6 Keys to Experiencing God's Favor
James 4:8-10
Favor is the blessing of God on our life that:
a. Increases our influence with God and with people
b. Results in unusual success or effectiveness
c. Affirms the things we do by His presence upon us
d. Acts as a shield of protection
Favor is the tangible evidence that a person has the approval of the Lord on their life.
Psalm 5:12 (NIV)
For surely, O LORD, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield.
James 4:6 (NIV)
But he [God] gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
Luke 2:52 (NKJV)
And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor (charis) with God and men.
Acts 7:10 (NKJV)
and delivered him [Joseph] out of all his troubles, and gave him favor (charis) and wisdom in the presence of Pharaoh, king of Egypt; and he made him governor over Egypt and all his house.
James 4:6 (NIV)
But he [God] gives us more grace/favor. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but gives grace/favor to the humble.”
James 4:10 (NIV)
Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.
1st Key: Submit to God
James 4:7a (NIV)
Submit yourselves, then, to God.
2nd Key: Resist the Devil
James 4:7 (NIV)
Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
3rd Key: Draw Near to God
James 4:8 (NIV)
Come near to God and he will come near to you.
2 Chronicles 15:1–2 (NIV)
1 The Spirit of God came upon Azariah son of Oded.
2 He went out to meet Asa and said to him, “Listen to me, Asa and all Judah and Benjamin. The LORD is with you when you are with him. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will forsake you.”
John 15:7 (TPT)
“If you live in life-union with me and if my words live powerfully within you—then you can ask whatever you desire and it will be done.”
4th Key: Pursue Purity
James 4:8b (NIV)
Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
1st James is writing to Christians… not non-Christians.
2nd He is talking to Christians who are functioning like sinners.
Psalms 27:4 (GNT)
I have asked the Lord for one thing; one thing only do I want: to live in the Lord’s house all my life, to marvel there at his goodness, and to ask for his guidance.
3rd This is a call to external purity (wash your hands) and internal purity (purify your hearts).
2 Corinthians 6:14–18 (NLT)
14 Don’t team up with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness?
15 What harmony can there be between Christ and the devil? How can a believer be a partner with an unbeliever?
16 And what union can there be between God’s temple and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God said: “I will live in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they will be my people.
17 Therefore, come out from among unbelievers, and separate yourselves from them, says the Lord. Don’t touch their filthy things, and I will welcome you.
18 And I will be your Father, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”
Hebrews 12:14 (NLT)
Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord.
1 Peter 1:14–17 (NLT)
14 So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then.
15 But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy.
16 For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.”
17 And remember that the heavenly Father to whom you pray has no favorites. He will judge or reward you according to what you do.
5th Key: Godly Repentance
James 4:9 (NIV)
Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom.
2 Corinthians 7:9–11 (NLT)
9 Now I am glad I sent it, not because it hurt you, but because the pain caused you to repent and change your ways. It was the kind of sorrow God wants his people to have, so you were not harmed by us in any way.
10 For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There's no regret for that kind of sorrow. but worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death.
11 Just see what this godly sorrow produced in you! Such earnestness, such concern to clear yourselves, such indignation…such zeal…
> The awareness of sin used to be our shadow. Christians hated sin, feared it, fled from it, grieved over it. Some of our grandparents agonized over their sins. A man who lost his temper might wonder whether he could still go to Holy Communion. A woman who for years envied her more attractive and intelligent sister might wonder if this sin threatened her very salvation. But the shadow has dimmed. Nowadays, the accusation "you have sinned" is often said with a grin, and with a tone that signals an inside joke. At one time, this accusation still had the power to jolt people.
— Plantinga, Not the Way, ix
> Go and read the history of revivals again. Watch the individuals at the beginning. This is invariably the first thing that happens to them. They begin to see what a terrible, appalling thing sin is in the sight of God. How terrible it must be. Never has there been a revival but that some of the people, especially at the beginning, have had such visions of the holiness of God, and the sinfulness of sin, that they have scarcely known what to do with themselves.
— Lloyd-Jones, Revival, p.157
1. The decisive taking of sides v.7
2. Leads us into the pursuit of God’s presence v.8a
3. Which in turn prompts the longing to be like Him in holiness v.8b
4. The more we pursue his presence and see His holiness the more deeply and sorrowfully we will feel about our sinfulness and shortcomings v.9
5. As we humble ourselves the Lord lifts us up v.10
6th Key: Humble Yourself
James 4:10 (NIV)
Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.
1 Peter 5:5–6 (NIV)
5 All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, "God opposes the proud but gives grace (charis) (favor) to the humble."
6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.
> Humility is not thinking less of yourself --- it’s thinking of yourself less.
— Rick Warren
1 Peter 5:6 (NIV)
Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.
