Posted 5 years ago by Anonymous

Summary

How’s your posture (attitude/approach to life, people & God)? The proper posture of the Christ-follower: Humility

Living faith is evidenced by a posture/attitude of humility towards God and our fellow Christ-followers.

Pride is the bane of the Christian life & invokes God’s opposition! Pride takes many forms: Selfish, sinful passions within, covetousness, unrighteous anger, idolatry, friendship with the world, light regard of sin, etc.

Vs11-17: Not random thoughts, but 2 more facets of pride.[READ]

Vs11-12 - Pride of puffing ourselves up by putting others down & thinking we’re right & everyone else is wrong, & thus judging their spiritual standing or walk. There is a tendency, when we sin, to point to others.

James equates speaking evil against others to judging, which doesn’t belong to us.

John Calvin: This is “another disease innate in human nature, that everyone would have all others to live according to his own will or fancy… We dare to impose on our brethren our rule of life.” This is not to say that we cannot lovingly confront others - takes humility, the Holy Spirit’s leading, & an eye to our own sin.

Vs13-17 - Pride of independence from God.

David Gudzik: “James rebukes the kind of heart that lives & makes its plans apart from a constant awareness of the sovereignty of God, & with an underestimation of our own limitations.” He’s not saying don’t plan or set goals, but don’t leave out God! We don’t know what tomorrow holds. Our lives are frail at best.

Psalm 103:15-16 We do not possess tomorrow, only the hope of it. It is the gracious gift of our gracious God. We are totally dependent upon God, & so ought to order our lives after Him. Our lives are not our own. We hold all things in opened hands.

John Calvin: “Though they robbed God of His government they yet flattered themselves; not that they openly set themselves up as superior to God, though they were especially inflated with confidence in themselves, but that their minds were inebriated with vanity so as to disregard God.”

What are you doing with your life? Where is God in your plans? Better yet, are you living daily in relationship with God? Are you following His lead, ordering your life by His will and word?

A final warning from James: If we know the right thing to do - lay down our pride & humble ourselves before God & others - & we don’t do it, it is sin.

Fully devoted, fully engaged Christ-followers assume a posture of humility before God & others. We don’t arrogantly judge others nor live our lives independent of God.