JAMES 4:5-6

As it is written (James 4:5-6),

"Or do you think that it is to no purpose that the scripture speaks ?    {cf. Hebrews 9:5}

Does the Spirit which dwells within us yearn to envy!

But it is more grace that He gives

           {this enables us in English to bring out the force of the "more"
            which in Greek comes first, before the verb, to be followed by 'grace'},

As it is written, God resists the proud,

But gives grace to the lowly."

The same thrust is to be found in I Peter 5:5, which proceeds to exhort us to cast ALL our care on Him, since He cares for us.

As in Hebrews 9:5, the verbal use can be general. It may be, and seems clearly here, to be referring to the whole message of the Bible, in this, that it would contravene and contravert this if such a proposition as would deny James' view of love of this world, were to be put. In other words, the entire force of Holy Writ comes down on any idea of loving this world, or thinking that its love is in the least degree acceptable to the God of creation, whose Christ declared this, that the prince of this world HAS NOTHING IN ME! (John 14:30).

THIS is the world of the universal flood, a grievous thing; of Sodom and Gomorrah, and of Hezekiah, who for all his remarkable and admirable godliness, made a huge mistake in allowing the ambassadors of godless Babylon to come on behalf of their king, to have fellowship (ostensibly) with the sick, but now recovered king of Israel. That fault had enormous consequences, and indeed, when pearls are cast before swine, or in this case, temple values worth trillions are exposed to hearts animated by greed, is it wise ? Is it wise!

No, it would be contrary to what the message of the Bible is, were this not to be so: LOVE NOT THE WORLD, for friendship with the world is enmity with God.  That is the first point.

The next sentence, if as it appears, you take it as a question, has an almost stunning piece of brevity and pith. It then becomes a rhetorical question.

Thus it asks whether you really think that the Spirit who dwells within us (as Christians, the point here in view, in terms of consistent Christian living) is envious ? Do you imagine that when you, wrongly, love this world, that He experiences some kind of jealousy, as if there were some real contest ? There is a divine desire for our purity, as for a wife, but jealousy in another sense, that of feeling a competitive edge to the blandishments of this world, accruing in the mind of a believer, rather than a zeal for the well-being and hence avoidance of delusion on the part of a Christian, that is a different thing.

No, the context proceeds smoothly to indicate, it is NOT this:

BUT it is MORE grace that He gives to the lowly.

It is not a question of more envy on the part of the Lord, if one were to love this world, or if more precisely, such a topic were to come to be in question; it is rather a question of GIVING MORE GRACE to the lowly, to the poor in spirit, to the consistent Christian. And why is it given ? It is in order that such things should NOT occupy the mind, or steal the soul.

No, the scripture does not speak in vain, and the Spirit, the sense seems to be, does not yearn in vain, either, with envy. Indeed, to take it further, such a base thing (it is not the word the LXX uses for the zealous husband-like concern the Lord has for His people, as expressed in Exodus 20), it is far from the Lord to INDUCE things of that kind in His people. That, once more, is another reason why friendship with this world, its bitter envy, and sensuality (James 3:14-15), is far from the wisdom which comes from above. Indeed, the Greek verb used with the term rendered crassly 'envy', relates to the noun qmnos, which gives the sense of ardour, excitement, passion bursting forth. It goes well with simple envy, and with it, suggests strongly what the Lord neither does nor induces. The negation is clear.

Neither  is such envy felt by the Lord, nor are His people moved to it by His Spirit. There is thus a double evacuation from the world in these respects, fortifying James' remarks concerning it in James 4:5, something in total accord with his earlier remarks in James 3:14-15.

In passing, let us note one other thought, some have had on this verse.

The concept that our own spirit 'dwells in us' does not agree with the context in word or development. If the scripture speaks to the contrary of such worldliness, and God gives more grace to the lowly, how would a lustful envy in man be related to this flow ? It would mean first, the entire condemnation of love of this world, then a general reference to scripture as being contrary, then a characterisation of the spirit in man as lustfully envious, followed by God giving more grace to the lowly. Since the 'us' includes Christians, the singular concept that this spirit dwelling within, has the thrust with lust, would be especially exotic. It would simply ignore the Spirit of the Lord. It would omit what matters most.  Indeed, it would be more than 'more grace' that would be needed in such a case, but the very foundations of grace. Further, the very emphasis in the Greek, MORE, He gives, GRACE, in that word order, stresses that it is an INCREMENT that is in view.

That fits to perfection with the Spirit of God, dwelling in man, being quite contrary to such things as this world's lusts, and follows as Summer from Spring.

Thus, when this Spirit of God is in view, as it assuredly appears, then the 'more grace' becomes the antidote, arising from a consistent reference to the nature of the Spirit of God, followed by the nature of the grace given. The MORE, in its word order, then has complete intelligibility and relevance. It sings the song that has begun, with total harmony.

Both the word and the Spirit are decisive against friendship with this world, flirtations with its fancies. It is not a context; it is a command; it is not an option; it is an exclusion; it is not an object of dispute, for the world is an object of disrepute. Hence, do not imagine that the word or the Spirit of God is amenable to it, to its agreeable fancies or ways. This world and its ways, its characterisable nature: it  is an exclusion zone, like one marked for high radiation. Don't tumble into it, rumble with it, search out its wiles or be duped by its deadness.

The message: Christian, have no friendship with this world! It is at war with your God. The Lord has it up for judgment, not  social agreeableness.