February 2006 chaplain's corner
The Chaplain's Corner is a monthly message for chaplains.
Chaplain’s Corner – February 24, 2006
Rev. Rich Hines
Challenge Inmates and Residents to Ask Themselves,
“Whose Side Am I On?”
This message is primarily for those who call on the name of Jesus Christ as
their own Lord and Savior from sin, and serve as a Chaplain in a jail, prison
or a follow-up ministry such as a rescue mission – in the
All Scripture quotes are taken from the New King James Version (NKJV) of the
Bible, copyright 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson,
Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. When quoting a
text, any deviation from the NKJV text is placed within parenthesis signs ().
These usually occur as direct translations from the original languages,
or as notes from the original setting to help apply the text to today’s
culture. ALL CAPITAL LETTERS are sometimes used to emphasize a text, or to make
a comment about a biblical text.
We live in a time when a very large portion of those professing to be
Christians in
1. One part of visible professing Christianity
constantly reverses what Jesus taught, saying in effect “You CAN serve God and
mammon (riches).” In Matthew 6:34 Jesus said, “You CANNOT serve God and
mammon.”
2. In a majority of American church pulpits “sin” (mentioned about 827 times in
the Bible) and “God’s righteous judgment” are not even mentioned, and if they
are, then they’re soft-peddled. Why? Because that kind of
approach isn’t popular with this society. How many local churches do you
know of in your area that actually practice Biblical church discipline
(according to Matthew 18:15-20) on sinning members that refuse to repent? Not
Many? Why? Because that’s not popular with the world.
3. The EMPHASIS in most church youth groups today is
come and have fun. God may be mentioned but He’s sort of subservient to the
next fun outing.
All of these examples show that the professing church on an ever-increasing
scale, wants to sneak up on the unsaved and make them feel comfortable in a
religious setting. THAT’S NOT WHAT GOD WANTS. I say that on the authority of
His word. Consider 2 Timothy 4:2, where the Expanded Translation by Kenneth Wuest says, “REPROVE so as to bring forth conviction and
confession of guilt; REBUKE sharply, severely, and with a suggestion of
impending penalty.”
Generally speaking, as goes the majority of American churches so goes the
ministries that spin off from them. This being the case, it’s probable that the
inmates and residents you’re trying to reach with the gospel have been
confused.
The truth is the intervention into human history by God as Jesus didn’t happen
so that we could simply add Him to what we already have. God doesn’t offer
forgiveness from sin that includes independence from Him! Jesus came to
displace our sin and revolutionize our lives. That’s why this month I want to
give another message from the book of James.
James 4:1- 10
1 Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your
desires for pleasure that war in your members?
2 You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight
and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask.
3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on
your pleasures.
4 Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world
is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes
himself an enemy of God.
5 Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, “The Spirit (better ‘spirit’
meaning the human spirit) who dwells in us yearns jealously (or, ‘lusts with
envy’)?”
6 But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, but gives
grace to the humble.”
7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands you sinners
and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
9 Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your
joy to gloom.
10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.
Verses 1-5 a present a very SERIOUS PROBLEM. It’s
WORLDLINESS in professing Christians, specifically in the area of selfish
strife.
Remember, James’ message is all about THE PROOF OF TRUE SALVATION. In the first
half of this passage (verses 1-5) worldliness is rebuked. Although it’s possible
for someone truly indwelt by God the Holy Spirit, to struggle with thinking and
acting like the world does, in this passage I believe the emphasis is on
world-like character proving the absence of salvation.
The word “WORLD” is used twice in verse 4. There are basically three Greek
words in the New Testament that can be translated “world.” One refers to the
inhabited earth, another actually refers to the earth,
as in land, dirt, or terra firma. The one used here and in other places in a
negative sense, is the system or “arrangement” of the natural thinking among
unsaved mankind on the earth.
In the fallen state of our existence, we are at war with God. Hence the society
(based on the majority of the people in it) is set up to foster unbelief and rebellion
against God. That’s what this word “world” means here in James 4. To then be
worldly is to act like most of the people on earth do. To think and act just
like the unbelievers all around you.
The specific way worldliness manifested itself in the lives of the ones the
Holy Spirit through James was addressing in this passage was in their SELFISH
STRIFE. As you read through the text below, I have made many comments and word
explanations, therefore to keep the NKJV text separate from the comments I HAVE
CAPITALIZED THE TEXT. Now note the selfish strife in verses 1-3, where James
asks:
1 WHERE DO WARS (a reference to the long term conflicts) AND FIGHTS (refers to
instances when a clash flares up) COME FROM AMONG YOU? DO THEY NOT COME FROM
YOUR DESIRES FOR PLEASURE (Greek, hedone – a craving
to satisfy the desires of the flesh. Hedone is the
word from which we get our English word ‘hedonism,’ – the belief that the
complete gratification of all one’s sensual desires is the highest good. In the
broadest sense it’s found in the statement — ‘the greatest happiness for the
greatest number.’) THAT WAR (different word from first word ‘wars’, this is strateuo-menon (akin to strategy - soldiering or waging
war, campaigning) IN YOUR MEMBERS? The hedonistic desires strategize within!
