Welcome to The Daily Platform from Bob Jones University in Greenville, South Carolina.
The school was founded in 1927 by the evangelist Dr. Bob Jones, Sr. His intent was to make a school where Christ would be the center of everything, so he established daily chapel services. Today, that tradition continues with fervent biblical preaching from The University Chapel platform. Today on The Daily Platform, evangelist Steve Pettit is concluding a study series called Wisdom from Above, which has been a study of the book of James. Today, Steve will show us how to put wisdom into action from James chapter four.
I'm going to ask you to take your Bibles please and turn with me the book of James, James chapter four. Well, for those of you that are here this morning, we have been working through our theme this semester, which is Wisdom from Above. I almost feel like we're coming to the end of the semester and we're sort of barely starting to understand what wisdom is all about. And in some ways, maybe that's the way it ought to be, because wisdom is not intellectual understanding, but it has to do with a spiritual life, a godly life, one who walks with God. And what I would like us to do this morning is conclude this passage of scripture, and tonight will be the last session in our study, and we'll meet one more time to look at Psalm chapter one, which is the last chapter of the book, and we'll do that after Thanksgiving. But I'd like us to read here beginning in verse seven, where we started last week and we looked at really wisdom and action has to do with the way that we live. So wisdom is not, again, not just in the head, but it's in the life.
And here we find that James is barking out really very specific commands that are really action steps towards being both a humble person and a wise person. Verse seven, submit yourselves therefore to God, resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be afflicted and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to heaviness.
Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord and he shall lift you up. A few weeks ago, we were up in Niagara Falls, New York holding services in a local church. We had a few minutes right after lunch before our departure where we had to go to another church in another city, and so we decided to run over to the American side of the great Niagara Falls. Of course, if you've never been there, it's absolutely breathtaking. It's stunning. Just the sheer amount of water that plummets some 176 feet to the rocks below. This incredible amount of mist that comes up from the rocks below as it perpetually rises to the top. And then you get this sort of gripping fear that you feel when you consider jumping into the water and plunging over the falls.
It's really, really awesome and exciting. And I think one of the most obvious things that you recognize without even thinking about it as you see that water flowing over the falls is this, that water always flows downward. It instantly pursues the lowest place. And this is also true of God's grace. Arkant Hughes describes it this way, the gravity of grace works like the earth's water system that always flows from the highest place to the lowest place. We've already learned in James chapter 4 and verse 6 that God gives grace to the humble. And beginning in verse 7 down to verse 10, we see James giving us some action-oriented commands.
Commands that show us that with God the way up is always the way down. It's very interesting that in the city of Bethlehem there's a famous church there called the Church of the Nativity. It was built hundreds of years ago and when they originally built it the entranceway was a set of huge gothic doors. However, a problem arose in the city of Bethlehem because some of the local people used to ride their horses through these front doors into the church. And so thinking that it was inappropriate for God's house to be used that way, the priest decided to brick up the large entrance and then they constructed a very small narrow entranceway that actually requires everyone to stoop down in order to get in. And I think what they were trying to say is this, that when you come to God you have to get off your high horse. Last week we began the section with the initial command to humble ourselves and how do we do that?
By submitting to God. There's no greater struggle that we have than giving our wills to God. And this morning I want us to see the commands that follow submission. What it means to submit ourselves to God and we see these commands in a series of three couplet commands, two commands each.
And notice the first couplet. For it tells us here in verse 7, it says, resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God and God will draw nigh to you.
The first couplet is found in the command resist and draw near. It's very interesting that the term submission or to submit is a lot like enlisting in the army. Because the moment you join the army, you suddenly recognize that you become an enemy of another. And James tells us who that enemy is. That enemy is the devil.
Resist the devil and he will flee from you. What does it mean to resist the devil? Well I think it's interesting that in verse 6 it says God resists the proud.
And in the very next verse he says resist the devil. I think it's accurate to say that when we are proud, we are most like the devil. For to resist the devil involves resisting our own temptation to pride.
