Friday, July 31, 2026

Opening Scripture

At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. Titus 3:3-7

Opening Prayer

Most Merciful God, I confess that I have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what I have done, and by what I have left undone. I have not loved you with my whole heart; I have not loved my neighbors as myself. I am truly sorry, and I humbly repent. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on me and forgive me, that I may delight in your will and walk in your ways, to the glory of your name. Amen.

Daily Bible Reading

James 4

What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us? But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”

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?

Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil. If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.

Reflection  

In today’s passage, James continues his “no holds barred” correction. Chapter 4 is a stern warning on par with anything the writer of Hebrews delivered. As a spiritual teacher instructing Christ-followers, James pulls no punches as he calls out fights, quarrels, lust, hate, envy, and pride in the congregation.

The believers’ casual approach to sin and the abundance of disagreements stirred a strong indignation in James. There is no “my dear brothers and sisters” in this section! Instead, James addresses them as “you adulterous people.”

Love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control are the fruit of focusing on Jesus and living under the Spirit’s control. Fights, quarrels, arrogance, slander, and immorality are the fruit of focusing on self and living under Satan’s control.

The problem is “hedonism.” The Greek word translated “desires” and “pleasures” (hédoné) refers to lust, craving, and sensual delight. It denotes a way of life given to satisfying physical appetites. The focus is on self-gratification and indulging fleshly desires at the expense of other things, especially one’s relationship with God.

To borrow from Fred Chappell, “Hedonism takes you where you don’t want to go, keeps you longer than you want to stay, and costs you more than you want to pay.”

Despite what the media portrays, hedonism is bondage to sin. It reflects slavery to self. Our sinful cravings are never satisfied. Hedonism promises pleasure and freedom, but ultimately results in pain, destruction, and captivity. It is a rejection of God’s authority and purpose in favor of Satan’s authority and purpose.

That is why James declares, “You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.”

James encourages his listeners to engage in a time of confession and repentance for their arrogance, fighting, slander, and immoral behavior. “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.”

He then challenges them to adopt a much better posture. “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble. 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.”

James concludes today’s passage with a warning against boasting and selfish assumption. The image is of a successful merchant or self-made entrepreneur who has planned everything out apart from God. James brings them down to earth with the reminder, “You do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.”

Jesus also warned about focusing on the temporal and material to the exclusion of the eternal and spiritual. “What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”

Flourishing Habit

Flourishing Christians

One of the problems facing James’ listeners was a tendency to sit in judgment of one another. It is not surprising that their conflict, jealousy, immorality, and insults included criticism and condemnation.

While God calls his people to practice justice toward one another, he does not call them to practice judgment toward one another. “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?”

This calls to mind Jesus’ words in Matthew 7:1-2, “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

St. Augustine said, “Men are hopeless creatures, and the less they concentrate on their own sins, the more interested they become in the sins of others. They seek to criticize, not to correct. Unable to excuse themselves, they are ready to accuse others.”

James provides a series of simple, urgent commands that will lead to holiness and harmony in the church: Submit to God. Resist the devil. Draw near to God. Wash your hands. Purify your hearts. Grieve. Mourn. Wail. Be sorry for your sin.  Humble yourself before the Lord.

Spiritual maturity involves the desire, under the Spirit’s control, to do all the good we know to do. We trust in God and His promises. We endure by faith in trials and temptations. We serve one another in love without favoritism. We watch what we say, seeking to bless and not curse. We submit to God and resist the devil.

Read the last paragraph again. How are you doing with all that?

Remember: Nothing changes until something changes!