Henry Krabbendam - James - World Evangelical Alliance

The most expressive of terms cannot describe their recognition, with
Isaiah, that face to face with the thrice Holy God they are not just basket
cases, but casket cases, “disintegrating” like a corpse (Is. 6:5)! Once humbled,
they acknowledge in an experiential fashion their total impotence. They
recognize that due to their indwelling sin the victory must come from above.
They know that God’s strength is displayed only in their weakness (2 Chron.
7:14; 34:27; Job 9:20; 22:29; Mt. 8:8; 15:26-27; Mk. 7:27-28; Lk. 3:16; 7:6-
8; John 13:1-5; 2 Cor. 1:9; 12:9). From this perspective, their weakness becomes
their joy and glory, since it magnifies God’s strength! 332 If all strength
must come from above, and dependence upon this strength glorifies God, it is
hardly surprising that James immediately counsels his readers to turn to God,
with all that this entails, both as an inescapable necessity and an act of worship
(See Acts 13:2).
(2) Essence of God-centeredness (4:7-8a)
In James 4:7-10 the author informs us that the turn to God is the essence of
God-centeredness. To that end he presents us with his “ten commands” (Burdick,
194) or more vividly yet, with his “ten commandments” (Zodhiates, II,
259). The Greek tense (aorist) in each of them implies a once-an-for-all
commitment without a wistful looking back over one’s shoulder in the footsteps
of Lot’s wife, let alone a defiant turning back (Moo, 1985, 147). In fact,
it forcefully demands immediate positive action (Burdick, 194). In James 4:7-
8 we encounter the first three commands, of unreserved submission to God as
the grand objective, resistance to the devil as its flipside, and drawing near to
God as its corollary. Then, in James 4:8b we are presented with the next two
commands, the prerequisites of cleansing the hands (what we do), and purifying
the heart (what we are) (See Phillips, 140, with reference to Prov. 4:23).
Subsequently, in James 4:9a the author issues three accompanying injunctions,
of grieving, mourning and wailing. Finally, in James 9b-10 he concludes
with a twofold summons to his audience. They must replace frivolous
laughter and superfluous joy with sorrow and gloom, and humble themselves
before God. By piling up the imperatives and having his words tumble over
each other, James could hardly have expressed himself more impressively.
The essence of God-centeredness is submission to God (See Rom. 13:1-
5; 1 Cor. 14:34; 16:16; Col. 3:18; Eph. 5:22; Tit. 2:5, 9; 1 Pet. 2:13, 18; 3:1;
5:5 for the use of this concept). It is the logical conclusion of the truth, quoted
in Proverbs 3:34 (Burdick, 194). While the command to submit is given in the
plural, and is therefore collective in nature, obedience to the command is in-
332 This, of course, is poles apart from the notion that sin should be encouraged in order to
display the glory of grace (Rom. 3:8; 6:1). This notion is pernicious.
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