James 4:7-12 * October 11, 2009 * Pentecost 19 * Pastor Pagels
In the name of Christ Jesus, dear friends:
Earlier this week the Marist Institute for Public Opinion (MIPO) published the results of a poll that asked Americans to identify what they believe to be the most annoying word or phrase in the English language. Some of the top choices included “you know,” “at the end of the day,” and “it is what it is.” But almost half of the people who responded (47 percent) agreed that there is no more annoying phrase than “whatever.”
Maybe you agree with the results of this poll. Maybe you believe that there are other phrases that are far more annoying. Or maybe right now you are thinking to yourself, “Whatever.” But what if we applied a similar question to the words of the Bible? Are there certain words that rub people the wrong way? Are there certain phrases that are difficult for us to accept? And is it possible that one of those words is the very first word in our text for today?
The word, “submit” doesn’t always carry with it the most positive connotation. To submit means to yield, to give in, to surrender. And the implication is that people who submit are being forced to do something against their will.
That might explain why some citizens get upset when God directs them to submit to the governing authorities (Romans 13:1). That might help us understand why some women don’t like it when God calls wives to submit to their husbands (Ephesians 5:22). And I wouldn’t surprised if a few feathers were ruffled when James commanded his Christian readers (and that includes us) to submit to God.
We like our independence. We don’t want to give up control. Or greedy little hands want to keep a tight grip on the small amount of power we possess. Submission is a sign of weakness. By submitting we are admitting that we are inferior. At least that’s what the devil wants us to believe.
But when God talks about submission, he uses a different definition. Biblical submission doesn’t mean that you are being forced to do something against your will. It is something Christians do willingly because they understand that it isn’t God’s goal to control us or oppress us. The Lord wants us to submit to him because he loves us, because he wants what is best for us.
Christian wives will be blessed when they submit to their husbands as to the Lord. Christian citizens will be blessed when they submit to the earthly leaders their heavenly Father has placed over them. And it is with the same spirit and the same goal that James encourages you today to…
SUBMIT YOURSELVES TO GOD
I. It begins with a heartfelt
confession
II. It leads to Spirit-guided action
Imagine that you are one of the recipients of this epistle from James. You are among the people he addresses as “the twelve tribes scattered among the nations” (1:2). In other words, you are a believer. You have read what James has written and you want to do what God commands. You might even say it out loud: “From this day forward I will submit myself to God.”
Does this mean that you will feel any different? Does this mean that your life will look any different? Will all of your problems magically disappear? Will the devil hear your vow of faithfulness and run away with his pointy tail between his legs? Probably not. In fact, Satan might consider it a challenge. Your promise to submit to God might cause him to devote even more time and energy to turn you away from God.
That’s the bad news, but the news isn’t all bad. The text continues: “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (7b). Peter warns us that Satan is strong (in I Peter 5:8 he calls the devil a "roaring lion"), but James assures us that he is not invincible. Stand your ground and he will flee. You have God’s promise, and you have God’s support.
But it isn't enough to just stand there and watch the devil walk away. It is equally important for you to move in the opposite direction: “Come near to God (says James) and he will come near to you” (8a). When we come to God’s house he comes to us. When we open God’s book he speaks to us. When we approach the Lord’s table he strengthens us. And the more we do these things, the more we read God’s Word, the more we receive the Lord’s body and blood, the closer that relationship becomes.
“Come near to God and he will come near to you.” It sounds pretty simple, and it is. “Come near to God and he will come near to
you.” It sounds like it should be easy,
but it isn’t. Actually there is one way,
only one way for unholy people to approach a holy God, on our knees: “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” (8b,9).
James was writing to followers of Jesus, but it doesn't sound like they were following too closely. Their hands were dirty. Their hearts were polluted. And their sin was no laughing matter. In fact, it should have been enough to make them cry.
When was the last time sin made you cry? I’m not talking about the last time another person hurt you. I’m talking about when you were the guilty party, when you did something or said something that made you feel so bad that you couldn’t hold back the tears.
It’s easy to talk about sin in general terms. We can condemn all the sin that is out there in the world, but after you have done that you need ask yourself what God sees when he looks at you. Are your hands clean? Is your heart pure? Or are you one of those "double-minded" believers who wants to have it both ways? Do you want the forgiveness of sins God offers, while at the same time holding on to a sin you know God condemns?
