SB#7
3 November 1997


James 4:1-10

Obedience & Humility



1. Spend devotional time or quiet times on the Bible study passages before leading the study. Spend time praying for the Bible study and for your small group members.
2. Also attend prayer meetings, and encourage small group members to do so.
3. Check on small group members' spiritual progress, and encourage them to do daily devotions, prayer, and Scripture reading.


1. Outline
(Develop your outline here)



2. Textual notes
v1 within you = in the members/parts of your [plural] bodies, i.e., within each of you; internal conflict which spills over against others
v2 kill: cf. Mt. 5:21ff.
v3 cf. Mt. 7:7-12, 21:22; Jn 13-14:14 (ask in His name)
v4 adulterous people, lit., "adulteresses"; in the Old Testament, God is sometimes symbolically represented as a husband, His people collectively as His (sometimes unfaithful) wife (Is 54:6-8, Jer 31:32, Ez 16, Hos 2:2, etc.). In the NT, the Church is called the Bride of Christ (Eph 5, Rev 19:7, 21:2)
world cf. 1 Jn 1:15-17
5 Scripture says...: not a direct quote from anywhere in Scripture, but rather a summary reference/ allusion
spirit....envies...: lit., "to/toward envy yearns the Spirit which dwelt in you": God's Spirit that He has put in us is a jealous Spirit; He jealously desires for us to respond to Him in faithfulness and love; this is achieved by His grace. cf. Exodus 20:5; Eph. 4:30.
Another possible interpretation is that the verse refers to the human spirit's jealousy, which is incompatible with the Spirit-filled life of the Christian.
v6 Prov. 3:34
v7 then/therefore: shows a logical connection between v6 & v7
resist the devil: Mt. 6:13, Ephesians 6:10-13, 1 Peter 5:6-11. 1 Jn 5:18


3. Discussion of passage
What is the main theme of this passage?
Why is this important to us as citizens of God's kingdom?
What are the previous themes and context? How does this passage tie in?


A. The problem (v1-5)

v1-2
When was the last time you had an argument or conflict with someone? Analyze it in light of this passage – what was its probable cause?
What kinds of desires come between us, others, and God?
How does God view Christians having arguments with each other? [v1-4]
What is God's will for such matters? (see Romans 12:9-19)
What is the root cause of these problems?

v3
How do these worldly desires affect our prayer lives? Why do we not receive what we ask for?
Look at 1 Peter 3:7, and see how the principle applies to couples.

v4
Why does God consider such attitudes and behavior to be spiritual adultery?
    friendship with the world?
How does it affect you knowing that God considers pursuit of selfish goals to be spiritual adultery?
What are some symptoms of friendship with the world? Do you see any in your own life?
Why is friendship with the world equivalent to being enemies with God?

*What desires battle within you? Is God or selfish desires what dominates your life? Examine yourself, and ask God to show you yourself as you really are.
*Do you have inner conflict, lack of peace, or hindrances to God in your spiritual life? Are they due to selfish desires of the world, the flesh, and the devil?



B. The remedy (v6-10)

v6
What is the solution to the problem of warring desires and spiritual adultery?
What resource does God grant us for this?
What is pride? In what way does God oppose the proud?

v7
How do we obtain this grace?
What is grace, and why does one have to be humble to receive it?
Do you think it is in limited supply, and we have to work hard for it?
Discuss: What does submission to God entail?
How do we resist the devil?

v8
Do you feel God is near to you now? What should you do when you feel far from God?

v9-10
Is there any way in which you may need to repent of pride, selfishness, etc?
How and why does God lift us when we humble ourselves before Him?

*What do the following have to do with pride and humility? In what specific and practical ways can you obey these commands and apply them to you life?

*Consider humble people you have known personally, or in the Bible. In what ways were they humble? For example, look at Jesus – how did he live and demonstrate humility. Moses was called the most humble man on earth (Numbers 12:3), in spite of his sins. And consider John the Baptist, who said, "He must become greater; I must become less" (John 3:30). What does this statement mean, and how can that apply to you?

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4. conclusion
Conclude by praying to apply the spiritual principles from this passage to your lives.




1'. Outline

v1-5: the problem of worldliness
v6-10: the requirement for obedience and humility