James 4:1-6- James Addresses Quarrels And Fights In The Church

 Our text in James 4:1-6 says, “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.’”

I have a friend who has ministered at three different congregations. This minister is grateful that God has called him to be a pastor, however, there was a time when he wondered if he was going to continue in ministry. This was because the first two churches where he ministered were characterized by fighting and quarreling.

Now, however, he is at his third church and this congregation is characterized by humility and God’s grace. (6) Because of this, since arriving there he has been able to preach through every book of the Bible and the people are healthy, growing, maturing, and becoming very strong.

• Application #1: When a church is at war with each other the blessing of God is not upon that church and the Word of God is hindered. James says that in these types of churches there are wars raging, intense battles and hand to hand conflicts, and in the end people are being murdered. (4:2-4)

• Application #2: However, where there is humility among God’s people there will be grace and God blesses the members of the church with more and more (mega) grace. (5-6)

I find it sobering that only a third of the churches that this man has ministered at were growing in grace and in godliness as a result of God’s blessing. 2/3 of the congregations became war zones that created many unfortunate casualties. Will we admit that...

• Every person needs to deal with these sins. (LBC 17.3, “Christians may fall into grievous sins and continue in them for a time, due to the temptation of Satan and the world, the strength of corruption remaining in them, and the neglect of means of their preservation.”)

• Every family needs to deal with these sins. (LBC 22.6, “God is to be worshiped everywhere in Spirit and truth- daily in each family and privately by each individual.”)

• And every congregation needs to address these sins. (The LBC 26.3 states, “The purest churches under heaven are subject to mixture and error.”)

A look forward: Next week in James 4:7-10 we will see 10 imperatives verbs (commands) that every believer is to engage in to see victory over sin. James will say, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the LORD, and He will exalt you.”

In our text James addresses fights and quarrels that are happening in the church. When James speaks of ‘quarrels’ and ‘fights’ he is using shocking words that should capture our attention. If this does not cause you to take action then maybe talk of murder and being at enmity with God will catch your attention.

(Significance Of James’ Teaching Today: I keep a spent bullet in my office from the house of a man who attended our church and is now serving 25 years in prison for murder. That bullet is a reminder to me that even church people can commit these sins that James speaks of here if we don’t act with wisdom and understanding.)

James speaks of ‘Quarrels’ and notice that this word is plural. It speaks of a progression of events that needs to be stopped as quickly as possible. A quarrel can begin as a private quarrel between a couple people. However, if this sin is not dealt with in a wise and understanding way (3:13), it becomes a fight which leads to murder and draws in more people. (Matthew 5:21-26)

Illustration: We don’t need to think to hard to see what might illustrate this in our current day. These days there is often a college or pro football game where we see a fight every week. Recently this even happened between two coaches! When this happens almost immediately the player s on the field, and the players on the sidelines, rush out and they get involved in this argument. As a result of this a brawl breaks out between the players. Then this brawl becomes a battle which escalates and draws in the spectators who are up in the stands.

These things escalate from a verbal altercation, to a physical scuffle, to a brawl, to a battle, and eventually it becomes a war that defines these two teams every time they get together. It is bad enough that we witness these things in our culture but James is speaking of these sort of things that happen in the church!

James uses another word which is translated ‘fights’ or ‘conflicts’. Notice again that this word is plural. Every time this word is used in the New Testament it is always used in this way. Like a spark that lights a fire in a forest it quickly spreads; so also, these conflicts spread quickly and manifest themselves in many different ways. (James 3:5b-6)

This word speaks of strife, contention, enmity, and anger between everyone who is involved in the conflict. (A reminder to heed James 1:19) In this conflict passions are intensified and every person takes up their arms, gets into their battle position, and they begin to engage engage against each other.

Acts 18 is an example of this. In Acts 18:12-17 the unbelieving Jews were angry at Paul because of his teaching. Because of this they made a ‘united attack’ against Paul. (12) I take the words, ‘united attack’, to mean that a whole lot of people who had very little common convictions and principles joined together and focused all their attention on one man- Paul. These people brought Paul before the tribunal where the case was quickly dismissed by the judge.

What happened next?

• The Jews were mad at Gallio who dismissed the case and he was forced to drive them out from the tribunal. (16)

• After this they all turned on Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue, who had brought this case before the tribunal.

