Category: Coveting

James 4:3 (NKJV) 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.

In yesterday’s devotional, we ended by talking about the fact that the Christians being addressed by James were acting only by their carnal nature, not allowing God to speak to them, show them what their true needs were, and then let Him provide it for them simply by them asking Him to do so.

Here in verse 3, James took it a step further by speaking directly to them, as James is so good at doing.

“You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss”.

There is so much we can learn from that small piece of wisdom.

Amiss: inappropriate or out of place

These believers were, for the most part, not even asking God to supply their needs. They were simply taking matters into their own hands and obtaining it by whatever means were necessary.

Then, when they did ask, they didn’t get what they asked for.

Why?

Because their asking was inappropriate.

They were asking for what would fulfill their sinful desires, not for what would bring God’s will about in their lives.

Their asking was 100% self-motivated. They sought simply to fulfill their lusts and desires, using God as the means by which their covetousness would be satisfied.

We should expect unbelievers to seek things for their own pleasures because they are driven by their fleshly nature. After all, they live by the flesh, not by the Spirit.

Believers, on the other hand, should understand that God is our source, and it is His provision that we should be seeking.

Anytime we, as believers, attempt to facilitate our personal pleasures through prayer, we are “asking amiss”.

Jesus taught that the kingdom of God should always be our first priority in everything we seek.

Matthew 6:33 (NKJV) 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

When God’s kingdom is our first priority, our asking will change. We will no longer spend our time and efforts on self-seeking requests.

Instead, our time and efforts will be focused on what pleases God, transforms us into who He wants us to be, and furthers His kingdom, both in our own lives and in the kingdom of God as a whole.

We hope you’ve enjoyed our latest teaching series.

Sincerely in Christ,

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

Seven Seas Ministries
P.O. Box 272
Bradford, RI 02808

401-315-0902

If you know someone who will enjoy this or be encouraged by it, please feel free to share it with them!

James 4:2 (NKJV) 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.

As we mentioned yesterday, James was directing these words at Christians, not unbelievers.

And yet he had to discourage them and try to teach them not to war (battle) with each other and stoop to physically fighting. Some were actually killing fellow believers.

Their lusts and desires were getting the best of them, causing them to lose all control in their anger, lashing out at each other in ways that were reflective of their worldly thoughts and their carnal mindset.

Their ability to reason was lost due to the evil desires at work within them. They had become so obsessed with having what others had that hate, anger and bitterness clouded their minds. Common sense completely disappeared.

Notice that word, covet, in the scripture at the top of this message?

Coveting is extremely dangerous for believers. It can be like a cancer that eats away at us if we don’t surrender that desire to God and let the Holy Spirit remove it from us.

God warned against coveting way back in Exodus, as He laid out His commandments to the Israelites.

Exodus 20:17 (NKJV) 17 “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.”

And take a look at what James told them at the end of verse 2, above.

He said that they didn’t have because they didn’t ask.

Once again, their carnal nature was ruling them, instead of letting their spirit hear God’s voice and His leading.

So, instead of seeking God and asking Him for His counsel and His provision, they simply took matters into their own hands.

And what terrible results they got from that behavior. Let us all learn a valuable lesson from this.

Tomorrow we will wrap up this series with verse 3. Stay tuned!

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

Seven Seas Ministries
P.O. Box 272
Bradford, RI 02808

401-315-0902

If you know someone who will enjoy this or be encouraged by it, please feel free to share it with them!

James 4:1 (NKJV) 1 Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members?

James 4:1-4 is a very interesting group of verses penned by James, the brother of Jesus.

James made some observations about the behavior of the Christians in the very early church. Those same observations, and the wisdom James shared regarding those observations, still apply today, especially in light of how far so much of the church has fallen morally.

So, let’s dig in and see what we can learn!

Verse 1 starts right off in typical James style, getting right to the heart of the matter. There is no fluff and no sugar coating. James plainly asks, “Where do wars and fights come from among you?”.

He then goes on to immediately tell them where those wars and fights come from.

Let’s take a look.

At the very heart of this warring and fighting was one thing; pride.

Pride was creating strife among them, leading to quarrels and outright fights between them.

Keep in mind that these were Christians, believers. These were not unbelievers

These believers had not yet come to understand that they needed to let God transform them, from the inside, out. They were still living and operating by their flesh and its evil, worldly desires.

Their minds needed to be renewed, so their way of thinking could be made new and acceptable in God’s sight.

Romans 12:2 (NKJV) 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Their hearts had not been touched by the One true God in a way that would soften and shape them, helping them to lay these desires to rest, and teaching them to set aside their pride and their ego, deferring to others to prevent conflict.

This is something that can take time to develop in each of us. Some learn more quickly than others.

The important thing, though, is that we do learn it.

Tomorrow we will pick up with verse 2 and see what else James had to say.

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

Seven Seas Ministries
P.O. Box 272
Bradford, RI 02808

401-315-0902

If you know someone who will enjoy this or be encouraged by it, please feel free to share it with them!