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Here again tonight we come together to look at the book of James and hear how God is calling us into authenticity.

Remember last week we saw how our deep, sinful, passions we have war against the Spirit of God that dwells within - and when we give into these sinful passions that explode like volcanoes destroying harmony in the family.

Sin never just effects you - it effects the family.

Tonight we will see the process to go from Spiritual Adultery to Spiritual Fidelity (or Faithfulness).

So look back at :

1. Friendship With The World Makes Us Enemies of God

James begins by picking up on a theme that weaves its way throughout the OT and it is the picture of husband and wife.

In the OT God is pictured as the husband of Israel - his bride, his wife.

We read of this clearly in :

God, when he called Abraham and then wooed that family over hundreds of years, covenanted or promised himself to the people of Israel at Mt. Sinai w/the 10 Commandments - the law.

But, Israel, could not keep her end of the promise - she did not want God’s standard and rule; she did not want God as her king; she wanted to be like the nations - so Israel pursued other gods:

Israel the unfaithful wife; God the faithful husband.

This is the picture of the relationship between God and Israel in the OT.

And this theme is picked up here in (v.4).

James calls them (and us) adulterous people.

Why?

Well, this connects back to last week - we give into sinful passions and thus harm the body - and ultimately, we are pursuing the world and not God.

That’s what James says, “Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God?”

So pursuing sinful passions for control in the church; acting out in jealousy; boasting and gossiping; holding an unloving attitude and having a bad temper; these things we looked at last week - when we embrace these things we embrace the world.

The world - not like tree’s and beavers and Kilimanjaro and Narwhals - that’s not what James means - the world is a system of being, believing, living and thinking that are at odd’s with God.

In football terms, you have west coast offense and then you have the spread - both are very different from each other.

So, friendship with the world is following the passions and pleasures that are offered against and in rebellion to God.

So when we cuddle up with the world, when we pursue things at odd with God - we are at odd’s with God.

Look at what James says, “Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” That’s hardcore.

When we pursue sin and the flesh and our own passions that are at odds with God - on a practical level we are making ourselves God’s enemy.

We are digging our heels in the ground and shaking our fist in God’s face - saying, my way, O Lord, my way or the highway.

James in a nutshell says - you can’t have it both ways.

It’s like marriage.

You can’t covenant with someone and promise yourself to them and reap all the incredible gifts of companionship and partnership and sharing life with them and everything that comes with that - while also be seeing someone on the side.

Those two things are at odds.

And it is the same way when we are God’s.

Friendship with the world is practical rebellion to Him.

It is the proverbial slap in the face.

And look at how God responds to our sinful rebellion.

2. The Spirit of God Is After Our Spiritual Faithfulness

He is jealous for our faithfulness.

He is jealous for our authenticity.

God yearns that His people would be wholly His - faithful in all their ways.

Application: this is a heart-opening truth.

Even when we sin against God and shake our fist at Him.

We turn his gifts into practical idols by worshipping the gifts rather than the giver - when we allow bitterness to lead to acting out in sinful ways in the family to the defaming of Christ’s name and befriending the world - even then God is jealous for us.

This is divine jealousy, an awesome attribute.

Think of it in the husband - wife relationship.

Christ is our bridegroom and we are his bride.

He doesn’t want His bride going outside of Him to get their needs met.

I’m a husband and I don’t want my wife going outside of our marriage covenant to get her needs met - and God is jealous to be the one to meet our needs.

He is jealous to be our provider - from love.

He knows that friendship with the world does not hold life-giving water.

Just like we know the grass is not greener on the other side.

The jealousy of God is a passionate, yearning for His people to be his.

And what we see here in (v.5) is that the Spirit of God is after our spiritual authenticity.

He yearns and is jealous for believers to be wholly His.

And He doesn’t just leave us here.

Look at :

3.

Only By God’s Grace Can We Live In Spiritual Authenticity

God gives more grace.

Not only does he fiercely desire complete surrender and authenticity in our lives - He gives it.

He makes it possible.

So, God jealously demands all of you - and He gives it by “greater grace”.

That means in whatever way your life is pursuing the ways of the world - whether it be sex, money, power, prestige, being know, being loved, being accepted, winning - whatever it may be - if you know Christ as your Lord then in those areas “greater grace”.

He is jealous for you to get on His page; to be about His kingdom; to go about His work; - and he will give you everything you need.

I love how Augustine puts it “God gives what He demands”.

“For daily need there is daily grace; for sudden need, sudden grace; for overwhelming need, overwhelming grace,” says John Blanchard.5

John Blanchard wrote on grace and said this

Or as John Newton, the famous slave trader who was reformed by God’s grace, penned these words:

Through many dangers, toils and snares,

I have already come:

’Tis grace has brought me safe thus far,

And grace will lead me home.

God gives the grace to help us befriend Him and turn our back on the world - with it’s sinful passions.

But there is a condition to be recipients of this grace: humility.

It says “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

Wait, this grace is conditioned on our behavior?

That doesn’t seem like grace.

Well, if you get this concept you will get much of the bible.

But there is a condition to be recipients: “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

God’s saving grace is something that is not earned:

We don’t earn our salvation it is a gift - it is of grace - not our own doing; not a result of works.

On the great day of salvation - when we stand before God - no one will be able to say “well, I made it here because, well, I’m just sharp as a tack - I’m one of the brighter crayons in the box.”

Nope all boasting will be put aside - as James said earlier:

Salvation is a gift of God.

Though all mercies and helps of God are gracious and unmerited - they are not unconditional.

Most of the blessings of the Christian life are conditional based upon how well we keep God’s covenant - His word.

As John Piper says, “ the blessings of ongoing forgiveness and guidance and help in trouble are conditional on our covenant-keeping.”

So how do we receive this grace to help us fight love of world?

We are to humble ourselves - and here’s the best part: He gives us the grace to fold our sinful pursuits.

It is the humble who receive grace - those who see their deep need for God; those who realize that they are spiritually poor and without God they would be spiritually bankrupt.

Transition: and what James says in so many words over the last four verses is: On the basis of this “greater grace” that I pour out on you - repent.

4. On The Basis of Grace - Repent

Look with me at :

So let’s begin at (v.7) as we look at this sweeping call toward repentance.

“Submit yourselves therefore to God” To submit to God means to place ourselves under his lordship, and therefore to commit ourselves to obey him in all things.

That means all those compartments of sin in our life - we have to open each drawer to God’s lordship.

It’s the Carrie Underwood “Jesus take the wheel” moment.

But this moment needs to be repetitive in our life - it needs to be ongoing.

See we like to give up some things, but there are also sin pockets in our life that we hold tightly to.

We don’t want to let them go.