For example, Paul warns against making a new Christian a pastor. In 1 Timothy 3 and verse 6 it says, not a novice lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil. When you and I are full of pride, then we are full of the devil. So what does it mean to be proud? Well it's definitely an exalted opinion of yourself. Maybe you could say an excessive self-esteem. Or like my mother used to say about a boy who was proud, he's too big for his britches.
It's a swelling up. What is pride? It's a sense of supremacy in one's own abilities. We know this definitely in sport because it's hard to maintain a humble attitude when you win every game. It's easy to be humble when you're losing.
The tough thing is when you're winning. What is pride? It's a supremacy thought in your own ability. It's a sense of supremacy in your own appearance or your own knowledge that you're smarter than others or your own state or your own standing or your own race. What does it mean to be proud? It means to verbally boast, to brag, and to mock other people. In the book of Proverbs it says these words, a scoffer, that is one who mocks others, is the name of an arrogant, haughty man who acts with arrogant pride. Let me ask you a question. Do you mock other people? Do you mock people on the internet or texting about others?
Unfortunately here we have a few spiritual misfits who are Bob Jones University students who hide behind the texting world to mock other people but nobody knows who you are. Well let me tell you what you are. You're arrogant.
Somebody needs to tell you. You're full of yourself. You're full of pride. What is pride? It's a stubborn resistance to give God the glory for my life. For example, consider the pride problem of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon. He wanted to take glory unto himself because he built Babylon and we know that Babylon was one of the ancient wonders of the world. What is pride? It is the ultimate desire to take the glory unto yourself. But what does God say? My glory I'll not give to anyone.
God alone is worthy of praise. So what happened to Nebuchadnezzar because of his pride? Well the Bible says he went temporarily insane. You know what I've learned? Pride messes people up. And when you're humble it just seems to straighten out your thinking. Nebuchadnezzar was not delivered from his mental condition until he humbled himself and started to give God glory. Daniel 4.37, now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honor the king of heaven for all his works are right and his ways are just and those who walk in pride he is able to humble.
What is pride? It's a self-sufficient attitude in your own self-righteous. It's a I can do it religion. I can do it without God. Think of the humility of Jesus when he was tempted of the devil in the wilderness.
What did he do? He didn't rely even on his own divine strength. But for us as an example as a human being he humbled himself in simple dependence and obedience to God's word. And so what does James say? He says that when we resist pride we are resisting the devil. So what do we see here about the devil? We see that the devil is an aggressive attacker. He comes after you. But notice the next phrase where James says that God is an aggressive responder. Draw nigh to God and he will draw nigh to you. You could say it this way if you go after God what will God do?
He'll go after you. We see this in the response of the prodigal son's father. I love the story where the prodigal son in his sin arose and it says he came to his father but when he was a great way off his father saw him and had compassion and he ran and he fell on his neck and he smothered him with kisses. Someone has said that if you will inch towards God he will step towards you. If you will step towards God he will sprint towards you.
If you run to God he will fly to you. What does it mean to draw near to God? It means to call upon God in prayer, to cry out from your heart. In Hebrews we find in chapter 4 that we have a throne of grace that we can go to and if we will come with confidence, if we will come with boldness and we will draw near to the throne of grace what will we find? We will find grace to help in every time of need. God gives grace to the humble.
In Hebrews 10 the scripture says we have a great high priest over the house of God and so what does he tell us to do? Let us draw near with a true heart and full assurance of faith. To draw close to God is to come to God in dependence upon him in prayer. So when we come close to God in prayer what is it that we desire? Is it not a sense of God's closeness to me?
I want God's nearness, I can't make life without God. Is it not to feel God's power in your life strengthening your soul? Is it not to cast on God all of these worries and anxieties and fears that you've been carrying around and you're not able to bear your own burdens? Is it not to gain a greater assurance of God's love that God loves me? Is it not to receive his grace? It's very interesting that in Ephesians chapter 6 we are told to put on the whole armor of God that we might stand against the wiles of the devil. And what's interesting to me is that in this passage of scripture verses 10 down to verse 18 of Ephesians 6 all the actions are in the aorist tense. What does that mean?
