A Conditional Promise

APRIL 15, 2020 STUDY NOTES JAMES 4:9-10 BIBLE TEACHER: CLIFTON JONES A CONDITIONAL PROMISE INTRODUCTION In the previous verse James instructed those he called “double minded,” Jas 4:8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. They were to cleanse their hands, they were to purify their hearts He now adds more steps that Christians must take because of sin in their life They are to come before Christ in shame, sorrow, and repentance Our world today has no shame for sin, too often sinners are proud of their sin and rejoice over sin Too often today churchgoers make light of sin and too many churches fail to stand against sin What happened to the sorrow for sinful ways? Where are the altars of today stained with “godly grief?” We need the message of James today, listen to him— Jas 4:9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Be afflicted, A Christian should be filled with sorrow because of unconfessed sin in their life James is not teaching penance we are not to punish ourselves because we have sinned But we should be ashamed of sin and we must take sin seriously To know that we have sinned against God should make us miserable We must realize how ''serious sin is, because of our sin, Jesus died on the cross, 1Pe 2:24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. The word “afflicted” described the experience of misery because of certain circumstances It was a word used to describe the experience of an army whose food was all gone It was used to describe the misery of an army that had no shelter from the storm We must sense what sin will cost us it will separate us from the supply of God’s sustenance In sin there is no protection from the storms of life, in fact, sin will cause the storm The very thought of sin within us should break our heart and should bring us to despair Sin should not be fun in the life of a Christian sin should work wretchedness in our soul and mourn, Mourning is the outward result of the affliction or the misery within “Mourn” is a strong word that identifies sorrow so deep in the soul that it cannot be contained within Sorrow so strong that if it remains within it will eat your life away It describes the life that has been gripped by grief, like the grief you see at a funeral Funeral grief is a good picture of what James is saying, funeral grief is because of the loss of a life There should be the mourning of sin because we know that sin is taking life away from us There should be deep sorrow because sin has separated us from fellowship with God, 1Jn 1:6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: Listen to James, hear what James is saying to us, sin will cost us the daily life that God has for us Christians living in sin will not lose their salvation, they will lose the joy of their salvation They will not experience the abundant life of Jesus, Joh 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. Satan is a thief who will steal life from you through sin Satan will eat your life away through one bite of sin after another, 1Pe 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: You cannot live in sin and live the life that God has ordained for you, Eph 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. James says ''grieve'' because sin is taking life away from you Jesus said that at the time of His return there will be blessing and mourning Christians who grieve over sin now will rejoice when Jesus returns to judge sin, Mat 5:4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. Those who are laughing at sin now will mourn and wail later, Luk 6:25 Woe unto you that are full! for ye shall hunger. Woe unto you that laugh now! for ye shall mourn and weep. Now is the time to weep over sin, weep and repent of sin before you face the judgment of God and weep: “Weep” is a loud expression of the deep grief found within, wailing; crying; sobbing; tears overflowing Christians should be weeping and sobbing over sin How long has it been since you witnessed a broken heart because of sin? Where are the old-time revival altars that are stained from the tears of sin? When Peter realized that he had denied Jesus he broke down and wept, Mat 26:75 And Peter remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out, and wept bitterly. Where is the sorrow for sin in our world today? It is time for America to weep because of sin It is time for the church in America to weep because of sin, it is time for the Christian to weep over sin Throughout its history America has shed many tears of sorrow There has been the sorrow of war, natural disasters, accidental disasters, and terroristic attacks Where are the tears of today because of the destruction of sin? Never has there been more tragedy to weep over than the sins of America today America has become hardened to sin, is the same true of the church of today? Have you opened your eyes in order to take an honest look at sin, pay attention to Jesus, Luk 19:41 And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it, Jesus did not just weep over Jerusalem because of their sins, but because they did not see “Him” They did not see who Jesus was or why He came to them, to save them from their sins and give them life Have you looked at our community? Have you looked at America? Have you looked at the world? If so, concerning any of the above, you know it is time to weep because our world does not see Jesus Is it time for you to look at yourself in the mirror? If so, is it time to weep? If you cannot weep over the sin you see, let me give you something else to look at Something