23 August 2019

A Few Thoughts on the Epistles of James—James 5:1-6

B5 Chapter 5

C1 The Christian life—Dangers of Riches James 5:1-6
D1 Believers Should Show Low Priority to Riches James 5:1
D2 Believers Should Know That Riches Can Ruin Us James 5:2-6
James 5:1-6 WEL Now come you rich people, wail and howl for the miseries that will happen to you. 2 Your riches have rotted and your clothes have become moth-eaten. 3 Your gold and silver have become corroded. Its poison will be a witness against you and will eat up your flesh like fire. You have amassed riches for these final days. 4 Look, the pay of the workers who harvested your fields, from which you took a cut for yourself, calls out, and the workers’ pleas for help has entered the ears of the Lord of Heavenly Armies. 5 You have lived a soft life on this earth and [a life given to] pleasure. You have fattened your hearts as for the day of slaughter. 6 You have condemned [and] killed the righteous. He does not resist you.
 
Priorities=
  • Defined: a thing that is regarded as more important than another.
  • How do we decide what is more important?
  • I couldn’t find much on that topic. There were plenty of websites how to prioritize, but none on why people choose something as the highest priority.
  • So, this is my guess: self. Some may state that it is Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, but I have seen many that worship of God is more important than sleep or food, etc. Pain would definitely be something to think about, but again the few times I was in such pain that health personal couldn’t get my attention, I was still praying.
  • The Lord Jesus stated
  • John 4:34 CSB My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work,Jesus told them.
  • John 6:38 CSB For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me.
  • Matthew 26:39 BSB Going a little farther, He fell facedown and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me. Yet not as I will, but as You will.
  • For some money is too high a priority. Perhaps this why the Scriptures label it a root of evil. 1 Timothy 6:10 CSB For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and by craving it, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
  • In our passage, it appears that some people that James knew had money as a higher priority that God’s will. Luke 16:13 CSB No servant can serve two masters, since either he will hate one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.
  • Note the opinion of the Lord Jesus towards Laodicean church. They seemed to believe that since they were rich materially, they were also spiritually rich: Revelation 3:17 CSB For you say, 'I'm rich; I have become wealthy and need nothing,' and you don't realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked.
  • Let us heed St. Paul’s inspired admonishment: 1 Timothy 6:8-9 CSB If we have food and clothing, we will be content with these. But those who want to be rich fall into temptation, a trap, and many foolish and harmful desires, which plunge people into ruin and destruction.
Ruin= From wrong priorities which led to chaos in their lives which had an effect on their treatment of others.
  • The love of money finally leads to murder for too many, who must have more.
  • Note, that the righteous did not resist.
  • It has been said that murder is for one or combination of three thingsmoney, sex, or power.
Effects of money=
  • Money gives power, so people can crave it to have more influence: Proverbs 22:7 BSB The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is slave to the lender.
  • Arrogance: Hosea 12:8 NLT Israel boasts, "I am rich! I've made a fortune all by myself! No one has caught me cheating! My record is spotless!
  • Danger of abandoning the faith: Proverbs 30:8 BSB Keep falsehood and deceitful words far from me. Give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the bread that is my portion.
  • Attitude of “I can do anything myself. I don’t need God.” Nehemiah 9:25-26 NLT Our ancestors captured fortified cities and fertile land. They took over houses full of good things, with cisterns already dug and vineyards and olive groves and fruit trees in abundance. So they ate until they were full and grew fat and enjoyed themselves in all your blessings. "But despite all this, they were disobedient and rebelled against you. They turned their backs on your Law, they killed your prophets who warned them to return to you, and they committed terrible blasphemies.
  • Injustice: Proverbs 18:23 BSB The poor man pleads for mercy, but the rich man answers harshly.
  • Violence against others: Micah 6:12 BSB For the wealthy of the city are full of violence, and its residents speak lies; their tongues are deceitful in their mouths.
  • Become corrupted by evil desires: 1 Timothy 6:9 NLT But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction.
  • Can lead to family difficulties: Proverbs 15:27 BSB He who is greedy for unjust gain brings trouble on his household, but he who hates bribes will live.
  • May help deliver from some difficulties and buy justice for themselves, but wealth has no influence on God who judges their soul: Proverbs 11:4 NIV Wealth is worthless in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death.
Correct attitude about finances=
  • Recognizing it is from God’s blessing: 1 Chronicles 29:12 BSB Both riches and honor come from You, and You are the ruler over all. Power and might are in Your hand, and it is in Your hand to exalt and to give strength to all.
  • Put our trust in God instead of money: 1 Timothy 6:17 BSB Instruct those who are rich in the present age not to be conceited and not to put their hope in the uncertainty of wealth, but in God, who richly provides all things for us to enjoy.
  • Not to hoard it but share it for God’s glory: Matthew 6:19 BSB Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.
  • To assist widows and other brothers and sisters in their need: 1 Timothy 6:18 BSB Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, and to be generous and ready to share,
Questions=
  • Name some of the most important things in life.
  • How do we make those the highest priority?
  • How do we continue steadfast in the faith?
  • How does money corrupt a person?
    How can we use money for God’s glory?

