh? Don't we see it everywhere around us? Don't we see the people of the world rushing headlong after these things?

The lust of the flesh is everywhere. How easily we can be influenced! The lust of the eyes also—covetousness, greed. This is what the devil wants to see in all humans because he knows that it will draw us away from God. It will lead us to destruction. He has murder at his heart, and how does he kill? With the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. Don't we see that in the world also? How the world teaches us that it's all about self—all about you, all about what you want.

The world feeds these lusts and, in so doing, seeks to draw us away from the true source of satisfaction: God himself. I think we can see this if we look at Matthew chapter 4 and consider how the Lord himself was tempted in the wilderness by the devil.

Matthew 4:8-9: "Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them. And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.”

That's the offer. ‘All these things can be yours. All your selfish lusts, all the things you long for that are apart from God's will—I can give them to you. You don't have to obey God to find joy and pleasure. You can obey me. You don't have to obey God—that way is full of suffering. You have to bear the cross. You don't have to go that way. Go this way. All you have to do is serve me. All you have to do is worship me, and I will give you what you lust for. I will give you what you want. I will fulfil your desires. All these things I can give to you—all the things of the world, all the kingdoms of the world, all the glory of them. Everything can be yours if you will bow down and worship me. Forget the Father. Forget God.’

That's the offer. Same offer that's given to us. The only difference is, he doesn't offer us the whole world—he doesn't have to. We are so foolish; we will trade away our souls for a fleeting pleasure, just a little thing. Just one little thing is enough for us. We don't have to be shown all the kingdoms of the world—just a little glitter here. But the offer is the same: You can have it from me. You don't need God.’ This is the lie. This is the counterfeit. This is the fraud. The things that are in this world are not of God and cannot satisfy us.

And while we chase after these things, we are brought into enmity with God.

James 4:4: “Know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.”

There is no overlap with these things. We cannot love both God and the world. We cannot love God and mammon. No man can serve two masters. To be a friend of the world is to be the enemy of God. You can't befriend both. And enmity with God, as we have seen, leads us to enmity with one another.

From whence come wars and fightings among you? Because you seek to be friends of the world. Because we have made ourselves the enemy of God. And so we have no peace, no joy, no satisfaction, but only wars, fightings, and enmity. And how many are taken in by this!

Let us not think that we are immune to this worldly allurement and instigation. Let us examine ourselves. From whom do I seek my satisfaction? Truly, this is the Lord's Day. This is the day—one day out of seven—that we are meant to set apart to rest in Him, to find our joy and our peace in Him, to find satisfaction in Him. One day out of seven, we can come to God Himself and enjoy His blessed presence. Is this our satisfaction? Is this our delight? Is this what we look forward to Today is the Lord's Day. I can come into God's house. How many, how many of us truly find satisfaction in the Lord? How often we are looking forward to other things, aren't we? ‘I can't wait for the service to be over and I can do this. I can do that. I can check up on social media. I can't wait for this evening—I can watch some Korean drama on TV.’

It's not that these things are wrong in themselves, but how easily our hearts can be taken away from the Lord and we think that joy comes from the world. The things of God are not joyful for us—they are a chore, a burden, a routine. There is no joy in the Lord. There is no satisfaction in the Lord. We try to find these things from the world. How easily we are taken in by this!

"Know ye not," James says, "that the friendship of the world is enmity with God?"

This is why James uses such strong words: "Ye adulterers and adulteresses!"

If you have read through this epistle, those words will stick out. Those words will jump out at you because all along James has been calling his readers "beloved."

James 1:2: "My brethren."

James 1:19: "My beloved brethren."

James 2:1: "My brethren."

James 2:5: "My beloved brethren."

James 2:14: "My brethren."

James 3:1: "My brethren."

James 3:12: "My brethren."

James 4:4: "Ye adulterers and adulteresses."

It is not that James dislikes them or hates them, but this is a warning. This is the danger. Beloved brethren can be adulterers and adulteresses. It can happen to all of us if we are not wary, if we are not careful.

There is no middle ground between the world and God. You can't have your finger in two pies. You can't walk on both sides of the road. You can't serve two masters. Either one or the other. In one, you will have joy and pleasure and satisfaction—truly and fully, eternal. In the other, you will have nothing but smoke and vapour—a counterfeit, a lie that will vanish out of your hands the more you try to grab at it and grasp it.

Which one will you choose? How often we make the wrong choice—to give the love and devotion that belongs only to God, to give that to the world—is spiritual adultery. And what do we get in return? Nothing at all.

So why is there war and fighting? Why is there no peace? Why is there no pleasure and satisfaction in the Christian life, in the Christian church? Let us not point fingers at others; let me examine myself. There is no peace because, as the Lord says through His prophet: "My people…have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.” (Jeremiah 2:13). That’s why there is no peace. That’s why there are wars and fightings. The friendship of the world is enmity with God and empty of all true satisfaction and peace.

If you are looking for security—true security—you will never find it in the riches of the world. If you are looking for joy—true and lasting joy—you will never find it from the entertainment of the world. If you are looking for rest—pure and perfect rest—you will never find it from all the luxuries of the world.

If you are looking for wisdom—wisdom to guide you through life—James says: "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God.” (James 1:5). If you are seeking wisdom, you will never find it from all the philosophies of the world. The world is empty. The world is a broken system. Why do we go there for water when we have the fountain of living waters? Submit to Him, seek Him, obey Him. From the world, you will get nothing but war and fighting and enmity. That’s a bleak picture, isn’t it? But there is encouragement in the Word of God.

