Tiago 4
David Guzik · Citado em PreceptAustin
Tiago 4
Guzik - After dealing with the problem of no prayer, now James addressed the problem of selfish prayer. These ones, when they did ask, they asked God with purely selfish motives. We must remember that the purpose of prayer is not to persuade a reluctant God to do our bidding. The purpose of prayer is to align our will with His, and in partnership with Him, to ask Him to accomplish His will on this earth (Matthew 6:10)....Destructive desires persist, even if we pray, because our prayers may be self-centered and self-indulgent. (James 4 Commentary) This teaching echoes Jesus’ words in the Sermon on the Mount: “But seek first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.” (Matthew 6:33CSB). When we seek God’s kingdom first, He provides what we truly need. But when we seek pleasure, power, or possessions apart from Him, we end up empty and in conflict. Peter H. Davids - This is not the trusting child asking for a meal, but the greedy child asking for the best piece or the spoiled child demanding his or her own way. When we go to our heavenly Husband and actually pray for the resources with which to commit adultery with the world, it is a very wicked thing. -- John Piper C H Spurgeon on asking with wrong motives - When a man so prays he asks God to be his servant, and gratify his desires; nay, worse than that, he wants God to join him in the service of his lusts. He will gratify his lusts, and God shall come and help him to do it. Such prayer is blasphemous, but a large quantity of it is offered, and it must be one of the most God-provoking things that heaven ever beholds. Bruce Barton - Sometimes we actually do get just what we wanted, only to discover that we still do not have what we really needed—the deep contentment that only comes when we are right with God. Trusted alone, our desires will only lead us to the things of this earth and not to the things of God. (Borrow Life Application Bible Commentary – James) So that (hina) introduces a purpose clause and always begs the question "What is the purpose?" Pause and ponder and give the Spirit time to speak! You may spend it on your pleasures (hedone) - The idea of spend in context is our English word "squander" which means to to spend thoughtlessly, foolishly, extravagantly; to throw away or waste in a reckless manner. Clearly God does not not respond positively to prayers that have one's own pleasures as as one's chief goal. Spend (1159)(dapanao from dapane = expense, cost; BDAG says it is from dapto = devour, of wild beasts) means to spend freely. It is notable that this same verb is used to describe the Prodigal Son who "had spent everything." (Lk 15:14+). James is saying when they pray with this selfish motive, even if God answered, they would be like the prodigal, squandering their inheritance on self and/or selfish interests. Lehman Strauss sums up this first section - Would you live at peace with God, with yourself, and with your brethren in Christ? If you would, ask God not for what you want but only for those things He wants you to have; not for what you want to do, but for enablement to do that which He would have you do. (Borrow Commentary page 154) He whose main pursuit is pleasure will never attain to righteousness. - Walter J. Chantry Bruce Barton - Prayers are not automatically answered with a yes from God. Although God gives many promises about the power of prayer (see Matthew 7:7-11; 17:20; Mark 11:23-24; Luke 18:1-8; John 14:13-14), these promises hinge upon the attitude of the person praying—how in tune he or she is with God (cf Ps 37:4). True prayer must express dependence on God. Especially when we are praying for ourselves, our attitude must be "Your will be done." A selfish person cannot say that to God. (Borrow Life Application Bible Commentary – James) John
Tiago 4
Guzik - This attitude that James challenged goes far beyond making wise plans for the future. “Not, let us go, but, we will go, in the indicative mood; noting the peremptoriness of their purposes, and their presuming upon future times and things, which were not in their power.” (Poole) (James 4 Commentary)
Tiago 4
Guzik - James knows that it is far easier to think about and talk about humility and dependence on God than it is to live it. Yet he makes the mind of God plain: as we know these things, we are accountable to do them. (James 4 Commentary) Rod Mattoon - Why do people who know the will of God deliberately disobey it? There are a number of reasons: pride, unwillingness to sacrifice, fear of change, unbelief, serving a different master, fear of failure, rebellion, peer pressure, bitterness toward God, other alternatives, ignorance of the nature of God's will.Some folks act as though the will of God is something they can accept or reject. Beloved, the will of God is not an option, it is an obligation. We cannot take it or leave it. Some people feel the will of God is a formula for misery, but the opposite is true. Disobeying God's will is what leads to misery in our lives. Remember you will have an appointment with the Lord one day. (Mattoon's Treasures – Treasures from James) Steven
