He Shall Lift You Up

Our Bible passage, introduction to Sunday 15th February service and hymns are below.

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Our principal verses are:

Jas 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Jas 4:8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

Jas 4:9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.

Jas 4:10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.

Jas 4:11 Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge.

Jas 4:12 There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?

He Shall Lift You Up

Believers are no longer under the law of Moses. For believers in Christ the law’s sting has been drawn, its curse has been removed. For all God’s elect the law’s demands are fully satisfied in the person of their Saviour. That condemning law has nothing more to say to Christ’s redeemed people because of the substitutionary death of the Lord Jesus. We do not live by the law. We are not ruled or governed by the law. We are not motivated by the law. We are dead to the law.

Holy, just and good

Yet we do not despise God’s law. We honour, respect and establish God’s holiness and justice by faith in Christ (Romans 3:31). Under God’s grace believers live by faith. By grace we have been joined to Christ in eternal union, sanctified in Him, made righteous and pardoned from sin upon the merits of His blood. We have been made anew and made wise unto salvation by conversion of the Holy Ghost. All for whom Christ died are righteous and holy in the sight of God because we are viewed by God as being in His Son.

Conversion means changed

And all who live by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ are changed people. ‘If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new’ (2Co 5:17). Old things such as domination by the old man of flesh, servitude to Satan and spiritual ignorance give way to a new heart, a new mind and a new spirit. New motivations moderate how believers live. We have the presence of Christ dwelling in us, the faith of Christ, the mind of Christ and the love of Christ.

Practical consequences

As His servants the love of Christ constraineth us. The death of Christ humbles us. The meekness and gentleness of Christ guides us. The glory of Christ motivates us. The wisdom of Christ instructs us. The indwelling presence of Christ inspires us to follow in His footsteps. Christ in us transforms our nature and changes our passions. We desire to serve, honour and love the Lord and then we desire to serve, honour and love His people.

A continuing fight

But all this does not mean we are free from sin. We are pure in the new man but in the old man, the flesh, sin remains and a battle rages whenever the old man feels he can make trouble and cause mischief. As we have seen the old man enlists the help of the world, the flesh and the devil to contend against the new man. This battle will continue so long as we are in the world. In today’s verses James is admonishing the Lord’s people to stay strong in the Lord. He is showing us where our help lies in this fight.

Let your light shine

Submission to God is submission to His will by faith. It is trusting Him in all things, even when our flesh runs to defiance. Resisting the devil is employing the whole armour of God to withstand his wiles and blunt his attacks. It is drawing strength from the blood of Christ and the presence of Christ when the world offers the pleasures of sin for a season. These are practical matters of daily living. It has to do with honouring the Lord, preserving our testimony, supporting our brethren and witnessing to the world day by day.

True humility

The Lord’s people live by faith and faith is God’s gift. Faith enables us to draw near to God for help amid the troubles we meet. Faith teaches us to think wisely about the dangers we face, the traps of temptation and pitfalls of fleshy pleasure. We know hand-cleansing and heart-purifying cannot be done in our own strength but it can be practised by faith as we submit to God and resist the devil. True humility is not crocodile tears but knowing our weakness and acknowledging our constant need of Christ. This is true spiritual mourning. We mourn for the sin that continues to dwell in our nature and disrupt our fellowship with the Lord Jesus.

Judge not

The truly humble have no remaining capacity for judging others. James’ admonition here against judging one another is similar to Paul’s words, ‘Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves’ (Php 2:3). Judging a brother is the product of pride and intrudes upon a believer’s Christian liberty. Again Paul says, ‘Who art thou that judgest another man’s servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand (Rom 14:4).

Amen

Hymn 1128

Prayer. Ps. 20. 9

J. Berridge   C.M.

1
Eternal Father, Lord of all,
By heaven and earth adored,
Regard thy guilty creatures’ call,
Who would revere thy word.

2
Lord Jesus, Son of God most high,
Of all the rightful heir,
Adored by hosts above the sky,
And by thy people here;

3
Thee, Saviour of the lost, we own,
Incarnate God and Lord,
Refresh us now, and send us down
The blessings of thy word.

4
Thou, Holy Ghost, who dost reveal
The secret things of grace;
And knowest well the Father’s will,
And his deep mind can trace;

5
Disclose the heavenly mysteries,
And bring the gospel feast;
Give gracious hearts and opened eyes,
That we may see and taste.

Hymn 919

“God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross.” Gal. 6. 14

T. Kelly                     L.M.

1
We sing the praise of him who died,
Of him who died upon the cross;
The sinner’s Hope let men deride;
For this we count the world but dross.

2
The cross, it takes our guilt away;
It holds the fainting spirit up;
It cheers with hope the gloomy day,
And sweetens every bitter cup.

3
It makes the coward spirit brave,
And nerves the feeble arm for fight;
It takes its terror from the grave,
And gilds the bed of death with light.

4
The balm of life, the cure of woe;
The measure and the pledge of love;
The sinner’s refuge here below;
The angel’s theme in heaven above.

James calls for humility amongst the Lord's people that we might by faith draw help from God's hand for our daily troubles.