I'm going to give the title to this message at the end, rather than the beginning. James chapter 4. I, for some reason, can't get this off my mind. I remember when Lynn and I were dating, and it might have been even before that, but I perceived that she was becoming too worldly. And I read this passage of scripture to her. And I was trying to use this passage of scripture to beat her down. And I had not yet come to the understanding that scripture doesn't speak to other people, it just speaks to me. I'm ashamed of that. I look at it, I wonder how many times I've done that, tried to blast people with that. I don't know why I needed to sell that, but I did. James asks a very poignant question in chapter 4, verse 1, from whence come wars and fighting among you? What is the origin or the source of the findings among you. The strife, the contentions, the ill will, the interpersonal conflicts, the disquietness, the lack of peace, turmoil. Where does that come from? Well, it's because so and so is so hard to get along with. looking in the wrong direction. I'm sure we've all thought that before, but you're looking in the wrong direction if that's what you thought. James tells us, and I know he's speaking to himself as well, take a look in the mirror. You're the problem. I had a boss once who loved to say, you're either part of the solution or you're part of the problem. And what you meant by that is, I'm the solution and you're the problem. I know that's what you meant. But you, I, personally are to look within for the problem. The lust, the sinful desires, the pleasures that war in the members of your body. From whence cometh wars and fighting among you? Come they not hence even of your lusts that war in your members? Now, I don't have any doubt that James is speaking to believers. And every believer knows something about the lusts that war in your members. Didn't Paul say in Galatians chapter 5 verse 17, the flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit lusteth against the flesh and these two are contrary one to another so that you cannot do the things that you would. Every believer knows something about a war going on in their members. Now look in chapter 1, James is not talking to unbelievers. He's talking to believers. As a matter of fact, unbelievers don't have the battle he's speaking of. They know nothing of it. Verse 2, he says, my brethren. That's who he's speaking to, my brethren. Look in verse 9. Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted. Verse 16, do not err, my beloved brethren. Verse 18, of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, talking about people who have been born from above. Verse 19, wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear and slow to speak. Look at chapter 2, verse 1, my brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons. Verse 5, hearken, my beloved brethren, verse 14, What doth it profit my brethren, though a man say he has faith and has not works? Look in chapter 3. My brethren, be not many masters. Verse 10. Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessings and cursings. My brethren, these things ought not so. So we see, and there's a lot of other scriptures, he is speaking to believers in this passage of scripture. He's not speaking to unbelievers. He's speaking to believers. Now, it's very clear that with regard to conflict with others or conflict with our own heart, look within. Look within. It's my fault. It's my fault. Look within. The lust that wore in our members. Now look in verse 2. He says, You lust and have not. Now that word lust is the same word that Paul used in Romans chapter 7 verse 7 when he said, I've not known sin except the law hath said thou shalt not covet. Thou shalt not covet. You covet. That's the word, covetousness, desiring that which God hadn't given you. I think that's so interesting. Paul said, I did not really understand what sin was until the law said, Thou shalt not covet. You covet and you don't have what you're coveting. You kill. You're willing to murder men's characters at any rate. and desire to have, and you can't obtain that which you want, you fight in war, yet you have not because you ask not." That's simple enough, isn't it? The reason you don't have is because you don't ask. Did not the Lord say, ask and you shall receive? That's His promise. Somebody says, well, I've asked and I haven't received. You didn't ask. You tried to bargain with God. You tried to strike a deal with God. You said, if you do this, I'll do that. That's not asking. That's bargaining. The Lord promised, ask and you shall receive. That's his promise. But let's go on reading. Verse 3, you ask and receive not, because you ask amiss, that you may consume it on your lusts. You're not looking for grace, but something to satisfy your cravings and give food for your lusts, is what he's saying. Now, which of us, when we hear that, don't think, bingo, I know I've done that. I've asked to miss, that I might consume it upon my lusts. Now, that's the same word translated in Luke 8, 14, pleasures, the pleasures of this life. that choke the word and make someone a thorn-choked deer. You ask amiss that you may consume it upon that which you think you'll find pleasure in. Now, I know when I read passages of scripture like that, I know what they say to me. Verse 5, look at the strength of this language. You adulterers and adulteresses, You've got to be married to be an adulterer, don't you? And