Choose to be Extra Ordinary recap from last week- The Battle- with biggest threat being the pull of worldliness
Reasons our lives often fail to be “extraordinary”:
1) Have bought into a lie of the world
2)failed to trust Jesus and sought our own answers
3)allowed a punch from the enemy to knock us out.
If last week was highlighted by the Battle, this week is highlighted by the Victory.
Four steps from James: Submit-Resist-Draw Near-Repent
James (as does 1 Peter 5) quotes Proverbs 3:34 (ESV) Toward the scorners he is scornful, but to the humble he gives favor. James 4:6 “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” These parallels suggest that what Jams says here reflects a widespread early Christian call to repentance
Oppose- antitassō- Literally against order
God’s grace demands a response- the response of humility. This is why we are saying “choose” to be extraordinary. We take hold of the extra ordinary life Jesus offers by Humility.
Submit- James 4:6-7a
Submit means to place ourselves under his lordship, and therefore commit ourselves to obey him in all things. Greek word hypotasso means to “put in order under”.
Christians, James suggests, are even now to recognize God’s lordship and to place our selves in glad submission under his wise rule
Resist- James 7b-8a
The command is to resist the Devil and draw near to God. Stand against, oppose, or withstand.
Placing ourselves under God’s authority means, negatively, that we firmly refuse to bow to the devil’s authority.
When we resist the devil’s purpose, he will, James promises, flee from you!
Whatever power Satan may have, the Christian can be absolutely certain that they have been given the ability to overcome that power.
Draw Near James 8a
Draw near often refers to approaching God in worship but can’t here as he draws near us. Here used in the sense of H*osea 12:6* (NIV) But you must return to your God; maintain love and justice and wait for your God always.
James is urging that we repent of our sins and seek God as we submit to him. Like the father of the Prodigal son, God stands always ready to welcome back his children who turn from their sinful ways!
Repent James 8b-9
James calls them to repent of both their external behavior- wash your hands, and the internal attitude that leads to that behavior- purify your hearts.
In both deed and disposition, we are to turn toward God. Psalm 24:3-4 (ESV) Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart.
In V9 he echoes the call of the prophets such as Joel 2:12 (ESV) “Yet even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;
V10 If God gives grace to the humble, them humbling ourselves before God is the way to experience that Grace and the extraordinary life. It means to recognize our own spiritual poverty and complete need for Jesus.
Conclusion
James’s words reminds us that we gain spiritual vitality and victory (an extraordinary life) not through our own strength or effort, but through giving ourselves completely to the Lord.