IV. The Solution

James 4:5: "Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?” Now, this is a difficult verse, but I take this to be an encouragement. The Scripture warns us about our lust. Scripture teaches us that the spirit in us lusts to envy, that we have this tendency. We saw it already in James 1:14: "But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.” We have this tendency, we have this struggle, we have this lust.

But does Scripture warn us against this in vain? No, Scripture does not warn us in vain, because there is a solution; there is help to be found. Because Scripture, even while it warns us against this lust, also reveals to us the grace of God—the abundant grace of God—as we sang just now: ‘Grace that is greater than all our sin.’

“Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy? But he giveth more grace.” (James 4:5-6). There is grace available to help in this war that is being waged within us. We’re not left to fight on our own against these fleshly lusts that war against our souls. We have the grace of God to help us.

But to whom is this grace given? Not to the proud, but to the humble: “God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.” (James 4:6). The word "resisteth" there pictures someone who is set in battle array—the army set in array against the opponent. The Lord sets Himself in array against the proud, but He gives grace to the humble.

That’s the solution. If our problem is our wandering from God, allowing the world to lead us away from God and His will, then the solution is to resist the devil, resist his allurements through the world, and to return to God once more. "Draw nigh to God." (James 4:8). Once again, that’s the solution. Put away pride, humbly submit to God, because we need His grace to win this war that is being waged within us.

James now develops this idea from verses 7 to 10: “Submit yourselves therefore to God.” (James 4:7). That’s the command. That’s what we need to do. Instead of seeking self, we must seek God—not our will, not our own selfish pleasures, but God’s will and God’s desire for us. We must submit to God. We must subordinate all our desires to Him. We must let Him rule over us and direct us, instead of following the devil and letting him direct our steps. We must resist him.

That’s a different word from verse 6. Verse 6 - "resisteth the proud" gives the idea of battle array, but this word here in verse 7, "resist the devil," conveys the idea of standing against him—similar to the picture Paul gives us in Ephesians 6: “Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” (Ephesians 6:11). Having done all to stand - to withstand -that’s the idea here. And these are really two sides of the same coin: "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil" (James 4:7) - two sides of the same coin.

How did the Lord Jesus resist the devil? ‘It is written. It is written.’

When the devil said, “All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me,” Jesus responded, “It is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.” (Matthew 4:9–10) - It is written.

We resist the devil by submitting to God. We resist the devil by obedience to the Word of God. That’s how we resist him—not by talking bad about him, not by scolding him and calling him names. That’s not how we resist the devil. That’s useless. What good will it do to call the devil names? We resist him by obeying the Word of God.

“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7). And then the problem is gone—the wars and the fightings, the enmity with God because of our desire to be friends with the world—that problem is gone. When we submit to God, we draw nigh to Him. We draw nigh to the true source of satisfaction, and wonder of wonders we find that according to His promise, He draws night to us. “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.” (James 4:8).

This is what we were missing all along. The problem was never with God. The problem was all along with us. It is not that God kept Himself at bay and God didn’t want to come to us. We didn’t want to draw nigh to Him. We are far from God because we didn’t want to draw nigh to Him. If His promise is: ‘Draw nigh to me, and I will draw nigh to you’ (James 4:8) - that is His desire.

Has not the Lord removed every obstacle that stands in the way of our fellowship with Him? Has He not removed it all by the blood of Christ? What can hinder us from coming to God that the blood of Christ has not already overcome? All our sins washed away, what prevents us? There is nothing that stands in the way of our drawing nigh to God in Christ but our own stubborn and rebellious hearts—our own desire for the world. That’s the only thing that keeps us from God. But if we will only draw nigh to Him, this is His promise: “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.” (James 4:8).

But that’s not a light thing, is it? There is a cost, as it were, to this closeness with our Creator, because we cannot draw nigh to God hypocritically. We cannot draw nigh to God lightly. Scripture reminds us: “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” (Hebrews 10:31). And again: "Our God is a consuming fire." (Hebrews 12:29).

We can afford none of the ‘counterfeit spirituality’ that is so popular and common today. Because we all have this sense—we all have this sense within us—that we need God. We have a desire for spiritual communion and fellowship that is undeniable. So many are seeking this, but they try to feed and satisfy this desire not with God Himself, as He reveals Himself to us in His Word.

They try to satisfy that desire with a counterfeit spirituality, and that is why in so many professing churches, we find all these things designed to give the people a feeling of closeness with God: sensual music that comes from the world, dim lights, an ambience, an atmosphere so that you feel near to God. But is there a reality to these things? These people who come to such places and seek that kind of pseudo-spiritual emotional high and go away thinking, ‘Oh, I have met God today.’ But those people still hold on to their sins. They go out, and they go on with their sinful lives. There is still pride; there is still lust; there is still envy and covetousness; there is still anger.

That's not drawing nigh to God. That's not true closeness with God. Any spirituality, so-called, that does not involve genuine repentance and separation from worldliness is not a true spirituality. It is a false spirituality because really drawing nigh to God can be a very painful process: “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.” (James 4:8–9).

That's what it means to draw nigh to God. We have to let go of all these false and idolatrous satisfactions that we have been chasing after. Let your joy be turned to heaviness. The joy that the world promised you - that you were seeking after - the false joy of idolatry. Let that be turned to heaviness. Let your laughter be turned to mourning—the frivolous enjoyment of the world in which you thought to find pleasure. Let that be turned to mourning.

