James 4:2 says, “Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.” The core of this verse is the last phrase that we don’t have what we want because we don’t ask for it. Sadly, this verse has been twisted and misinterpreted to mean something that Scripture does not teach.
What does James chapter 4 mean in the Bible?
What does James chapter 4 mean? The book of James is about specifically understanding what saving faith looks like. How does faith in Christ reveal itself in a believer's life? What choices does real trust in God lead us to make? Those are the questions James answers.
What is the meaning of James 4 1 12?
James 4:1–12 builds on the end of chapter 3, describing how living according to the world's wisdom has led to great conflict among James's Christian readers. They were fighting with each other because they couldn't get what they wanted. James says that living that way is adultery.
What is the Adam Clarke Commentary on James 4?
"Commentary on James 4:2". "The Adam Clarke Commentary". https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/acc/james-4.html. 1832. Continuing his teaching on the evil results of worldly attitudes, James explains why fights and quarrels occur. Selfish ambition fights against the more spiritual motives.
What does Jam 4 say about lust and coveting?
Jam 4:2-3. ἐπιθυμεῖτε καὶ οὐκ ἔχετε…: It must be confessed that these verses are very difficult to understand; we have, on the one hand, lusting and coveting, murdering and fighting; and, on the other hand, praying.
What does the Scripture mean you have not because you ask not?
0:331:42You Have Not Because You Ask Not | Joyce Meyer Ministries - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipAnd the simple. Answer is you have not because you ask. Nothing. If there's anything you want youMoreAnd the simple. Answer is you have not because you ask. Nothing. If there's anything you want you ask God for it.
What is the meaning of Ask and it shall be given?
This passage suggests that God will give whatever is needed to those who have the faith to ask for it.
What do you have that you did not receive meaning?
It's easy to take pride in what we have earned or the talents we possess. We naturally take ownership of our accomplishments. But, the reality is God is our Creator and provides us with life and the tools to succeed.
Is the substance of things hoped for?
Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
How do you ask God for something specific?
To ask God for something, first praise Him and thank Him for all the good things in your life to show your gratitude. Then, be honest about what you want and why you want it. For example, say something like, “Lord, I've been selfish recently and it's affecting my family.
How do I ask and receive from God?
Keep on asking God for anything and everything until He gives you an answer. Don't give up! We need to get back our joy and strength, and the sweetness of being a Christian when our prayers are answered. Be importunate in prayer and unrelenting in your faith and you shall receive answers to your prayers.
How do I give God my finances?
"Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops."- Proverbs 3:9, NIV. We are to give God the best and first of everything that we give Him, but specifically with our finances and all that we earn. We can honor God by paying the first ten percent of our income to Him through our local church.
What do you have that you did not receive from God?
What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not? Already you have all you want!
What has God not given us?
2 Timothy 1:7 - For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind - Scripture Frame - Bible Verse.
What does substance mean biblically?
1a : essential nature : essence. b : a fundamental or characteristic part or quality. c Christian Science : god sense 1b.
What is the substance of our faith?
0:236:21Substance of Faith - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipNow faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen for by it the eldersMoreNow faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen for by it the elders obtained a good report. Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the Word of God.
Can you have faith without hope?
When people have hope they have faith, because they hold a belief that says “I believe that the future will be better.” And while they have no grounds to “prove” the hopeful assumption, they have faith in it. While faith without hope is possible, hope without faith is not. Thus faith is not sufficient for hope.
Verse Thoughts
So much in Scripture points to right thinking. We are to take every thought captive to Christ. We are to let His mind dwell in us richly. We are to have this same attitude in ourselves that was in Christ Jesus. We are to look to the Lord Jesus as our example in selfless humility.
My Prayer
Loving Father I do want to pray aright and to pray into Your perfect will.
What does 4:1-10 mean?
4:1-10 Since all wars and fightings come from the corruptions of our own hearts, it is right to mortify those lusts that war in the members. Wordly and fleshly lusts are distempers, which will not allow content or satisfaction. Sinful desires and affections stop prayer, and the working of our desires toward God.
Why was their attempt to convert the Gentiles to Judaism commendable?
So far their attempt was commendable, because, by converting the Gentiles to Judaism, they prepared them for receiving the gospel; and if for this they had asked the blessing of God sincerely, they might have been successful in their purpose.”. Ye ask, &c.
What is the burning desire that drives all the others?
James identifies some of these wrong motives, but the ultimate desire that drives all the others is the burning desire to get something you do not have. This is known as coveting. To covet is to be jealous of something that someone else has, or to possess a strong eagerness to get something that does not belong to you.
What does it mean when God doesn't answer you?
He is God, after all, and he does have a plan for your life. It does mean that if you don’t receive the answer you want, it’s not because you didn’t ask or because you asked with wrong motives. It simply means God has something different in mind for you.
Adam Clarke Commentary
Verse James 4:2. Ye lust, and have not — Ye are ever covetous, and ever poor.