• In the end, the Jews were still made at Paul and continued to look for ways to silence the apostle. Gallio, on the other hand, paid no attention to any of these things. Let us not doubt for a moment that Paul’s life was not in real danger except that the LORD had made a promise to him, “Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent, for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you…”. (18:9-10)

The congregations that James is writing to are not the only ones who have to address these sins. The church in Galatia was supposed to be expressing their faith through love; instead they were biting and devouring one another. Galatians 5:13-15 says, “For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.”

In light of these sins which can so easily and quickly overrun a church we ought to take comfort in Paul’s testimony concerning the Church in Thessolonica. He says to them, “We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers and sisters, as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing.” This was such a good report that Paul couldn’t help but testify of this in other churches so that they would follow in their example. Paul says, “Therefore we ourselves boast about you in the churches of God for your steadfastness and faith in all your persecutions and in the afflictions that you are enduring.” (2Thessalonians 1:3-4)

Aren’t Paul’s words here about steadfastness in faith during difficult afflictions similar to what James said in James 1:2-4, “Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces stea dfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”

Over the last several weeks we have seen that James has been very purposeful in asking us a lot of questions. There are 25 questions in the Book of James and four of them are in our text today. Once again, these questions that James asks are meant to confront sin, convict the conscience, make right conclusions, and to provoke us to respond in a wise and understanding way. (3:13) James asks,

• In verse 1, “What causes fights and quarrels among you?” (Confronts Sin)

• In verse 1, “Don’t they come from your desires (hedonistic desires) that battle within you?” (Convict the Conscience, Mind, and Heart)

• In verse 4, “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.” (Draw The Right Conclusions)

• In verse 5 James asks, “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.’” (Repent and Respond to the Gospel)

James asks, “What causes fights and quarrels among you?” James is asking,

• What is the origin and source of these fights and quarrels that are going on among you?

• From where, from what place, do these fights and quarrels come from which are among you?

• What are the conditions that have given rise to these fights and quarrels that are among you?

Question: If you were asked this question what would your answer be? Would it be, “I can tell you one thing for sure, I did not start this. This war has very little to do with me. This problem is 100 percent on them!”

Question: Would you look outside yourself at other people or circumstances, or would you look at your own heart and passions that have drawn you into this as James has previously taught us? (Remember James 1:13-15?)

Notice that James asks in verse 1, “What causes these fights and quarrels among you?” Consider who James is writing too. James is writing to Jewish believers. James 1:1says, “To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion: Greetings.” These believers share a blood relationship, a common heritage, they share in a very special relationship. Therefore, you would think that these congregations has a better chance than so many other congregations of avoiding these sins.

Note: James is the earliest books in the New Testament, written as early as 45 A.D, and it was written before Paul started his start out on his first missionary journey when a great many Gentiles were being saved. (Acts 13-14) The Christian life at this time was pretty simple as compared to the greater work that God was beginning to do in saving Gentiles.

James is not writing to churches who were made up of people from very different ethnic backgrounds. He is not writing to churches that were made up of a bunch of Jews, Samaritans, Greeks, Romans, and various Barbarians. From a worldly perspective we can see the challenge of being members in such diverse congregations as those that were made up of so many people with vast backgrounds.

These Jewish believers would seem to have an advantage over those congregations when it comes to finding common ground that would help them all just get along. For example, Paul reminds us in Romans 9 that the members of these congregations shared many special blessings. For example, these Jews were from the same family. Abraham was their father and they were kinsman with each other according to the flesh. They were Israelites, and to them belonged the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises. To them belonged the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is God over all. (Romans 9:3-5; James 2:1)

And yet, despite the fact that they were all a part of the commonwealth of Israel, partakers in the covenants given to God’s people, and that they had a unique relationship with God and a profound hope in this world (Ephesians 2:12); these Jewish believers have a sin problem and sinful passions. Therefore, they have now become an example for every other congregation over the last two thousand years of the danger of fighting and quarreling with each other in a congregation.

No matter what type of church a person attends, James’ words here are important. No matter where James went to minister he could ask this same question. Then he could always give the same answer- “Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you?”

• James could go to a multi-cultural church or a Swedish Baptist church and ask the same question and then give the same answer.

• James could go to an affluent church or to a very poor church and ask this same question and give this same answer.

• James could go to an old historic mainline church or to a non-denominational church and ask this question and give this same answer.

• James could go to an urban church or a rural church and ask this question and give the same answer.

• James could go to a mega-church or a faithful house church and ask this question and give the same answer.