You can't hold on to that if you are truly seeking to draw nigh to God. You must let those things go. You can't have both. Let go of the world. Let go of its pleasures. Put away its false satisfactions. Drawing nigh to God means letting this false pleasure and joy of the world, letting it be removed by affliction and loss. Let vain laughter be turned into true mourning for sin.

The throne of grace is not a place for those who think lightly of sin. The throne of grace is a place for those who have been utterly broken, impoverished in themselves. The throne of grace is a place for those who are truly poor in spirit, who come with nothing, who come knowing their own unworthiness, who come weighed down with the guilt of their sins, who come with genuine tears of mourning. That's the throne of grace. It's not something to approach lightly. It's the throne of the Almighty God, the thrice-holy God. The throne of grace is a place for people who truly know how much they need God's grace.

It's a great tragedy to hear these so-called preachers of health and wealth with a message of self-esteem and self-congratulation. And I mention these things not to ridicule but to draw your attention to a real problem—a counterfeit that is being passed off as Christianity and by which so many have been taken in.

This is not true nearness to God. If you can hold on to self and pride, these things must be broken and put away. I heard one preacher boast once of how God shows up at his meetings. God shows up in their church. God follows their members around. When the members are going out to eat in restaurants, God appears there. And how does God appear? What is the sign, the mark of God's presence? A cloud of gold dust appears in the air and starts falling. ‘Oh, God is here!’ And they do that in their church.

Should we do that—clouds of gold falling from the ceiling? That's what they do in their church, and everyone is happy, everyone is clapping and laughing, everyone is taking out their phones to take photos. Is that the presence of God? Is that drawing nigh to God? What did Job say when the Lord truly appeared to him in the whirlwind? He said, “I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.” (Job 42:6). That's drawing nigh to God.

What did Isaiah say when he saw the Lord high and lifted up, and he saw the angels singing, "Holy, holy, holy"? He said, “Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips.” (Isaiah 6:5). That's drawing nigh to God.

“Let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.” (James 4:9). True repentance is no joking matter. Do we know what it truly means to mourn for sin? Do we know what it means to feel and know the heinousness and the horror of our rebellion against God? Do we know? Do we really know in our bones, in our hearts? Do we really know that we deserve the fires of hell because of what we have done?

How can we draw nigh to God without that? How can we claim and plead for his grace if we don't know how much we really need it? How can we draw nigh to God if there is no mourning? But it is written: “Blessed are they that mourn” - blessed as those who mourn thus for sin - “for they shall be comforted.” (Matthew 5:4).

And that's true comfort—not a counterfeit, not a fake. True joy, true satisfaction, true comfort because we have exchanged the false things of the world for true joy in Christ. It's good to be afflicted if it weans us from the world, if it teaches us to be humble before God, because then he will lift us up. “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.” (James 4:10).

And if He is the one lifting us up, who can bring us down? If we try to lift up ourselves by seeking after these selfish lusts, then we will only be abased if we try to promote ourselves. But if we humble ourselves before the Lord, He will lift us up, and then no one can bring us down. “If God be for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31).

That's not a verse to claim lightly. If God is truly for us and we have mourned for our sins, we have repented, we have come to him with clean hands and pure hearts, desiring earnestly to serve him and live for Him, then only can we say, "If God be for us, who can be against us?" But how can we live in sin, how can we seek after the world, how can we find pleasure in idolatry and then say, "If God be for us"? If we are friends of the world, then God is not for us - “Friendship of the world is enmity with God.” (James 4:4).

But if we want the Prince of Peace on our side, then we must humble ourselves and submit to him, repent of our sins and obey him. That's the way. That's the only way. That's God's way to put an end to these wars and fightings. That's God's way to have true and lasting peace.

If we want peace in our homes, in our churches, we need to stop focusing on what we want and focus on what God wants. Truly. And isn't that how we started our Christian journey when that first love was born in our hearts and we first surrendered to the sweet yoke of the Lord Jesus? Wasn't that our desire—to do His will? Isn't that what we said to the Lord: ‘Lord, what will you have me to do?’ (Acts 9:6).

Were we not so willing in those days to follow wherever He led us and to do whatever He commanded us? And did we not have peace then? Don't you remember that? Did we not have joy and satisfaction to know the Lord? Did we not have a peace such as we never knew before in those first days when we truly repented of our sins, and we came in tears before the Lord and submitted to Him? We found joy. We found a joy that the world had never been able to give us, and we walked with the Lord in those first days.

And what has happened since then? How have we lost our way? That we no longer have this joy in the Lord, and we think that the world can substitute. Let us draw nigh to God and give up the joy of the world. Give up these false pleasures. They are false. They are counterfeits. They are wastes of time. This worldly pleasure is nothing compared to the satisfaction that our Creator and Redeemer can give us. These worldly pleasures are corrupting our hearts and spoiling our fellowship with one another. Let us cleanse our hands and our hearts, and if the fire of affliction must purge us, let it be so, if only the Lord at the end will lift us up.

Let's pray.

