Does the verse mean the Spirit causes us to envy?

[whirlwind]

• James 4:5-7 Do ye think that the Scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy? But He giveth more grace, Wherefore He saith, "God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble." Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
  
  4:10-11 Humble yourselves in the sight of the LORD, and He shall lift you up. Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge.

The devil is in the pride, our pride. Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall. [Proverbs 16:18]

The Holy Spirit teaches those with ears to hear...not all have ears to hear and they are provoked to jealousy, they are proud in their knowledge but it is the knowledge of the natural man...the letter of the Word, not the spirit of the Word. Often when those the Spirit teaches share that knowledge the proud "lusteth to envy" and "speaketh evil of his brother," judging his brother wrongly.

So, to me, the above passage in James tells us not that God makes us jealous but rather that the pride in and of the natural man causes jealousy and resentment. The Spirit that "dwelleth in" some "lusteth" others to envy. To avoid that fall we must resist the evil spirit, humble ourselves and submit ourselves to our Father. Then...the devil flees and God gives grace to us. Then our eyes and ears are opened to the Spirit of the Word.

• 11 Corinthians 3:6 Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.
  
  John 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
  
  1 Corinthians 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

 

[costcounter]

iT IS MERELY SAYING; Do you think that the scripture "would say" such a thing. God´s Word says nothing in vain(to no good use), but rather is purifying Truth, and living, and is able to distinguish the thoughts and intents of our hearts. Therefore the scripture would never say, that the spirit(which is the Spirit of God) in us lusts to envy. God has given us the Spirit of power, and of love, and of a sound mind; and such a Spirit has no spot of envy.

 

[toddm]

iT IS MERELY SAYING; Do you think that the scripture "would say" such a thing. God´s Word says nothing in vain(to no good use), but rather is purifying Truth, and living, and is able to distinguish the thoughts and intents of our hearts. Therefore the scripture would never say, that the spirit(which is the Spirit of God) in us lusts to envy. God has given us the Spirit of power, and of love, and of a sound mind; and such a Spirit has no spot of envy.

Win!

 

[follower of Christ]

• James 4:5-7 Do ye think that the Scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy? But He giveth more grace, Wherefore He saith, "God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble." Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

• 
  A little more of the passage to know the CONTEXT might help....oh " ".
  
  

  You lust and you do not have. You murder and are jealous and you cannot obtain. You fight and make war. You do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend it in gratifying your lusts.
  
  Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world is constituted an enemy of God.
  
  Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, "The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously"? But He gives more grace.
  
  Therefore He says: "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble." Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
  (James 4:2-8 EMTV)

  
  Another translation renders it as such:
  

  Do you doubt the Scriptures that say, "God truly cares about the Spirit he has put in us"?
  (James 4:5 CEV)

  And another like this;
  

  (ISV) Or do you think the Scripture means nothing when it says that the Spirit that God caused to live in us jealously yearns for us?

  Seems to me that the CONTEXT is simply showing us that we are to separate ourselves from the word and its ways. And your verse in particular would mean, in that context, that God is 'jealous' over the spirit within us...that we not give ourselves over to worldly sin. That we give ourselves to HIM.
  
  Course, thats just me. " "
  
  .

 

[whirlwind]

iT IS MERELY SAYING; Do you think that the scripture "would say" such a thing. God´s Word says nothing in vain(to no good use), but rather is purifying Truth, and living, and is able to distinguish the thoughts and intents of our hearts. Therefore the scripture would never say, that the spirit(which is the Spirit of God) in us lusts to envy. God has given us the Spirit of power, and of love, and of a sound mind; and such a Spirit has no spot of envy.

Hello Costcounter,

The Spirit is, as you say, the Spirit of God and as such the Spirit in us would not cause lust to envy so...the envy is outside the Spirit. What causes it? The point of the Scripture is in pointing out the lust to envy exists. It is more than "merely saying" Scripture would say such a thing.

 

[whirlwind]

Seems to me that the CONTEXT is simply showing us that we are to separate ourselves from the word and its ways. And your verse in particular would mean, in that context, that God is 'jealous' over the spirit within us...that we not give ourselves over to worldly sin. That we give ourselves to HIM.

Course, thats just me. " "

.

How nice to see you in such a good mood. :yes

I didn't explain myself very well. Certainly we are not to give ourselves to sin but that isn't the point I'm bringing forth.

Please notice the beginning of the chapter....

• James 4:1-3 From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? 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. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.

It concerns the lust and envy between members of the body. It causes "wars and fighting among" us. What causes it?

 

[follower of Christ]

How nice to see you in such a good mood. :yes

Too much time spent in analyzing emotions instead of presenting ones case.

Please notice the beginning of the chapter....

I did...and have many times

It concerns the lust and envy between members of the body. It causes "wars and fighting among" us. What causes it?

Self.

.

 

[whirlwind]

How nice to see you in such a good mood. :yes

Too much time spent in analyzing emotions instead of presenting ones case.

Please notice the beginning of the chapter....

I did...and have many times

[quote:av589px5]It concerns the lust and envy between members of the body. It causes "wars and fighting among" us. What causes it?

Self.

.[/quote:av589px5]

Yes...I agree. It is self. It isn't His Spirit in us but our own pride that lusteth to envy.

• James 1:14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.

We can't be double minded, we can't be filled with His Spirit as well as our own prideful spirit.

• 4:8 Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

If we, those that love Him, purified our hearts toward our brothers (not easy and yet not impossible) then....

• James 3:16-18 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.