Thanksgiving 2025
Js. 4:1-10
Prayer: Father, we live in a world infested with envy, and it is causing strife in our families, our communities, and our nation. So we ask for more grace. We ask for the kind of grace that would fill us with deep gratitude, so that you might raise us up to positions of leadership. We ask in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Introduction
In the first century just after Jesus ascended into heaven, the unbelieving Jews murdered Stephen, and Saul of Tarsus was breathing threats against the Christians in every city. The temptation to go dark was great. The Christians were hated, lied about, and mistreated. It would have felt very justified to bitterly hate those Jewish zealots (and their Roman collaborators), and James says to have done so would be to join their carnal, devilish ways.
James writes to remind us all that God has determined to conquer this dark world with His grace. This seems counter-intuitive. Grace means mercy for the wicked. God justifies the ungodly. God’s plan was to save the leader of that violence and evil. True grace has a backbone, but it is a radical, humiliating grace. Grace humiliates all human pride. This is the wisdom of God and the ground of all Christian gratitude.
The Text: “From whence come wars and fightings among you? Come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain…” (Js. 4:1-10)
Summary of the Text
Why do people fight and argue, and why does it sometimes turn violent? James says that it is rooted fundamentally in our desires (Js. 4:1). Apparently things had gotten so bad that some had even killed because these desires were consuming them (Js. 4:2). James says that even though they are praying, even their prayers are infected with this evil (Js. 4:3). He calls these Christians adulterers and adulteresses (indicating that it was men and women) because they were embracing the demonic powerplays of the world, just like Israel of old, but this actually makes them God’s enemies (Js. 4:4, cf. Hos. 3). James asks whether the Scriptures teach this theme of spiritual and political adultery in vain? (Js. 4:5) (The whole Old Testament is about this theme.) He asks: does the Spirit that dwells in us really lust with that kind of envy (Js. 4:5)? Of course the answer is an emphatic “no.”
But the Spirit doesn’t just leave us to our lusts and desires: He doesn’t leave us in that dark place to be consumed. He gives more grace, especially to the humble (Js. 4:5-6). This humility submits to God, resists devilish tactics, draws near to God, and confesses all sin (Js. 4:7-8). This humility results in true sorrow over sin and expects God to grant cleansing and exaltation (Js. 4:9-10).
Politics of Envy
In the New Testament, “envy” is closely associated with zeal and indignation. Stephen says that the sons of Jacob were driven by zeal/envy in their persecution of their little brother Joseph (Acts 7:9). In Thessalonica, the Jews were moved with zeal/envy and teamed up with “certain lewd fellows of the baser sort” and assaulted the house of Jason (Acts 17:5). Paul says that the unbelieving Jews have “zeal without knowledge” (Rom. 10:2), and he recalls that before he met Christ he was so zealous he persecuted the church (Phil. 3:6). In Acts 5:17, the high priest and Sadducees are filled with “indignation” [zeal/envy] and threw the apostles into prison. So envy is closely associated with what feels or even looks like a righteous indignation and zeal but is driven by a deep malice and bitterness and therefore often turns violent.
But how is envy like zeal or righteous indignation? James says that our wars and fights come from our lusts and desires that are twisted (Js. 4:1-3). They are twisted by a counterfeit “wisdom” that is earthly, sensual, and devilish (Js. 3:15). So envy is an intense desire that has been twisted. But a desire or ambition for what? Envy is twisted desire for justice. Of course envy/jealousy can be simple covetousness – wanting what other people have (greed), but the most twisted forms of envy are done up in the drag of righteous indignation: “they are misusing that gift!” “they are being evil!” This malicious envy hates what “they” are doing with that money/influence/power, and the implication is that if you had it, you wouldn’t misuse it. You would use that money/influence/power/job/etc. for “good.”
Righteous indignation tempts men to justify bitter malice. It lusts to take power, in order (it tells itself) to stop evil and do good. But James says that is a kind of spiritual/political adultery. You are lusting for pagan power. Your desire is being twisted by a wisdom that is earthly, sensual, and devilish (Js. 3:15). And James says you can tell by the foul words that often accompany it (Js. 3:8-11).
He Gives More Grace
But God gives more grace. God gives more grace to foul mouths and dark hearts. God gives grace to the bitter, the angry, the violent, the devilish. And the offer of grace is the offer of true exaltation and glory (Js. 4:6, 10). One of the central marks of the devil is despair, and despair often turns bitter and furious. But God gives more grace.
God gives grace to the humble – those who submit themselves to God. The opposite of despair is deep gratitude. “In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you” (1 Thess. 5:18). “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” (Phil. 4:6 ESV). Fight bitterness by thanking God for your circumstances and all the challenges. You can tell the difference between truly righteous indignation and the kind that is turning dark and bitter by whether you can truly give thanks for the circumstances.
Resist the devil and cleanse your hands (Js. 4:7-9). These go together: you resist the devil by confessing your sins quickly. Do not let the sun go down on your anger, or leave room for the devil (Eph. 4:26-27). Check your heart: “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you” (Mt. 5:44). Do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good (Rom. 12:21). The power of the devil is specifically through the power of the fear of death, but Christ broke that power through His death and the forgiveness of our sins (Heb. 2:14-15, Col. 2:14-15). So mourn and confess your sins and cleanse your hands and hearts. Get rid of all bitterness so you can resist the devil.
Conclusion
This “lifting up” includes being lifted up to positions of true authority and power. Joseph was lifted up and seated next to Pharoah. Daniel and his friends were lifted up in Babylon and Persia. After many years on the run, David was lifted up and the kingdom was united under him. And of course Jesus Christ who humbled Himself to become a man was crucified for our sins – sins He didn’t commit, and He was raised from the dead and lifted to the Father’s right hand and given the name above every name. While we were His enemies, Christ died for us. Never forget this. God saves His enemies.
This is the wisdom of the gospel, the wisdom of God, which is a stumbling block to Jews and complete folly to Greeks (and Americans). We do believe that we will win. The Kingdom of God will win. And I believe we have good reason to hope that America will turn back to Christ. But that is the only way. We will win because Christ has won. And this is not some kind of hyper-spiritualized vision. All the nations will come and worship before Him.
Therefore, our zeal and our longing must be calibrated to this mission. And when it is, there is no room for apathy and what grows up instead is a far greater ambition. The problem with carnal wisdom and bitter envy is that its vision is far too small. But grace is expansive and full of gratitude.
Prayer: Father, I ask that you would root out all the bitterness in our hearts. And I pray that you would root out the bitterness that likes to pretend that it is just righteous indignation, righteous anger, which is really just malice and envy and wrath. Father, I pray that in its place would be deep gratitude, and I pray that our Thanksgiving celebrations would be sweeter and more potent than ever because You give more grace. And we ask in Jesus’ name who taught us to pray…
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