Overcoming Worldliness

Today’s post concludes a study on the cure for worldly living according to James Chapter 4. We left in the middle of James 4:8, where we were encouraged to battle worldliness by drawing near God. Now, according to the following verses, we learn o f two more practices that enable Christians to overcome worldliness.

Applying the Right Practice
(Holiness)

From an earlier study, you may recall that verse 6 says, “God gives more grace.” God is faithful to give us whatever grace is necessary to practice holiness, growing in our faith and becoming more like Jesus. 

Grace is not only the source of the Christian’s salvation but also the source of the Christian’s sanctification. 

Grace not only saves us from a life in hell, grace sanctifies us for a life of holiness.  

To be sure, holiness does not always come easily. There is no holiness without effort. Growing in Christ requires discipline. So James commands: “Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”

These terms “cleanse” and “purify” recall the Old Testament priests’ washing their hands before entering the Tabernacle (Exodus 30:17-21). Used by James, the terms convey the idea of having purity before God and others. It is a call for practical holiness and sanctified living. 

To be “double-minded” is to have one’s loyalty divided between God and the world. You can’t have it both ways. As Jesus says: “You can’t serve two masters (Matthew 6:24).” You can’t love both the things of God and the things of the world.

Then James says, “Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom.”

I doubt this verse is anyone’s favorite Bible verse! Imagine someone asking, “What’s your favorite life verse?” And some guy replies dolorously, “Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom.”

Why is James saying this? Surely, he is addressing those times in our lives when we are so in love with the world that we find ourselves laughing when we ought to be mourning.

Imagine attending a funeral where some man sitting in the front pew laughs the entire time. You say, “That’s inappropriate behavior! He should be mourning, not laughing.” In essence, James is saying, “Yes, that’s exactly what I’m talking about. There are times when your inappropriate behavior calls for mourning rather than laughing.”

It’s easy to laugh at a sitcom on TV or a movie full of immoral innuendo. Someone tells an indecent joke at work, and you laugh. James says, “Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom.”

There are times in our lives when laughter is inappropriate. It is not that God never wants us to laugh or have joy. There is joy throughout the Bible! No one has more joy in life than a faithful Christian. But we cannot truly know the joy of the Lord if we are unfaithful.  

Until we learn to mourn for our sin we will remain unchanged. If we persist in compromise and continue in worldliness, we will never grow in holiness and thus never know the true joy of the Lord.

The cure for worldly living is allegiance to the right person (faithfulness), applying the right practice (holiness), and thirdly: 

Assuming the Right Posture
(Lowliness)

James says, “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.”

This verse may be interpreted as a general principle, an echo of our Lord’s teachings in the Gospels: “And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted (Matthew 23:12).”

Given the context, however, it seems James would have us understand his call for humility as a necessary corollary of the command to “Lament and mourn and weep.” Repentance is no laughing matter. If we are turning our joy to gloom, then we will assume the right posture. We will assume a posture of lowliness.

I think the JB Phillips paraphrase best captures the flow of James’ thought:

As you come close to God you should be deeply sorry, you should be grieved, you should even be in tears. Your laughter will have to become mourning, your high spirits will have to become heartfelt dejection. You will have to feel very small in the sight of God before he will set you on your feet once more.

James 4:8-10, JB Phillips

Here is a picture of humility! This final cure for worldliness is a call to assume the right posture, a posture of lowliness before the Lord. We are honest with Him. We admit that we have allowed ourselves to become entangled with the things of the world, and we have been awakened to the danger of continuing down this path. We confess, repent, and draw closer to God.

What About You?

• Can you identify some ways in which you are tempted to “allow the world to squeeze you into its own mold?” (cf. Romans 12:2)
• What can you do the next time you find yourself laughing when you ought to be mourning?
• Though certainly not Jesus’ main point, how does the parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15, especially verses 17-20) illustrate James’ teaching about drawing near to God, knowing He will draw near to us?

**Excerpt from You’re Either Walking The Walk Or Just Running Your Mouth (Preaching Truth: 2020), pages 137-140, available in all formats here.