So in reading James 4 and 1 Peter 5 last night, I thought I'd take some notes with points and questions and put them up here so that you can look over them. They're disjointed, much like my brain is, but I had a pretty cool epiphany at the end of my study last night, so stay with me. :)
- James was writing to Christians scattered throughout the Roman empire. His letter was more like a short book of instructions on daily living.
- James 4 warns against friendship with the world.
- James believed that faith lead to deed. Without action, faith is dead.
- "Resist the devil. Surrender to God."
- I've found I have such a hard time letting go... surrendering.
- "The closer I draw to God, the closer He will draw to me." What does that mean?
- "Purify your hearts, you people who can't make up your mind." What does James mean by this i.e. make up your mind about what? Your own salvation? Your obedience?
- At first I was confused about verse 9. I thought it was contradictory towards every passage that tells you to rejoice and be joyful. But is it about truly owning/feeling what you've done? Your helplessness without God?
- I take it that verse 10 is a promise?
While reading 1 Peter 5, I began to realize that I REALLY needed a clearer definition of what the word "humble" meant. Since, after all, it is not a word the world uses in every day lingo, I've never really grasped the concept of the word. And here's where the epiphany comes in. I grabbed my trusty old dictionary and looked up the word "humble". And any word in the definition of "humble" that I needed a clearer definition of, I looked up, as well. Here's the list I came up with:
- Humble- marked by meekness or modesty
- Modest- placing a moderate estimate on one's abilities or worth
- Meek- showing patience and a gentle disposition; submissive
- Submit- to surrender to another's authority
- Surrender- to give up or to yield possession or power
Are you seeing the epiphany that was taking place? I slowly began to develop my own definition for humility. "Showing patience with God's timing. Giving up any power or possession of myself that I think I have to God's authority. Recognizing that my worth and abilities are defined and come to me only through Him. Without Him, I am nothing and can do nothing."
Alright!
ReplyDeleteJAMES 4 - (Good research!)
Point 1: That's the funny thing about surrendering, we either let go or we don't. If you were holding something and someone tried to take it from you, but you didn't fully release...you didn't really surrender at all. Something to think about.
Point 2: Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. This means that God is a gentlemen. He is not going to force His presence on you. God is with you always, He never leaves, but He may not make Himself KNOWN to you (manifest), unless you seek Him out. You want His manifest presence? Draw near to Him, seek Him out, talk to Him, get to know Him, WELCOME His manifest presence.
Point 3: My version says, "Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded." A double-minded person tries to hold fast to God and to the world at the same time. Not possible. Even the heading of vs. 7 - HUMILITY CURES WORLDLINESS. How do you rid yourself of worldliness - vs,.7 "Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you." and so on. What's right before that? God resists the proud, but gives grace to the HUMBLE. See the pattern?
Point 4: YES! Exactly as you said. This is directly tied to the first beattitude. Recognize that you are poor in spirit apart from Christ. It's saying have a genuine conviction and brokenness over your sin. If you don't feel genuine repentance, ask God to soften your heart and to help you realize the depravity of your man-state. Ps. 51:17...a broken and contrite heart you will not despise.
Point 5: Yes, it is a promise, but that word "lift up" is
HUPSOO (hoop-sah-oh) in the Greek. It means a literal or figurative heightening. The Bible warns us against exalting ourselves, but by going low, we are lifted up...more than likely in the life we're training for though, not this one. This will REALLY challenging you on whether or not you're living for this life or for the Kingdom.
Some other Biblical definitions for you:
Submit - HUPOTASSO (hoop-ot-as-so) : Literally "to stand under". The word suggests subordination, obedience, submission, subservience, subjection. (See also the same root in lift up? Interesting, that to come under and to lift up have the same root?)
Humility - TAPEINOPHROSUNE
(tap-eye-nof-ros-oo-nay) : Modesty, lowliness, humble-mindedness, a sense of moral significance, and a humble attitude of unselfish concern for the welfare of others. It is a total absence of arrogance, conceit, and haughtiness. The word is a combination of tapeinos, "humble" and phren, "mind". The word was unknown in classical nonbiblical Greek. (Thus, even webster hadn't heard of this form of this word.
Downcast - TAPEINOS (tap-eye-noss): Literally "low to the ground". Metaphorically, the word signifies low estate, lowly in position and power, humble. (Interesting...mourn, lament...sounds downcast to me, yes?)
This is part of the beauty of Scripture. Do you see how it's ALL intertwined. The words are chosen so carefully. Weep and mourn and lament - aka - BE HUMBLE. I love it!
I feel like you need to be aware of something and that is that in order to be near to God, you have to ALLOW Him to point out sin and correct (He always does it lovingly, never with guilt or condemnation), you've got to let Him speak to those dark places in you. I feel like that will be key for you. He won't go there unless you allow Him. That's where freedom is.
Wow. That is interesting that "to stand under" and "to be lifted up" have the same root. Very, very interesting. Thanks SO much for those Greek words. That is AWESOME! Humility cures worldliness... wow. I think that my issue is that I always hear God's voice, (well, not ALWAYS... but yeah), as one of condemnation and... what's the word? I view Him as I view my father... slow to emotion, the strict disciplinarian, flawed. But God is none of those things. Not even close. Lately, I hear the small, gentle (albeit prodding at times), voice of a God who truly wants me to surrender my past to Him. Because there's no way I can move forward, step forward into the future He has for me if I can't drop the past. I have to stop trying to punish myself (and, quite frankly, others), for what HAS happened to me. I worry about letting Him speak to the darkness because I think, much like many other human beings, I'd rather just forget the darkness because when it's brought out, I'm afraid I'll fall into it again. I'm quitting smoking today. For good. If I want to go to Spring Arbor this fall, I can't be smoking, but it's even more than that. He convicts me on it, and I want to and am going to give it up. So I'm done with it. Just thought I should tell you that. :)
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