you've got to be married to be an adulteress. And how many times does God call Israel an adulterer and an adulteress? Now, adultery is a horrible thing. It's a horrible thing. It's a great sin. And he's speaking of spiritual adultery. Physical adultery, oh, what a great sin, what problems it creates. It stamps through this picture of Christ. Spiritual adultery, what is adultery? It's looking for love and satisfaction outside of the covenant. What is spiritual adultery? It's looking for some kind of pleasure or assurance or satisfaction outside of the covenant of grace. It's looking somewhere other than Christ. When I do that, I'm guilty of spiritual adultery. Now, here is a dead giveaway for spiritual adulterers. He says, you adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever will be a friend of the world, is the enemy of God. Now, what is meant by the world? Like I said, I was thinking Lynn was getting too worldly. I don't remember why I was thinking that. It's just stupid self-righteousness on my part, is all you can call it, trying to tell people how to live and what to do. And what is worldliness? What's the Bible mean by it? Does it mean the enjoyments of this life? Friends? Enjoying your friends? Enjoying family? Enjoying good food and good drink? Is it enjoying entertainment? What a worldly activity. Lacking nice clothes and nice cars and nice homes and nice vacations. How worldly. Is that what that is talking about? Well, if I make an idol of those things, it certainly could be. There's no doubt about it. But doesn't the scripture say, He hath given us richly all things to enjoy? To enjoy! Not to feel guilty for having them, but to enjoy. That's what the Bible says. He hath given us richly all things to enjoy. So what is James talking about when he talks about somebody being a friend of the world? If you're a friend of the world, you're the enemy of God. Friendship with the world is enmity with God. He's speaking of the world of which Christ said, I pray not for the world. Christ refused to pray for this world that James is speaking of. He said, they are not of the world, speaking of his people. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. The Lord's origin is God. The believer's origin is God, not the world. But God, the Lord said, the world cannot hate you, but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the deeds thereof are evil. Now that's so simple. All the deeds, all the deeds, the righteous deeds, the unrighteous deeds, whatever they do, because of who did it, I testify that the deeds are evil. You're going to tell me that that's evil? Yes, that's what the Lord says. That's the world. If you love the world, the Lord said, The world would love his own, but I've chosen you out of the world. Therefore, the world hates you. If the world hates you, you know it hated me before it hated you. Turn to 1 John chapter 2. This is a familiar verse of scripture beginning in verse 15. John says, 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. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the desire for sinful pleasure, and the lust of the eyes, being concerned about what men see rather than what God sees, and the pride of life, that desire for power, what the world would call power, is not of the Father, but is of the world, and the world passes away in the lust thereof. But he that doeth the will of God abideth forever. Now the world is that which has Satan as its God. You know, Satan is called the God of this world. And the Lord said to the religious, you're of your father, the devil, and the lusts of your father you will do. He's called the prince of this world and he comes masquerading as an angel of light. And his ministers are ministers of righteousness. His main sphere of operation is the pulpit. And the closer he can come to the truth, the more dangerous it is. That's how Satan works. The religion of this world. Now, it might be vicious, wicked actions. That's of the world. Or the religion of this world. But whoever's a friend of the world is the enemy of God. The world that's opposed to God and His Gospel. Turn with me to Galatians 6 for a moment. I love this passage of Scripture. Verse 14, Paul says, But God forbid that I should glory, that I should have confidence in, that I should rejoice in, that I should boast in anything save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. That's all I have confidence in is what he did on Calvary Street because of who he is and what he accomplished by. That's what I glory in, what he did. But look what else he says. By whom the world is crucified in the I see such glory in the cross and being saved by what Christ did that I see this world as a crucified thing. I don't lust after it. My flesh does, but I don't. The new man doesn't. And the world sees me as crucified, worthless. Now that's what glory in the cross does. Paul viewed the world and lighted the cross. Now go back to our text in James chapter 6, verse 5. James chapter 4, I'm sorry, James chapter 4, verse 5. He says, did you think that the scripture saith in vain the spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy? Now my marginal reference speaks of this as being James' way of quoting Genesis chapter 6 verse 5. And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And James doesn't quote it that way, but Actually, you don't find this particular verse anywhere in the Bible, in the Old Testament, yet it is the universal testimony