James 4:8-17. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. God gives the Law, so, do the Law.

"8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded." This letter is to the twelve tribes of Jews, who were scattered because of tribulation that came upon them, since they were converted and followed Jesus Christ. They are the new church. Satan persecuted them and infiltrated them as their teachers of the word of God. This is not new since he did the same thing at the garden of Eden. They taught the commands of men as the doctrine of God, and people followed them. Apostle Paul writes to Corinthians that Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light, and his servants are transformed themselves as ministers of righteousness. ["2 Corinthians 11:13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. 14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. 15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works."] Apostle James was rebuking the teachers and leaders of the church because some of them were the servants of Satan, and they have infiltrated among them. So, at that point, there were three groups in the church. Even now it is the same. Let us see the groups: 1, those who are close to God; 2, those who are close to Satan; and 3, those who are double minded, that is, they are self-controlled people. These double minded people are called balanced Christians; they are in charge; whoever they want to join at times they will join, either God or Satan. But God has rejected them as garbage Christians. God calls them as dirty sinners and tells them to clean their life and purify their hearts. Jesus Christ rebukes them in Matthew 15:7-10. ["7 Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, 8 This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. 9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. 10 And he called the multitude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand:"] Jesus rebuked the leaders and told the people to listen to God and to understand him. Rituals, ceremonies, traditions, praises by mouth, are nothing to God. Which commandments they are under? Are they under the regulations of the churches and denominations? Or, are they under the commandments of Jesus Christ? What is difference between the praises of your lips and heart? Cleanse your hands you sinners, is the message from God. Please read Matthew 15:1-6. ["Matthew 15:1 Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying, 2 Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread. 3 But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? 4 For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death. 5 But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; 6 And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition."] What God tells them to do, they do not do, they do something else, and say that they are doing it. They are double minded between the kingdom of heaven and the kingdom of the world. James 1:8 says, "A double minded man is unstable in all his ways." Double minded is to desire opposite things at their wish for that time. At present, double minded is either to get away with sin, and to live a righteous life; to have the wisdom of this world and to have the wisdom of God; choose to obey Satan and to obey God. However, the double minded people are sinners, and if they repent and be converted, then they will escape hell.

"9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness." The letter was written to all in the church and the church has three groups. 1, those who are close to God; 2, those who are close to Satan; and 3, those who are double minded. This verse is not to group #1 since they are godly. It is not to group #2 since they are of the devil, and God has rejected them. So, it is a warning to group #3. These people are proud, believe that they are in control, and consider themselves as balanced Christians. God tells them to be afflicted, mourn, and weep, in repentance for their sins. Jesus Christ says in Matthew 5:4 "Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted." 2 Corinthians 7:10 says, "godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation." So, they must repent with godly sorrow, so that they may be saved and go to heaven. "10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up." The base foundation verse to this is verse 6, it is: "6 he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble." Jesus Christ himself says in Matthew 23: "11 But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. 12 And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted." If we think that we are leaders for the Lord, we must become servants to all. All the disciples were like servants and were poor on earth. But most of our celebrity Christian preachers are millionaires, they are the best con-artists of the world and are more famous than presidents. So, they belong to the second group, those who are of Satan, which God has rejected from his presence, and they will be cast into hell and into the lake of fire. God will exalt his humble disciples, and they will inherit the kingdom of God, as joint heirs with Jesus Christ. Apostle Peter says, "1 Peter 5:6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:" So, let us humble ourselves in the sight of the Lord.

