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| 1 From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? |
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| 2 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 not – Failing to pray for help in time of need, forgiveness for failures, humility in victories, thanks for privileges of service, supplications for further opportunities for service, thanks for trials and temptations. R2006:1
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| 3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. |
Ye ask – Pray. R5790:3
We should be careful what we ask for. R5202:6
God accepts as our prayers all the good thoughts and sentiments of our minds, as well as those expressed by our tongues. R5311:5
And receive not – Receive not answers to your prayers. R5790:3
Petitions according to the Lord's will shall be answered, but those contrary to his will shall remain unanswered. R5203:1
The Heavenly Father would not answer any petitions that would not be for the good of his children. R5311:1
Ye ask amiss – Selfishly; in harmony with your own desires, and not in harmony with the divine arrangement and plan. F679; R5790:3, 5601:1, 5203:1, 1972:5, 1866:5; NS225:6
They ask that the answer may minister to the desires of their flesh. R5481:4
The privilege of prayer, or any other favor of God, is not granted for selfish purposes. A thing properly desired and asked for in one case might be improper if asked for from some other motive. The desire for a good thing, simply for ease and convenience, is an improper, selfish motive. R2005:6
Our requests should be only as God has authorized us to ask and expect. R1972:5
Jesus' example in respect to praying for conversion of sinners is notable: "I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me." (John 17) Q815:2
Our petitions will be chiefly for spiritual favors; and even in asking for these we should be particular not to specify how they are to come. R2005:6
Not to pray with definiteness for earthly things. R5311:1
We are not to ask to gratify fleshly desires. Whenever we ask anything from the Lord, we should scrutinize our motives. R5311:1, 2
Careless asking. R436:6
Many forget that the Lord has already promised to take care of the temporal necessities of his spirit-begotten children. As new creatures our conditions and desires should be specially for the things that pertain to the new creature. R2865:6
Our hearts should be so full of appreciation for blessings already received, temporal and spiritual, that we would hesitate to ask more. Our petition should be, Give what is best! And faith should firmly trust him, come what may. R3431:1
One of the things for which we may pray is that God's Kingdom may come. We may also pray for our necessities. If in God's providence he withholds the luxuries, we are to be satisfied. We may pray for deliverance from the evil one. We may pray for the forgiveness of our trespasses. R5311:3,4
Our prayers should be in harmony with our endeavors. R5692:5
Upon your lusts – The word lusts here signifies desires. R5311:1, 2005:6, 798:5
For vainglorious purposes or other selfish reasons. R2005:6
Their earthly desires; wealth or fame or temporal good things. R2865:6
Desires for ease, for earthly prosperity, for a sect and its growth and honor; all these are earthly lusts. R798:5
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| 4 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. |
Know ye not – Forgetting this instruction, many consecrated ones try to walk upon a middle road, to keep the favor of God and the favor of the world. They are delivered over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh. (1 Cor. 5:5) A214
The friendship of the world – Being in accord with sinful practices, not, perhaps, directly, but indirectly. In accord with the world's policies. R4765:6
The love of fellowship, which implies the partaking of its spirit, its aims, ambitions, and hopes, and its methods of pursuing them. R4766:4
God's people must take their choice, either the divine or the worldly friendship and fellowship. R2444:2
We are not to get the thought that we are to have no worldly people as our friends; we are to be the friends of all, otherwise it would imply we were their enemies. R4765:3
Is enmity with God – The world's spirit, theories and philosophies are vain and foolish and enmity to God. D183
Evil deeds and evil thoughts, evil-speaking, are an abomination in the sight of the Lord, and those who love and practice such things lose his fellowship. They are not of his spirit. R2444:3
We are not to love the present order or arrangement, nor the things that are part and parcel of it. We are to love the world only in the sense of having sympathy with it, as our Heavenly Father has. R4766:4
The path of the world, being wrong, is out of harmony with God and righteousness. R1668:6
Friend of the world – If we are friends of God, the world will seek to do us injury as evil-doers. While not "friends of the world," we must endeavor to be at peace with them. R4797:1
Whoever is fully satisfactory to the world may be sure that he is not satisfactory to the Lord. R5738:1
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| 5 Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy? |