Our Father in heaven, work in us. Work in us by your Spirit. Work in our midst, we pray, we ask, to revive us. Turn us again, and we shall be turned. Cause your face to shine upon us once more. Help us to be humble and not proud so that we may come to your throne of grace and find grace to help in time of need. Heal our wounds and our transgressions. Grant peace, O Lord, the peace that passes all understanding—the peace of faith and submission to your Word. We ask it in the name of your Son, our Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, Amen.

our scripture text is from James chapter 4 the Epistle of James chapter

4 our text is from verse 1 to verse 10 I'll read this for us please follow

along in your Bibles James 4: 1-

10 verse 1 from when come Wars and fightings among

you come they not hence even of your lusts that war in your members ye lust

and have not ye kill and desire to have and cannot obtain ye fight and War yet

ye have not because ye ask not ye ask and receive not because he ask amiss

that he may consume it upon your lusts ye adulterers and adulteresses know ye

not that the Friendship of the world is enmity with God whosoever therefore will

be a friend of the world is the enemy of God do we think that the scripture sayth

in vain the spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to Envy but he giveth more grace

wherefore he sayth God resisteth the proud but giveth Grace unto the

humble submit yourselves therefore to God resist the devil and he will flee

from you draw nigh to God and He will draw nigh to you cleanse your hands ye

Sinners and purify your hearts ye double-minded be afflicted and mourn and

weep let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to heaviness

humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord and He Shall lift you

up amen Christianity is a religion of

Peace our message is the gospel of peace

our savior is the Prince of Peace our God is the God of Peace and it is the

peacemakers who are called his children this is what James has just in

effect emphasized at the end of the previous chapter in the end of James chapter 3

but the wisdom that is from above is first pure then Peaceable gentle and

easy to be intreated full of mercy and good fruits without partiality and

without hypocrisy and the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them

that make peace this is the theory if you like this is the

expectation yet what do we see in reality what do we see when we actually look at

the Christian church we see no

peace we see personal feuds we see animosities we see

grudges we see church members fellow Christians looking at one another smiling nodding but in the

heart bitterness and resentment we see private grievances

spread abroad we see complaints circulated a kind of

Unholy recruitment drive to get others on our side against the enemy not the

devil but our Brethren whom we consider our enemies we see factions and rivalries

one pitted against another we see envy and strife we see anger breaking

out this is a conundrum it's a contradiction worse than that it is a

Calamity for our mission to the world as God's people and as God's Church how can

we speak a message of Peace when our hearts are full of

War The Gospel Light is darkened by such strife and infighting if the ambassadors

of God's kingdom are fighting with one another fighting among themselves how

can that King Kingdom Advance how can that Kingdom make any progress in this

world how can such a situation come to be how can the household of peace be

Riven by Wars and fightings that is the question that

James asks in verse one 2,000 years ago how relevant that question is for us

today this is the word of God from whence come Wars and fighting things

among you where do they come from God knows our hearts his word

pierces us like a sword to reveal our faults and our errors but also like a

scalpel to cut away all that is corrupt and defiled all that is Unholy and

impure so that we can be holy and pure we have here in our text a

comprehensive treatment of the the problem of conflict within the church

the problem of strife the problem of wars and fightings we find here in the

word of God an incisive diagnosis of the problem and we find the perfect solution

prescribed for us James asks the question in the beginning of verse one

he gives a preliminary answer and the second part of verse one he elaborates on this answer and brings us to a deeper

understanding of the problem from verses 2 to 4 and then he gives us the solution from

verses 5 to 10 this is God's word for us to hear and to

obey so what is the problem what is this preliminary answer to the question where

do these wars and fightings come from come they not hence even of your

lusts that war in your members this war this fighting among

Christians comes from the lusts that war within

us James is not talking about doctrinal differences that may divide Christians

he's talking about personal conflicts animosities and grudges and so on and he

says that these can be traced back to our own selfish lust the word lusts here has the idea of

a desire for what is pleasing to yourself and the word War here your

lusts that war in your members is different from the word war in the first part of the verse Wars and

fightings this word here your lust that war in your members has the

sense of a military campaign a military campaign that is

waged against our souls by these self-seeking lusts

similar to what Peter says in 1 Peter chapter 2 1 Peter chapter 2 and: 11 dearly

beloved I beeech you as strangers and pilgrims abstain from fleshly lusts

which war against the soul which wage war against the soul that's the idea

here there is a war that is waged within us by these selfish and self-seeking

lusts and these lusts corrupt our our souls and turn us against one another

there is war among us because there is war within

us we may have some desire to serve God and to obey God but at the same time

there is another desire that campaigns within us to cause us to serve and Obey not God

but the impulses of the flesh the impulses of envy and covetousness the

impulses of lust and pride impulses which drive us into conflict

with one another and James describes the seriously Twisted situation that

results look at verse two of James chapter 4 ye lust and have

not these are twisted Corruptions of God's will for us you lust for what you

desire what you lust for that which is is outside of God's will for you we desire

that which is contrary to God's desire for us we lust

selfishly not according to God's will but according to our own selfish desires

and pleasures and that is why you lust and have not because when you lust for what is

outside of God's will how can you expect to have it this is God's world God's

Universe this is his creation it obeys his order it answers to his design not

to our desires anyone who steps outside God's

Will and lusts for something apart from that will never be satisfied can never

be satisfied anyone who steps outside the bounds of God ordained marriage for

instance and lust for another will never be satisfied and can never be satisfied

by adultery and fornication because that is not God's design for human life there

is no satisfaction in seeking after those lusts in chasing those

things so it will be for all such fleshly and selfish lusts and impulses

those who refuse to think soberly but think more highly of themselves than they ought to think and seek power and

position for their own promotion and Glory they will never be satisfied with

such such things they will always want more and more power and position those who refuse to rest

content in God's Provisions but indulge in this impulse to vent their

frustrations and complain and Grumble will never run out of such

things they will never run out of complaints they will never be able to say now it is enough now I am

satisfied once we have stepped out of God's will there is no more satisfaction

to be found We Are Forever lusting chasing after a phantom a counterfeit a

dream a deception and James describes this Vicious Cycle in very frightening terms

