Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.
James 4:9 calls sinners and the double-minded to be afflicted and to mourn and weep over sin, turning careless and self-satisfied laughter and joy into mourning, heaviness, grief and contrition instead of treating sin lightly. That mourning belongs with submitting to God, resisting the devil, cleansing the hands, purifying the heart, drawing near to God, and humbling oneself before the Lord. Those who so humble themselves before God will be lifted up by Him, finding His grace, strength and salvation. The sorrow commanded is genuine grief and turning from sin with self-examination and a changed character, not mere words or distress at losing position. It does not forbid right cheerfulness and joy, but it condemns foolish joking, lightness, trifling and faultfinding speech while calling for earnest humility in a serious time.
Call to Sorrowful Repentance
The verse calls sinners and the double-minded to be afflicted and to mourn and weep over sin, turning careless, worldly and self-satisfied laughter and joy into mourning, heaviness, grief and contrition rather than treating sin lightly. This sorrow belongs with drawing near to God, cleansing the hands and actions, purifying the divided heart, submitting to Him, and humbling oneself before the Lord, with the promise that He will lift up those who humble themselves. It is especially fitting on the great day of atonement instead of striving for status and creating discord, and it is needed because people are so easily overcome by the devil's temptations. Applied to a faultfinding, accusing spirit, it requires examining and criticizing self rather than taking pleasure in self, humbling self before God, and turning from evil toward Him.
It calls those attached to the world and divided in loyalty to God to repent with deep sorrow, letting laughter and joy give way to mourning and heaviness as they turn from the world's pollution, cleanse their lives, and purify their hearts through obedience to truth. It calls believers to answer their sin and the seriousness of the times with mourning and humility rather than worldly folly, levity, pride, vanity, careless pleasure and self-confidence. In times marked by evil and approaching destruction this sober, contrite state of mind is more fitting than laughter, and repentance calls for earnestness when grief is required. It belongs to the earnest struggle of seeking God, resisting evil and pleading for help, contrasted with carelessness and indifference.
It invites troubled, despondent, spiritually cold, lukewarm, backslidden and distant people to confess sins, seek God with all their hearts in prayer, submit to Him, and receive the Holy Spirit. Such weeping and mourning expresses repentance and desire for blessing, is nothing to be ashamed of, and is accompanied by rejoicing when the Lord blesses those who confess He has blessed them. The verse belongs to James 4:5-12, which is to be read and practiced in daily life in order to know the work the Lord gives, with the work first done in the heart and every word studied as for life. To many claiming to be Seventh-day Adventists it is a dead letter, and heeding it changes the attitude and makes doers of the Word who keep God's moral law and reach lost souls.
It belongs to words that are to be taken in and practiced so they change the spirit and atmosphere of the heart, turning from selfishness, bitterness and harmful speech toward a changed life under God's guidance. It gives a lesson every church member must learn, calling for close self-examination in the light of God's Word so the essential work is done. Having complied with what it requires, acceptance with God is to be believed by faith whether or not feeling is different, with implicit obedience to every requirement of God's law bringing abiding in Christ's love. The convictions of the Holy Spirit are warnings it is dangerous to disregard.
Humility and Drawing Near
The mourning belongs with drawing near to God, submitting to Him, resisting the devil, cleansing the hands, purifying the divided heart, and humbling oneself before the Lord. It calls sinners and the double-minded to grieve over sin rather than treat it lightly, turning careless, worldly, self-satisfied laughter into mourning and joy into heaviness, sorrowful contrition, weeping and sincere repentance. This response is an invitation for troubled, despondent, spiritually cold people to seek God in prayer and receive the Holy Spirit, with the promise that God will lift up those who humble themselves before Him.
For those responsible for sacred work, that humility means bringing trials and perplexities to God rather than relying on human advisers. Ministers need this humble, heart-searching conversion, with its grief and seriousness in place of careless laughter and joy, before serving in Christ's example. The call addresses jealous and faultfinding, talebearing and gossiping church members, busybodies stirring dissension and strife, who must submit, draw nigh, sorrow deeply over sin, and refuse to lift themselves by tearing down brethren and setting forth their own virtues in contrast. So humbling themselves proves them branches of the true vine instead of workers manifesting the attributes of Satan.
