Complete Submission

An Exposition on the Book of James Part 15

If you haven’t yet, please check out part 1 of this series, The ideas of James are all centered around the idea of a perfectly forged faith that makes us perfect.

There have been times when I was trying to get onto a highway and nobody would let me in. Traffic is usually moving slow and no one wants to stay in that slow traffic jam 1 second longer than they absolutely have to. Usually after a handful of cars go buy a large simi will be forced to let me in – because he cannot speed up as fast as the other cars.

Many times, Christians are like this with God. We speed through our day and try to cram as much stuff as we deem necessary into the few hours we aren’t tied up. We may go to church and give God that portion of time, but that is his, the other part of the days are ours. We can’t go visit that person because we still need to fix our car. We cannot take time to read the Bible to our children because we are so busy. Prayer – real prayer – is something we do every other Saturday if we think we need it. We do not yield to the Holy Spirit merging into our lane. James links this lack of submission to pride. He accused his audience of committing spiritual adultery, because they were living according to their own “lusts” or desires.

This is human nature. It stems from a root of pride in our life. We think we know what needs to be done. We think that the thing that hast to be done is the thing we must put forth our energy to. That is not the way God designed the Christian life. The Holy Spirit isn’t supposed to be just a hitch hiker in our car; He is supposed to be the driver and owner of our car. We are supposed to yield over all power to him. We aren’t even supposed to touch the thermostat or radio. He must have full control over our vessel.

Pride is a large focus in the book of James. Because of Pride, we often do not get an answer to prayer – or rather we do not even bow the knee to pray. The Christian must always have a watchful eye on his own pride. It can lie completely dormant one moment and rage the very next. It is a part of every person as much as skin is draped over our bodies. Many Godly men have written grave warnings against the pride that can swell inside our minds. Two such men are the great Hymn writer/preacher, Isaac Watts, and the preacher, Andrew Murray.

Isaac Watts in Humility, adopting Paul’s “least than the least” mindset

“Pride is one sin but it feeds a hundred more.”

“Truth and virtue are often quite while ignorance and foolishness blow their trumpets; brass makes noise while golden jewels shine silently.”

Andrew Murray in Humility, the Beauty of Holiness

“Humility – a heart of complete dependance on God is the first and highest duty of every created being. is the root of every other virtue and so pride – the loss of humility – is the root of all sin and evil.”

“pride must die in you or nothing in Heaven can live in you.”

Someone ones said, Pride is not thinking less of yourself, it is thinking of yourself less. Here I think we get to the heart of one of James main points. We are to submit ourselves to God completely, and this cannot be accomplished with any admixture of pride in our lives. We must understand that all that we are is from God and he is to be our master. A proud heart refuses to go before God and submit to his will. A proud man knows best and will follow his own plan. He will not submit.

As Christians we are called to yield our members servants to righteousness and holiness. We are to submit to God. Often the problem is not the devil, it is our own flesh – our own desires and our own pride. If we submit ourselves to God we will be in the place to resist the devil. This is not talking about rebuking sin but turning to God. This is how we stay away from sin, buy staying in constant submission to God.

But God is not a cruel master who makes us dwell in a hovel while he lounges in a mansion. No, he wants to be close to us, and he wants us to draw nigh -or near – to him. He has inveighed us into his very near presence and he calls us friend and brother/sister. We cannot draw nigh to him in a state of uncleanness. He offers to wash our sins but demands a repentance to be close to him. We must have clean hands and pure hearts. Our intentions must be pure. If we can stay submitted to him and stay close to his presence, we will have the Holy Spirit leading us and we will abide in his will.

Is this not the model that Christ lived for us. He lived his entire life in pursuit of his fathers will. He told his own parents that he must be about his Father’s business. He prayed before his trial “nevertheless, thy will be done” he taught his disciples to pray in the will of God. He was never outside of the will of God and even when Satan tried to temp him, his will was so in alignment with the will of his Father that he was not tempted by the best effort of the Devil and the Devil fled from him.

Self-will is the greatest stumbling block to the Child of God. We must become convicted of this abominable sin of pride, wrong desires, and doing our own will. James implores us to mourn and weep over our sins. When was the last time that you truly saw your own sin for what it was? It is time for God’s children to turn off the good vibes and allow the Holy Spirit to bring true repentance to our hearts. If true believers do not weep over their own sins, how shall the lost ever feel the conviction. We must break the spell that has bewitch us into an ambivalent state, and turn to Christ in repentance. Let all that name the name of Christ forsake the worldly things and desire him who has bought us with his precious blood. Let him lead as, because we are the sheep of his pasture. We must let him guide us all the way.

Right now, as you finish reading this, fall to your knees and humble yourself in the sight of the Lord. Repent of the sins that God brought to your mind and He will forgive them.

James 4:6-10 KJV

But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.

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, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye 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.

S. T.
Acts 20:24
"But none of these things move me..."