http://bible.com/events/48840300
Church of the Nazarene
James and Being Lifted
“Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.” -James 4:10
James 4:7-12
Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister or judges them speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?
Submit to God
Resist the Devil
Ephesians 2:2
in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.
Come Near to God
James 4:10
Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.
“Humility toward men will be the only sufficient proof that our humility before God is real.” Andrew Murray
Other content for further study/reflection:
The 10 Commandments of James 4:7-12
1. Submit yourselves to God
2. Resist the devil
3. Come near to God
The rest of the actions are in support of the previous three commands.
4. Wash your hands
5. Purify your hearts
6. Grieve
7. Mourn
8. Wail
9. Humble yourselves before the Lord
10. Do not slander one another
James (Jacob) 4:7-12
So then, surrender to God. Stand up to the devil and resist him and he will flee in agony. Move your heart closer and closer to God, and he will come even closer to you. But make sure you cleanse your life, you sinners, and keep your heart pure and stop doubting. Feel the pain of your sin, be sorrowful and weep! Let your joking around be turned into mourning and your joy into deep humiliation. Be willing to be made low before the Lord and he will exalt you! Dear friends, as part of God’s family, never speak against another family member, for when you slander a brother or sister you violate God’s law of love. And your duty is not to make yourself a judge of the law of love by saying that it doesn’t apply to you, but your duty is to obey it! There is only one true Lawgiver and Judge, the One who has the power to save and destroy—so who do you think you are to judge your neighbor?
James in 8 Minutes
This overview video on the book of James breaks down the literary design of the book and its flow of thought. In this book, James combines the wisdom of his brother Jesus with the book of Proverbs in his own challenging call to live a life wholly devoted to God.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qn-hLHWwRYY