QT 03/12/2024 Tue. James 4. Peace with God & Enemies of the world? 与上帝和平相处，与世界为敌？
QT 03/12/2024 Tue. James 4. Peace with God & Enemies of the world?
READ https://www.esv.org/james4
Let's face it, we are no judge. This is because "There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you - who are you to judge your neighbor?" Jam 4:2.
REFLECTION (1): Are we perpetually harping on "This person falling short in this" or "That person fall short of that"? Is the finger perpetually pointing towards OTHERS instead of OURSELVES? On the other hand, when was the last time we "grieved, mourned and wailed" at our own faults (Jam 4:9)?
REFLECTION (2): In the process of getting what you want, do your tools "kill and covet" (Jam 4:2), "quarrel and fight" (Jam 4:2) while motivated by "wrong motives" (Jam 4:3) that are centred on "pleasures" (Jam 4:3)?
Do we, even as believers who call God the LORD, exalt ourselves to a level that belongs only to God? James exhorted readers to watch out, because by doing so they make God their enemy. To put believers back to their proper and actual status, the response of God is to adjust the believers' circumstances (to the extent of "fight" to bring this about!).
Humility before God is the answer (Jam 4:7), obtained by coming near to God, keeping the hands and hearts clean (Jam 4:8-10), abstaining from double-mindedness (Jam 4:8).
APPLICATION: This humility will show up in our speech, when we place less confidence in our own wisdom and smartness but more on the fact that "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that" (Jam 4:15).
星期二 2024年12月3日. 雅各书4章。与上帝和平相处，与世界为敌？
http://m.bbintl.org/bible/gb/Jas/4/
面对现实吧，我们不是法官。这是因为 "设立律法和判断人的，只有一位，就是那能救人也能灭人的。你是谁，竟敢论断别人呢？（雅各书 4：12）
反思 (1)： 我们是否总是纠缠于 “这个人在这一点上做得不够 ”或 “那个人在那一点上做得不够”？我们是否总是把矛头指向别人而不是自己？另一方面，我们上一次为自己的过错 “愁苦，悲哀，哭泣。将喜笑变作悲哀，欢乐变作愁闷”是什么时候呢（4：9）？
反思（2）： 在得到你想要的东西的过程中，你的工具是否 “杀害嫉妒”, “斗殴争战”? 而动机却是以 “宴乐”（4：3）为中心的？
即使作为称上帝为耶和华的信徒，我们是否也会把自己高举到只属于上帝的高度？雅各告诫读者要小心，因为他们这样做就是与神为敌。为了让信徒回到他们应有的实际地位，神的回应是调整信徒的环境（甚至 “争战 ”) 来实现这样的调整！
在神面前的谦卑就是答案（4：7），通过亲近神、保持手和心的洁净（4：8-10）、避免三心二意（4：8）来获得。
应用：这种谦卑会体现在我们的言语中，当我们减少对自己的智慧和聪明的信任，而更多地相信 “主若愿意，我们就可以活着，也可以作这事，或作那事”（4：15）。
