“Preaching to Ourselves”

Following the sermon from James 4:13 – 5:1-6 on August 31, I asked you to see the connection between James 5:1-6 and Luke 12:13-21, and to preach truth to yourself as you battle for your joy in Jesus! That joy—joy in Jesus Christ—is infinitely sweeter and more valuable than seeking joy in money and stuff. And it is eternally rewarding, not eternally condemning!

Preaching to ourselves…It is a great thing to learn and grow in.

Yesterday I read a brief quote from Milton Vincent’s A Gospel Primer for Christians. It links with the book of James. The most breath-taking statements in James are these: “Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God…God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” (James 4:4 and 6) By God’s kindness and grace, I don’t want to be God’s enemy! O, I don’t want God to oppose me! I want to be humble and receive His grace—“more grace” (4:6). And I’m sure you agree with me if you are in Jesus Christ by grace through faith.

How do we oppose pride and humble ourselves before the Lord? One way is by preaching the gospel to ourselves. Here is the quote from Vincent:

“Preaching the gospel to myself each day mounts a powerful assault against my pride and serves to establish humility in its place. Nothing suffocates my pride more than daily reminders regarding the glory of my God, the gravity of my sins, and the crucifixion of God’s own Son in my place. Also, the gracious love of God, lavished on me because of Christ’s death, is always humbling to remember, especially when viewed against the backdrop of the Hell I deserve.”

I encourage you. Join me in preaching the gospel to yourself for the glory of Jesus Christ in and through you, and the pummeling of pride, and your submission to God, and your battle against temptation, and the defeat of self-sovereignty (James 4:13-17), and the bridling of your tongue, and your cherishing of Christ more than anything else, and your growing effectiveness in witness and missions, and…