Fashion Your Passion         

Fashion- to give a particular shape or form to (ex. the man fashioned tools from stone)

James 4:1-10

¹ What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you?

We all know that conflicts normally start as quarrelling then escalates to fighting and when the fighting has escalated it then becomes war.

At that point you now have a hostile conflict between two opposing sides.

Many conflicts have led to war.  In fact, there are wars still being fought today because of the escalating conflict.

• War in Afghanistan 1978-Present  2,000,000 deaths        people democratic party of     

                                                                                               Afghanistan

• Iraq War 2003-Present  268,000 deaths           Iraqi government & Isis
• Mexican Drug War 2006-Present  144,000 deaths           US & Mexican gov. against

                                                                                               drugs

• The Syrian Civil war 2011-Present 470,000 deaths Syrian gov. & allies vs       

                                                                                               Opposing forces

These are just the major ones but there are so many more conflicts in the earth today.  So many people have died because of these escalating conflicts.

The truth of the matter is that we will always experience conflict to one level or another.

The question becomes “How do you handle conflict when it does come?”

James would say that before we handle it we need to know the source of the conflict.

^1b Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? 

Notice he did not say, the conflict began because of another person’s wrong doing.  But rather he calls his audience to look at their own life and see what passion or what lust is wrong in their own heart that may be the cause of the conflict.

Worldly Conflict Starts with Unrestrained Passions                               

Stressed out                                        Anger                                      Retaliation

Burn out                                              Dissatisfaction                         Lack of Trust  

Unmet expectations                            Fear                                         Jealousy         

Feeling Unappreciated                       Desire to be right                    Lust for Material things

When we experience these different passions, we need to guard ourselves from reacting poorly toward one another because that only escalates the conflict.

Though this isn’t an easy task as James says that “your passions are at war within you.”

• What does it mean that your passions are at war within you?

It means this: Just as in war there are two opposing sides, and both sides are wanting victory.

Meaning on one side you have this desire to live for God and to live a life that is pleasing to Him.

Meanwhile you have these passions of fear, anger, jealousy and retaliation that are also trying to win you over.

So, there is the struggle it lies within your own soul.  You thought the conflict to be with another person yet the problem has been inside you the whole time.

It is because of your passions that you have this conflict.

It is your job to first identify this passion and to ask the Holy Spirit to help you control this passion.  If you do not see these passions yourself I’m sure someone will help point them out.

James identifies the passions of his audience.

² You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel.

Can you agree with me in saying these guys had some problems?

The way they solved their conflict was a very worldly way of doing so.

1. They desired and did not have so they murdered.

(like David when he seen Bathsheba and wanted her, then killed her husband and took her to be his wife)

They let their passions lead them to commit violence, even murder, against another human being.

2. They coveted meaning they looked at another’s possession and wanted it for themselves so they began to fight and quarrel. (illustration)

To me this sounds like child’s play.  Maybe you hear it all the time with your kids.  Mommy he hit me and took that thing from me that I was playing with.

This conflict started with covetousness.  In which child 1 wanted what child 2 had, so child 1 hit child 2 and took that thing and now child 2 is crying.

Unrestrained passions will lead to uncontrollable actions. 

Because child 1 did not restrain his passion of covetousness, he could neither restrain his actions. Therefore, the conflict between child 1 and child 2 deepens.

 It starts with controlling the passions.

In this case, James is calling his audience to look at their own covetousness, and to control their own passions.

Uncontrollable Actions Will Hinder Our Relationships With God and Man

^2b You do not have, because you do not ask. ³ You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.

In the middle of teaching about worldly conflict, James makes the direct connection between worldly passions and unanswered prayers. 

Simply stated, those who are ruled by their passions are concerned only about their passions. 

Take a person whose passion is anger for example.  When they pray they do not get an answer to their prayer because they are more concerned about being angry and their heart is not in the right place.  Jesus would tell that type of person

Matthew 5:22-24

 ²² But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire. ²³ So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, ²⁴ leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.