It's a decisive decision to make a choice at a point in time with one exception. And that's verse 18 where it says that the soldier must continually pray, praying at all times in the spirit with all prayer and supplication. What does it mean to draw near to God? It is a perpetual seeking of God in your heart in prayer.
How do we humble ourselves? What is the pathway to wisdom? It is to resist the devil and to draw near to God.
And what is the result of these two commands? He says we will see the face of God and we will see the backside of the devil. Are you on the way to wisdom by humbling yourself in dependence on God? And then notice the second couplet we find here in prayer. In verse 8 he says, cleanse your hands you sinners and purify your hearts you double-minded.
So here he gives us two commands now. It's to cleanse and it's to purify. This is a call to clean up our actions and to clean up our motives. Not only to be clean on the outside, to be clean on the inside.
So what does this involve? Well I believe it involves our confessing two things. Number one, to confess the specific acts of any wrongdoings. It's interesting that earlier James says that just like a gardener hoses garden for weeds so believers are to do the same thing in their own life. Chapter 1 verse 21, he says get rid of moral filth. Get rid of all kinds of filthiness and rampant wickedness in your life. People that is prevalent and humbly accept the word that is inside of you that can save you. You see the power of the gospel is not just to save you from eternal damnation but it is to save you from the sins of your own heart.
It is the gospel rooted in your heart that actually sanctifies you and purifies you. So what are we to do? We are to clean house.
So we come to an end of semester. Let me be real specific. What sins in your life right now that you haven't confessed that you're doing right now? Social immorality some of you, homosexuality, pornography. How about bitterness, anger, man you've been here long enough to become resentful towards somebody, rebellion, hatred, cursing. Some of you have a problem with cursing.
You don't curse at me because I never hear it but I'm not dumb. Some of you have a problem with your mouth, cheating, lying and you almost act like it's no big deal. Let me tell you something, it's a big deal because you're sinning against God. Mockery, slander, gossip, ungratefulness, complacency, a sense of entitlement.
I deserve this. Neglecting the Bible, neglecting church, dishonoring your parents, not showing kindness and graciousness towards others. And it's time for some of you to clean your house. This is what James is saying and James is saying this is what wise people do. Wise people flee sin.
The fear of God is the starting point of all wisdom. But not only do we clean house but he says something else where to put away or to confess the sin of being two faced with God. He says purify your hearts you double minded. To be double minded means that you haven't made up your mind yet to fully follow God.
You have a double allegiance. Have you ever heard of Aldrich Ames? He started working for the CIA while he was in high school and he did so until he was discovered to be a Soviet double agent in 1994. He specialized in selling the identities of CIA agents that were placed within the KGB, the KGB, I almost said KJV, but KGB to the KGB. The damage that he caused US intelligent efforts cannot fully be known but conservative estimates indicate that he exposed over a hundred agents and he was responsible for at least 10 deaths. When they did an accounting of his finances it was revealed that he and his wife made over 4.6 million dollars over the course of their espionage career. And Ames was sentenced to life in prison.
Why? Because he had double allegiance. We need to put away the sin of double allegiance. If you love God then serve God. Give him your whole heart.
Live your whole life. This is what James is doing. He's barking out these commands. He's speaking directly to our lives. This is what we need to do if we're going to walk with God. And it's very interesting to me that James did not say clean up your act and then get close to God. He said get close to God.
Why? Because when you get close to God you get a clear view of your own self. When Isaiah saw the radiant splendor of the almighty king high and lifted up he cried out woe is me for I am done.
I live among those with unclean lips. We do not see the depths of our own sinfulness until we see the glory of God's holiness. Some of you are growing in the Lord. You're seeing God in a greater way.
