But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth
grace unto the humble. 7Submit yourselves therefore to God.
Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8Draw nigh to
God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse
your
hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. 9Be
afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and
your joy to heaviness. 10Humble yourselves in the sight of
the Lord, and he shall lift you up — James 4:6-10 (emphases
mine)
In
our previous article, we began to look at how can we respond to God’s call in a
practical manner. It was and still is based on James 4:6-10. Key points
so far included grace and submission to God. In this, the 8th and final article
of the ‘Call of God Series,’ we continue and conclude learning the practical
steps to responding to the Lord’s call in an honourable and effective manner.
1.
Humble yourselves (4:10): We are
back to that initial character trait of humility, however, we are given more
details in the previous verse (v. 9). Be afflicted, mourn, weep, trade in the
laughter for touring and joy to heaviness. This may be dramatic and reserved
for special occasions, but these are practical steps of humility, especially if
one faces big issues and needs more
grace. Anyone who does these things from the heart is demonstrating the
ultimate of humility and with it comes a special promise: as you humble
yourself in the sight of the Lord, He will lift you up. This is consistent with Psalm 75:6-7 promises:
For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the
south.
7 But
God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another. God is the
one who promotes and He also demotes, lifts up and casts down. That is why if
you are going to find favour with anyone, find it with God.
2.
Last, but not least, obedience: You can
fulfil every other step to the letter, and in the Spirit, and still fail the
course. Obedience is what separates the called from the chosen, the men from
the boys, the honourable servant from those who went AWOL. The prophet Samuel
told a wayward king Saul: Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to
hearken than the fat of rams I Samuel 15:22ff. Peter responded to
the menacing Sanhedrin: We ought to obey God rather than men - Acts
5:29. Jesus gives a very timely warning on this point in Matthew 7:21:
Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom
of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. It
couldn’t be clearer - it is not the person who merely gives lip service to the
Lordship of Christ who will enter the kingdom of heaven. It is the doer of God’s
will who will be warmly welcomed. Obedience is not an optional extra for the
super-spiritual - it is mandatory for all who call of His name. Part of the
impediment to obedience is fear that God will ask of us something terrible or
undesirable, that somehow we will miss out of life’s best if we obey Him. The
devil would dearly love for you to think this way. No, you can trust God that
His will and direction are the very best thing for you, even if it does not
appear so at first. Remember the promise of Proverbs 3:5-6!
In
summary, to the submitted, committed, and obedient, who have done everything in
their power to draw close to God, be assured that you have embarked on the
greatest adventure of all - knowing and serving God. You will have no regrets;
only blessing, honour and promotion from on high.
Now
is the time!
Summary of Practical
Steps in Responding to the Call of God
1.
Recognise the mercies of God (Romans 12:1-2).
2.
Consecration - present yourself, including your
body, to God (Romans 12:1-2).
3.
Be a living sacrifice - your life will be
dedicated to doing God’s will not your own.
4.
Forget the world - don’t let it bend you into
its mould (Romans 12:1-2).
5.
Be transformed by the renewing of your mind
(Romans 12:1-2).
6.
You will be able to understand God’s good,
acceptable, and perfect will (Romans 12:1-2).
7.
Walk in grace (James 4:6).
8.
Submit to God (James 4:7).
9.
Resist the devil and he will flee from you
(James 4:7).
10.
Draw close to God (James 4:8).
11.
Cleanse and purify (James 4:8).
12.
Humble yourselves (James 4:10).
13.
Obedience (Matthew 7:21; Acts 5:29).
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