Ezekiel 40:28-49, 41 , James 4, Psalm 118:19-20, Proverbs 28: 3-5

Ezekiel 40:28-49, 41 , James 4, Psalm 118:19-20, Proverbs 28: 3-5

The last few Wednesday nights at Young Life, Rico and Jim have been bringing messages of what is sin, what does it look like, our need for the cross and our need for Jesus. Last week when we were talking about sin, the high schoolers were asked "What do you know is a sin?" They shouted out, "Murder, stealing, being mean, fighting, getting arrested, etc.". All very true. Jim was sitting on the floor and shouted out "Pride." Even though I've known Christ all my life I am constantly reminded of the root that pride has in my own life and the lives of others. That night (and in smaller group settings) we have discussed with our high schoolers that sin is a condition in the heart. There are those "major" physical sins as they shouted out, but what about those sins or those dark corners in our hearts and minds that we hope no one ever finds out about. James 4 is such a meaty chapter with so much theology, philosophy, and words that steep in my mind for hours on end. It's impossible to write about this chapter in 3 paragraphs.

There are two ways to start though: 1. How does this scripture apply to me and the human condition and 2. What do I learn about God: who He is and what he is like. Looking at self we see the ugliness of sin and how it filters out: jealousy, pride, coveting, judging others, selfishness, and major conflict. I can check everyone of those off, pride being one of the biggest. I'm reminded that it is tied with the first sin! Adam and Eve wanted to know better than God. So what is the solution? Humility: surrendering self up to God and His sovereign power and wisdom. We are called to "Humble yourself" twice in these verses. I know I have mentioned Pastor and author CJ Mahaney before, but he describes pride as, "Pride is when sinful human beings aspire to the status and position of God and refuse to acknowledge their dependence upon Him"

So finally, we know what we should do, but how? This brings us to Who God is. We can only do it (obey and humble ourselves by looking at verse 6: "But He gives us more grace to stand against such evil desires." We can only do it through Him! James 4 shows is that God gives us grace, he loves the humble, honors the humble, is Judge, and controls the days we have in this world. We truly can do all things through Him (even though it's so hard!) It becomes difficult when these selfish desires: signature and cherished sins fester in our hearts. Confess this sin, be in the Word, have an intimate relationship with God. Do not let this vapor (so short) of our lives fade so fast that we don't do it right. Be humble.