That dwelleth in us – In our flesh dwelleth no perfect thing. (Rom. 7:18) E200
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| 6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. |
Resisteth the proud – The self-seeking, the proud in spirit, could not be trusted in a high position. R5414:6
The self-assertive. R3828:5
The self-sufficient, the boastful. R2700:4, 2459:5
The Almighty sees that we have nothing whatever of which to be proud or to boast. R5843:3
Self-conceit hinders reformation of heart, as well as true usefulness. R5186:1
"Pride goeth before [leadeth to] destruction." (Prov. 16:18) R5843:3, 726:1
Pride was Satan's choice and course. R725:6
Satan has been degraded, "cut down [or limited] to the earth." (Isa. 14:12) R1686:3
Inflated values must at some time come down to a solid basis. R1486:6
In proportion as spiritual pride comes in, the spirit of the Lord departs, and the spirituality of the individual ceases. R5955:6
Even if the proud become the Lord's children they would be kept at a distance. If they were permitted to come nearer it would make them more proud. R5370:4
But giveth grace – Favor. E255; R5843:3, 5464:4, 5414:6, 3866:1, 2700:4, 2450:5, 2250:4, 1486:6; HG751:5
The Lord bestows blessings upon the humble, the meek, the teachable. R5186:1, 5261:3, 2250:4
God will exalt the humble. (Matt. 23:12) Jesus is now exalted to the very position to which Satan through pride and ambition aspired. R1686:3
Unto the humble – Of humble spirit. R5843:3
The poor in spirit. R3734:1
The penitent. R5464:4
The meek, the teachable, the submissive. R5261:3
"The meek will he teach his way." (Psa. 25:9) R2241:3
In coming to God's Word it is always important to remember that our attitude should be that of the disciple and not of the teacher. R3337:1
Those who would be in harmony with God must be humble. R5186:1
Those who humbly desire to be and to do those things acceptable to the Lord. HG751:4
All who would abide in the Lord's love have need to be very careful along this line; to keep very humble, very lowly in conduct, and particularly in mind. R2450:5
Those of humble mind would not be injured by exaltation, nor in danger of deflecting in the future work. R5414:6
Humility was the course and choice of him who was the beginning of the creation of God. R725:6
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| 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. |
Resist – The heart is the battleground. Satan is our enemy. We are not, however, to battle directly with Satan. We are to resist his influence, his deceptions, and his endeavors to lead us into error and sin. R5127:1
The saints cannot fight Satan. They can merely by their wills resist him and rely upon the promises of grace to help and to protect. SM393:2
When Christians take a decided stand against Satan and his wiles, they are relieved of his attack. R5896:6
Mankind cannot cope with the cunning of the "wicked spirits," and our only safety lies in the divine provision that each one who so wills may refuse to have any communication with these demons. R2172:5; HG727:2
All who now enter the narrow way are compelled to fight a good fight, to contend earnestly for the faith, to resist the devil, if they would secure the greater prize of our high calling. R2590:6
Satan acts upon the minds of humanity. His assaults may come through human beings that suggest wrong thoughts to others. R5897:1
By not allowing Satan's seductive arguments to have weight with us. R5184:3
The Christian's warfare is a fight of faith. James does not mean we are to battle with Satan in order to confound him. Whoever thinks he is able to battle alone with Satan surely must possess great self-conceit. In any contention Satan would surely gain the victory. R5184:2
By positiveness of decision we acquire great help from other unseen powers. The instant we resist temptation and stand up for the Lord we become strong in the Lord and in the power of his might. R4988:6
It is of the utmost importance that the child of God should make a positive and prompt decision when he realizes that he is being enticed to evil. A moment's hesitation is very dangerous. R5897:1
This text implies an assault by the Adversary. It implies he should be and can be resisted. R4379:6
While in the wilderness Jesus resisted so thoroughly that we do not hear that Satan ever thought it worth while to come back again. Q184:T
The devil – The tempter. R3718:2, 1689:5
The experience of our Lord in the wilderness affords a good example for all the people of God to follow. R5184:3
The word devil represents that evil one who through unholy ambition became the first opponent of God. His name, which was once Lucifer, shining one, was changed to Satan, meaning the hater, the accuser. R5896:1
Scriptures affirming existence of this wiley Adversary given. F609-11
He will flee from you – If the Adversary finds one well protected and resisting him with a firm will, he will at once retreat, just as a general would retreat from a city after finding its gates strongly protected and attack useless. R5896:6
No power of art or spurious logic can stand against the sword of the spirit; for it is mighty and shall prevail. R1689:5
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| 8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. |
Draw nigh to God – By exercising faith in the sacrifice of Christ. Q699:5