El lust and have not giving into these self-seeking lusts

leads us further and further on a desperate quest for a satisfaction that

will never come all the while we are driven to conflict and strife with those

around us because they stand in the way of us having what we Lust

For he kill James says that's very startling isn't it he lust and have not

you kill where did Kill come from but that drives home the point it

reminds us where all this is hidden it speaks of the terrible end of

these frustrated and unfulfilled desires because as we focus more and more on

pleasing self on seeking selfishly we become naturally less and

less inclined to care about others Wars and fightings among you

because we all care about ourselves and we are all seeking selfish things giving in these selfish lusts

dreaming that they will give us pleasure and satisfaction but they never

will and all the while we fight and we War I think we can see something of this

right at the beginning in Genesis chapter 4 with

Cain Genesis 4 verse 3 and in process of time it came

to pass that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord Lord and Abel he also brought of the

firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof and the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering and unto Cain

and to his offering he had not respect and Cain was very wroth and his countenance

fell Cain was angry he wanted God's approval he wanted God to accept and

receive his offerings but he refused to do what God wanted he wanted God's approval but he

refused to submit to God's will God patiently taught him the Lord

said unto Cain why art thou wroth why is thy countenance Fallen if thou doest

well shalt thou not be accepted and if thou doest not well sin lith at the door

and unto thee shall be his desire and thou shalt rule over him if you do well you will be accepted

if you do my will

you will have joy and pleasure and satisfaction action you will have

everything is it not so if thou doest well shalt thou not be

accepted but did Cain listen no we see that vicious cycle he

stepped outside of God's will he indulged in these selfish lusts I want

and I don't care what God wants and where did that lead

him Cain talked with Abel his brother and it came to pass when they were in the field in the field and Cain rose up

against Abel his brother and slew him he killed as James says this is where these

selfish lusts lead us when we are driven by self instead of submitting to God we

kill we will cut down ruthlessly those who stand in our way we will do anything

to have what we want

we spiral further and further this self-seeking lust that led Cain to envy

and rage and murder it's the same lust that we struggle against today the same lusts

that war in our members also and we must be aware of this lest

we end up like Cain it's a very instructive punishment that Came Upon

Cain what was his punishment to wander the Earth like a

vagabond apart from God apart from God's presence apart apart from God's presence

and blessing finding no rest and no satisfaction anywhere on Earth that's

where these selfish lusts lead us we become vagabonds and

Wanderers Desperately Seeking something that can only be found from God we will

never find it because we have already departed from God we will not go to him

we will not seek his will we will not ask ye lust and have not you kill and

desire to have and cannot obtain he fight and War yet ye have not because ye

ask not no satisfaction because we will not go to God we will not seek his will

and submit to it we will not ask ask him and submit to what he gives

us so we cannot have peace and joy and satisfaction because we will not seek

those things from the one who is alone the source of peace and joy and

satisfaction for all his creatures we don't have because we don't

ask and we cannot ask because our desires are not aligned with the will of

God he ask and receive not because he ask a Miss we don't ask rightly even if

we do appear to ask it is insincere there is an ulterior motive a

selfish motive we ask not because we desire God's will we ask really to

demand our own will he ask a miss that he may consume

it upon your lusts all this is bad

enough but James Goes further to point us to a further aspect of this problem

of selfish and self-seeking lusts it is not only something internal but there is

outside us an instigator who seeks to promote and provoke these selfish lusts

and that instigator is the world that's where verse four comes

in the world that is ruled by the devil whom the Lord himself called the prince

of this world who is described in 2 Corinthians as the God of this world who is

described in Ephesians as the prince of the power of the air the spirit that now works in the children of Disobedience

this world is ruled and organized by the enemy this world is influenced and moved

and directed by him this world is full of things that are not of

God all the things that are in the world world the Apostle John reminds us the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes

the pride of life are not of the father but are of the world and the devil seeks to use these

things to instigate these fleshly lusts that's the link to verse four at first

it seems to come out of nowhere why suddenly talking about friendship of the world because the world instigates these

fleshly and self-seeking lusts the world drives us to seek these things and to

depart from God the world ruled by the devil seeks to tempt us to Allure us to

draw us away that's why Peter said in 1 Peter chapter 2 the verse that we read just now I beseech you therefore as

strangers and pilgrims abstain from fleshly lusts they

go together if you want to abstain from fleshly lusts you must see yourself as a

stranger and a pilgrim not a friend of the world because the world seeks

precisely to stir up those things that will draw us away from God now we cannot

blame the world of course James chap 1:14 every man is tempted when he is

drawn away of his own lust and enticed these lusts are in

us but the world seeks to seduce and Allure us away from God by exploiting

these lusts that are within us

remember that ch caign the war that is waged

within us the world is supplying ammunition to the enemy to use in that

war in that hostile campaign against our souls and don't we see this in the world

