July 29, 2007
“Yearns Jealously: the Holy Spirit’s Yearnings”
James 4:1-10

When we consider the Holy Spirit and emotional yearnings, even jealousy, we are considering difficult subjects. We can call God Eternal, Unchangeable, a Spirit, Holy, Just, Good and yet calling Him Jealous bothers us, because jealously in us is often sinful! Yet, in the God Who created and redeemed us, jealousy is a beautiful and positive thing, as His jealousy is high and holy, it aims for and accomplishes what is best for us ...

I. James 4:5 which speaks of the Holy Spirit’s jealousy and yearnings, describes Him as God – Exodus 20:5; Deuteronomy 4:24
1. God is jealous – Exodus 20:5
2. Yet, God’s jealousy is not weak, pining or diminishing in any way, He is not envying Baal or wishing He could have as many followers as false gods, obviously they are nothing – Isaiah 46:5-9
3. Yet God is jealous for our sakes, He would not have us give our lives (created in His image and for His purposes and redeemed by Christ’s blood) to worthless things – Psalm 119:37
4. That is what these verses are all about here, James’ hearers were fighting over, praying for and giving themselves to worthless things, they were spiritual adulterers and adulteresses – James 4:1-4; Jeremiah 9:2-3

II. Yet, this describing the Spirit’s jealous yearnings show Him not only to be God but also a Person –
1. People wrongly think of the Holy Spirit as a Force, a thing, Jesus called Him, “He” –
2. He speaks – 1 Timothy 4:1; Acts 8:29; 10:19-20; 13:1-4
3. He teaches – John 14:26
4. He testifies of Christ – John 15:26
5. He guides the apostles, glorifies Christ – John 16:12-14
6. He prays – Romans 8:26
7. He has a mind – Romans 8:27
8. He loves – Romans 15:30
9. He has a will – 1 Corinthians 12:11
10. He can be grieved – Ephesians 4:30
11. He can be blasphemed (which shows Him both God and a Person) – Matthew 12:31-32
12. Here He is spoken of as jealous and yearning – James 4:5
13. His Personhood and His emotions are both glorious

III. How then should we respond to the Spirit’s yearnings / jealously?
1. We should see them as His right response to our wrong actions, which include:
A. Fighting / disputing – James 4:1-2
B. Praying amiss – James 4:3; Numbers 11:33-34
C. Spiritual adultery – James 4:4; John 2:15-17
2. We should make His yearning / jealousy the motive for our right action … we know God is right! Our right attitudes and actions would include:
A. Humility in seeking grace – James 4:6
B. Submission to God, His Word and Will – James 4:7; John 14:21; Matthew 6:10
C. Resistance of the Devil – James 4:7
D. By drawing NEAR to God, jealousy is a romantic term, it invites intimacy – James 4:8; Revelation 2:4
E. Cleansing repentance – James 4:9; Ephesians 5:25-27; Revelation 21:2
F. We should have deep sorrow, for our stupidity “beastly stupidity” – John Calvin, which is the love of the world –.
G. Humility which is proper – James 4:10

God is our Creator, Christ is our Redeemer, the Spirit gives us life, giving less than our all to God is not worthy of all He is and has done for us –

NKJ Matthew 10:37 "He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. 38 "And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.

Pastor Arnold Brevick