By making a consecration of themselves. R5717:5, 4632:3
Drawing near to him in prayer, in the study of his precious Word, in meditation upon all his goodness, his providential care, his precious promises. R1949:5
Every step from sin toward righteousness is a step toward God, toward justification, based on faith in God; toward covenant relationship. R4632:2, 5207:5, 4871:6
By turning the heart to God and away from sin, by accepting his appointed way in Christ; there is one standard which must be attained before any can be accepted of the Father, full consecration even unto death. R4632:4; Q699:5
God is willing to be found by those who seek him. R5733:5
To turn away from sin is but a step toward conversion. That moment is an antitypical going toward the Tabernacle. Only through Christ can any come to the Father. R5439:1
We must draw near to God in the spirt of our minds, consecrated in our heart. We must will to do his will. R5137:5, 5717:5
Those who fail to go on to full consecration fail to obtain full justification and the seal of sonship and covenant relationship with the Lord. R4654:1
Love for God will enable us to cast out fear and to come to God with great confidence--full confidence--that he will bless us. R4841:5
He will draw nigh to you – "If a man love me he will keep my words; and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him and make our abode with him." (John 14:23) R1949:2
We are met half way by the Lord. R4629:1
God draws nigh in the same proportion. R4632:2
God through his providences draws near. R5596:3
The Father's acceptance of us is indicated by our adoption and begetting of the holy Spirit and the commencement of the sealing; the impressing upon us, as new creatures, of the divine likeness, disposition or spirit. R4872:2
Any one who seeks God will find him. R5201:3; CR420:5
The nearer we draw to the Lord, the more blessing we have. CR434:3
Purify your hearts – He whose heart is pure is single-minded; his mind, will, heart, seeks first, last and always the will of God. R2734:3
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| 9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laugther be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. |
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| 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up. |
Humble yourselves – No true progress can be made in the way to God except by the humble. R2700:4
As Jesus humbled himself, with so great obedience, humility, and self-sacrifice. E424
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| 11 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. |
Speak not evil – Evil speaking is strictly forbidden even if the thing be true. Professed Christians are often the most pronounced scandalmongers. Those who hear slanders and thus encourage slanderers are partakers of their evil deeds. R4803:1, 2
The law – The law of honor, the royal law ( James 2:8), the law of love, the essence of the great law of God. R4240:3*, 5887:2
The law of God; not the Law Covenant which God made with Israel. R5887:4
We are not to judge; we cannot see into the heart; but if any in the Church is living in positive violation of the principles of righteousness laid down in the Word of God, then the matter should be taken up by the Church. R5887:2
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| 12 There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another? |
One lawgiver – Jehovah. R5887:1
Who is able – He who gave that one great standard, that law, is to be the Executor of his own law. R5887:1
To save – Save to life. R5887:1
And to destroy – Destroy in the second death. R5887:1
"Sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death." ( James 1:15) R1085:6
He who created all things must be "able to destroy both soul and body." (Matt. 10:28) R1641:3
Who art thou – What right has any one else to condemn him whom God has seen fit to approve? R5887:1
It is an excellent plan neither to condemn others who claim to be walking conscientiously as children of the Lord, nor even to condemn ourselves under similar circumstances. R2480:2
We should recognize for ourselves and everyone else the one standard which the Lord has given. (Luke 10:27) R5887:2
That judgest another – God gave the law, and he is the One to decide whether the person is seeking to keep that law. R5887:4
Only the Lord, who could read the heart, could properly judge. R2480:2
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| 13 Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: |
And buy and sell – A steward should individually (not collectively, as a commune) manage his own affairs, and render his own account. (Matt. 25:14-28; Luke 19:13-24; James 4:15) R1862:5; D480
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| 14 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. |
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| 15 For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.
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| 16 But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil. |
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| 17 Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin. |
It is sin – Willful sin. R396:4
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