Title James 04:6-8 Greater Grace
Contents Greater Grace (I) / James 4:6-8
In James 4:6 it says, “But he gives you greater grace.” He has already given you a variety of graces, but He is giving you a greater grace. In Acts 4:33 it says, “The crowds found great favor.”
Great grace has two meanings.
The first is the difference between God's grace and human grace. A person can be kind to a person. But it cannot be compared with the grace that God has given. The grace of man is the grace that helps and guides us in difficult times, whereas the grace of God is the grace that saved us from our sins by giving his only begotten Son. That grace is a greater grace that cannot be compared with the grace that human beings have given.
Second, it means that God has already bestowed great grace on us, but He continues to continue to give us greater grace.
People are capricious. Our thoughts and attitudes change with our moods and emotions. Helping and loving are also capricious. But God's love and grace grow deeper and richer as we go. It doesn't change. So it is a greater grace.
I bless you with greater grace today. Let's take a look at the secrets and postures of receiving greater grace by dividing it several times.
1. To receive greater grace, we must first be humble.
Verse 6 says, “It gives greater grace; therefore it is said, God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
Americans say good morning. Jews say shalom. How are Korean people all night? Did you take it seriously? Say hello. The Greeks greeted with grace ( ).
Greetings are closely related to the life and culture of the people.
In the case of our country, there were no comfortable days due to the coup, riot, and war of factions. After sleeping, it was common to receive medicine, go to exile, or die. So, when we meet in the morning, we had to say hello all night.
Is that all? During the millennia of barley, famine, famine, and stricken poverty, the only hope was to live well. Except for the special classes, it was impossible for the general public to find and eat rice on time. So, every time we met, I had to say "Are you serious?"
Compared to the greeting of "Good morning! Grace! Shalom!", did you survive without dying all night? Our greetings, such as whether you have eaten breakfast or not, are saddened.
The text says that the proud cannot receive grace, but show grace to the humble.
Grace is a good thing, a peaceful thing, and a happy thing. When you receive grace, all things are good, you are happy, and you are at peace. But if you do not receive grace, the opposite is true. Pride is a series of acts of being proud, raising one's head, and belittle others.
There are set rules for giving and receiving. At all times, the recipient of the award must stand under the awardee. That is the universal formula. The recipient of the prize sits on a chair and the giver never gives it down on the ground.
To receive grace, you must lower your posture, bow your head, and bend your back. Pride is like a thorn in the way of grace.
The Bible has many accounts of those who have perished or lost because of pride. I'll give you an example.
Saul was Israel's first popularly elected king. His popularity was absolute because he was the king chosen by the people's absolute support. However, he believed only the support and popularity of the people, neglected his faith, and began to distance himself from God. The results were obvious. Saul's dynasty was completely destroyed, and no one of his descendants became kings or succeeded.
At the end of his reign, King David also had a servant general named Joab to count the number of people in Israel who could draw swords and go to war. 1 Chronicles 21:7 says, "God took this to heart, and it is said that he struck Israel. Prosperity, revival, and development of a nation do not happen because of the popularity of the king or president. It is by the grace of God.
XXX politicians have always taken first place in popular surveys conducted by newspapers, magazines, and opinion polls. Based on the result, the media and citizens at least said that he was the next president. But he never once became president.
The nation, the leader, the church, the company, the family, I and you must also receive grace. But it is pride that blocks and blocks that grace. David, too, was proud, but he suffered terrible wrath. 70,000 people died from the plague (1 Chronicles 21:14).
In 2 Samuel 6, when the ark of God was moved to the City of David, David, unable to bear the thrill and joy, danced with all his might (6:14). David's wife, Michal, who saw him through the window, despised David in her heart (6:16). As the second daughter of King Saul, Michal was a woman who gave strength to her neck, saying that she was a noble, dignified, and dignified woman because she grew up learning the royal etiquette and laws.
But David was from the Bedouin, tending sheep in the fields of Bethlehem, rolling around on the ground without washing them properly, and roaming the fields. Naturally, Michal developed a feeling of superiority over her husband David, which became concrete that day.
Michal despised her husband, sarcastically saying to David, "As a prodigal man shamelessly reveals himself, so he has revealed himself before the eyes of his servant's maidservant today" (6:20).
2 Samuel 6:23 says, "Therefore, Saul's daughter Michal had no children until the day of her death."
The biblical scholars interpret this verse in two ways. It is interpreted that God closed the womb of Michal, who was proud, who despised and ridiculed her husband, so that she could not have children. Others interpreted that David, who was disloyal, could not have children because he did not sleep with Michal after that day. . I think both are reasonable interpretations.
In Esther 1, there is an account of King Ahasuerus of Persia and his wife Vashti about 483 BC. At that time, Persia was the most powerful country in the world. It was a great empire that occupied the Indus River to the east, Egypt to the west, Ethiopia to the north, and parts of Greece to the north, and the Persian civilization was also in its golden age.
King Ahasuerus held a grand banquet at the royal palace on the third year of his reign. A total of 15,000 people were invited to the banquet that lasted for 180 days. While the king was holding a festival to show off his national power, Queen Vashti was also holding a feast for the women.
One day, towards the end of the feast, a message was sent to the queen to come to the banquet hall.
The king wanted to show off Vashti's beauty to everyone (Esther 1:11).
But Vashti disobeyed the king's command and said, "Ask that you can't go" (1:12). As a queen, it was not appropriate for her to come to a place where men were simmering. And because of her beauty, Vashdi was always a woman who gave strength to her neck. That's why I said, "Ask if you can't go."
The problem is that the incident sparked a fire, and Vashti was expelled and Esther became queen. Vashti had been deprived of her position as queen and driven out because of her pride.
Pride destroys grace.
Pride destroys success.
Pride destroys happiness.
Even if you earn money, study a lot, succeed, have a pretty face, or be happy, you should not fall into pride because of it.
The text says that the proud resist the proud and give grace to the humble. It is difficult for a proud person to receive the grace that comes through the word of the humble person.
We are people who realize what grace is and confirm grace through the Word. However, the proud person only looks at the Word and does not accept the heart.
There are onlookers and there are people who are touched. You must also receive grace, not look at it.
Pride blocks the Word, blocks blessings, blocks success, and blocks grace. Pride must be defeated.
Johann Sebastian Bach is famous for writing more than 1,100 songs. He composed music until several months before his death, and while blind, he could not see the sheet music. His final chorale is, "Lord, I go before your throne." At the end of this song, he closed his eyes. He left the famous saying, "Thank God for the music" and "God is with godly music."
After over 1,100 songs, he always left his signature S.G.D. It's Soli Gloria Deo. Glory only to God!
Such spirit, faith, and life are the lives of those who have received grace.
Glory only to God! Soli Gloria Deo! Amen.