◄ James 4 Devotional Commentary ►
James 4:1
Having just delivered an important paragraph about the qualities of being of a peacemaker... where sowing in peace is the key to raising a harvest of righteousness, James dives headlong into a stinging treaties on the detrimental effects of fights, quarrels, lust, hate, envy, and pride, within the Body of Christ.
The wise man is the one that pursues peace and speaks the truth in love, while the tragedy is that those who wallow in read more...
James 4:2
So much in Scripture points to right thinking. We are to take every thought captive to Christ. We are to let His mind dwell in us richly. We are to have this same attitude in ourselves that was in Christ Jesus. We are to look to the Lord Jesus as our example in selfless humility. We are to focus our thoughts on what is right in the sight of God and all people. We are to trust in the Lord with all our heart and not to lean on our own, limited understanding.
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James 4:4
These are pretty tough words for any believer to receive from an author of the God-breathed Scriptures but nonetheless, they are contained within the canon of holy writ and need to be explored with an open heart that is not hiding behind a self-righteous exterior.
James, the brother of the Lord Jesus Christ, had a ministry to Jewish believers in Christ in the early Church, and this epistle is addressed to Christians from the 12 read more...
James 4:5
We are called into the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, but too often there is strife and acrimony among believers and feuds between Christian workers or groups of believers. James identifies the cause of conflict as being pride and self-elevation, or a desire to excel in the midst of one's brothers and sisters in Christ, or the thrill of worldly applause.
This is not how the Body of Christ should function, for it read more...
James 4:6
James desires to get some important truths across to his fellow-Christians. He seeks to warn us against favouritism, to remind us of the dangers of an unruly tongue, to encourage us to seek wisdom from the Lord, and to avoid the devastating danger of pride which manifests itself in covetous cravings and evil desires. He exhorts us to remember that Scripture teaches that the indwelling Spirit of God yearns over each of us with a godly jealousy that desires that we read more...
James 4:7
As Christians, we are not under law but under grace. As God's children who are saved by grace through faith in Christ, we can walk in spirit and truth OR we can live our life in the lust of the flesh. We can yield to the work of the Holy Spirit within OR we can submit to the evil influences of Satan.
As believers, we can allow sin to rule and reign in our mortal body and give in to the sinful desires of our fleshly nature OR we read more...
James 4:8
Christians are eternally united to Christ by faith. We become a child of God and are positioned in Christ at rebirth. At salvation, we receive the indwelling Holy Spirit as a guarantee of our eternal life and heavenly inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession - until we are raptured into His presence. There are many precious promises that become ours, the moment we trust in Christ as the sacrifice for our sin.
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James 4:9
In a few consecutive verses, James fires a series of short, sharp instructions on how to live a victorious Christian life. A number of his commands are linked together with contrasting concepts, which unite to teach valuable lessons. Submit to God. Resist the devil. Draw near to the Lord. Cleanse your hands. Purify your hearts: "Lament and read more...
James 4:10
Not only is salvation given to all who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ as a free gift of God's grace, but His ongoing favour is readily available to every believer, as we journey along the path of life.
Having been born again of the Spirit, we are called to trust in the Lord with all our heart, and we also have a biblical responsibility to walk in His ways and humble ourselves before His face, as outlined in the epistle of read more...
James 4:11
The tongue is a tiny member of the body, but its ungodly use can cause real damage. James lays out the principles and practice of godly speech. He not only warns against 'speaking evil' but explains that 'evil speech' is a sin. "Do not speak against one another," he warns us. "He who speaks against a brother or judges him, speaks against the law. He judges the law. And if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge of it."
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James 4:14
There are two groups of people living in this world today; those that are saved and those that are lost; those that are for Christ and those that are against Him. There are two creations living side by side; those with their feet firmly fixed in the old creation in Adam (who are part of the kingdom of darkness), and those with their hearts resting in heavenly places in Christ Jesus (who are part of the kingdom of light and have been born again into the new creation read more...
James 4:15
The book of James is filled with wisdom, providing us with much-needed insight into how to live our lives in a God-honouring way. In James 4:15 we are reminded of the importance of submitting our plans and desires to God’s will. James tells us to consider the brevity of life, and how quickly our plans can change. We may plan to go on a trip or embark on a business venture, but none of us knows what the future holds. He read more...
James 4:17
The Word of God is not only our plumb-line for truth but also should be our handbook for life and living. All Scripture has been written for our learning, but the New Testament epistles give specific guidance and instruction on living the Christian life in this Church dispensation.
God has given us all we need for life and godliness, and we have been given the holy Scriptures which provide clear teaching on how to walk in spirit and truth and why we read more...