THE NATURE OF THE SPIRIT WITHIN
James 4:5
Now and then I come across a verse of Scripture that is translated in a variety
of ways in different versions of the Bible. This can be confusing because it
seems to me that the translators make the text say what they want it to say
rather than what it is really saying.
One of these texts is James 4:5. Here are a few variations to illustrate my
point.
James 4:5 CEV
[5] Do you doubt the Scriptures that say, “God truly cares about the Spirit he
has put in us”?
James 4:5 NIV
[5] Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for
the spirit he has caused to dwell in us?
James 4:5 NLT
[5] Do you think the Scriptures have no meaning? They say that God is
passionate that the spirit he has placed within us should be faithful to him.
James 4:5 GNT
[5] Don’t think that there is no truth in the scripture that says, “The spirit
that God placed in us is filled with fierce desires.”
Since Scripture is meant to be taken seriously, what sense can we make of a
verse that differs from version to version. Do you get my point? With this
variation in translation, what truth can we understand from this text?
Perhaps we might find the real meaning if we go back to the context. When I was
exploring the meaning of the words in the Greek text, I came across some words
that might be clues to the meaning.
Kenos… to no purpose
Phthonos… envy, spite, ill-will
Epipotheo… long for, desire greatly, crave, lust
Katoikeo… inhabit, dwell in, implying permanent residence
Pneuma… wind, breath, vital principle, mental disposotion
When we put the meaning of these words together, they seem to echo what James
was writing about in the first two verses.
James 4:1-2 NLT
[1] “What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don’t they come
from the evil desires at war within you? [2] You want what you don’t have, so
you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you
can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you
don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it.
In the context, James admonishes believers for quarrelling and fighting within
the fellowship of the church. “There’s war going on in the body of Christ
because of jealousy, even leading to murder to get what someone else has.”
What is the root of this outrageous behaviour? “Evil desires at war within
you!” This is the age-old issue of war between the old nature driven by
sinful desires and the Holy Spirit who leads us in righteousness.
Paul addresses the same issue in his letter to the Galatians.
Galatians 5:13-17 NLT
[13] “For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and
sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use
your freedom to serve one another in love. [14] For the whole law can be summed
up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” [15] But if you are
always biting and devouring one another, watch out! Beware of destroying one
another. [16] So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be
doing what your sinful nature craves. [17] The sinful nature wants to do evil,
which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us
desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two
forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out
your good intentions.”
Paul and James are saying the same in slightly different ways.
Despite the variety of interpretations, the King James Version comes closest to
the meaning of the Greek text.
James 4:5 KJV
[5] Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in
us lusteth to envy?
James is explaining the reason for the “evil desires at war within
you” that produce the conflicts between people. It’s the spirit in us
(corrupted by sin) that drives us towards envy.
Envy, in turn, wants to eliminate the one who causes us ill-will towards
him/her.
In the context, then, we must ask, how can the Holy Spirit in us have an
attitude of ill-will and cause us to lust after what someone else has? Since
there are no capital letters in the ancient Greek text, “Spirit” here
can either mean Holy Spirit or our spirit.
We must, therefore, understand that James was focusing on the evil desires in
us that drive us to want to harm others to get our own way.
This is an issue that New Testament writers, especially Paul, address at length
because our old sinful nature has such a strong influence and powerful pull
against our new nature in Christ. This struggle is not a periodic skirmish but
a daily ongoing war against the flesh. If we give in to its dictates, there
will be both temporal and eternal consequences.
So, we are urged to call, constantly, on the Lord to overcome the world, the
flesh, and the devil, our three arch and mortal enemies, because Jesus overcame
them for us.
Our victory comes through faith in Jesus.
1 John 5:4-5 NLT
[4] “For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this
victory through our faith. [5] And who can win this battle against the world?
Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God.”
and the discipline of dying daily to the flesh so that we can live daily to God
through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Romans 8:12-13 NLT
[12] “Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do
what your sinful nature urges you to do. [13] For if you live by its dictates,
you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds
of your sinful nature, you will live.”
Jesus stated bluntly,
Matthew 16:24-26 NLT
[24]” Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my
follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me.
[25] If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up
your life for my sake, you will save it. [26] And what do you benefit if you
gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your
soul?”
That’s the question we must all answer.
Category Archives: Christian life
A GLITCH IN TIME SAVES LIVES
A GLITCH IN TIME SAVES LIVES
Sometimes, things happen that have no other explanation except… but GOD!
I am an avid fan of “Air crash investigations” screened on DSTV
daily. A recent account of a near-fatal crash caught my attention.
Piloting an unfamiliar aircraft, the captain inadvertently put the plane into a
steep dive, heading straight for the ocean at a terrifying speed.