of Scripture, isn't it? While he didn't quote the particular verse right, he gave the meaning of it. Do you think the Scripture saith in vain to no purpose that the Spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy? Now, when I was reading different men about this passage of Scripture, I was surprised to hear them say that the jealousy of the Spirit, this is God's Spirit in us, jealous and greatly desiring our complete affection and our complete devotion because God's a jealous God. Now, I would have never thought that in reading that, although I agree with that. I don't agree with that for this scripture because God is a jealous God. His name is Jealous. And He's jealous of His own honor. He's jealous of His own glory. And He's jealous of me and you. He said He's a jealous God. He desires our devotion and our affection in all things. But looking in the context, the way he said, from which comes wars and fightings among you, the lust at war in your members, you lust and have not, and kill and desire to have, and so on, that lets me know that what James is talking about is what's going on on the inside. Do you think the scripture speaks in vain that the spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy, the most base of all human feelings? That's how bad it is. You know, when I see myself envying somebody, how base, how sinful. Verse 6, but, but. Now, he painted a pretty bleak picture, didn't he? But, he giveth more grace. Yet, he giveth more grace. Nevertheless, he giveth more grace. In spite of all that I've said, that we're so messed up, and we have lust, warring in our members, and the Spirit is in us, lust is to envy, and all those horrible descriptions of us, that when I read them, I know it's true about me. But, in spite of that, He giveth more grace. First, what is meant by grace? He giveth more grace. Now, how many hundreds of times have I said grace means unmerited favor? It's God's favor toward you that you did not merit. I won't deny that that's what it means, but that doesn't take it far enough. Very often, when I'm getting off New Circle Road onto the Nicholasville exit to go home, there's some guy standing there with signs, needing money, money for food, will work for food. I mean, they're able-bodied men. They look like they ought to be having a job. And I don't know what a lot of times kind of aggravates me when I see that I'm thinking get a job man. You know I mean you've got health and you've got ability and it could be that they can't and I've got so I don't maybe I'm in a wrong attitude. I don't know. But they are asking for things. Now what if I just decided I'm going to give him five thousand dollars. Now that would be unmerited favor. They didn't work for it. I just gave it to them. That would be unmerited favor. That's grace. What if they killed my child? What if they murdered my daughter? And then I still gave them $5,000. That's not unmerited favor. That's demerited favor. And I think that gives us a little bit clearer understanding of what grace is. It's God lavishing somebody with something that he absolutely, that person absolutely deserves everything in the opposite. Grace. The bet. that he uses in, but he giveth more grace. It's the same but that's in Ephesians chapter 2 verse 4, but God. You are dead in trespasses and sins. You are walking according to the course of this world, the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now works in the children of disobedience, but God. who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he loved us even when we were dead in sins hath quickened us together with Christ. The but is the same but in Genesis chapter 6 verse 8. But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. He was in that bunch When God looked at the wickedness and saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually, Noah was in that bunch, but Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. Now aren't you glad grace isn't a one-time thing? He gives more grace. It's not a one-time act. He gives more grace. In spite of the fact that we have all these raging lusts in us, but he gives more grace. James is saying that even though we're such a mess with these raging lusts warring in our members that reach the point of envy, the basest of all human emotions, he still gives more grace. Now when you are saved, as far as your experience goes, how are you saved? Utterly and completely by grace. Isn't that so? It never changes. It's always the same. It's always sovereign. God's grace is always sovereign. You know what that means? He gives it to you simply because He wills to do it. It doesn't have anything to do with you. It's always free. There's nothing you did to get it. God didn't say, look, they're reigning in their lust now. I'm going to go ahead and give them grace. No, not at all. It's always utterly free. It's always saving, but He giveth more grace. You know how I can tell about what a man believes about grace, about what a man believes about election. I love that scripture, Romans chapter 9 verse 11, But the children, being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, Not of works. That's what election says. Salvation has nothing to do with your works. It's all God. Not of works, but of him that calleth. Now that, what do you think about that? Let me tell you what I think about it. I love it. I love the fact that God is absolutely sovereign and glorifies God. He's God. Salvation is by grace. What