21 August 2019

A Few Thoughts on the Epistle of James—James 4:13-17

C2 The Christian life—not assuming James 4:13-17

James 4:13-17 WEL Come on, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into this city, stay there a year, buy and sell, and make money.” 14 On the contrary, you don’t even know what [will happen] tomorrow. For what [is] your life? It is just a puff of smoke that appears for a moment then disappears. 15 For you should say, “If the Lord wills, then we will live and do this or that.” 16 But now you boast in your self-confidence; all such rejoicing is evil. 17 So then, the one, who knows what is right and does not do it, is guilty of sin.

Presumption=
· In our passage, James knew of some who presumed that tomorrow would come. That is not Christian reality.
· There are 2 other passages dealing with this
o Jesus spoke a parable of a rich man, whose land had produced a superabundant crop. Praise God! But the man presumed to live for a long time, never thinking that death could happen at any time. This man’s treasure is only here on earth. He didn’t take time for gathering spiritual treasure. Luke 12:19-20 LEB And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have many possessions stored up for many years. Relax, eat, drink, celebrate!”’ 20 But God said to him, Fool! This night your life is demanded from you, and the things which you have prepared—whose will they be?
o The Lord Jesus makes 2 points we need to learn
§ Not to be greedy: Luke 12:15 LEB And he said to them, "Watch out and guard yourselves from all greediness, because not even when someone has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions.
§ Forgetting we should make it our priority to be working for heavenly treasure over earthly treasure: Luke 12:21 LEB So is the one who stores up treasure for himself, and who is not rich toward God!
· Earthly treasure= financial things as money, net worth, etc. There is nothing wrong with money or being rich, but the error comes in our attitude and priority.
· Spiritual treasure=
o The best produce is the Fruit of the Spirit: Galatians 5:22-26 MEV But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 meekness, and self-control; against such there is no law. 24 Those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and lusts. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 26 Let us not be conceited, provoking one another and envying one another.
o This fruit is based on all goodness, as God defines goodness: Ephesians 5:9 MEV or the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth
Brevity of life= Psalm 39:4-6 NLT LORD, remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Remind me that my days are numberedhow fleeting my life is. You have made my life no longer than the width of my hand. My entire lifetime is just a moment to you; at best, each of us is but a breath. Interlude We are merely moving shadows, and all our busy rushing ends in nothing. We heap up wealth, not knowing who will spend it.

Ungodly boasting=
· The difference is boasting about ourselves instead of boasting about God.
· An article about boasting (I don’t know much about this site, so as with all be discerning).

God’s will= is the most important thing. We should always have this attitude and be serious about it. Some things we know are God’s will, and we must do it. Some things are not God’s will, and we must avoid it.
Know what’s right and doesn’t do it is sin. Sin isn’t just breaking God’s law; it is also knowing what is right and being negligent.
The Greek word for boast is καυχάομαι kaucháomai.
· It has the idea of glorying, rejoicing, boast, etc. in something whether reasonable or unreasonable.
· Here, these people are rejoicing in something they should not, namely, “We’re going to make a lot of money.”
· The attitude is what is wrong.
The Greek word for boasting, pride, arrogance, etc. Is ἀλαζονεία alazoneía.
· According to Thayer’s Lexicon, it has the idea of
o an insolent and empty assurance, which trusts in its own power and resources and shamefully despises and violates divine laws and human rights
o an impious and empty presumption which trusts in the stability of earthly things,
· Again, it is the attitude—arrogant pride.
o Proverbs 26:12 CSB Do you see a person who is wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.
o 1 Corinthians 10:12 CSB So, whoever thinks he stands must be careful not to fall.
· The solution is
o Proverbs 3:7 BSB Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and turn away from evil.
o Remember: Proverbs 16:5 NLT The LORD detests the proud; they will surely be punished.
o Instead: 2 Corinthians 10:17 NLT As the Scriptures say, "If you want to boast, boast only about the LORD.
Sometimes people leave God out of their planning for the future. We must not.

