IDEA(lit.): Of controversies over the O.T. Mosaic law

. Thus, we see, here a group of people feuding, bickering, and fighting over issues of the law.

. While they ought to have been concerned with getting the gospel out, they were involved in hair-splitting debates over the law.

. You will remember that the entire thrust of Paul's letter to the church at Galatia was over their mixture of the law and grace.

. Thus, in Galatians 2:21, Paul explained it by saying:

"I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain."

There are many churches today who would fit into this category today. All of their energy, and focus is upon a list of rules and regulations, a bunch of "do's and don'ts". While their focus ought to be upon preaching the Word, and evangelizing the lost, it's upon, as was the case here, issues concerning the law.

. I believe that Augustine said it best, when he said, "On the essentials, there must be UNITY!" On the non-essentials, there must be LIBERTY! But, in all things, there must be CHARITY!" It's obvious that these, to whom James was writing, could've used this advice.

. Now, that he has diagnosed the condition, he discovers the conflict.

PICTURE: Of someone indulging themselves at the expense of another

. Thus, it's easy for us to see that the whole conflict was brought about by a selfish desire to get their own way, and to fulfill their own desire. I submit unto you, that this is a sad commentary, on not only our country, but upon our churches today.

. Malcolm Muggeridge said, "The pursuit of happiness, however conceived, is the most foolish of all pursuits."

. You see, friend, when what you have is people trying to exert their own right, and get their own way, you're sure to have fall-outs, feuds, and fighting's. That's the conflict he discovered!

. In these two powerful verses, James defines the cause, or the root of the problem. We see that it was caused by:

. Therefore, just like a child who deeply wants something, but cannot have it. These Christians' lusts got out of control, and they couldn't have want they so strongly desired.

. As a result, like children, since they couldn't have it, they bickered, quarreled, and fought about it. Simply put, they threw a temper tantrum because they didn't get their way.

Dr. Samuel Johnson, the remarkable eighteenth century man of wisdom and writing, once wrote a brief dissertation about this very subject. He, very openly, and very candidly wrote:

. In much the same way, these Christians were babies, and had destructive passions.

. Not only does he define the cause as being their destructive passions, but their defective prayers.

. Notice, in the last, very familiar part, of verse 2, he tells them that they "have not, because ye ask not."

. However, the reason they didn't receive wasn't simply because they didn't ask, but "because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts." You see, friend, their prayers were defective.

In his book, I Was Wrong, the highly criticized, and ridiculed televangelist, Jim Bakker, gave a very moving testimony as to the reason for the collapse of his once monstrous empire. He was a man that had it all: possessions, power, prestige, popularity, position, and passion. Yet, he confessed that these things began to take over, and his unbridled selfishness lead him away from even the Word of God, and the Will of God.

. Friend, maybe the reason your prayer life is futile, is simply because, it's not your asking, it's your attitude.

. Matthew Henry, aptly said, "The unspiritual man is a fatal optimist. He goes on hoping, scheming, trying, and plotting with God to get his desired response."

We move now to see, that while there are symptoms in trouble, there are also sources of trouble. Observe that James informs us of these Christians':

. The first source of their trouble was their worldly affiliation.

. They were believers, yet they had become affiliated with the world. Notice, the strong terminology he uses to refer to them as, "adulterers, and adulteresses."

. There is no suggestion that they had committed physical adultery. However, the accusation is that they had committed spiritual adultery, and infidelity.

A dear friend of mine, who is in the ministry, received some counseling a while back. He and I talked, one day, and he began to tell me some of the things that his Christian counselor had shared with him. What he said, at first, startled me; yet, the more I pondered on it, the more it began to make sense. He was told, by his doctor, that he had committed "SPIRITUAL ADULTERY!" in the ministry. Of course, he had not been unfaithful to his wife; however, in the business of the ministry, he had been unfaithful to his Lord.

. Friend, if you and I, aren't careful, we can fall into the same trap. These were professing Christians who had let other things take the place of the things of God. They had committed spiritual adultery, and infidelity, and had a worldly affiliation.

. Not only were they guilty of a worldly affiliation, but a worldly association.

. Again, in rather brass terms, James informs that if one is to be associated, and be a friend of the world, then he will be the "enemy" of God.

. Paul explained it to the church at Rome, by saying:

"Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God,

neither indeed can be. So they that are in the flesh cannot please God." (c.f. Romans 8:7- 8)

. John expressed it by saying:

"Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him." (c.f. I John 2:15)

. Again, there appears to be a choice that needs to be made. Either one is a friend of the world, and an enemy of God. Or, he is a friend of God, and an enemy of the world.

. I don't spend much time harping on this. But, this is the problem that I have with a lot of this, so-called, "Christian rock music." Friend, it's either one of the other. It's either Christian, or it's Rock! James is pretty clear in stating that IT CAN'T BE BOTH!

. If it has a worldly affiliation, and a worldly association, then that is the Source of Trouble!

Then, what are we to do? How must we handle this trouble. We move from the symptoms, and sources, to the solutions for it. In these familiar, and wonderful verses, James displays to us the solution, by letting us gaze at the:

One of my favorite songwriters, is Ms. Annie Johnson Flint. She grew up as an orphan. She lived with crippling arthritis, and later in age, was stricken with cancer. Yet, the grace of God, allowed her to pen over 6,000 gospel songs, and hymns. However, none more blessed than the old hymn:

. Bless His Name! Even in the midst of trouble, there's a solution. It's found in the Grace that God Shares!

. In these verses, there is a goal that God sets for us to stay out of trouble. It's a two-fold goal, and it involves:

. The first step of this goal involves acceptance of the divine.

. We must accept His Way, His Will, and His Word, if we're to stay out of trouble.

. Many tend to go to the middle part of verse 7, before the first part.

. However, the key is not in resisting the devil, the key is in first submitting to Him, then resisting the devil. You see, the closer we draw to the Savior, the farther we drift from Satan. That's the Goal that God Sets!

. Not only is there grace that God shares, and a goal that God sets, but there is guidance that God shows. This guidance always:

. Once we see Him, and accept His guidance, it always leads to the "cleansing of our hands," and the "purifying of our hearts."

The prophet Isaiah is a perfect example of this. In Isaiah 6, he saw the Lord, then he immediately saw himself, and he cried, "Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips…"(c.f. Isaiah 6:5)

. Thus, when we see Him, and accept His guidance, it will always lead to repentance.

. Not only does this guidance lead to repentance, but it also leads to rewards.

. Someone has said that "Christianity is the most backwards, and opposite thing that there is. If you want to be exalted, then you must be abased. If you are abased, then you will be exalted."

. That seems to be what James is saying here. If we're to be lifted, then we're to be low.

. Praise God! He looses us from the devil, loves us when we're distant, and lifts us when we're down!" What more could you ask for. There's the Grace that God Shares, the Goal that God Sets, and the Guidance that God Shows! That's a sure-fire Solution for Trouble!

Many years ago, there was a famous article in, The Times, under the subject, "What's wrong with this world today?" A response came back, to this article, in concise, clear, and cutting words. It was very simple, and it read:

Yours Faithfully,

G.K. Chesterton

There are Trouble Symptoms. There are Trouble Sources. But, thank God, there are Trouble Solutions. Therefore, we are without excuse; and the choice is ours, to whether or not, we will "Stay Out of Trouble!"