What
leads to strife, discord and feuds, and how do conflicts, quarrels and fighting
originate among you? Do they not arise from your sensual desires that are ever
warring in your bodily members? You are jealous and covet what others have and
your desires go unfulfilled, so you become murderers -- To hate is to murder as
far as your hearts are concerned. You burn with envy and anger and are not able
to obtain the gratification, the contentment, and the happiness that you seek,
so you fight and war.
You do not have, because you do not ask. Or
you do ask God for them and yet fail to receive, because you ask with wrong
purpose and evil, selfish motives. Your intention is, when you get what you
desire, to spend it in sensual pleasures.
You are
like unfaithful wives having illicit love affairs with the world and breaking
your marriage vow to God! Do you not know that being the world’s friend is
being God’s enemy? So whoever chooses to be a friend of the world takes his
stand as an enemy of God.
Or do you suppose that the Scripture is
speaking to no purpose that says, The Spirit whom God has caused to dwell in us
yearns over us like a jealous lover with passionate longings? These longings
bear witness to the truth that God’s Spirit abides in our divided hearts,
striving to be welcome, striving to be loved, striving to guide and direct our
life, striving to fulfill His mission to reveal Christ in us -- passionate with
jealous envy at any area of our life withheld under the purview of Self.
But God
gives us more and more grace... greater grace, the power of the Holy Spirit to
meet this evil tendency and all others fully. That is why it is written God
sets Himself in battle array against the arrogant and haughty, those whose
friendship with the world is more important than godliness. But to the lowly,
those who are humble enough to receive it, He gives grace continually,
empowering the Holy Spirit to transform their lives.
So be
subject to God. Resist the devil -- stand firm against him -- and he will flee
from you. Come close to God and He will come close to you. Recognize that you are
sinners, get your soiled hands clean; realize that you have been disloyal
wavering individuals with divided interests, and purify your hearts of your
spiritual adultery.
As you
draw near to God be deeply penitent and grieve, even weep over your disloyalty.
Let your laughter be turned to grief and your mirth to dejection and heartfelt
shame for your sins.
Humble yourselves
feeling very insignificant in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you:
He will lift you up and make your lives significant. He will clothe you in His
awesome grace. (James 4:1-10, Amplified Bible modified)
TRANSFORMING
LOVE
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