638 - Les Feldick Bible Study - Lesson 1 Part 2 Book 54 - James Prepares His Flock - Part 2

https://lesfeldickbiblestudy.com Through the Bible with Les Feldick LESSON 1 * PART 2 * BOOK 54 James Prepares His Flock - Part 2 James 3:7 - 5:20 Again, James is probably the earliest New Testament book written. All right, so James chapter 4, remembering now that he’s writing to Jewish believers probably scattered in the area of what we call Turkey. James 4:4 James 4:4b "…know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is (what?) the enemy of God." Romans 8:5-7 7. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be." The carnally or fleshly minded, just like James says, is enmity against God. You cannot have the enemy’s attitude of the world as part and parcel of God. Well, you see, it’s the same way with God. It isn’t until we become a child of God that God beseeches us to come into the throne room with our needs as well as our praise. All right, so reading on now in Romans, chapter 8: Romans 8:8 "So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God." If they’ve never experienced God’s saving Grace and the indwelling Holy Spirit, they can’t please God. Romans 8:9 "But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his." (if not then he is God’s enemy). You’re not under the control of the Old Adam, but rather you’re in the Spirit, and of course here’s the delineating mark - does the Spirit of God dwell in you? Now back to James chapter 4 verse 5. James 4:5 Now let’s go back again to Romans chapter 7. Romans 7:7 Is the law sin? God forbid. Coveting. Coveting. Coveting. Coveting. All right, back to James chapter 4. Verse 5 again. James 4:5-6 "Do ye think the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us (in other words, the Old Adam) lusteth to envy? 6. "But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble." Now verse 7. James 4:7 "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Now verse 8: James 4:8a "Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you...." How many of you know John’s Gospel chapter 3? Go back to Malachi chapter 3 verse 7, and you’ll see this fits perfectly with what James is saying. John 3:19a John 3:19b-21 God has to draw a person to Him, but James doesn’t express that. He tells them, "You put forth the effort, you draw nigh to God." James 4:8 "Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded." Okay, come back to Romans chapter 3 and again look at the vast difference in Paul’s language compared to what we have seen in James. Paul is speaking to the Body of Christ, and James is speaking to the believing element of the Nation of Israel. And the Nation of Israel and the Body of Christ are completely different - that’s the way God has separated them. Whereas, Paul’s Gospel tells the Body of Christ that, for salvation, we must believe in our heart that Jesus died for our sins, was buried and rose from the dead. Romans chapter 3 verse 23, which I always call the first step on the road to salvation. Romans 3:23-24 Romans 3:25 "Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith (and faith is not works. Faith is simply trusting what God has said) in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;" Now verse 26. Romans 3:26a Fair. Romans 3:26b Am I really going to get into God’s Heaven? Back to James again - so the implication here in verse 8 to "Draw nigh to God" is just like He told Israel back in the Old Testament – "draw nigh to Me and then I’ll draw nigh to you." God has already extended salvation freely and all we have to do is believe it. James 4:8b James 4:9-10 Don’t lose sight of the fact that these men - James, Pete, and John - are writing to Jewish believers who had not believed for salvation Paul’s Gospel of Grace. You remember what it was, when Peter declared, "I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God." Period. You remember at the death of Lazarus, in John chapter 11, Jesus asked Martha, "Martha do you believe this?" "Yes, Lord, I believe thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God." Period. "That Jesus was the Christ!" James 4:11a "Speak not evil one of another, (he’s talking to congregations of Jewish believers who had professed that Jesus of Nazareth was the Christ) brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the (what?) law, and judgeth the law:…" James 4:11b "…but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge." Even for those Jewish believers at that time. #LesFeldick #BibleStudy #Bible