2 YOU LUST (they gave themselves to strong overwhelming passion) AND DO NOT
HAVE. YOU MURDER (the literal is in view, they had been so given to the lust
for fulfillment of selfish desires they had been willing to kill someone to get
it) AND COVET (jealously desire) AND CANNOT OBTAIN. YOU FIGHT AND WAR
(different forms of the same words used in verse 1). YET YOU DO NOT HAVE
BECAUSE YOU DO NOT ASK (a verb that can be translated ‘pray’ – this is a
present tense verb, meaning you regularly are not really praying)
3 YOU ASK (same verb as in verse 2, present tense – you keep on asking and
asking) AND DO NOT RECEIVE, BECAUSE YOU ASK (same verb as last two, you keep on
asking, or praying) AMISS (badly, wrongly – so he’s saying you people are not praying
right but rather) THAT (literally, in order that) YOU MAY SPEND IT ON YOUR
PLEASURES (again, hedonistic desires).
Doesn’t that last thought accurately represent most so-called praying that goes
on in a correctional setting? Many inmates ask God to “get me out,” but the
motive is so that they can pursue their hedonistic pleasures. By comparison,
James later says those he’s writing to should learn like Elijah to “prayer with
real prayer,” (the literal translation of James 5:17).
Next, he called it what it was, spiritual adultery! He blows the whistle on the
whole thing described in verses 1-3, “Worldliness!” He told them in effect
“What you people are showing is nothing but a love of the world!”
4 ADULTERERS AND ADULTERESSES! DO YOU NOT KNOW (haven’t you learned) THAT
FRIENDSHIP WITH (can be translated ‘the love of’) THE WORLD IS ENMITY (hateful
hostility) WITH GOD? WHOEVER THEREFORE WANTS (literally,
resolves) TO BE A FRIEND (or lover) OF THE WORLD MAKES HIMSELF (is constituted)
AN ENEMY (a hateful opponent) OF GOD.
This is the key verse in the passage. With this verse and with the whole of
verses 1-5 you should be challenging your inmates and residents to ask
themselves, “WHOSE SIDE AM I ON, God’s or the
world’s?” “By the way you think and act and live, do you side with the world’s
thinking or God’s?” Remember the term “world” here means the majority of people
in society that are in rebellion against the true God.
Verse 4 sounds a lot like 1 John 2:15, with one very important difference, so
let’s look at that verse. It says:
15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world,
the love of the Father is not in him.
This distinctive difference between James 4:4 and 1 John 2:15 is in the words
translated “friendship” and “love.” In James it’s the word for the love of
being attracted to someone or something. The words in James 4:4, friendship
then friend, see something in the object of their love that is desirable and
pleasing. In 1 John, the object of the love is the same, “the world,” but the
love is more intense. This is the highest love for something, the love that
will sacrifice and spend itself for its object. It’s the love of complete
devotion to the world.
In both cases, in James 4:4 and in 1 John 2:15, the word of God is saying those
that have these kinds of love for the world ARE NOT SAVED. They are enemies of
God and those that do not have God and His love within their hearts.
The section that reveals the sin of the pretend Christians ends with one of the
most challenging verses of the New Testament to interpret correctly, verse 5.
5 OR DO YOU THINK THAT THE SCRIPTURE SAYS IN VAIN, “THE SPIRIT WHO DWELLS IN US
YEARNS JEALOUSLY?”
In the New Testament, “the Scripture says” normally points to a specific quote
from the Old Testament, but here it points to the sum of many passages’
teaching. But what does James’ quote really mean?
Without going into a lengthy explanation of my study, I’m just going to give
you my best understanding. The key is in whether or not you see the passage as
referring to truly saved people who are struggling with sin OR if you see it
refers to pretend Christians who in reality have never truly been saved.
Remembering the main theme of James and looking at some specific words in
verses 6-10, I’m convinced this passage is talking about people that have not
yet been truly saved. For one thing, the New Testament never refers to a
Christian as a “sinner.” He or she once was a sinner, but now in Christ they
are seen as a saint, even though they do commit sins.
So “The Spirit” in verse 5, is better represented by a lower case ‘s’ ‘spirit,’
meaning then the human spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously or, “lusts with
envy.”