as we look around us don't we see the world stirring up precisely these

fleshly and self-seeking lust don't we see the world seeking to seeking to stir

up the lust of the flesh don't we see it everywhere around us don't we see the people of the world

rushing headlong after these things the lust of the flesh is everywhere how easily we can be

influenced the lust of the eyes also covetousness greed this is what the devil wants to

see in all humans because he knows that it will draw us away from God it will

lead us to destruction he has murder at his heart God and how does he kill with

the lust of the Flesh and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life don't we see that in the world also how the world

teaches us it's all about self all about you all about what you

want the world feeds these lusts and in so doing seeks to draw us

away from the true source of satisfaction God himself I think we can see this if we

look at Matthew chapter 4 and consider how the Lord himself was tempted in the wilderness by the

devil Matthew chapter 4 and look at verse

8 Matthew CH 4: 8 and again the devil taketh him up into

an exceeding high mountain and showeth him all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of

them and say unto the unto him all these things will I give thee if thou will

fall down and worship me that's the offer all these things can be yours all

your selfish lusts all the things you long for that are apart from God's will

I can give them to you you don't have to obey God to find joy and pleasure you

can obey me you don't have to obey God that way is full of suffering you have

to bear the cross you don't have to go that way go this way all you have to do is

serve me all you have to do is worship me and I will give you what you lust for

I will give you what you want I will fulfill your desires all these things I can give to you all the things of the

world all the kingdoms of the world all the glory of them everything can be

yours if you will Bow Down and Worship me forget the father forget

God that's the offer same offer that's given to us only

difference is he doesn't offer us the whole world he doesn't have to we are so foolish he will trade away our souls for

a fleeting pleasure just a little thing just one little thing is enough for us

we don't have to be shown all the kingdoms of the world just a little glitter

here but the offer is the same you can have it from me you don't need

God this is the LIE this is the counterfeit this is the

fraud the things that are in this world are not of God and cannot satisfy

us and while we Chase after these things we are brought into enmity with

God James 4:4 know ye not that the Friendship of

the world is enmity with God whosoever therefore will be a friend of go of the

world is the enemy of God there is no overlap with these things we cannot love

both God and the world we cannot love God and Mammon no man can serve to

Masters to be a friend of the world is to be the enemy of God you can't

befriend both and enmity with God as we have seen

leads us to enmity with one another from when come Wars and fightings among

you because you seek to be friends of the world because we have made ourselves the enemy of God and so we have no peace

no joy no No Satisfaction but only Wars and fightings and

enmity and how many are taken in by this let us not think that we are immune

to this worldly allurement and instigation let us examine

ourselves from whom do I seek my satisfaction

truly this is the Lord's day this is the day one day out of seven that we are

meant to set apart to rest in him to find our joy and our peace in him to

find satisfaction in him one day out of seven we can come to God himself and

enjoy his blessed presence is this our

satisfaction is this our Delight is this what we look forward to

today is the Lord's day I can come into God's house how many

how many of us Truly find satisfaction in the Lord how often we are looking forward to

other things aren't we I can't wait for the service to be over and I can do this

I can do that I can check up on social media I can't wait for this evening I

can watch some Korean drama on TV it's not that these things are wrong

in themselves but how easily our hearts can be taken away from from the Lord and we think that Joy comes from the world

the things of God are not joyful for us they are a chore a burden a

routine there is no joy in the Lord there is no satisfaction in the

Lord we we try to find these things from the world how easily we are taken in by

this no ye not James says that the Friendship of the world is enmity with

God this is why James uses such strong words he adulterers and

adulteresses if you have read through this epistle those words will stick out

those words will jump out at you because all along James has been calling his readers

beloved James chap 1:2 my brethren James chapter 1: 19 my beloved Brethren James

chap 2:1 my brethren James Jam CH 2:5 my beloved Brethren James 2:14 my brethren

James 3:1 my brethren James 3:12 my

brethren James 4:4 ye adulterers and

adulteresses it is not that James dislikes them or hates them but this is

a warning this is the danger beloved brethren can be

adulterers and adulteresses it can happen to all of us if we are not wary

if we are not careful there is no middle ground between the world and God you

can't have your finger in in two pies you can't walk on both sides of the road

you can't serve two masters either one or the other in one you will have joy

and pleasure and satisfaction truly and fully eternal

in the other you will have nothing but smoke and Vapor a counterfeit a lie that

will vanish out of your hands the more you try to grab at it and grasp it which one will you

choose how often we make the wrong choice to give the love and devotion

that belongs only to God give that to the world is spiritual

adultery and what do we get in return nothing at all

so why is there war and fighting why is there no peace why is there no

pleasure and satisfaction in the Christian Life in the Christian church let us not point fingers at

others let me examine myself there is no peace because as the

Lord says through his Prophet my people have forsaken me the Fountain of Living

Waters and hued up out for themselves systems broken systems that can hold no

water that's why there is no peace that's why there are Wars and

fightings the Friendship of the world is enmity with God and empty of all true

satisfaction and peace if you are looking for security true

security you will never find it in the riches of the world if you are looking for Joy true and

