James 4:9

"Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom" (James 4:9).

Continuing his theme, James gives a direct command to the church concerning worldliness that might appear peculiar at first glance. Keep in mind, James is making this statement after reiterating that God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble and contrite of heart. Therefore, we must resist the devil by drawing near and submitting to God through the custom of cleansing and purifying ourselves.

This is accomplished by James' exhortation to be wretched and mourn and weep over our sin in the midst of selfish pride that takes great pleasure in thwarting the conviction of the Holy Spirit. For worldliness is never satisfied with boundaries, but expands its breadth and depth to areas of our lives we assume have been surrendered to Christ. It feeds upon guilty pleasures and spirals downward in deviance over time, yet most often we seek to keep the fire of sin contained and at bay rather than extinguishing the tempestuous flames altogether.

James states simply that we are to be wretched, which is defined as "very miserable; sunk into deep affliction or distress, either from want, anxiety or grief" (Noah Webster's 1828 Dictionary). Wretched is a word rarely used in our native language, but its meaning should invoke a seriousness toward sin which contradicts the assumption that fleshly pleasures satisfy.

In truth, there is a moment of clarity at the climax of sin where death is exposed for the naked eye to see. There is no longer a façade of beauty that tempestuously allures a man to abandon common sense and the Spirit's conviction, but a revelation of truth that pierces us at the core of our being (Hebrews 4:12). That is why James earlier reiterated, "But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death" (James 1:14-15).

Physical death is inevitable, but spiritual death is a cancerous epidemic in daily proportions that occurs in the heart of every man who proclaims faith in Christ but continues to be shackled by the desires of his own flesh. The call to not only be wretched but mourn and weep echoes the words of Jesus in His sermon on the mount.

"Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted" (Matthew 5:4) is a phrase often misinterpreted as pertaining to those who are grieving the loss of a loved one. It is a common mistake because we typically associate mourning with death, and rightly so, for that is a logical assumption based on the surface of our understanding. James recognized this though, and purposed to convey the same sentiment but in proper context of Jesus' command.

Christ lovingly encouraged His flock of sinful men and women that comfort comes to those who mourn over the reality of their sin, and we should receive the blessing of that truth when we apply it to our hearts. Yes, sin must be atoned for, but freedom from the bondage of sin and death comes when we weep and mourn in a spirit of wretchedness, which echoes the cry of our spirit for the saving grace of God.

James also makes a stern warning against the desires of the flesh that tempt our hearts to abandon the truth God has revealed to us in Scripture. He could have easily referenced the wisdom of King Solomon in the book of Ecclesiastes, who regarded the pleasures of this world as vanity and chasing after the wind; or reiterated the example King David gives in chapters 5-7 of Proverbs concerning the man who is willingly led astray like an ox to the slaughter by the adulteress/temptress.

Rather, James chose to filter our heart's intent and reveal its true depravity by judging the audacity we exude when our hearts and minds mock the absolute truth of God's Word. For when we laugh and find joy in the pleasures of sin, we discredit the faith we proclaim and testify to how hypocritical we are to intentionally and willfully submit to temptation and obey its command.

The apostle Paul stated plainly, "Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption" (Ephesians 4:30) as a reminder that when we choose to sin, we forfeit intimacy with Christ and separate ourselves from the will of God. How often though do we fail to heed this warning?

The wake of destruction when we sin is far greater than we could ever grasp or imagine, therefore our posture must be reverent and repentant as we apply James' wisdom. For we have the privilege of knowing that Christ has redeemed us from the power of sin and death.

He has paid our ransom. But we cannot be misconstrued into thinking that mourning is no longer needed because forgiveness is readily available from the Father. We must weep and mourn just as the prophet Jeremiah proclaimed to the tribe of Judah who rejected the Lord.

"O daughter of my people, put on sackcloth, and roll in ashes; make mourning as for an only son, most bitter lamentation, for suddenly the destroyer will come upon us" (Jeremiah 6:26). 

When we align our perspective with the will of God as revealed in His Word, we find grace, peace, freedom and victory. For God's intent is not to pin us down with the weight of His Law and force us to push harder to free ourselves.

Rather, He has provided salvation through Christ and forgiveness of sin because of His everlasting love for us, and we must remind ourselves of that truth if we are ever to abandon our self-sufficiency for the all-encompassing sufficiency of Jesus Christ, His Word and the power of the Holy Spirit which can destroy strongholds.