James 4:1–12 (NKJV) “Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? 2 You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures. 4 Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 5 Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, ‘The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously’? 6 But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: ‘God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.’ 7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up. 11 Do not speak evil of one another, brethren. He who speaks evil of a brother and judges his brother, speaks evil of the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. 12 There is one Lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy. Who are you to judge another?”
Do you have heart issues? I am not referring to the blood pump in your chest. I am referring to the seat of hidden motives, affections, and desires. Do you know what is in your heart? Some absolve themselves of guilt by saying, “It may seem wrong, but God knows my heart!” The truth is that God does know our heart, but we do not: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?” It is possible to be deceived by our own heart! “Just follow your heart” is a fool’s adage.
Every issue of life flows out of the heart of man. Jesus said: “For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, 22 thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. 23 All these evil things come from within and defile a man.”Proverbs 4:23 (NKJV) says, “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.” We are not commanded to follow our heart. We are commanded to diligently “keep” or “guard” our heart. So how goes your heart?
How can we know what is in our heart? Only God can show us. He will show us through testing: “I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings.” Tests provoke responses and reactions. Tests reveal where we are strong or weak. They reveal if what we have learned is how we live. They reveal our maturity or immaturity. They reveal whether we are walking in the Spirit or in the flesh.
The struggles between the flesh and the Spirit originate in the heart. James 4:1-3 says, “Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? 2 You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.” Let’s consider a few common issues that war in our heart:
Lust: Lust is the desire and entertainment of sinful things.
Anger: Anger is an emotional reaction caused by not getting our way, or by a sense of injustice, whether real or perceived.
Bitterness: Bitterness is a poisoned heart that will not let go or forgive.
Resentment: Resentment is a sense of displeasure toward those we feel have injured us.
Malice: Malice is a feeling of ill-will that seeks to cause pain, injury, or distress to another.
Competitive Jealousy: Competition is neither good nor bad. Neither is jealousy. It is the context that matters. Healthy competition strives to achieve the same goal as another. In the same way, godly jealousy seeks to protect covenant such as in the case of a marriage covenant. Ungodly jealous is the unwarranted feeling of anxiety or fear because of the preference, position, and authority granted to another. Competitive jealousy is a poisonous attitude that seeks to judge, criticize, undermine, and destroy another person’s preference or advantage. Competitive jealousy caused Cain to murder his brother Abel.
Unholy Allegiances: Friendship with the world is regarded as a betrayal to our covenant relationship with God (James 4:4-5). God wants full heart devotion. Tests expose the allegiance of our heart.
Pride: Pride is at the root of most heart issues. Pride was the original sin of Lucifer (Isaiah 14:12-15). Pride causes us to think more of ourselves than we ought, to think less of others than we ought, to esteem ourselves as superior to others, to evaluate others based on preferences rather than principles, to focus on our own importance rather than the importance of others, to judge and criticize others, to blame others while justifying ourselves, to undermine and belittle others, to subvert the success or progress of others to make ourselves look better, to rebel, scoff, protest, and stiffen our necks toward God. God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. (James 4:6)
We are often shocked to discover the depravity exposed in our hearts. We are disheartened to find that our heart is infested with sinful desires, motives, affections, and attitudes. God tests our heart so that we can recognize and deal with the issues that He already sees.
What can we do to overcome heart issues? First, we must acknowledge the sinful issues. God’s purpose is not to condemn us but to purify our hearts. Second, we must submit to God’s authority. We must let go of our independent, selfish, and rebellious attitude toward life. We must step down from our self-appointed role as judges over others. We must submit to God as the only Judge to whom all will give account. Third, we must resist the devil. Once we submit to God, we can resist the devil’s power and gain victory. Fourth, we must draw near to God. We must seek Him as our only Source of strength and direction. Fifth, we must cleanse our hands. Hands signify a person’s work. We must eliminate any involvement in the sinful works of the flesh. Sixth, we must purify our hearts by becoming single-minded in our commitment to God. Seventh, we must allow our hearts to be broken by the wretchedness revealed in our heart so that we no longer desire its corruption. Are we truly grieved by the sin that God has revealed? Eighth, we must humble ourselves in the sight of the Lord. True humility is not thinking less of ourselves than God thinks. True humility is thinking of ourselves soberly, as we really are in God’s eyes.
God desires to give us the blessing of His grace which is His divine favor, blessing, and ability. God wants to bless and use us in ways far beyond what we can think or imagine. Unfortunately, the things that hinder us from receiving His grace are the sinful issues in our hearts. He will not release His grace in our lives until we deal with the issues in our hearts. Don’t be surprised by trials and difficulties that come to test your heart. God seeks to expose the hidden issues that stand in the way of the grace He so desires to give you.
Remember the admonition of James. Embrace God’s tests. Admit what these tests reveal. Repent of the sin, humble yourself in your own eyes, submit under God’s authority, resist the devil, draw near to God, allow your heart to be broken by its own wretchedness, cut off works of the flesh that defile the heart, purify your heart through consistent obedience, and humble yourself in the sight of the Lord. When you do, you will be amazed how quickly God’s grace will lift you into the place He wants you to be. When God opens a door, no one can close it. When God lifts you up, no one can put you down. Hallelujah!