a man believes about election. will tell what he really believes about grace. I mean, everybody says, well, I believe in grace. Well, tell me what you think about Romans 9 and 11. And that will expose as to whether or not someone really believes in grace. But how much of election is by grace? That's the way it always is. But he giveth more grace. And then he says, in the other part of the verse, wherefore, in light of the fact that he giveth more grace, wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud. He's against the proud. He's opposed to the proud. He's an enemy of the proud. God resists the proud. but he giveth grace to the humble. Now who are these proud people? What's he talking about when he says God resists the proud? This is a quotation of Proverbs chapter 3 verse 34. He scorneth the scorners but he giveth grace to the lowly. Who is a proud man? A proud man is a man. Now listen real carefully. This will answer that question. A proud man is a man that can compare himself to somebody else and find in that comparison a reason why God would do something for him. That's what a proud man he is. Now, as far as pride, I want everyone to take pride in what they do. In a sense, I want us to always do our best. I want us to be successful. I want us to be all those things in whatever we're doing. Take pride in workmanship, pride in what you're doing. If you have a job, be the best at it. That's good. That's the way it ought to be. We ought to do that for the glory of Christ. But when he's talking about this pride, God resists the proud. He's talking about a man who can look at somebody else and see something in himself that he thinks, well, at least I'm not like that person. God must be doing something for me. Who's the man that was like this? You remember the Pharisee in the temple? God, I thank thee. I'm giving you the credit that I'm not as other men And then he starts talking about what he didn't do and what he did. I fast twice in the week. I get tithes of all that I possess. I'm not in torture. I'm not unjust. I'm not like this publican. He could look at this publican and say, I'm better than he is. I bet he even said, there go I, but for the grace of God. I'd be just like that if God didn't enable me to be such a better person. Now, pride, in that sense, God is the enemy of that one who is proud. God resists the proud. He resisted that Pharisee. You remember what he said about the publican? He said, I tell you, that man went down to his house justified rather than the other. That other man went down to his house in sins. So pride is looking at somebody else and finding some hope in me because in some way I'm better than What's humility? God resists the proud and he gives grace to the humble. Now, the humble are the poor in spirit, the poor and needy. The humble man has nothing. about him that he would dare to try to use to recommend himself to God. He has nothing. It's only the man who has nothing that really believes that Christ is all in his salvation. All he has is Christ. He doesn't have anything else. God resists the proud, but he gives grace to the humble. Now I read in a Charles Spurgeon sermon, and I really believe this is the best definition of humility I've ever read. Humility is a just estimate of yourself. It's a just estimate of yourself. You know that passage of scripture in 1 Corinthians chapter 1510 where Paul said, by the grace of God, I am what I am. Do you know, I don't know how many times I've quoted that wrong. I've quoted, I am what I am by the grace of God. Now, that changes the meaning of it. If I say that, the emphasis is on me. I am what I am. Look at me. I am what I am by grace, but look at me. I am what I am by the grace of God. That's not the way it's to be quoted. It's to be quoted as Paul said, by the grace of God. I am what I am. What are you, Paul? First of all, I'm united to the Lord Jesus Christ eternally, and that's by the grace of God. What are you, Paul? I'm a sinner. I'm a sinner. I really believe that all I am is a sinner. I cannot refrain and keep from sin. I can't spend five seconds without sin. I am a sinner. And the only ones who know that about themselves are those that God has given grace to. I am what I am. I'm a sinner by the grace of God. The songwriter said a sinner is a sacred thing. The Holy Ghost hath made him so. I'm a forgiven sinner. Beloved, that's by the grace of God. It's not because of anything I did. I'm a justified sinner. I stand before God without guilt, perfect in God's sight. Beloved, that's by the grace of God. I'm a redeemed sinner. Christ has redeemed me from all iniquity. I have no sin. Oh, that's by the grace of God. That has absolutely nothing to do with any works I've performed. I've been regenerated. I'm a regenerated sinner. I've been born from above. And that's by the grace of God. I'm a believing sinner. I have faith. You know, right now I really am resting in Jesus Christ as everything in my salvation. I really am. I'm not looking anywhere else. That's by the grace of God. I'm a repentant sinner. I'm in a continual state of change in my mind. That's by the grace of God. I'm preserved. I'm still believing. I'm continuing in the faith. That's by the grace of God. Humility is a just estimate of yourself. By the grace of God, I am what I am. You know what the Bible says? God gives grace. God gives grace to the humble. Now, I have entitled this message, The Only Remedy, More Grace. Amen. Let's pray.