"11 Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge." It is simple, but it is not tangible, so we do not understand. So, let us look at the verse through the spirit, which is an X-Ray. First let us see what "the law" is. Law is of two kinds. One is ceremonial and ritual as circumcision and burning incents, as in worship ceremonies. God removed them in the new testament for the sake of salvation. The other is obeying God as do not commit adultery and do not worship idols. God did not remove them in the new testament, but he reinforced them. But preachers remove what God has reinforced, and they reinforced what God has removed. They tell that do not commit adultery and do not worship idols are works, and they say that we are not saved by works. It is the trick of the devil to fool Christians, and they fall for that willingly, just to enjoy the pleasures of sin. Preachers do ceremonial works, which God has removed, like worship services which are singing entertainments, give offerings, and such things. They say that these are necessary for our salvation. Let me give a link if you like to study this in detail. Link: "Two kinds of works." Now let us look at the verse with the understanding of the law. Among brethren, there are two kinds. One group upholds the law, which God has reinforced. They obey the law. The other group think the opposite, refuting the law, as we are not saved by works. This brethren speaks evil of the other brethren, who obeys the law. The verse says that he does not speak evil of the brethren, but speak evil of the law, and judge the law that this person obeys. God says that he must not judge the law, but obey the law. "Romans 7:12 Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good. 13 Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful. 14 For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin." This is a misunderstood scripture, and most preachers twist them to teach the opposite. God has given the concept of his righteousness to everybody in their conscience and in their heart already. The law is given again, as verbal form for us to know it in our brain. Even if we reject the verbal law in the intellect of the brain, it cannot void the law that God has already given in our conscience. If we break the law we will be guilty. The law that God has reinforced in the new testament are spiritual. Do not try to rise above the law to judge the law but humble yourself and obey the law. We have studied James 1:21-25, and it says the same thing. The verses are: ["James 1:21 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. 22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. 23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: 24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. 25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed."] If you like to refer to the previous study, the link is this: "James 2." These verses talk about the perfect law of liberty. Not the hearers, but those who continue to do the law shall be saved. It is also explained in Romans 2:11-15. ["11 For there is no respect of persons with God. 12 For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law; 13 For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified. 14 For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: 15 Which show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;"] God's law is given to the gentiles through nature. So, they were also accountable to the law of God. God writes the work of the law in the hearts of everyone through conscience. So, nobody escapes the law of God. "James 4:12 There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?" In this case, judge another who obeys the law, is to judge the law. We cannot judge the law, but we must obey the law.

"13 Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: 14 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away." The context here is the continuation of rebuking the arrogant elements and those who judge the law. So, these verses are pointing towards the rebellious people, but it is not to the humble obedient believers. In self-confident pride they tell, what will they do in the future. Let us see a parable of Jesus. ["Luke 12:16 And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: 17 And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? 18 And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. 20 But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? 21 So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God."] It is in Luke 12:16-21. A person had unusual plentiful harvest. So, he decided to rebuild the barn bigger, that he can store enough for many more years to enjoy life. Then God asked him that if he be dead now, who will enjoy the harvest? God's advice is that he lay up treasures in heaven instead. Apostle Peter says in 1 Peter 1:23-25, ["23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. 24 For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: 25 But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you."] That is, if we are born again, the holy Spirit and word of God will live in us. Worldly things will not help eternity. So, live for God, but not for the world. "1 John 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of theFather is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever." So, God's advice is not to love the world, but to do the will of God, which will reward us forever, and even will take us to eternity. So, we must humble ourselves and give the glory to God in all things. "James 4:15 says, For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that." James says, if the Lord wills. Apostle Paul writes to Corinthians in "1 Corinthians 4:19 But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord will, ..." He says, if the Lord will; this is the humbleness shown to us even by the apostles.

"16 But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil." It is not mentioned in the letter what their boasting was. However, they boast about their worldly status and even in some assumed heavenly status as in "we are saved by grace" slogan. Whatever they are, they are evil, they are not of the truth, and they came from the devil. Probably, they may be boasting with some nonsense, instead of obeying the commandments of Lord Jesus Christ. So, they live in sin, but we live with God. "17 Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin." We all know the truth by our conscience and heart, then again from the knowledge of law from the scriptures. Yet, they knowingly embrace the devil to enjoy the pleasures of the world, which will be sin to them. Verses following this will continue in the next chapter and that will describe the torments they will face in eternity. It will be horrible. We will study it next. Let us see one more verse: "Romans 6:22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life." So, doing good is the sign that God has made us free from sin, and so, let us keep doing good, giving fruits of holiness, and we will inherit everlasting life to be with the Lord throughout eternity.

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