The VISION (September 2021)
By Pastor E. Keith Hassell
James 4:1–12 (NKJV) “Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? 2 You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures. 4 Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 5 Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, ‘The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously’? 6 But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: ‘God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.’ 7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up. 11 Do not speak evil of one another, brethren. He who speaks evil of a brother and judges his brother, speaks evil of the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. 12 There is one Lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy. Who are you to judge another?”
Do you have heart issues? I am not referring to the blood pump in your chest. I am referring to the seat of hidden motives, affections, and desires. Do you know what is in your heart? Some absolve themselves of guilt by saying, “It may seem wrong, but God knows my heart!” The truth is that God does know our heart, but we do not: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?” It is possible to be deceived by our own heart! “Just follow your heart” is a fool’s adage.
Every issue of life flows out of the heart of man. Jesus said: “For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, 22 thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. 23 All these evil things come from within and defile a man.” Proverbs 4:23 (NKJV) says, “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.” We are not commanded to follow our heart. We are commanded to diligently “keep” or “guard” our heart. So how goes your heart?
How can we know what is in our heart? Only God can show us. He will show us through testing: “I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings.” Tests provoke responses and reactions. Tests reveal where we are strong or weak. They reveal if what we have learned is how we live. They reveal our maturity or immaturity. They reveal whether we are walking in the Spirit or in the flesh.
The struggles between the flesh and the Spirit originate in the heart. James 4:1-3 says, “Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? 2 You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.” Let’s consider a few common issues that war in our heart:
Lust: Lust is the desire and entertainment of sinful things.
Anger: Anger is an emotional reaction caused by not getting our way, or by a sense of injustice, whether real or perceived.
Bitterness: Bitterness is a poisoned heart that will not let go or forgive.
Resentment: Resentment is a sense of displeasure toward those we feel have injured us.
Malice: Malice is a feeling of ill-will that seeks to cause pain, injury, or distress to another.
Competitive Jealousy: Competition is neither good nor bad. Neither is jealousy. It is the context that matters. Healthy competition strives to achieve the same goal as another. In the same way, godly jealousy seeks to protect covenant such as in the case of a marriage covenant. Ungodly jealous is the unwarranted feeling of anxiety or fear because of the preference, position, and authority granted to another. Competitive jealousy is a poisonous attitude that seeks to judge, criticize, undermine, and destroy another person’s preference or advantage. Competitive jealousy caused Cain to murder his brother Abel.
Unholy Allegiances: Friendship with the world is regarded as a betrayal to our covenant relationship with God (James 4:4-5). God wants full heart devotion. Tests expose the allegiance of our heart.
Pride: Pride is at the root of most heart issues. Pride was the original sin of Lucifer (Isaiah 14:12-15). Pride causes us to think more of ourselves than we ought, to think less of others than we ought, to esteem ourselves as superior to others, to evaluate others based on preferences rather than principles, to focus on our own importance rather than the importance of others, to judge and criticize others, to blame others while justifying ourselves, to undermine and belittle others, to subvert the success or progress of others to make ourselves look better, to rebel, scoff, protest, and stiffen our necks toward God. God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. (James 4:6)
We are often shocked to discover the depravity exposed in our hearts. We are disheartened to find that our heart is infested with sinful desires, motives, affections, and attitudes. God tests our heart so that we can recognize and deal with the issues that He already sees.
What can we do to overcome heart issues? First, we must acknowledge the sinful issues. God’s purpose is not to condemn us but to purify our hearts. Second, we must submit to God’s authority. We must let go of our independent, selfish, and rebellious attitude toward life. We must step down from our self-appointed role as judges over others. We must submit to God as the only Judge to whom all will give account. Third, we must resist the devil. Once we submit to God, we can resist the devil’s power and gain victory. Fourth, we must draw near to God. We must seek Him as our only Source of strength and direction. Fifth, we must cleanse our hands. Hands signify a person’s work. We must eliminate any involvement in the sinful works of the flesh. Sixth, we must purify our hearts by becoming single-minded in our commitment to God. Seventh, we must allow our hearts to be broken by the wretchedness revealed in our heart so that we no longer desire its corruption. Are we truly grieved by the sin that God has revealed? Eighth, we must humble ourselves in the sight of the Lord. True humility is not thinking less of ourselves than God thinks. True humility is thinking of ourselves soberly, as we really are in God’s eyes.
God desires to give us the blessing of His grace which is His divine favor, blessing, and ability. God wants to bless and use us in ways far beyond what we can think or imagine. Unfortunately, the things that hinder us from receiving His grace are the sinful issues in our hearts. He will not release His grace in our lives until we deal with the issues in our hearts. Don’t be surprised by trials and difficulties that come to test your heart. God seeks to expose the hidden issues that stand in the way of the grace He so desires to give you.
Remember the admonition of James. Embrace God’s tests. Admit what these tests reveal. Repent of the sin, humble yourself in your own eyes, submit under God’s authority, resist the devil, draw near to God, allow your heart to be broken by its own wretchedness, cut off works of the flesh that defile the heart, purify your heart through consistent obedience, and humble yourself in the sight of the Lord. When you do, you will be amazed how quickly God’s grace will lift you into the place He wants you to be. When God opens a door, no one can close it. When God lifts you up, no one can put you down. Hallelujah!
Jeremiah 17:9 (NKJV)
Mark 7:21–23 (NKJV)
Jeremiah 17:10 (NKJV)