It's not instantaneous. It's been an over process of the semester and God's becoming real to you. But I believe it's time for those of you that are seeing God right now to clean out the sins that are in your own life that actually potentially can pull you back away from God. You have progressed in your sanctification. You have moved forward but God is still wanting to clean up the things in your life that could be a hindrance that could draw you back into sin, cleanse your hands, purify your hearts. Peter saw Christ's power when he led his nets down over the side of his boat and suddenly the net was filled with fish and how did he respond? It says he fell on his knees before Jesus and said, depart from me for I am a sinful man, oh Lord. A greater vision of God precedes a greater confession of sin. It's time for you to say, God, I want to be clean. And then notice the last commands that lead to wisdom.
And I'd like to put them in basically two commands because actually there's about four of them together. But notice what he says, be afflicted and mourn and weep, let your laugh to be turned to mourning and your joy to heaviness. You could put it in these two words, lament and repent. What does it mean to lament? It's a passionate expression of grief and sorrow and regret over what one has done.
I think it's what the attitude of Peter was when he denied the Lord and what did he do? He went out and he wept bitterly over his own sin. He was afflicted. He mourned and he sobbed. Can I ask you a question? When was the last time you sobbed over your sin?
Seriously. Some of you cannot remember a time in your life where you ever sobbed over your sin and do you know what? That is not the pathway to wisdom. Jesus said that the kingdom principles involved being poor in spirit, mourning, meekness, and hungering and thirsting after righteousness. We are to lament our own sin of our heart and then notice what he says, we're to repent. He says let your laughter be turned to mourning.
To be turned means to turn around. It speaks of changing your attitude from a shallow and a light-hearted attitude about sin. That's what he means about laughter and mourning.
Doesn't mean that you walk around and gloom all day long. It means that you take sin seriously because sin is not a laughing matter. Sin is what ruined the universe. So what is he calling us to do? He's calling us to get rid of a shallow attitude about sin. You could say it this way. Paul described it in 2 Corinthians 7, godly sorrow and worldly sorrow.
What's the difference? Godly sorrow sees sin from God's perspective. And how does God see sin from his perspective? He always sees it as a willful rebellion against his laws. What did Jesus say? If you love me, keep my commandments.
Or you could say it this way. If you don't keep my commandments, then it's clear you don't really love me. It's a love matter. Do I love me or do I love God? Worldly sorrow means I am seeing that the sins I'm committing are actually acts against God.
I am doing it because I love myself. So what is worldly sorrow? It's seeing it from my perspective. Worldly sorrow means I'm sorry because I hurt people or people got upset or I messed things up. Or I want to be a better person or maybe I'm sorry because I got caught. But in worldly sorrow, it is always, the viewpoint is always about you.
It's always you looking at yourself. Do you know what godly sorrow does? It brings about serious change in your life. You know what worldly sorrow does? It's just temporary.
As long as you can get the guilt off your back and then once it's gone, you go back to living the way you want to live. And what is James showing us? He's showing us the pathway to true wisdom. Because we cease in God's way and then we turn away from it.
We fear God. And in these acts of self humbling, we put ourselves on the pathway of getting wisdom from above. Would you bow your head with me please as we pray? In a moment I'm going to pray, but I want to ask you this question.
Do you have things in your life that you need to put away? You have been given enough truth this semester to be a transformed person if you would put it in the action. Do not be just a hearer of the word.
But be a doer. Do what God says. Obey God.
Are you his child? And love him and serve him with a whole heart and with a single mind. Father, we thank you that you are so merciful to us every day. Lord, we thank you that we don't deserve what we get. And Lord, we thank you that you have shown us a way to be wise, a way to be godly, to fear you and to know you. Lord, I pray for our student body that they will be wise young men and young women.
And we ask this in Jesus' name, amen. You've been listening to a sermon from the book of James by evangelist Dr. Steve Pettit and this concludes our series called Wisdom from Above. If you want to hear this sermon again or share it on social media, go to our website, the dailyplatform.com. You can also learn more about Bob Jones University, a conservative liberal arts Christian university in Greenville, South Carolina. Driven by our unshakable faith in Christ and powered by experiential learning, BJU inspires and shapes students to lead lives of influence and purpose. We hope you'll join us again tomorrow at this same time as we study God's Word together on The Daily Platform.
