BiblicalInsights.net

In James 4:6, the Word of the God declares, “God resists the proud, but giveth grace to the humble.”  Several insights can be gained from this succinct statement of Scripture.
First, the word “resists” is from the Greek word antitasso which is a military term that depicts the orderly arrangement of troops to successfully wage combat against the enemy (non-compliant person).  It depicts an arrangement of military forces to crush the enemy.  God’s face is against them.  God has become an adversary to them.  The proud person is the arrogant person who refuses to submit to God’s Will.  This personal obstinacy against God is met with God’s response of “resistance.”  This means that God has become their foe.  Consider this important fact.  Satan is also an adversary to them.  Peter depicts Satan as a roaring lion walking about seeking whom he may devour (I Pet. 5:8).  Satan is an adversary and a destroyer (Rev. 9:11).  When the proud person, even if he or she is a Christian, sets himself against God, he has doubled his trouble!  Not only is Satan against him, but, now, God is against him.  James has already addressed this spiritual dilemma.  “Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that friendship with the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God” (James 4:4).  The height of human arrogance is manifested in disobedience to God.  The “world” is characterized by the works of the flesh.  “Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these: Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, reveling, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God” (Gal. 5:19-21).  It is one thing to have Satan as your enemy.  It is quite another to have God as your enemy.  When both Satan and God are against you, you have no hope of victory.
Second, the transition from a haughty spirit to a humble heart is an act of personal will.  God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.  The humble (tapeinos) person is contrite, exhibits lowliness of mind and heart, and has succeeded in slaying pride.  Pride is slain through repentance which affects a change of heart toward God.  “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time” (I Pet. 5:6).  Humility is accomplished by self-denial (Matt. 16:24).  Our personal will must become one with the will of God.
Third, submission to God’s authority is essential to obtaining the grace of God.  The command is to “submit yourselves” (James 4:7, hupotasso) or willingly place ourselves under the authority of God.  This removes conflict between ourselves and God.  It avoids the chastening of God for Christians who disobey Him and it invites God’s grace.  God’s grace is conditional.  It is conditioned upon humble obedience to His commands.  God’s grace is appropriated through obedience which is accompanied by faith and love.  God’s grace involves the fullness of the blessings of the gospel of Christ (Rom. 15:29).  It involves our: forgiveness, sonship, heirship, fellowship with deity and with the saints, oneness with the triune God, and hope of everlasting life.
When we transgress God’s law, we exhibit a pride that God opposes.  We have doubled our trouble.  The only escape from this spiritual dilemma is humble obedience spurred by repentance.

In Mark 11:27-33, an exchange takes place between Jesus and his detractors. The religious leaders among the Jews challenge Jesus’ authority. Earlier, Jesus had cast out the merchandizers in the temple area (Mark 11:15). The event triggered the questions, “By what authority doest thou these things and who gave thee this authority” (Mark 11:28)?
The Question
The question is a valid question. We must be concerned about the authority behind what we do especially in matters that pertain to religion. Jesus’ enemies supposed that He had no authority to do or to teach the things He did. They know that they had not given Him this authority. They were not sincere in their quest. They were looking to find a way that they might accuse Jesus.
Jesus’ First Response
Jesus answered their question with a question. He asked, “The baptism of John, was it form heaven or from men?” Jesus showed that there are really only two choices regarding authority. Either authority comes from God, or it comes from men. If from God, then they must obey. If from men, then they could disregard it. In regards to John’s baptism, their actions had already betrayed them. They rejected it. Therefore, they did not hold that John was a prophet from God. Jesus revereses the obligation to answwer. He exposed by what authority they acted in disobedience to God. They were in reality following Satan by following their own wills.
The Challengers Respond
The internal thoughts of these men are revealed to us in Scripture. This is an indication of the inspiration of the Scriptures. Jesus’ opponents recognized that they were impaled upon the “horns of a dilemma.” If they say from heaven, then why didn’t they obey God? If they say from men, then they feared the people because the common person held that John was a prophet from God. They answered, “We cannnot tell” (Mark 11:33). First, if their statement is true, then they should have confessed their ignorance and humbly asked Jesus to explain. Second, if their statement is false, then they identified themselves with Satan (John 8:44). How did the common person know what they professed they did not know? Their actions betrayed their true beliefs. They rejected John’s baptism. John witnessed to Jesus (Jhon 5:33). If they accepted John as a prophet from God, then they would have to accept Jesus as the Christ (John 1:29).
The Lord’s Second Response
Jesus replied to them, “Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things” (Mark 11:33). Jesus said He would not tell. The answer was already apparent to the unprejudiced mind.
The Answer to the Unanswered Question
The gospel writers permit their readers to come to their own conclusions about the events of which they write. Jesus was sent from God and spoke for God (Heb. 1:1-2). He possessed authority because He was and is the Son of God (John 10:30). John writes that “these things are written that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God (John 20:30-31). Jesus possesses all authority (Matt. 28:18). He does so because He is deity (John 1:1). This means that all of us are now in the position of the Jewish religious leaders. If Jesus is a prophet of God and speaks the word of God to men by what authority would we reject His teaching? If we have not obeyed Him, we have rejected God and are following the authority of men. Jesus also commanded baptism (Matt. 28:19, Mark 16:16 and John 3:3-5). To reject the teaching of Jesus is to betray the fact that we follow men not God. The baptism of the Great Commission is it from heaven or from men?