The question that we must ask ourselves today is, “When we are asked this question and given this answer will we really want to hear it because these things confront us all in a very personal way?”

James says, “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.” Note: this section is being spoken of in the plural and not singular. Therefore, James says, “You adulterous people…”.

• We tend to think we are not responsible for the quarrels and fights but we often are.

• And even if we are not directly engaged in the quarrels and fights have we done anything to rescue our brothers and sisters engaged in them? (James 5:19-20)

James is grieved by these sins in the church. Let me give you three reasons for this. First, James has from the very beginning of this letter reminded his readers that they are now ‘brothers’ and ‘sisters’ in Christ. He has spoken of them in this way nine times in this letter so far. (1:2,16,19; 2:1,5,14; 3:1,10,12) James has even reminded them that they are ‘beloved brothers and sisters’.

Nothing good can come from the heart of a person who becomes angry at their brother or sister, and when God comes and warns them that is crouching at their door, they still do not respond with wisdom and understanding. (James 3:13) Then when sin is engaged in and great damage is done they still dismiss God by saying as Cain did, “Am I my brothers keeper?” (Genesis 4:1-10; James 1:19-21) “Should I really care or take any responsibility for these things?”

Secondly, James is grieved by these sins because God is gracious as He sends forth His efficacious Word to produce in us a new nature. Remember what James 1:16-18 said, “Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. Of His own will He brought us forth by the Word of Truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.”

As His new creatures the LORD has graciously given us the grace and wisdom that we all need to overcome these these sins and obtain a harvest of righteousness and peace. (3:13-18) Yet, when we engage in these sins, argue, quarrel, and fight how is the Gospel advanced? It is not; rather, the world will know that we are His disciples by our love for one another. (Philippians 4:2-3; John 13:35)

Thirdly, James is sorrowful when these sins occur because they have been given the Spirit of God and new life. These sins are symptoms that their faith and love has shifted from God and His Word and these believers desire to be friends of the world and have become an adulterous people. They have neglected to hear, understand, and apply God’s Word which says, “God yearns jealously over the spirit that He made to dwell in us.” (4:5)

These believers have been given God’s Spirit and new life in their soul and this should be manifested in godly virtues if they are a wise and understanding people. (3:17-18) If they are not wise and understanding they will not reflect these things. (3:14-16)

We would do well to remember this often as Romans 8:6-9 says, “For the mind that is set on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you.”

The ‘Spirit of God’ desires what is contrary to the flesh and the flesh what is contrary to the ‘Spirit’. (Galatians 5:17; Romans 8:5-9) What a gift the indwelling of the Holy Spirit is in the life of a believer.

I was reminded of this recently when I read Matthew 3. In that chapter John the Baptist is teaching the people about the significance of the coming of the Messiah. John the Baptist says, “I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in His hand, and he will clear His threshing floor and gather His wheat into the barn, but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire.” (11-12)

In the verses 13-14 Jesus shows up to be baptized and John’s first reaction is a passionate plea saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” John wants to receive from the Messiah what had been prophesied by Jeremiah and Ezekiel- the Spirit and all those much needed graces that the Spirit provides us. (Ezekiel 36:26; Jeremiah 31:33)

Other translations emphasize the ‘spirit’ as being the ‘spirit’ of the man which God has given new life. God yearns jealously to see the completion of the inner work that He is bringing about in the ‘spirit’ of a person. (Philippians 1:6; 2 Peter 1:10) Our groom is jealous for His bride and He is not pleased with her being a friend of the world. He is not pleased if His church lives inwardly and outwardly as an adulterous people. Therefore, He will give more grace, mega-grace, to anyone who will humble themselves and ask for it with the right motives. (4:3-4,6-7)

Psalm 47 reminds us that God is King over all the earth and over all the peoples. He alone can make peace among all nations and all peoples. Psalm 47:8-9 says, “God reigns over the nations; God sits on His holy throne. The princes of the peoples gather as the people of the God of Abraham.” Jesus can do what no other ordinary human can do. Jesus unites father and son, mother and daughter, Jew and Gentile, male and female, the rich and the poor, etc.

We hinder the Spirit of grace, we frustrate the grace of God, when we desire to be friends with this world. We make ourselves an enemy of God when we align ourselves with the things of this world and do not separate ourselves unto Him. Psalm 45 speaks of this when the psalmist writes, “Hear, O daughter, and consider and incline your ear: forget your people and your father’s house, and the king will desire your beauty. Since he is your lord, bow to Him.” (10-11)