The quote then means the Old Testament Scriptures teach that human spirits long
to have what others seem to have because in sin they can never have enough! The
nature of an unsaved sinner always wants more, more, more! That thought would
also best fit with what has already been revealed about the intended audience
in verses 1-3, being constantly given to strife over their fleshly desires.
The SERIOUS PROBLEM of worldliness in first century professing Jewish
Christians is also a very serious problem with many in modern
But, verses 6-10 give the SURE SOLUTION. It’s true
HUMBLE REPENTANCE coupled with FAITH IN Christ.
6 BUT (a great hinge word) HE (God) GIVES MORE (literally, ‘greater’) GRACE.
THEREFORE HE (God the Holy Spirit) SAYS: “GOD RESISTS THE PROUD, BUT GIVES
GRACE TO THE HUMBLE.” (A quote from Prov.3:34)
7 THEREFORE SUBMIT (allow yourself to be made subject) TO GOD. RESIST (take a
stand against) THE DEVIL AND HE WILL FLEE FROM YOU.
8 DRAW NEAR TO GOD AND HE WILL DRAW NEAR TO YOU. CLEANSE YOUR HANDS YOU SINNERS
AND PURIFY YOUR HEARTS, YOU DOUBLE-MINDED (lit. you two-souled
ones, compare James 1:8).
9 LAMENT AND MOURN AND WEEP! LET YOUR LAUGHTER BE TURNED (or changed) TO
MOURNING AND YOUR JOY TO GLOOM.
10 HUMBLE YOURSELVES IN THE SIGHT OF THE LORD, AND HE
WILL LIFT YOU UP (metaphoric for save you).
Repentance is commanded in verses 7 and 8. Then there’s a call to faith in the
only cleanser from sin - Christ, at the end of verse 8. The call to repent
returns in verses 9 and 10.
In verses 8-10, all the verbs that apply to the professing Christians who
really aren’t saved, are point in time IMPERATIVES! In other words, these are
orders to once and for all do.
First, I want to point to the things here that call for REPENTANCE.
SUBMIT (allow yourself to be made subject to) to God. Submit is the ONLY
passive verb in the list. A passive verb means the object of the action
receives the action rather than initiates it. So pretend Christians need to let
God put them under Him. They need to have God miraculously conquer them. Their
only role in this is in wanting it to happen. They can show this by asking God
to become their true Lord and Master
All the rest of the actions to be taken are active, meaning the sinner is to
initiate and do these things. Note the repentance called for in the action
words:
RESIST (take a stand against) the devil … DRAW NEAR to God. LAMENT,
… MOURN, … WEEP! Let your laughter BE TURNED (or changed) to mourning
and your joy to gloom. HUMBLE yourselves in the sight of the Lord.
Biblical repentance is a real change of direction. Rather than resisting Satan,
they had been resisting God and cooperating with the devil. They had been
pursuing their own way – running from God, even while making a pretense in
religion. Instead they needed to come to God by drawing near to Him. They had
been rejoicing in their sin, even laughing about it. Repentance sees sin as it
really is, an offense against an all-holy God. Therefore it gets deeply
emotional, weeping, mourning and lamenting over what the sinner once took great
joy in.
Lastly, repentance humbles the sinner. It brings him
or her low before God. The call in verse 10 to humble yourself
IN THE SIGHT OF THE LORD, points to one other thing about worldliness, later
echoed in James 4:13-17. Worldliness forgets God, and that He is watching! In
true repentance the sinner rightly responds to God’s constant presence and
constant gaze. Therefore the repentant sinner is brought low, humbled before
God.
Then, they must place their FAITH IN Christ’s work.
Note again in verse 8, “CLEANSE (get rid of all impurity) YOUR HANDS YOU
SINNERS AND PURIFY (cleanse from defilement, filth) YOUR HEARTS…” These are the
actions of faith in Christ. This is where the historical gospel facts of what
Jesus has done for lost sinners comes into play. His substitutionary sacrifice at the cross is the ONLY TRUE
CLEANSING and PURIFICATION for sin that God has provided.
In commanding sinners to CLEANSE their hands (external acts) and PURIFY their
hearts (internal thoughts and motives), the text is by implication, commanding
them to put their faith in Christ because He’s the ONLY CLEANSER AND PURIFIER
OF SIN.
1 John 1:7 says: “…the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.”
Ephesians 5:25,26 speaks of Christ who “…loved the
church and gave Himself (at the cross) for her, (in order) that He might
sanctify (can be translated ‘purify”) and cleanse her…”
Teach these things to the inmates and residents. When the things in verses 1-5
are true of them, call them to true repentance and faith in Christ Jesus! Give
them this gospel rather than the easy false gospel being promoted by so many
today!
Your Fellow-Servant, for the Biblical Gospel.
Rich Hines - Minister To Chaplains,