Questions=
· What kind of boasting does James write about?
· Is making money wrong? Explain.
· Why does God hate pride?

20 August 2019

A Few Thoughts on the Epistle of James—James 4:7-12

James 4:7-12 WEL Therefore, place yourselves under God’s authority. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse [your] hands, sinners, and purify [your] hearts, double minded. 9 Be in agony, moan, and wail. Let your laughter turn into sobbing and [your] joy into heartbreak. 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he will lift you up. 11 Do not badmouth one another, brothers. He, who badmouths and condemns his brother, condemns the law, but if you condemn the law, you are not a doer, but its judge. 12 Only one is the lawgiver, who is able to save and destroy. So, who are you to condemn another?

God’s authority= Matthew 28:18 NIV Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
Resist the devil=
  • 1 Peter 5:7-9 NIV Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.
  • Some things the devil does to fight us
    • Doubt
      • Questions about the Christian faith
      • Questions about our faith
      • Questions about God’s love for us
      • Questions about the reliability of the Bible
      • Questions about what is truth
    • Memory
      • Remind us of our past
      • Remind us of our failures
    • Temptation
      • Temptation to sin in many fleshly or intellectual ways
      • Temptation to get angry at God for our failures or what think God should or should not be doing
    • Accuse
      • God of doing evil
      • God wanting to make us miserable
    • Lie
    • Through his servants
      • False teachers
      • False pastors
      • Abusers
  • We need
    • God’s grace
    • Alertness, not passivity
    • Know God’s ways so well, that we will recognize the devil’s work: Hebrews 5:14 GW However, solid food is for mature people, whose minds are trained by practice to know the difference between good and evil.
    • A source of absolute truth. We have a source of 100% truth—the Bible in its plain, normal sense.
    • The Holy Spirit
    • Fellow believers
  • Some verses
    • Ephesians 4:26-27 GW Be angry without sinning. Don't go to bed angry. Don't give the devil any opportunity to work.
    • Ephesians 6:11-15 GNB Put on all the armor that God gives you, so that you will be able to stand up against the Devil's evil tricks. 12 For we are not fighting against human beings but against the wicked spiritual forces in the heavenly world, the rulers, authorities, and cosmic powers of this dark age. 13 So put on God's armor now! Then when the evil day comes, you will be able to resist the enemy's attacks; and after fighting to the end, you will still hold your ground. 14 So stand ready, with truth as a belt tight around your waist, with righteousness as your breastplate, 15 and as your shoes the readiness to announce the Good News of peace.
    • Romans 8:38-39 NLT And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God's love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow--not even the powers of hell can separate us from God's love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below--indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
    • The Lord Jesus suffered as well for a purpose. There is a purpose for us, too. Hebrews 2:10 GNB It was only right that God, who creates and preserves all things, should make Jesus perfect through suffering, in order to bring many children to share his glory. For Jesus is the one who leads them to salvation.
  • You can research further here: Spiritual Warfare (from Manser’s Bible Themes)
Draw and cleanse=
  • God provides the way, the strength, the will, etc., but we must DO His will.
  • We need to ask for His help: Psalm 145:18 NLT The LORD is close to all who call on him, yes, to all who call on him in truth.
  • We must want purity (as God defines it) and put our effort to do so: Philippians 1:10 NLT For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ's return.
Be sorrowful, cry, and weep: Adam Clarke in his commentary writes on this: Be afflicted, and mourn - Without true and deep repentance ye cannot expect the mercy of God. Let your laughter be turned to mourning - It appears most evidently that many of those to whom St. James addressed this epistle had lived a very irregular and dissolute life. He had already spoken of their lust, and pleasures, and he had called them adulterers and adulteresses; and perhaps they were so in the grossest sense of the words. He speaks here of their laughter and their joy; and all the terms taken together show that a dissolute life is intended.
Disrespectful speech=
  • God help us to use nice words and thoughts (rebuke can be spoken in a godly manner) and wise words: Proverbs 15:1 GNB A gentle answer quiets anger, but a harsh one stirs it up.
  • We don’t want to abuse others with our speech: Job 19:1-2 GW Then Job replied to his friends, 2 "How long will you torment me and depress me with words?
  • The type of speech in body language and words is important. Ephesians 4:29 AMPC Let no foul or polluting language, nor evil word nor unwholesome or worthless talk [ever] come out of your mouth, but only such [speech] as is good and beneficial to the spiritual progress of others, as is fitting to the need and the occasion, that it may be a blessing and give grace (God's favor) to those who hear it.
  • What we say and how we say it are indicators of our heart: Matthew 12:34-35 GNB You snakes—how can you say good things when you are evil? For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. 35 A good person brings good things out of a treasure of good things; a bad person brings bad things out of a treasure of bad things.
  • Love and speech: 1 John 3:18 GNB My children, our love should not be just words and talk; it must be true love, which shows itself in action.
  • Everything we say must be true: Ephesians 4:25 GNB No more lying, then! Each of you must tell the truth to the other believer, because we are all members together in the body of Christ.
Judgment=
  • Must be true
  • Must be according to God’s standard: Matthew 7:1-2 GNB Do not judge others, so that God will not judge you, 2 for God will judge you in the same way you judge others, and he will apply to you the same rules you apply to others.
Questions=
  • Why does the devil want to destroy Christians?
  • Name some ways the devil uses to destroy us?
  • Why does James instruct fellow believers to be sorrowful, cry, and weep?
  • What is important about what we say?
  • We must test all things (1 Thessalonians 5:21), so how can we judge?

