Self or Spirit

James 4:1 What causes fights and quarrels among you? Dont they come from your desires that battle within you? 2 You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. 3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

James 4:4 You adulterous people, dont you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. 5 Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us? 6 But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.

James 4:7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

JAMES DESCRIBES THE SYMPTOMS OF SELF CENTEREDNESS. Self centeredness leads to disagreements. (v. 1) Self centeredness leads to relying upon ones self. (v. 2) Self centeredness leads to an improper prayer life. (v. 3)

JAMES TELLS US THE SOURCE OF SELF CENTEREDNESS. Self centeredness is caused by our rebellion against God. (v. 4, 5) Self centeredness is caused by our pride. (v. 6)

JAMES GIVES US THE HEALING PATHWAY FOR SELF CENTEREDNESS. Self centeredness can be cured by our submitting to God. (v. 7) Self centeredness can be cured by us prioritizing our commitment to God. (v. 8)

Self centeredness can be cured by us cleansing ones self. (v. 8) Self centeredness is cured by our repentance. (v9) Self centeredness can be cured by us humbling ourselves. (v. 10)

Romans 7:15-25 "I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18 For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to dothis I keep on doing.

Romans 7:20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. 21 So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in Gods law; 23 but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me.

Romans 7:24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? 25 Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to Gods law, but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin."

Our 21st Century Life Application 1. We need to recognise this constant Battle 2. Christ is the only one who delivers us from self 3. We need to exercise those Spiritual disciplines that enable us to hear from God

Listening to the Spirit through Prayer - community and personally Bible Reading and Journaling Life Group of whatever shape or form - we journey together Submission to Christ as a practice Generosity in $'s and time - ourselves