This pilot had trained on an aircraft that was programmed to disable the
autopilot, but the model of aircraft he was flying at the time was the only one
in that series that did not have this facility. He was unaware of this
difference, hence, in a moment of crisis, he tried to pilot the plane out of
danger manually by acting in the opposite way to the autopilot which overrode
his actions.
As the aircraft was careening towards the ocean, seven seconds before crashing,
the plane suddenly responded to his manual control. He was able to pull the
aircraft out of the dive and land safely at the designated airport.
How did this happen? After many hours of careful investigation, the FDR (Flight
Data Recorder) revealed a momentary glitch in the autopilot computer that
allowed the captain to recover the plane’s dive and gain altitude away from the
ocean.
The only explanation (of course, the investigators did not verbally acknowledge
this) is that God intervened. How else could the timing have been so precise to
the second?
Trouble is that most people, passengers and crew, would probably have
“thanked their lucky stars” for their “lucky” escape from death.
How often does God not intervene with a well-timed miracle of which we are even
unaware, let alone acknowledge as His mercy!
Proverbs 3:5-6 gives us sound advice as we navigate a treacherous voyage
through life.
Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV
[5] “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own
understanding; [6] in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths
straight.”
A picture on Pinterest puts like this…
“Those who leave everything in God’s hand will eventually see God’s hand
in everything.”
DON’T LIGHT FIRES, MEND FENCES
DON’T LIGHT FIRES, MEND FENCES
James 2:12-13 NIV
[12] Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, [13] because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
James 2:12-13 NLT
[12] So whatever you say or whatever you do, remember that you will be judged by the law that sets you free. [13] There will be no mercy for those who have not shown mercy to others. But if you have been merciful, God will be merciful when he judges you.
There is so much evidence in God’s grace towards us that encourages us to “pay it forward”. This response to those who sin against us is perhaps one of the most powerful ways we can reach out to unbelievers, and especially those who hate us for our faith in Jesus.
Revenge is the name of the game in modern society, even more than the principle of an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. Too many people in our land take revenge to its ultimate end. “You don’t do… give me what I want so, I’ll take your life.”
Both Old and New Covenants record stories of people who acted in mercy towards those who should have received judgment. David is a superb example of an Old Testament saint who received mercy because he showed mercy.
After the death of King Saul and Jonathan, David had every right to secure his throne by exterminating their descendants. Instead, he brought Mephibosheth, Jonathan’s crippled son, into his own household and restored everything he should have inherited from his father and grandfather.
When David sinned against the Lord by committing adultery and murder, his fate should have been death. Yet God showed him mercy. He forgave his sin although David did not escape sin’s consequences.
A glowing example of mercy in the New Covenant is, of course, our Lord Jesus Himself. Peter described Jesus’ way of dealing with His persecutors in these sublime words,
1 Peter 2:22-24 NIV
[22] “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.” [23] When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. [24] “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.”
By His life and death, Jesus mended the biggest rift between man and God, our sin-debt to the Father, and the strongest boundary fence between us and the hostile world. His love for us, and everything that love secures, is the guarantee that we shall be with Him forever.
Some people, including certain politicians in our country, love to light fires. They enjoy watching those burn whom they hate, forgetting that eternal fires await them in the future. This attitude fosters only more pain and suffering than we already have.
So, Paul counsels us to put an end to the fires of revenge in our hearts that perpetuate hatred and bitterness.
Romans 12:17 NIV
[17] “Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone….
[19] Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. [20] On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” [21] Do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good.”
Jesus’ gracious forgiveness opens the way for us to do the same. Imagine the difference we could make if we deliberately and purposefully want about mending the rifts between ourselves and others rather than lighting the fires that will forever burn the space between us and them.
LOVING GOD MEANS LOVING HIS KIDS
LOVING GOD MEANS LOVING HIS KIDS
1 John 5:1-3 NLT
[1] Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has become a child of God. And everyone who loves the Father loves his children, too. [2] We know we love God’s children if we love God and obey his commandments. [3] Loving God means keeping his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome.
Loving God, loving God’s kids, it’s all the same thing to John. Obeying His commandments ties it all together. You see, when we love, respect and reverence God the Father so much because of who He is and what He has done for us in His Son, Jesus, that we wouldn’t dream of doing anything He wouldn’t want us to do, obeying His commandments isn’t difficult at all.
We have already learned that He has only two commandments for us to obey, so how can they be burdensome, especially when those commandments involve Jesus. Believe in Jesus! Again, what is difficult or burdensome to about believing in Jesus when He laid down His life for us?
What’s so burdensome about loving His children when He is busy changing them to be like Him? Some may be further along the way to becoming like Jesus than others but we are all facing the same way and going in the same direction.
