"Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, 'He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us'?"
This verse concludes the previous thought (verse 4) James makes that whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. He questions the church with a blunt, "Do you not know?" to drive home a spiritual truth concerning our naivety toward the flesh and spirit war we face. We assume that we logically know the ramifications of conforming to the pattern of this world despite continual evidence to the contrary. Our failures prove that we do not grasp how easily we're consumed with worldly pleasures, because "like a dog that returns to his vomit is a fool who repeats his folly" (Proverbs 26:11).
We all struggle to some degree with understanding our propensity to sin and our infatuation with pleasure and comfort. Why do we continually fail? What drives our fleshly desires? Why are we not content with God's provision? In most cases, we easily fall victim to our past patterns of temptation that are tried, true and promise temporary satisfaction. They portray an illusion of peace, but in truth only bind our hearts to idols that suffocate the Spirit's conviction. We underestimate how weak our will is apart from Christ when we take our salvation for granted and pridefully rely on our own strength in fruitless attempts to destroy strongholds. We must recognize our foolish behavior whether in thought or action and spiritually invest where we are guaranteed the greatest return on investment. That is why Jesus so passionately encouraged his followers, "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Matthew 6:19-21).
The simple fact is that we serve a jealous God who will not share our heart's allegiance and devotion. Scripture even declares his name as "Jealous" (Exodus 34:14) and states plainly concerning idols, "You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments" (Exodus 20:4-6). It is imperative we grasp how serious God judges idolatry. He will punish this sin that is pervasive in our hearts for generations to come if we do not extermimate it with intentional focus and determination. It is a cancer of the heart that will destroy us from within if we do not allow the Spirit of God to surgically remove this idolatrous virus from our lives.
At the core of what James is conveying is a elevation of worship. Do we worship the God of heaven or the things of this world? Perhaps more specifically, do we blend the two together under the assumption of peaceful harmony? Perhaps that is why Jesus taught His followers, "No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other" (Luke 16:13). Therefore, we cannot pledge allegiance to Christ but willingly crucify Him on the cross by our repeated mistakes. A spiritual intervention must take place, and that begins with surrender to what the Bible states as absolute truth. We are all addicts; we just don't perceive ourselves that way. We believe the label "addict" is reserved for those who struggle with substance abuse, etc., all the while failing to realize that our daily sinful thoughts and behaviors testify to our consistent violation of God's Law. But God is not content with idly standing by and watching us destroy ourselves. Rather, He admonishes our depraved minds with truth that affirms, "No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it" (1 Corinthians 10:13).
God is not looking to judge and condemn us. His desire is for our brokenness over sin through Biblical humility and repentance, for "the sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise" (Psalm 51:17). He is absolutely and unapologetically jealous though, which should compel our hearts to shout praise and adoration, because He could crush us according to our transgressions and be justified doing so if the only aspect of His character was Law. But He is more than Law; He is equally Love as well. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him" (John 3:16-17). Therefore, we are without excuse. The path of eternity has been paved and given freely as a gift of grace to those who place their faith, trust and assurance of salvation in the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. May we embrace this truth by worship in spirit and truth (John 4:24) and rejoice unto God, for He is Jealous and worthy to be praised!
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