James 4: Conquering Self for Divine Harmony
This document offers an interpretation of James 4, and looks at the themes of inner conflict, spiritual humility, and the transformative power of grace and also focuses on overcoming personal vices and the pursuit of spiritual purity and harmony.
James 4:1-3
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.
S Read! Read and understand that which has been given here for you. For it is for all people to understand. For this is not only the world around you, but the world that you have created within you. You war within yourself. You fight your own member being. You find no peace without the peace of God.
James 4:4-5
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 scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?
S Here are the pulls of this world: the political arguments, the religious arguments, the power of the press, the strength of money, the all-consuming world of materiality. It is that which must be overcome through your own seeking and steadfastness.
James 4:6-8
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.
S Great words have been spoken. There is little to be added here but that which is the direction: to pay attention, to heed that which is not only a warning but also an aid. For there is always time to find that which is the joy of becoming one in the search. For God is ever present in that which is the Christ who would lift you, take you, lead you, if you would but follow that which has been given for so much time. For so long it has been before you. Find it! Pull it into self. Make it part of thy being that you may find that which is the ecstasy of God beyond the scope of this plane.
James 4:9-10
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.
S This speaks of that which are the earthly things, for there is no humbleness, no lack of joy, no lack of wonder, when God has received you after you have let Him know of your being. For as has been given so often, God cannot know imperfection; therefore, as God the Creator, God cannot know you until through Christ Jesus and the Holy Spirit you find that which is the truth.
James 4:11-12
Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge. There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?
S Few in this life reach to that pinnacle where they do not judge adversely their brothers, their sisters. But even the Prince of Love became that which is a judge, but not for Himself or of Himself, for that was of the Father. And the judgment is this: whether God knows you or does not know you, whether you pass that which is the test, as given.
James 4:13-16
Go to now, ye that say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain:” Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, “If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.” But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil.
S In short, the message here is: your time is limited in each of those incarnations within this earth. Because they are so short, find the dedication, find the perseverance, find the strength to make each outing in this realm worthwhile to yourself, to others, but most of all to Him who gave so much that you might live.
James 4:17
Therefore, to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.
S This should be the guiding principle for all that hear this word and all that read this word. Miss not the mark when the knowledge is with you.
S And now we would give that which is our parting thought. You must find strength within this group. You must find that and renew and rekindle that spark that you have had before, to make the mission of selves and this platform the successful thing that is needed. For make no mistake, if this group cannot do it, another will, and they will rejoice in that which has been given to them to do. You must also realize that there is a place for sacrifice, but there is a place also for the taking and that taking is the force, the love of God as handed to you so liberally by that which is the Prince of Love and Peace that is with you now….
And now we give you that which is the love and the blessings of God Almighty, the Father, and of the Son, and leave you with this thought: become joyous in purpose. Do not drag the feet. Do not turn down the lip. Do not find sadness, but find joy, love, and mercy, in the opportunity of being as one of a group and as an individual (as an individual you are) that may serve the Lord in all those ways that come to you to serve.