19 August 2019

A Few Thoughts on the Epistle of James—James 4:1-6

B4 Chapter 4
C1 The Christian life—placing ourselves under God’s authority James 4:1-12
D1 Believers Should Know the Origin of Personal Wars and Arguing James 4:1-3
D2 Believers Should Know Being Friends with World Is Enemy of God James 4:4-6
D3 Believers Should Be Humble and Resist the devil James 4:7-10
D4 Believers Should Know Not to Slander Judge Wrongly James 4:11-12

James 4:1-6 WEL Where do arguments and strifes among you [come] from? [Don’t they come] from your lusts that are at war in your bodies. 2 You covet something and do not get [it], so you kill. You zealously desire [for things] but cannot obtain it, so you quarrel and fight. You do not get things, because you do not ask. 3 You ask, and do not receive, because you ask with wicked motives, in order to squander it on your lusts. 4 You adulterers and adulteresses, don’t you know that to be a friend of the world is to be an enemy of God? 5 Or do you think that the Scripture says for no reason, “The Spirit that lives in us yearns because of envy?” 6 But He gives greater grace. That’s why he says, “God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

Henrietta Mears writes on James 4: The world consists of all the things around us and the spirit within us that are blind and deaf to the value of spiritual things and care nothing about doing the will of God. The devil has organized this world on principles opposed to God in every way. They are principles of force, greed, ambition, selfishness and pleasure. The believer should be crucified to this world. (Source)

