Henry Krabbendam - James - World Evangelical Alliance

that God gives more than sufficient grace to offset this? Therefore Scripture
says, ‘God opposes the proud and gives grace to the humble.” Whether in the
case of James 4:5b (and 6a) one opts for a statement or a question, the meaning
remains the same. Nevertheless, it has been observed that the Greek in
James 4:5b is somewhat awkward, if it is to be taken as part of the question
that implies a negative answer (Johnson, 282). Therefore, to construe it as a
statement is preferable.
All in all, the Scripture introduced by the author in James 3:5 is not an
allusive reference to a general biblical theme (So Moo, 1985, 144), but consists
of the OT text quoted in James 3:6! As the next section shows, this text
is Proverbs 3:34, quoted in 1 Peter 5:5 as well. Pride is universally condemned
in Scripture in its essence as well as practice (Prov. 6:17; 13:10;
16:5, 18). It shares with sin its middle letter, “I.” The damage, that “I”centeredness
or self-centeredness does, can only be undone by self-denial,
displayed in servanthood (Lk. 22:24-27) and rooted in humility. The latter is
of precious, all-important, value in the Kingdom of God. It is the characteristic
of the human spirit that qualifies as the residence of God (Is. 66:2).
The present section, as one commentator aptly observed, clearly indicates
“the need of a deep penetrative work of transformation to be wrought
upon the individual heart (Motyer, 146). This, then, is the subject matter of
the next section!
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b. God-centeredness (4:6-10)
(6) But he gives more (abundant) grace. This is why it says,
“God opposes the proud, but he gives grace to the humble.” (7)
So submit to God, and resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
(8) Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse
your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you doubleminded.
(9) Put your wretchedness into a practice, and mourn
and weep. Your laughter should turn into mourning, and your
joy to gloom. (10) Be humbled before the Lord and he will exalt
you.
(1) Encouragement to God-centeredness (4:6)
Regardless the precise interpretation of James 4:5b, in the present verse the
author turns to the grace of God as the encouragement to God-centeredness.
He makes it abundantly clear that God has made ample provision for man to
terminate the friendship with the world and control the power of the indwelling
sin that promotes this friendship, inclusive of the earlier enumerated
catalog of sins that flow forth from it, from envy to murder. This provision is