Tiago 4:5
Guzik - The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously: The indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit has a jealous yearning for our friendship with God. The Spirit will convict the Christian who lives in compromise. Lehman Strauss - We might paraphrase this to read as follows: "The Spirit, who hath taken up His abode in us, enviously yearns over us." I have capitalized the word Spirit, for I believe James is referring to the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit, indwelling us, is longing after something: namely, to make us wholly Christ's, to bring us to the place where we have no divided allegiance. The Holy Spirit has just one envy, one desire, one longing; that is, our entire devotion to Jesus Christ. God warned His people of old time to have no other gods, neither to bow down to them, for, said He: "I the Lord thy God am a jealous God" (Dt 5:1-9). This is the intense desire of divine love, and the dispensations do not alter it. God's pure and perfect love for us yearns over us, for He too longs to be loved by His own. This is the consistent teaching of all Scripture, and it is not mere vain (or empty) teaching. No teaching in the Word of God can be labeled meaningless. The popular preacher and Bible expositor R. Kent
Tiago 4:6
Guzik - God resists the proud: Grace and pride are eternal enemies. Pride demands that God bless me in light of my merits, whether real or imagined. But grace will not deal with me on the basis of anything in me, good or bad, but only on the basis of who God is. Vance Havner once said that "If we learned humility it might spare us humiliation." In a famous OT verse the prophet Habakkuk records God's assessment of pride and humility writing… Behold, as for the proud one, His soul is not right within him, but the righteous will live by his faith. (Hab 2:4+) Comment: The proud individual's soul is not right while the righteous person lives by his faith. When we as believers become angry or embittered over what God has allowed into our life, we are choosing to walk by pride, not by faith (2Co 5:7, 4:16, 17, 18, He 11:1-note). On the other hand when we make the choice to walk by faith, we are choosing to trust God's sovereignty and His "definition" of what is good and beneficial to our growth in Christ-likeness. If we walk in pride and arrogance, we will look only at a limited and even distorted "definition" of what is best. William Law - Pride and humility are the two master-powers, the two kingdoms in strife for the eternal possession of man.
Tiago 4:6
Guzik notes that… It isn't as if our humility earns the grace of God. Humility merely puts us in a position to receive the gift He freely gives. F B Meyer expands that thought writing… I used to think that God's gifts were on shelves one above the other, and that the taller we grew in Christian character the easier we could reach them. I now find that God's gifts are on shelves one beneath the other. It is not a question of growing taller, but of stooping down, to get His best gifts. Adam Clarke… The sure way to please God is to submit to the dispensation of his grace and providence; and when a man acknowledges him in all his ways, he will direct all his steps. The covetous man grasps at the shadow, and loses the substance. Spurgeon exhorts believers to gladly accept a prone position (the root meaning of humility - see below) in order that grace might flow down most efficaciously… Humble hearts seek grace, and therefore they receive grace. Humble hearts yield to the sweet influences of grace, and so grace is bestowed on them more and more largely. Humble hearts lie in the valleys where streams of grace are flowing, and hence they drink of them. Humble hearts are grateful for grace and give the LORD (Jehovah) the glory of it, and hence it is consistent with His honor to give it to them. Come, dear reader, take a lowly place. Be little in thine own esteem, that the LORD may make much of thee. Perhaps the sigh breaks out, "I fear I am not humble." It may be that this is the language of true humility. Some are proud of being humble, and this is one of the very worst sorts of pride. We are needy, helpless, undeserving, hell-deserving creatures, and if we are not humble we ought to be. Let us humble ourselves because of our sins against humility, and then the LORD will give us to taste of His favor. It is grace which makes us humble, and grace which finds in this humility an opportunity for pouring in more grace. (Ed: Read that again!) Let us go down that we may rise. Let us be poor in spirit that God may make us rich. Let us be humble that we may not need to be humbled but may be exalted by the grace of God (Jas 4:10, 1Pe 5:6-note). (Faith's