Bridgeway Bible Commentary
Continuing his teaching on the evil results of worldly attitudes, James explains why fights and quarrels occur. Selfish ambition fights against the more spiritual motives. Some Christians are constantly looking for more power, increased possessions and higher status. Because they want the wrong things, they do not pray.
Coffman Commentaries on the Bible
Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and covet, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war; ye have not, because ye ask not.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible
Ye lust, and have not - That is, you wish to have something which you do not now possess, and to which you have no just claim, and this prompts to the effort to obtain it by force. You desire extension of territory, fame, booty, the means of luxurious indulgence, or of magnificence and grandeur, and this leads to contest and bloodshed.
Calvin's Commentary on the Bible
2 Ye lust, or covet, and have not. He seems to intimate that the soul of man is insatiable, when he indulges wicked lusts; and truly it is so; for he who suffers his sinful propensities to rule uncontrolled, will know no end to his lust. Were even the world given to him, he would wish other worlds to be created for him.
Chuck Smith Bible Commentary
Chapter 4 This chapter could be entitled how to win friends and influence people. Guard your tongue, bring your tongue under control, use it for good, use it to encourage to build up, don't use it to tear down, to destroy, to cut, to hurt.
Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable
"James 4 continues the same topic of strife, and addresses now not only the teachers of James 3:14 but also the rest of the brotherhood who are in similar sin: strife springs from within (James 4:1-3) and is fostered by worldliness; love of the world and love of God cannot coexist (James 4:4-6); Christians must resist the devil and draw near to God (James 4:7-10)." [Note: Adamson, p.
What does James 4 say about asking God for something?
James 4 does not really address those larger issues. It simply says that, if there is something we want, we need to ask God for it, instead of resorting to ungodly means. It stands to reason that there are some things that we will not get unless we ask for them, but, if we ask, we will receive them. So, if there is something that we want, we need ...
What does James write about?
James wrote to believers who seemed to have quite a few problems with their behavior. The one he addresses at the beginning of chapter 4 has to do with their desire to get things.
When you ask God for something, do you receive?
Likewise, when we ask God for something, He reserves the right to do what is best for us. James 4:3 brings up another situation where God may not grant our requests: “When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.”. So, while it is better to ask God for things ...
What does James 4:2 mean?
James 4:2 says, “Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.” The core of this verse is the last phrase that we don’t have what we want because we don’t ask for it.
What does John say about the commandments?
The apostle John continues this line of thought in his own letter to believers by saying that we must keep the commandments of God and remain faithful to Him if we hope to gain His blessings (1 John 3:22). The crux of this argument, however, is found later on in John’s writings: we must ask for what we desire within the will of God (1 John 5:14). ...
What does the Bible say about changing hearts?
The Bible teaches us that belief in Christ must come first, and seeking after the will of God must be the primary motivation of our hearts. If we selfishly ask for blessings without being willing to submit to Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we are asking with the wrong ends in mind and using God only as a means to get what we want. We should yield to God first and align our desires with His .
What does it mean to abide in the Father?
The key is to abide in the Father. Abiding means to rely on and remain faithful to; it carries with it a picture of setting up your dwelling someplace and building your life there. Jesus says in John 15:7, “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.”.
What does the Bible say about murder?
He openly condemns murder, theft, war, and lustful desires and points to the fact that they have not asked God for what they want. This does not mean that they – or we – should approach God and ask for something that is sinful. We must first get our own hearts focused on Him, then our desires will change accordingly.
What did Jesus teach about the kingdom of God?
When Jesus began proclaiming the kingdom of God, He taught that the motivation of our hearts is what mattered. The Sermon on the Mount, one of His most beloved collection of teachings, shows that every specific sinful action comes from a sinful motivation in our hearts.
What does Jesus teach us?
In other places, however, Jesus teaches us to ask God for what we desire, and it will be given to us (Matthew 7:7-8). The key to understanding this commandment – and the key to understanding the entire notion of approaching God with the desires of our heart – comes from the context. The context that matters is a heart that is first focused on God, ...
What is the book of James about?
The book of James is about specifically understanding what saving faith looks like. How does faith in Christ reveal itself in a believer's life? What choices does real trust in God lead us to make? Those are the questions James answers. Most scholars believe the writer was Jesus' half-brother, a son born to Joseph and Mary after Jesus' birth. James may not have come to believe Jesus was the Messiah until after the resurrection. Eventually, though, he became one of the leaders of the Christian church in Jerusalem. This is possibly the earliest-written of all the New Testament books, around AD 40–50. James addresses his letter to Jewish Christians scattered around the known world.
What does James' letter to Jews mean?
The book of James is about what it means for a Christian to live a life of complete trust in God. Chapter 4 builds on the end of chapter 3, where James described the self-seeking wisdom of the world.
When did James come to believe Jesus was the Messiah?
James may not have come to believe Jesus was the Messiah until after the resurrection. Eventually, though, he became one of the leaders of the Christian church in Jerusalem. This is possibly the earliest-written of all the New Testament books, around AD 40–50.