Fights=
  • The Greek word for fights (wars, arguments, etc.) is πόλεμος pólemos. It means war, battle, fight, dispute, etc. Robertson’s Word Pictures has (polemos, old word, Mat 24:6) pictures the chronic state or campaign, while machē (also old word, 2Co 7:5) presents the separate conflicts or battles in the war. So we have a conflict that is a continuous battle that no one will stop.
  • The Greek word for strifes (quarrels, fightings, etc.) is μάχη máchÄ“. It means contentions, fights, etc. As we see above it refers to the individual battles.
  • These are hot headed arguments that each person feels so strongly that they will fight even to the point of destroying their fellow believer.
  • We have a choice as believers. We can live our lives in the world’s lifestyle or God’s lifestyle. The world’s is results in disorder, confusion, and societal ills. God’s lifestyle results in peace, love, joy, etc.
  • Which lifestyle do we prefer?
  • How do we avoid fighting?
    • Know the truth
      • Truth is reality.
      • God’s ways are best. Isaiah 55:9 NLT For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.
      • His yoke is easy. His yoke is His rules. Matthew 11:30 NLT For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.
      • His ways are decent and orderly: 1 Corinthians 14:40 NET And do everything in a decent and orderly manner.
      • They are characterized by the fruit of the Spirit: Galatians 5:22-23 NET But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
      • Human ways lead to death: Proverbs 16:25 NLT There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death.
      • God’s ways lead to life: Romans 8:6 CSB Now the mind-set of the flesh is death, but the mind-set of the Spirit is life and peace.
    • Know love
      • Love is a choice.
      • We can choose to do God’s will that results in peace or not do God’s will that results in death.
    • Know what God thinks about it
      • God wants the brothers and sisters to live in peace:
        • Colossians 3:15 CSB And let the peace of Christ, to which you were also called in one body, rule your hearts. And be thankful.
        • James 3:18 NIV Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.
      • Don’t seek revenge. Let God do it, if it is needed. 1 Thessalonians 5:15 NIV Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else.
    • Know ourselves: Do we want peace?
    • Know humility: Philippians 2:3 NLT Don't be selfish; don't try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves.
    • Know forgiveness: Colossians 3:13 NIV Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
    • Know priorities: Luke 10:27 NIV He answered, " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"
    • Know God’s assistance: Luke 10:27 NIV He answered, " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.
Lusts=
  • Desires
  • There are fleshly desires. Not all fleshly desires are evil. They need to be in moderation. Romans 13:13-14 GW We should live decently, as people who live in the light of day. Wild parties, drunkenness, sexual immorality, promiscuity, rivalry, and jealousy cannot be part of our lives.  14 Instead, live like the Lord Jesus Christ did, and forget about satisfying the desires of your sinful nature.
  • There are godly desires.
    • Proverbs 11:23 NET What the righteous desire leads only to good, but what the wicked hope for leads to wrath.
    • Psalm 27:4 NET I have asked the LORD for one thing - this is what I desire! I want to live in the LORD's house all the days of my life, so I can gaze at the splendor of the LORD and contemplate in his temple.
    • Matthew 5:6 NET Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.
  • This is God’s will for us: Galatians 5:24 NLT Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there.
Prayer= John 15:5 CSB I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without me.
Enemy of God= We can resist God and willing disobey, but it comes with a penalty. We must not fight God: Acts 5:39 NIV But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.
God resists=
  • He does not answer prayer.
  • He does not bless.
  • God chastens believers, not blessing the disobedient
God jealous=
  • Adam Clarke states: Perhaps the word in this and the two succeeding verses may be well paraphrased thus: “Do ye think that concerning these things the Scripture speaks falsely, or that the Holy Spirit which dwells in us can excite us to envy others instead of being contented with the state in which the providence of God has placed us? Nay, far otherwise; for He gives us more grace to enable us to bear the ills of life, and to lie in deep humility at his feet, knowing that his Holy Spirit has said, Pro 3:34: God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble. Seeing these things are so, submit yourselves to God; resist the devil, who would tempt you to envy, and he will flee from you; draw nigh to God and he will draw nigh to you.”
  • JFB commentary: “Does the (Holy) Spirit that God hath placed in us lust to (towards) envy” (namely, as ye do in your worldly “wars and fightings”)? Certainly not; ye are therefore walking in the flesh, not in the Spirit, while ye thus lust towards, that is, with envy against one another. The friendship of the world tends to breed envy; the Spirit produces very different fruit.
  • Craig Keener in his IVP Background commentary states:
    • Here James may refer to the evil impulse that, according to Jewish tradition, God made to dwell in people; on this reading, he is saying, “This human spirit jealously longs,” as in Jas 4:1-3. Less likely, he could mean that one’s spirit or soul longs and ought to long—but for God (Psa 42:1-2; Psa 63:1; Psa 84:2).
    • A third possibility is that he may be citing a proverbial maxim based on such texts as Exo 20:5, Deu 32:21 and Joe 2:18, summarizing the sense of Scripture thus: “God is jealous over the spirit he gave us” and will tolerate no competition for its affection (Jas 4:4). (Like Jewish writers, New Testament authors sometimes midrashically meshed various texts together.) This view seems to fit the context somewhat better than other views, given that Scripture did not speak this “in vain” (Jas 4:5); but the “greater grace” of Jas 4:6 could support the first view above.
Proud=
  • Have a difficulty accepting God’s opinion if it differs from theirs
  • Proverbs 8:13 ESV The fear of the LORD is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate.
  • 1 John 2:16 NIV For everything in the world--the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life--comes not from the Father but from the world.
  • Proverbs 6:16-17 NIV There are six things the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood,
  • Luke 14:11 NIV For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.
  • A warning to us: Isaiah 2:17 NIV The arrogance of man will be brought low and human pride humbled; the LORD alone will be exalted in that day,
Humble=
  • Philippians 2:3-8 NIV Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death--even death on a cross!
  • We are to live in humility with God. Micah 6:8 NIV He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.
Questions=
  • Name some differences in words and actions that show the difference between the Christian lifestyle and worldly lifestyle.
  • What is the origin of most disagreements, wars, fights, arguments, etc.?
  • Why does God state that without Him we can do nothing?
  • State some reasons God hates pride and love humility.
  • We all need to ask, “How are we doing?”