On top of that, we have God’s love poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit. What God is requiring of us, unlike His people under the Old Covenant which set the standard but provided no power to attain it, is adequately supported by His grace. In fact, God’s grace makes everything possible that God requires of us, from the smallest detail to the biggest hurdle. All we have to do is ask with humility, believe, and act upon that provision.
James 4:6 NLT
[6] And he gives grace generously. As the Scriptures say, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
So, dear readers, by the 5th chapter of this letter, John has made very clear that living God’s children means being honest with each other, living in fellowship with each other, and taking care of each other’s needs. When we faithfully take care of these things, the evidence is clear. We love the Father and we love His Son.
OUR FELLOWSHIP IS WITH THE FATHER
OUR FELLOWSHIP IS WITH THE FATHER
We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you may also have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ. We write this to make our joy complete. (1 John 1: 3-4)
John makes it clear from the start that he was not propagating another religion in opposition to the religions that were already in the world. He was writing of something far deeper and more real than that. He testified to being an eyewitness of what had happened when God broke into history through the coming of His Son into the world. He had seen, heard and touched the one who had come from the Father. There was no denying the witness of someone who had been that close, especially when there were others to back up his story.
But what was the purpose of Jesus’ coming? Did He come from God to tell the people of the world how sinful they were and to bring judgment on them from an angry God? No way!
For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him. (John 3: 17)
What did He mean by “saved”? Salvation, in modern times has been pared down to mean “saved from hell so that we can go to heaven when we die.” Is that the best that Jesus could do; shed His blood so that we can have a passport to heaven? What about now? Do we just go on living as we have and hold on until we die?
Salvation from God’s perspective is far bigger than that. When Adam and Eve plunged the world into darkness by their disobedience, it affected every part of creation. Every creature, every plant and tree was doomed to die. Animals turned on each other; humans turned on each other and, worst of all, we turned on God and became His enemies. The fellowship God so delighted in with His children went out the window and the people God created to be His beloved children were thrown out to make their own way in life, which was the choice they made.Advertisement
But God didn’t leave it there. He went to enormous trouble to prepare a nation – one He painstakingly built from one childless couple whom He trained to trust Him, to obey Him and to raise their miracle-born son to do the same – to receive His Son when the time came. It took many centuries and much frustration on God’s part to bring them to the point where He could send His Son into the world, born among them into a human family as a helpless infant, raised by a godly couple to show His people what He was really like.
What was His intention? Just to rescue people from hell so that they could go to heaven? What a pathetic purpose if that was all He could do! No, Jesus came, first of all, to reveal the heart of the Father. Was He the demanding, disciplinarian God His representatives, the religious leaders made Him out to be? Far from it! He was a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love and faithfulness. The prophets of the Old Testament knew that and taught and wrote about it, but His people ignored what they said because they were bent on rebellion.
Jesus specifically came to show His people that God was a gracious and loving Father. He, Jesus, was the exact replica of His Father. But He did something even more wonderful than that. He lived a life of perfect obedience to the Father and then gave His life as though He were a sinner, so that sinners could be reconciled to their Father.
Why did He do it? Just to save sinners from hell? No, He did it so that sinners could be forgiven, washed clean of all their sin, given a new heart, a new start and restored to God’s family as His holy and beloved sons and daughters. But best of all, from the moment of their “new birth”, their new beginning, they are restored to fellowship with the Father. The problem that they were out of fellowship with Him. Despite their rebellion against God, they were still in a relationship with Him as His children, although they were estranged from Him because of sin. This happens in families the world over all the time. Kids rebel, run away and dissociate themselves from the parents. This does not make them “unborn”. It cuts them off from fellowship with their families.
God’s desire, when Jesus did all this for us, was to bring us back into fellowship with Himself, not when we die, but here and now. And He did it! Jesus died to clear away all the barriers to fellowship and to restore everything that we lost through sin so that we can be one with the Father again. Fellowship with the Father has great benefits for us – the more time we spend with Him, the more we get to know Him and become like Him, shedding our old self-centred ways and learning to do what pleases Him.AdvertisementsREPORT THIS AD
But perhaps the greatest benefit of all is learning to do God’s will so that His purposes on earth are fulfilled through us. That’s what fellowship with the Father accomplished for Jesus. John’s gospel is full of assurances that Jesus lived in such harmony with the Father than they did everything in tandem. No one could accuse Jesus of sin because He only said and did what He heard the Father saying and doing. How did He learn these things from the Father? Through many hours of fellowship with Him.
With no more obstacles in the way, John assured his readers that they, and we, can also have fellowship with those who are one with the Father, and with the Father and the Son. And how that delights the heart of God, fulfilling His desire from the beginning!
Scripture taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.