Description
James 4:1 – The Root of Church Conflicts
In this episode, we consider James 4:1, where James addresses the causes of qu… (visit YouTube for more)
Transcript
James delivers his fatherly criticism and rebuke in chapter 4 verse 1. What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you?
We don’t know exactly what James saw going on in the church amongst the brethren, but we can be certain that there were arguments. There were arguments about doctrine. There were arguments about position and status. There were all the usual arguments you would find wherever humans are gathered.
And James is saying, my brothers and sisters, this shouldn’t be the case. Where’s it coming from? Where are these fights originating from?
I’ll tell you where it’s coming from. It’s coming from what’s in you, deep down. Your desires are warring with the plans, the purposes, and the principles of God.
Your passions, whatever they may be, a passion for position, status, a passion for your own ministry to be protected and preserved, all of these passions should not be brought into the church.
We should be walking in unity, James says, in agreement about all these essential things, these points of doctrine, our love of Christ. And setting ourself aside, our own desires, in favour of the promotion of the gospel.
What sort of a witness is it when a church is at war with itself? Or when a church, a congregation, is at war with another congregation, or another denomination? The world laughs at that, and rightly so, because it is not godly, my friends.
And James would just ask us, if we find ourselves in any kind of conflict within the church, there may be good reason for that, but let’s first just do a self inventory, honestly and with humility before God. God, have I got something wrong here? Are my own desires, my own passions causing this? Forgive me, Lord, if so.