that too often Christians today do not identify with, which is the “Holiness” of God We will not see the truth of sin until we see the “Holiness of God,” 1Pe 1:15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Today, the most talked about attribute of God, is His love People soften sin and accept sin based upon their idea of God’s love Yes, God is love, but the most mentioned attribute of God in the Bible is “His Holiness” We must listen and learn the truth from God’s Word, which is, our “God is Holy” God is separate from sin, He is upright, pure, blameless, and without blemish There is nothing in His person or character that defiles Because He is Holy, He hates sin, He punishes sin, He loves the sinner but does not accept their sin All of which is plainly written in God’s Word, 1Pe 1:16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy Study the Bible and you will find that our God is Holy, and He has a goal for us, “live a holy life” As Christians we have a motive for living a holy life, our God is holy Our Savior, Jesus Christ is holy, the Spirit of God is holy, God’s Word is holy The daily desire of our life should be nothing less than, “be holy” From the OT to the NT the same truth is presented, “our God is Holy, we are to live holy In the OT God’s holiness called upon His people to be “holy,” Lev 11:44 For I am the LORD your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy: neither shall ye defile yourselves with any manner of creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. In the OT sacrificial system, only certain animals were selected for sacrifice, Num 6:14 And he shall offer his offering unto the LORD, one he lamb of the first year without blemish for a burnt offering, and one ewe lamb of the first year without blemish for a sin offering, and one ram without blemish for peace offerings, OT teaching was, there must be a spotless lamb, for the substitutionary sacrifice for sins Jesus was the Lamb who knew no sin, 2Co 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. Jesus was the Lamb without blemish, 1Pe 1:19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Jesus was the Lamb without spot, Heb 9:14 How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? Jesus was the perfect sacrifice for our sins, 1Jn 3:5 And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin. We must learn, God is Holy, Jesus is Holy, the Spirit of God is Holy, and God’s Word is Holy We must learn that God’s people are to live holy, holiness reveals the truth of sin, turns the light upon sin God’s power will not return to our churches until we are afflicted, mourn, and weep because of sin let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. James does not contradict Paul, 1Th 5:16 Rejoice evermore. God is not telling us to be unhappy, the Christian life is to be filled with joy, Php 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice. (Joy is Jesus first in our life) James is telling us that there is no joy in the life of sin James speaks of laughter because sin makes people feel happy, but their happiness is short lived “Laughter” is in-contrast to the weeping, too often people laugh because they enjoy sin In America sin has become a laughing matter instead of a weeping matter If you are laughing at the sin of others you are unconcerned about sin in your own life Picture sin as God does and quit joking about it, see the truth of sin and start weeping James is telling us to quit accepting a false happiness, the happiness of sin is limited The joy of sin is senseless, ridiculous, and foolish A good test of your spirituality is, what are you laughing at? Are you laughing with a world of sin that mocks and ridicules God? Are you watching the shows or programs on T.V. that portray sin as entertainment so that you can laugh? The sinful things that entertained you before you were saved should now break your heart Laughter as an enjoyment of sin must now be turned away from, we must change our mind about sin There must be a change of mind and a change of direction, turning from laughter to “mourning” “Mourning” is not sorrow because you got caught in sin, it is sorrow because you have sinned Sorrow because of sin in your life will lead to grief, grieving over sin will lead to repentance Repentance is turning from everything that is ungodly and desiring everything that is of God How long has it been since you have heard a prayer of repentance like David? Psalm 51 is a classic passage of true repentance and God’s forgiveness of sin David confessed his sins to the God who loves, Psa 51:1 Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. David repented because he wanted to be cleansed of sin, Psa 51:2 Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. David knew what his problem was, “my iniquity,” “my sin” Repentance is a full confession of sin, Psa 51:3 For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. In repentance, you acknowledge that you have sinned against God, Psa 51:4 Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest. The law calls sin against man a crime, all sin, any sin, every sin is against God The sorrow of David was not that man had learned of his sin David repented because he knew that he had sinned against God David wanted to be cleansed of his sin and experience a right relationship with God, Psa 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Repentance is a joyful experience, Psa 51:12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. The heart of David was heavy, he made the decision to turn from sin and turn to God