Jesus values reconciliation above doing something that looks spiritual on the outside.

Jesus has been and always will be more concerned about what is happening on the inside.

James is basically saying the same thing.  You will not receive an answer to your prayer if your inward passions are the most dominant thing in your life.  Your passions will blind you from praying according to the will of God.  Consequently, you will be praying according to your will, which will not be answered.

We can see how these passions create conflict with man and at the same time create conflict in our relationship with God. When we focus on these evil passions, people get hurt, and our prayer connection is hindered. 

If Ruled By Our Passions We Are Made Enemies Of God.

 ⁴ You adulterous people! 

It is interesting that James would use the word adulterous when describing people who are consumed with their own passions. 

Adultery is normally associated with a person cheating on their spouse. 

But if you think about it, it makes perfect sense.  As the church, we are considered the bride of Christ.  To be a bride would imply a relationship with Christ.  If we have a relationship with Christ then we will know the heartbeat of Christ.  If we know His heart then we would refrain from such evil passions.

When we instead choose to dwell on these evil passions, we are taking ourselves out of relationship with Christ, and connecting ourselves instead to our evil passions.   Therefore, James rightly says “You adulterous people”

This word adultery in this verse literally means one who is faithless toward God, Ungodly.

Just to connect the two ideas, when we choose to dwell on our passions we are acting in an ungodly manner and we are being faithless toward God.  

^4b Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore, whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. ⁵ 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”?

Now we learn that besides our prayers going unanswered, If we let these evil passions rule us we make ourselves friends with the world and enemies of God.

I do not know about you, but I do not want to become an enemy of God.

To become an enemy of God is to accept a life doomed for destruction.  We cannot prevail against God.

So far, we have talked a great deal on worldly conflict

• Worldly conflict starts from unrestrained passions.
• Unrestrained passions will lead to uncontrollable actions
• Uncontrollable actions will hinder our relationships with people and with God.
• If we continue in those worldly passions we are considered adulterers and enemies of God.

 ⁶ But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” 

Finally, some good news.  He gives more grace.  It is one thing that He gives grace, but how exciting is it that He gives more grace to those who are dealing with their evil passions.

Those of us who are stressed out, burned out, fearful, anxious, jealous He gives more grace to you.  Why?  So that you can overcome those evil passions.

• What is your part to play? Be humble.

Realize your inability to overcome it on your own strength.  Also realize, that you need His help and that’s where you will find more grace to get you through.

James then gives us a great plan to overcome conflict in a Godly way.

⁷ Submit yourselves therefore to God.

In other words, let Him be in charge of your life.  Let God call the shots.  Let Him direct your steps, and you must be willing to walk in obedience to His ways.

^7b Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

You don’t have to give in to those evil passions, you can resist the devil and he will flee from you.  Earlier in chapter 2 we discovered that demons tremble at the mention of the name of Jesus. You can begin to resist the devil by declaring the name of Jesus over your life. If you don’t resist, then the enemy will win.

⁸ Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. 

As you draw near to God and He draws near to you, you will begin to have His heart and will be able to deal with conflict the way that He would.

^8b Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 

As we draw near to God, God will show us the impurities in our hearts. We are instructed to cleanse our hands and purify our hearts.

When dealing with conflict as believers we are commanded to align our inner man to God’s word.  The call is for us to submit, resist, draw near, cleanse.

To handle conflict in a Godly way, we need to focus on ourselves and see what is going on with our passions.  Stop at looking and blaming the other person, Start looking at yourself.

⁹ Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. ¹⁰ Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.

With worldly conflict Nobody wins, everyone loses. 

While Godly conflict requires the pursuit of humility which teaches us to listen more and speak less. 

Godly Conflict is not about winning rather it is about worshipping.

We need to fashion our passion in a way that God can be glorified.

We need to ask the Holy Spirit to govern our emotions and our reactions