James Expounds on Faith Volume 45

 The Warning Against Worldliness Part 7

James 4:10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He shall lift you up. KJV Note: NKJV=New King James Version

Seeing that we must have an attitude, an approach, an aiming at repentance when we go back to Egypt/to our old sins, being grieved that we have grieved the heart of our Heavenly Father, then our very next act of our will should be contriteness leading to humility before His Holy Throne, as the Apostle James puts it for us with these words, "Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He shall lift you up." (James 4:10) (KJV). The little phrase 'Humble yourselves' that begins this verse of Scripture is translated by the Greek word tapeinoō meaning to depress; figuratively to humiliate (in condition or heart): - abase, bring low, humble (self). The little English phrase 'in the sight' is translated by the Greek word enōpion meaning in the face of (literally or figuratively): - before, in the presence (sight) of. Lastly, the English phrase 'He shall lift you up' is translated by the Greek word hupsoō meaning to elevate (literally or figuratively): - exalt, lift up. In other words, it is only when we acknowledge our infidelity/unfaithfulness to our Heavenly Father and mourn and weep over our sins that have grieved Him so much that we have begun the process of our healing. However, being sorrowful 😔 over our sins is not enough because we can be sorry 🙏 for sin and still continue on in them thinking that we have gained His good will when we have done nothing in our inner man 👨 or inner woman 👩 to show to Him that we are truly repentant. When we are serious about our resolutions, our remorse, and ultimately our repentance then we will humble ourselves in our inner man 👨 and inner woman 👩 not in pretense but with the shame of our actions or non-actions weighing heavy upon our souls/minds causing us to see the lowly and inferior station that we are and have before the Throne of our Heavenly Father and seek His grace and mercy in His abundance of love to us and for us to lift us up exalting us from the mire and mud of the filth of our sins as He restores us to our newness of life walking and living in the abundant life that our Lord Jesus Christ died on Calvary to give to us who are joined to Him (John 10:10). The Old Testament Saint Job declared these words of the Lord looking upon those of us who humble ourselves before Him, "When men are cast down, then thou shalt say, There is lifting up; and He shall save the humble person." (Job 22:29) (KJV) and also we hear these words from the Psalmist, "He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth the needy out of the dunghill." (Psalms 113:7) (KJV) and also these words from the Apostle Peter, "Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty Hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you." (1 Peter 5:6-7) (NKJV). Humility is not weakness, but pride is true weakness because it keeps any of us from receiving the strength 💪 of our Great God and King our Lord Jesus Christ that only can enable us to 🚶 walk and live in freedom from all the sins that are in our old man 👨 and old woman 👩. Amen!!!

Here is what the Expositors' Bible Commentary had to say of humbling ourselves before God, "Humble yourselves…He that humbleth himself. Everything depends on that. It must be self-abasement. There is nothing meritorious in chancing to be in a humble position, still less in being forced to descend to one. It is the voluntary acceptance, or the choice, of a lowly place that is pleasing to God. We must choose it as knowing that we deserve nothing better, and as Wishing that others should be promoted rather than ourselves. And this must be done 'in the sight of the Lord'; not in self-consciousness, 'to be seen of men,' which is 'the pride that hates humility,' but in the consciousness of the ineffable presence of God. That is the source of all true self-abasement and humility. To realize that we are in the presence of the All-holy and All-pure, in whose sight the stars are not clean, and who charges even the angels with folly, is to feel that all differences of merit between man and man have faded away in the immeasurable abyss which separates our own insignificance and pollution from the majesty of His holiness. 'Now mine eye seeth Thee. Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes,' is the language of Job. (Job 42:5-6) And it was the same feeling which wrung from St. Peter, as he fell down at Jesus' knees, the agonizing cry, 'Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.' (Luk_5:8). Hence it is that the most saintly persons are always the most humble; for they realize most perfectly the holiness of God and the ceaselessness of His presence, and are therefore best able to appreciate the contrast between their own miserable imperfections and His unapproachable purity. The language which they at times use about themselves is sometimes suspected of unreality and exaggeration, if not of downright hypocrisy; but it is the natural expression of the feelings of one who knows a great deal about the difference between a creature who is habitually falling into sin and One who, in holiness, as in wisdom and power, is absolute and infinite perfection. Humility is thus the beginning and end of all true religion. The sinner who turns to God must be humble; and this is the humility which St. James is urging. And the saint, as he approaches nearer to God, will be humble; for he knows what the approach has cost him, and how very far off he still remains." Here is what Albert Barnes says about He (God) lifting us up, "He will exalt you from the condition of a broken-hearted penitent to that of a forgiven child; will wipe away your tears, remove the sadness of your heart, fill you with joy, and clothe you with the garments of salvation. This declaration is in accordance with all the promises in the Bible, and with all the facts which occur on the earth, that God is willing to show mercy to the humble and contrite, and to receive those who are truly penitent into His favor."
 
If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...


Sincerely in Christ,


Clifford D. Tate, Sr.


Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…