Exactly what James is telling us, there is no joy in sin, sin will become a heavy load Don't let sin turn you into weeping because of the consequences of sin Don't wait and let sin's laughter be turned to weeping because of the penalty of sin Turn that attitude of laughter of sin around today, reverse your emotional expressions Don't let the joy of sin be your pleasure, let the joy of the Holy Spirit be your pleasure The Holy Spirit can turn a heart of sinful shame into a heart filled with joy unspeakable, 1Pe 1:8 Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: See Jesus today by believing in Jesus, love Jesus today, rejoice in Jesus, and be filled with glory Jas 4:10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up. Humble yourselves You must allow yourself to “be humbled,” you do that by “drawing nigh to God” Come stand before the “Holy God” and allow God to reveal to you the truth of your life The heart of humility is the heart that takes a true look at God, a true look at Christ, and a true look at self Scripture reveals the truth of self, Rom 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Scripture reveals another amazing truth, God hates sin but loves the sinner “so much,” Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. That is why Paul could write, Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: The evidence of having personally experienced the grace of God is submission to God There will be no spirit of humility apart from the personal experience of the grace of God God continually graces those who are of a humble mind and humble enough to receive it People who realize that they are completely dependent upon God People who are thankful for the daily grace of God which blesses with all blessings, Eph 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: When you see the truth of God and the truth of self you will humble yourself before God You can humble yourself before God or God will humble you, He can do that God can use many-different ways to humble His people, an example is what our world is facing today God will allow events and people into our life so that we can begin to see our need for Him in the sight of the Lord, You don’t look at yourself through the eyes of man or through the eyes of the world Look at yourself through the eyes of God, see the grace of God that has been bestowed upon you The saving grace of God, the sanctifying grace of God, the sustaining grace of God By the grace of God, God now sees us “in Christ,” God sees the work of the Holy Spirit within us By the grace of God, you will not see a little, lowly, unworthy being, called a “nobody” You will see someone whom God has called, justified, and glorified, Rom 8:30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. God wants us to see who we are “In-Christ” and to live our life “In-Christ,” Gal 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. We must see what our life can be when He is the Lord of our life, listen to James--and he shall lift you up. For God to exalt you means that He will lift you up, He will set you on high The word “exalt” is used in a theological way God will lift you up to a higher spiritual plane A great promise from God, but it is conditional, it must be understood within its context You cannot claim the promise of verse 10 apart from being obedient to the previous verses Jas 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Jas 4:8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Jas 4:9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Peter shares the same promise from God with us, 1Pe 5:6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: We must learn to submit our life to the hand of God, the hand that controls the universe The “mighty hand of God” identifies with God’s presence and God’s work in our life The “hand of God” is working in our life to accomplish His purpose for us God’s hand will guide and direct us through every circumstance and every trial we face Peter is telling us not to fight against the hand of God, but allow Him to be in total control of our life You can trust every step of your life to God’s hand, think about it All things are ultimately under his mighty hand, God is in control of all things You must be aware of the sovereignty of God, His providential control of all things You must know that you belong to him and be confident that he cares for you, 1Pe 5:7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. He has a purpose and a plan for all things concerning your daily life, Rom 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. So, no matter what is happening or will happen, you must continue to trust God Submit yourself to God, God is-able to deliver his people and He will judge our enemies If you come to God with your cup full of selfish pride, you will not receive grace Come before God with an empty cup and God will fill your cup with sufficient grace, 2Co 12:9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me James said it this way, “and he shall lift you up” Which is a promise, but there is one crucial condition for the promise, humble yourselves Jesus taught us the same principle, Mat 23:12 And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted. Those who exalt themselves will be put down by God Humble yourselves before God in order that God can exalt you Humility is necessary in-order for God to minister to us Humility is necessary before God can minister to others through us Listen to the song, humble yourself before God and He will lift you up LORD LIFT ME UP AND LET ME STAND