Lasting Joy you will never find it from the entertainment of the

world if you are looking for rest pure and perfect rest you will never find it

from all the luxuries of the world if you are looking for wisdom wisdom to guide you through

life James says if any man lack wisdom let him ask of God if you are seeking

wisdom you will never find it from all the philosophies of the world the world

is empty the world is a broken system why do we go there for water when

we have the Fountain of Living Waters submit to him seek Him obey

him from the world you will get nothing but war and fighting and

enmity that's o bleak picture isn't it but there is encouragement in the

word of God verse 5 of James chapter 4 do we think that the scripture sayth in

vain the spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to Envy now this is a difficult

verse but I take this to be an encouragement the scripture warns us about our lust scripture teaches us that

the spirit in us lusts to envy that we have this tendency

we saw it already in James chapter 1:14 every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed we have

this tendency we have this struggle we have this lust but the scripture warn us against

this in vain no scripture does not warn Us in

vain because there is a solution there is help to be found

because scripture even while it warns us against this lust also reveals to us the

grace of God the abundant grace of God as we sang just now Grace that is

greater than all our sin do we think that the scripture sayth in vain the spirit that dwelleth in us

lusteth to Envy but he giveth more grace there is Grace available to help in this

war that is being waged within us we're not left to fight on our own against these fleshly lusts that war against our

souls we have the grace of God to help us but to whom is this Grace

given not to the proud but to the humble God resisteth

the proud but giveth Grace unto the humble the word resist there pictures

someone who is set in battle array the Army set in Array against the opponent

the Lord sets himself in Array against the proud but he gives grace to the

humble that's the solution if our problem is our wandering

from God allowing the world to lead us away from God and His will and the

solution is to resist the devil resist his allurements through the world and to

return to God once more draw nigh to God once again that's the solution put away

Pride humbly submit to God because we need his grace to win this war that is

being waged within us and James now develops this idea from

verse 7 to verse 10 submit yourselves therefore to

God that's the command that's what we need to

do instead of seeking self we must seek God not our will

not our own selfish Pleasures but God's Will and God's desire for us we must

submit to God we must subordinate all our desires to him we must let him rule

over us and direct us instead of following the devil and letting him direct our

steps we must resist him that's a different word from verse 6

verse 6 resisteth the proud it's the idea of battle array

but this word here in verse 7 resist the devil the idea of standing against him

similar to the picture that Paul gives us in Ephesians chapter 6 put on the whole armor of God that he

may be able to stand against the Ws of the devil having done all to stand to

withstand that's the idea here and these are really two two sides of the same coin submit yourselves therefore to God

resist the devil two sides of the same Co coin how did the Lord Jesus resist

the devil it is written it is written and

the devil said all these things will be yours if you will Bow Down and Worship me it is written Thou shalt Worship the

Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serve it is written we resist the devil

by submitting to God he resist the devil by obedience to the word of God

that's how we resist him not by talking bad about him not by

scolding him and calling him names that's not how we resist the devil that's useless what good will it do to call the

devil names we resist him by obeying the word of God submit yourselves therefore

to God resist the devil and he will flee from you and then the problem is gone the

wars and the fightings the the enmity with God because of our desire to be friends of the world that Pro that

problem is gone and we submit to God we draw nigh to him we draw nigh to

the true source of satisfaction and wonder of Wonders we

find that according to his promise he draws nigh to us draw nigh to God and He

will draw nigh to you this is what we were missing all along

the problem was never with God the problem was all along with us it

is not that God kept himself at Bay and God didn't want to come to us we didn't

want to draw nigh to him we are far from God because we didn't want to draw nigh

to him his promise is draw nigh to me and I will draw nigh to you that is his desire

has not the Lord removed every obstacle that stands in the way of our fellowship with

him has he not removed it all by the blood of Christ what can hinder us from coming to

God that the blood of Christ has not already overcome all our sins washed

away what prevents us there is nothing that stands in the

way of our drawing nigh to God in Christ but our own stubborn and rebellious

Hearts our own desire for the world that's the only thing that keeps us from

God but if we will only draw nigh to him this is his promise draw nigh to God and He will

draw nigh to you but that's not a light thing is it

there is a cost as it were to this closeness with our creator because we

cannot Draw N to God hypocritically we cannot draw nigh to God lightly

scripture reminds us it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the Living God and again our God is a

consuming fire we can afford none of the counterfit spirituality in inverted

commas that is so popular and common today because we all have this sense we

all have this sense within us that we need God we have a desire for Spiritual

communion and fellowship that is undeniable so many are seeking

this but they try to feed and satisfy this desire not with God

himself as he reveals himself to us in his word

they try to satisfy that desire

with a counterfeit spirituality and that is why in so many professing churches we find all these

things designed to give the people a feeling of closeness with God sensual

music that comes from the world dim

lights an Ambiance and atmosphere so that you feel near to

God but is there a reality to these things these people who come to such

places and seek that kind of pseudo spiritual emotional High and the go away

thinking oh I have met God today but those people still hold on to their sins they go out and they go on

with their sinful lives there is still Pride there is still lust there is still envy and covetousness there is still

anger that's not drawing n to God that's not true closeness with God any

spirituality so-called that does not involve genuine repentance and separation from worldliness is not a

true spirituality it is a false spirituality because really drawing n to

God can be a very painful process draw nigh to God and He will

draw nigh to you cleanse your hands ye Sinners and purify your hearts ye

double-minded be afflicted and mourn and weep let your laughter be turned to

mourning and your joy to heaviness that's what it means to draw nigh to God

we have to let go of all these false and idolatrous satisfactions that we have been chasing after let your joy be

