Cause of the Problem

James 4:1-4

1 What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you?

2 You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God.

3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

4 You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.(NIV)

James really hits the nail on the head with verse 1, doesn’t he? In these verses James is returning to the explanation of our problems. Paul referred to this problem as being from the carnal mind in

Romans 8:7.

7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.(KJV)

Peter tells us to abstain from these

1 Pet 2:11

11 Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;(KJV)

This flesh we are running around in loves to have what it wants, doesn’t it? I know mine does, but thanks be to God, I don’t have to be a slave to it any more because Jesus has set me free.

But even though we have been set free from the law of sin and death, that does not seem to stop our bodies from having the wrong desires. We still have our human nature but we can now serve another, God Himself, instead of ourselves and the devil.

James was well aware of the fact that people get torn between desires. In verse two he gets into the fact that there are lots of people-sometimes even Christians (who have not grown up I would say) who try to get their way, try to manipulate situations to come out in the way that pleases them, try to get the "riches" they want, and they are often willing even to kill to get it. Well, we know this, the devil comes to kill, steal and destroy. So we know who is getting served here when people -even those who consider themselves Christians- try to get what they want so badly that they bring destruction as a result. Look at what has been getting revealed in the business world. These tycoons have been wanting money so bad they have been stealing and thank God they are being brought to justice. Have you noticed that much of the arguing either you do or others do has to do with getting your own way? Married couples especially have this problem with each other, cause their wants are often different. Same with kids with their parents and vice-a-versa.. And when it comes to getting the things you want, instead of asking God, you fight about it. And when you finally do ask Him, God says no. Why? Because you are being self-centered. Your motives are not right, you are interested in satisfying yourself, spending whatever money for your own pleasure.

Is it wrong to want to have something or spend money on yourself? It depends. When your focus in life is on you and your wants, the answer is yes. But if your focus on life is on God and His Will, it is ok to have things, to even ask for things. But the key is-"Abide in me and I will abide in you, and you can ask what you will and it will be granted you." The request being granted, as you can see, is dependent on your abiding in Him. Also 1 John 5:14,15 gives you the key-asking in God’s will.

Do you see now why James calls these people adulterers? When we put our will ahead of God’s, we are adulterers. Our devotion is not to Him but to ourselves. If you are a believer, you just can’t live that way. James is trying to make that clear. Don’t forget, James was writing to people who became believers and needed some straightening out, needed to mature. He is revealing to these folks that changes have to be made, and what the cause of the problems are. Some of these believers were still too caught up with friendship with this world, too caught up with the pleasures and interests of this world, too caught up with the cares or pressures of this world. Well, that is deadly, and James is letting them know that.

The next verse, I will have to get into next week. For I am finding that different versions of the Bible translate it really differently from each other. So I have research to do in order to understand that verse and also to see if James is quoting an Old Testament Scripture. I did look at Matthew Henry’s commentary, and his explanation makes the most sense to be considering the context of James’ writing here.

You have a great weekend. The Good News Lady