Checkbook) William Romaine (1770) in his paper entitled Humility Observe O my soul what an honor God has put upon this grace, "Before honor—is humility" (Proverbs 15:33)! Whom God honors—He first humbles. He gives grace to the humble, because the humble give Him all the glory. The highest throne which He has upon earth—is in the humblest heart. To it He vouchsafes His constant presence and makes the greatest communications of His love, "For thus says the high and lofty One who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy—I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also who is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones" (Isaiah 57:15). O what an honor is here promised to the humble! The greatest they can have on this side of Heaven. God will dwell with them—what a blessing! And His temple shall be in the humble heart. The high and holy One passes by what is in the highest esteem among men. He stains the pride of human greatness and goodness. He does not vouchsafe to set up His throne with the princes, nor to give His honor to the learned of the world. But He puts honor upon the contrite and humble. He condescends to visit them; yes, He delights to dwell with them, and in them—the Highest above all heavens—in the lowest and humblest hearts. There He communicates His choicest love and richest favors. O my God! bestow upon me this grace, which in Your sight is so precious. Humble me, that I may be revived with Your presence, and refreshed daily with Your love. Give me more humility, and fit me for nearer fellowship with You. Bring down every proud thought, and let me find it true, that You resist the proud—but give more grace unto the humble. True poverty of spirit is needful, not only to bring the sinner to Christ—but also to preserve the believer in communion with Him; for so long as he walks by faith, everything will tend to promote this communion. In the daily sense of his needs, he will go to his bountiful Savior for a supply. In the feeling of his misery, He will depend on his loving Savior for relief; whereby he will be led to more fellowship with Him. What he finds wrong in himself—will bring him to live more by faith, and as faith increases, so will his delight in God. He will grow more sensible of his weakness—and that will make him stronger in the Lord. He will know more of his own heart—which will humble him, and keep him dependent on the grace of Jesus. He will see reason not to lean to his own understanding—but ever to pray, Lord guide me by Your Spirit. Viewing spots and blemishes in his best doings, his triumph will be, "I will make mention of Your righteousness, Lord Jesus, even of Yours alone" (Psalm 71:16). Thus everything will humble him, and lead him to live more by faith—by which means he will get faster hold of Christ, live in nearer fellowship, and be receiving out of his fullness "grace for grace". He will have two graces at once—the blessings needed and thankfulness for them. Hereby a sweet fellowship will be kept open. To the humble, God delights to give grace—and they delight to return Him His glory. The more grace He gives—the more glory they gladly return. And He does give more grace, and He receives it back again in thanks and praise. Blessed grace! by which this holy fellowship is maintained. Happy humility! by which the heart, being emptied of self, is made capable of receiving the fullness which is of God. Then is the promise fulfilled, "Blessed are the poor in spirit—for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Matt. 5:3). It is theirs now—not only in title—but also in possession, for the kingdom of God is within them and they are partakers at present of its blessings and glories as truly, though not so perfectly, as they will be in Heaven. Meditate, O my soul, upon this Divine grace. You see the necessity of it—O pray earnestly for it, and for more of it. The great idol SELF must be dethroned where God reigns. You can not walk with Him—unless you are humble in heart. And if you have been walking with Him, you will be taught to stop, whenever you begin to look at SELF with admiration. O beg of the Lord, then, to give you the true Gospel poverty of spirit. It is to be in constant practice, and used for everything; for you see how it keeps up fellowship with God, who makes the greatest communications of Himself to His humblest child. And the reason is plain; because they return Him all His glory. If therefore you would have much grace in exercise—pray for much humility. O my God! whatever You give, give humility with it, that I may not seek SELF in it—but Your honor, nor lay it out upon myself—but to Your glory. Meek and lowly Jesus, make me like Yourself; keep me learning of You—until I am perfectly like You. I would come always poor to You—to receive of Your riches, and to receive with them a humble heart to praise You for them. O let Your glory be my end and aim. May I be humbled—and You exalted. Let Your