turned to heaviness the joy that the world promised you that you were seeking after the false Joy of

idolatry let that be turned to heaviness let your laughter be turned to

mourning the frivolous enjoyment of the world in which you thought to find pleasure

let that be turned to mourning you can't hold on to that if you are truly seeking to draw nigh to God you must let those

things go you can't have both let go of the world let go of its Pleasures put

away its false satisfactions drawing n to God means letting this false pleasure and joy of

the world letting it be removed by Affliction and

loss let vain after be turned into true mourning for

sin the throne of grace is not a place for those who think

lightly of sin throne of grace is a place for those who have been utterly broken

impoverished in themselves the throne of grace is a place for those who are truly poor in

spirit who come with nothing who come knowing their own unworthiness who come weighed down with

the guilt of their sins who come with genuine tears of mourning that's the throne of grace it's

not something to approach lightly it's the Throne of the almighty God the THC holy God the throne of grace is a place

for people who truly know how much they need God's

grace it's a great tragedy to hear these so-called preachers of health and wealth

with a message of self-esteem and self conrat ulation and I mention these things not

to ridicule to draw your attention to a real problem a counterfeit that is being

passed off as Christianity and by which so many have been taken in this is not true nearness to God if

you can hold on to self and pride these things must be broken and put

away I heard one preacher boast once of how God shows up at his meetings God

shows up in their church God follows their members around when the members are going out to eat in restaurants God

Appears there and how does God appear what is the sign the mark of God's

presence a cloud of gold dust appears in the air and starts falling oh God is

here and they do that in their church should we do that clouds of gold

falling from the from the ceiling that's what they do in their church and

everyone is happy everyone is clapping and laughing everyone taking out their phones to take

photos is that the presence of God is that drawing nigh to God what did job

say when the Lord truly appeared to him in the Whirlwind he said I abhor myself and

repent in dust and Ashes that's drawing n to God what did Isaiah say when he saw

the Lord high and lifted up and he saw the angels singing Holy Holy

Holy he said woe is me for I am a man of unclean lips and I dwell in the midst of

a people of unclean lips that's drawing n to

God let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to heaviness true

repentance is no joking matter do we know what it truly means to

mourn for sin do we know what it means to feel and

know the heinousness and the horror of our Rebellion against

God do we know do we really know in our

bones in our hearts do we really know that we deserve the fires of hell

because of what we have done how can we draw nigh to God without

that how can we claim and plead for his grace if we don't know how much we

really need it how can we draw nigh to God if there is no

mourning but it is written blessed are they that

mourn blessed are those who mourn thus for sin for they shall be comforted

that's true Comfort not a counterfeit not a fate true Joy true satisfaction true

Comfort because we have exchanged the false things of the world for True joy

in Christ it's good to be afflicted if it weans us from the world if it teaches us

to be humble before God because then he will lift us up humble yourselves in the

sight of the Lord and He Shall lift you up

and if he is the one lifting us up who can bring us down if we try to lift up ourselves by

seeking after these selfish lusts then we will only be abased if we

try to promote ourselves but if we humble ourselves before the Lord he will

lift us up and then no one can bring us down if God be for us who can be against

us that's not a verse to claim lightly if God is truly for us and we have mourned

for our sins we have repented we have come to him with Clean Hands and pure hearts Desiring earnestly to serve him

and live for him then only can we say if God be us who can be against us but how

can we live in sin how can we seek after the world how can we find pleasure in

idolatry and then say if God before us

if we are friends of the world and God is Not For Us friendship

of the world is enmity with God but if we want the Prince of Peace

on our side then we must humble ourselves and submit to him repent of

our sins and Obey him that's the way that's the only way that's God's way to

put an end to these wars and fightings that's God's way to have true and lasting

peace if we want peace in our homes in our churches we need to stop focusing on

what we want and focus on what God wants

truly and isn't that how we started our Christian Journey when that first love was born in

our hearts and we first surrendered to the Sweet yoke of the Lord Jesus wasn't

that our desire to do his will isn't that what we said to the Lord Lord what

will you have me to do will we not so willing in those days

to follow wherever he led us and to do whatever he commanded

us and did we not have peace then don't you remember that did we not

have joy and satisfaction to know the

Lord did we not have a peace such as we never knew before in those

first days when we truly repented of our sins and we came in tears before the

Lord and submitted to him we found joy we found a joy that the world had

never been able to give us and we walked with the Lord in those

first days and what has happened since then how have we lost our way are we no

longer have this joy in the Lord and we think that the world can

substitute let us draw nigh to God and give up the joy of the world give up

these false Pleasures they are false they counterfeits they are wastes of time this worldly pleasure is nothing

compared to the satisfaction that our creator and Redeemer can give

us these worldly pleasures are corrupting our hearts and spoiling our fellowship with one another

let us cleanse our hands and our hearts and if the fire of Affliction must Purge us let it be so if only the Lord at the

end will lift us up let's

pray Our Father in Heaven work in us work in Us by your

spirit work in our midst we pray we ask to revive us turn us again and we shall

be turned cause your face to shine upon us once more help us to be humble and

not proud so that we may come to your throne of grace and find Grace to help

in time of need heal our wounds and our

transgressions Grant peace oh Lord the peace that passes all understanding the

Peace of faith and submission to your word we ask it in the name of your son Our

Savior the Lord Jesus Christ The Prince of Peace amen

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