Trying to be a double-minded believer works about as well as trying to have one foot in the boat and the other foot on the dock. It doesn’t work. It will never work. And if you do it long enough you will eventually fall.
If you are trying to hold on to your sin and your Savior, you need to offer up a heartfelt (and maybe even tear-filled) confession. Don’t cover up your sin. Don’t make excuses for your sin. “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up” (10).
James' words of wisdom didn’t originate with him. He actually borrowed them from his brother who loved to tell stories. Once he told a story about two men who went up to the temple to pray. The first man stood up in front so that everyone else could see him. He boasted about how good he was and how lucky God was to have him.
The other man was a sinner, and he knew it. He didn’t want to draw any attention to himself. He couldn’t even look up. Instead he buried his head in his chest and beat his breast and confessed: “God, have mercy on me, a sinner” (Luke 18:13).
Do you remember what Jesus said at the end of the parable? After he dropped the bombshell, after he
announced that the tax collector and not the Pharisee went home justified
before God, Jesus declared: “Everyone
who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted”
(Luke 18:14).
There is much rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents. Repentance is cause for celebration because penitent sinners are headed to heaven. They know, we know, how far we have fallen. They know, we know, that we will be lifted up because the Son of Man was lifted up. He was lifted up on the cross to die for our sins, to pay for our sins, to give us the hope of eternal life in heaven, where there will be no sin.
It’s hard to imagine a sinless existence in a sin-filled world. As long as Satan is lurking around, there will always be temptations. As long as we are alive, there will always be a need for confession. But with the strength that God provides, with a deep appreciation for what God has done for us, with a quiet confidence in what God can through us, humble submission will lead to Spirit-guided action.
After giving his reader ten specific commands, James narrows
the focus to just one of the commandments: "Brothers,
do not slander one another" (11). In
the previous chapter James had already warned them about the sins of the tongue:
"All kinds of animals, birds,
reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man,
but no man can tame the tongue. It is a
restless evil, full of deadly poison" (7,8).
I'm sure you've heard the saying "Sticks and stones can
break my bones, but names will never hurt
The sin itself is bad enough, but it is compounded by what James says next: "Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him 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 Law-giver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you--who are you to judge your neighbor" (11b,12)?
Allow me to paraphrase: "When you speak against your brother, you aren't just sinning against the Eighth Commandment. On the most basic level slander is a sin against the First Commandment because the slanderer is essentially telling God: 'God, I know what your Word says, but I don't care. I want to do things my way. I’m gonna say what I want to say.'" And as a result, we not only do damage to our relationships with the people around us. We also set ourselves in direct opposition with the One who can save or destroy us.
James gave his readers a good tongue lashing for their sins of the tongue, and I hope that his words will make us think twice about how we choose our words. But before you start thinking that James had given up on his hearers, before you start wondering if God has given up on you, look again at how these Christians are described. James called them "sinners" (and they most definitely were), but he still addressed them as "brothers," brothers in Christ and children of God.
That's what we are too. We are children of God. That doesn't mean we are perfect (no child is), but God still loves us, and we show our love for Him by obeying His commands. We show our love for God when we keep the Eighth Commandment, and sometimes that means keeping our mouths shut. We show love for God when we don't tell lies and when we refuse to spread rumors. We show that the Spirit who created faith in us is leading and guiding us when we speak up for those who can't speak for themselves, when we speak well of our neighbor and when we take his words and actions in the kindest possible way.
John F. Kennedy once said: "The cost of freedom is
always high, but Americans have always paid it.
One path we shall never choose, and that is the path of surrender, or
submission." That is a fine, patriotic statement, but we
need to keep in mind that Kennedy wasn't working with the biblical definition
of submission.
The way the word is commonly
used today "submission" is a synonym for slavery, but in the Bible
the opposite is the case. In the book of
James we are reminded that submission leads to freedom. When we confess our sins God sets us free. We are no longer slaves to sin. We are liberated from the damning
consequences of our sin. We are truly free,
free to love God, free to serve God, destined to spend eternity with God. And when you think about it that way,
submission isn’t a burden. It's a
blessing. Amen.