graces and gifts bring You in a constant revenue of praise. And may Your increasing goodness—be joined with a constant increase of my humility, that my heart may bless and praise Your holy name, today and forever. Amen. And let this appear in my whole behavior to others. This is another blessed fruit of humility—it has an influence over the believer's fellowship with mankind, and renders his tempers and manners loving and amiable. Pride was not made for man, and yet it is in all men, and is the chief parent of human woe. It sets people above their place, and makes them think they could support the greatest fortunes, and are able to manage the most difficult affairs. Others, as proud as they, deny them their fancied superiority. Hence come wars and fightings, public and private. The sweet grace of humility is sent from Heaven to relieve those distresses; for into whatever bosom it enters, it renders men kind to one another, tender-hearted, ready to perform every good word and work. Thus runs the Divine exhortation, "Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves" (Romans 12:10). This is heart-humility, which the Holy Spirit requires, and which He bestows. He brings His disciples into humble subjection to God, then to one another; this has the most happy effects upon public, social, and private happiness. These would greatly flourish, if all men were of a meek and quiet spirit! But there is none of this among the unconverted; and, alas, how little is there among believers! How often are they found in the proud spirit of the world! acting contrary to the humble spirit of Jesus. And yet it is not for lack of precepts, nor for lack of promised help; but it is because they are not walking by faith, as befits the Gospel; nor out of love to God's glory, studying to recommend humility by their practice. Observe, O my soul, the remedy provided of God for the subduing of all selfish tempers, and pray that it may be effectual in your heart and life. Do you think that the Scripture, says in vain, "The spirit that dwells in us lusts to envy. But He gives more grace. That is why Scripture says, God resists the proud—but gives grace unto the humble" (James 4:5, 6). This Scripture cannot speak in vain; for fallen man is certainly such as he is here described. The spirit that dwells in him, in his own nature, lusts to envy—a passion made up of pride and discontent, offended with God, and displeased with the blessings which He bestows upon men. Envy is an enemy to the love both of God and man, and transgresses the Law of both tables. Pride brought it into Heaven, and the fallen angels brought it into this world. Ever since it entered by sin, natural corruption breaks out very much in envy. But God gives more grace to conquer this passion, than sinful nature has to put it forth. He not only gives grace to pardon it—but also more grace to subdue it; so that envy loses its dominion in the reign of grace. We cannot subdue it, any more than we can pardon envy, pride, and such passions; but grace is almighty. He gives more grace, when the creature is humbled enough to take it out of the hands of His mercy. Thus he overcomes envy; "for He resists the proud" —He is at open war with them, and they with Him. Pride lifts up the creature against the Creator, and puts it upon seeking happiness outside of God; this is resisting His sovereignty, attacking His providence, and opposing His Law. God is concerned to pull such rebels down, and He says their pride goes before destruction. But "He gives grace unto the humble"—He gives them grace to humble them, and being emptied, He delights to fill them; for then they are disposed to receive His grace and to value it. Whatever God gives, the humble gives it back again to Him. They have the blessing—He has the praise—which is the just tribute due to Him for His gifts. And He gives more grace—where He can get more glory. Thus He subdues self-conceit, with its various proud workings. And as grace reigns over them, humility prevails; which has a friendly aspect towards mankind. It keeps brotherly love in the heart, and tends mightily to the practice of every social virtue. Humility is patient and kind. Humility is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. Humility does not demand its own way. Humility is not irritable, and it keeps no record of when it has been wronged. (From his paper on Humility) In Isaiah 66 Jehovah links humility with a contrite spirit (grieving and penitent for sin) and a reverential trembling regarding His Word… For My hand made all these things, Thus all these things came into being," declares the LORD. "But (this contrast apparently indicating that what God values even more than His glorious inanimate creation is one with the following character traits) to this one I will look, To him who is humble (Lxx = tapeinos) and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word (cp Jn 14:23). (Isaiah 66:2, cp Isa 57:15) As Andrew