God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble1Why are there fights and disputes among you? Are they not the results of the evil desires that rage within you?2You want something you don't have, so you plan and are even ready to kill to get what you want. You quarrel and fight, yet you do not have because you do not ask God for what you want.3Even if you do ask, you do not receive because your motives are wrong when you ask; you want only what will please the natural desires of your self-life.4You are an adulterous people! Surely you know that to be friends with the values of this world is tantamount to hatred towards God! Yes, anyone who decides to be the world's friend makes himself God's enemy.5Do you imagine that the scripture is meaningless that says the Spirit that God causes to live in us longs for us to be true to Him?6And He gives us all the grace we need to please Him. This is why the scripture says: "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble."7So submit yourselves wholeheartedly to God, stand against the devil and he will run from you.8Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. You sinners, wash your hands from the stain of sin and purify your hearts, for you are double-minded.9You need to grieve, mourn and wail until you are free from your sin. Until then it is time to mourn, not laugh, to be sad instead of joyful.10So in repentance humble yourselves before the Lord and He will raise you up so you can truly rejoice.Do not judge11My brothers, do not speak against each other, for to do so is to judge your brother and to treat God's Word as being of no account. When you have such an attitude you do not obey the law but sit in judgment on it.12God is the only One who gives us the law and then the only Judge who determines whether we have obeyed Him. He is the same One who has the power to either save or destroy. After all, who gave you the right to judge your neighbour?13Now listen carefully. Some of you say, "Today or tomorrow we will decide to go to this or that place for a year. And our business will then make a good profit."14Yet you have no idea what will happen tomorrow. Your life is like a mist that appears in the early morning but soon vanishes when the sun rises.15It would be much better if you were to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we live to do this or that."16Without such an attitude you are proud and will boast, and all such boasting is evil.17If you know what you should do but fail to do it, then you are guilty of sin.
Scripture quoted by permission. The passage above is taken from THE TRUTH VERSION. Copyright © 2009 by Colin Urquhart. All rights reserved worldwide. (The Truth New Testament)