The proud and self-pleasing person must turn from self-rule and seek God's converting power in humble, repentant grief, since a humbled and sanctified heart is necessary before safely instructing others. God requires true, earnest heart-service and placement where one can be cleansed from every stain of sin, and He will not accept prayers unless the one praying draws near with full purpose of heart. Those who humble themselves, repent, confess sins and draw near to God are promised that God will draw near to them.
Continual humiliation of soul is most acceptable to God, meaning repentance and confession not only of pointed-out sins but of all sins conscience brings to mind, showing an open break with Satan and sin. Feeling weakness, the sinner lays hold with earnest purpose and living faith on God's strength and overcomes natural defects. Walking humbly before God and seeking Him with contrition of soul leads God to manifest Himself, putting a person in condition to appreciate His mercy and to take advantage of the privileges He grants when He sends His message by whomsoever He chooses.
Promise to the Humble
Those who humble themselves before God and before the Lord will be lifted up by Him. This humbling belongs with drawing near to Him, submitting to Him, resisting the devil, cleansing the hands, purifying the heart, and turning self-indulgent, worldly, careless laughter and joy into sorrow, mourning, weeping, grief and contrition over sin. For jealous and faultfinding, talebearing and gossiping members who stir dissension and strife, it means refusing to lift themselves by tearing down brethren and setting forth their own virtues in contrast, so that being lifted up proves them branches of the true vine instead of workers manifesting the attributes of Satan. In that setting the sincere grief replaces joy in wrongdoing and includes abandoning tobacco and exercising self-control rather than hiding or excusing the sin.
Those who thus humble themselves and draw near to Him find His grace, strength and salvation against being overcome. Those who humble themselves, repent, confess sins and draw near to God are promised that God will draw near to them. The verse means to fast and pray, humble self, cleanse the heart from all impurity, confess sins, and plead with God day and night for victory over weakness and need, trusting Jesus Christ as the all-sufficient Helper who understands weakness and need, so that walking humbly with God brings sight of His salvation and knowledge of the power of His grace.
When self is humbled under God with simple, heartfelt confession, the sins that keep the Saviour away and close the heart against Jesus — jealousies, evil-surmisings, selfishness, self-sufficiency, hardheartedness, worldliness, and love of display and pleasure — are faced and seen as they appear in the sight of a holy God, with the simple prayer of faith offered while talking faith and living faith. Then God hears, lifts up the humbled, sends the Holy Spirit to convert soul, body and spirit, takes away the stony heart and gives a tender heart He can impress, turns the face heavenward, and moves to holy endeavor and a life fashioned after the divine pattern. God does not give true wisdom to the worldly-wise and prudent who are self-sufficient and do not know the things that make for their peace, but bestows wisdom on the humble and contrite who become fools in human estimation through humility, contrition, meekness, lowliness and self-denial, and reveals it to babes. He tenderly regards the humble, contrite, self-denying follower as a daily learner in the school of Christ and exalts the meek and lowly with true exaltation.
This continual humiliation of soul is most acceptable in His sight, meaning repentance and confession not only of sins pointed out but of all sins conscience brings to mind, showing an open break with Satan and sin. Feeling weakness, the sinner lays hold with earnest purpose and living faith on the strength of God and overcomes natural defects. This brings great peace and joy from the Lord, proves the Holy Spirit has touched the heart, works a miracle greater than physical healing, molds the inward character after the divine Pattern, and brings joy to the universe of God far greater than any outward display. God's grace comes to those who seek the Lord and walk humbly before Him, saving the soul from loss; those who remain in proud human philosophy and science refuse that humbling and will certainly lose their souls and remain out of harmony with God's faithful people.
Preparation for Sacred Gatherings
On the great day of atonement it is fitting to afflict the soul before God in grief over sin rather than treat sin lightly, letting laughter give way to mourning and joy to heaviness. This sorrow belongs with drawing near to God, cleansing the hands, purifying the heart, and humbling oneself before the Lord. Afflicting the soul in this way is better than striving for rank and status and creating discord.
In preparation for worship and camp-meeting the verse calls for turning to God with sorrow and grief over sin, with former laughter and carefree joy giving way to mourning, heaviness and humility. It requires honestly examining the heart before God and serious self-examination and repentance in readiness to draw near to Him and commune with Him. People should confess faults and wrongs, pray together, and put away and remove envy, jealousy, suspicion and fault-finding rather than bring unresolved discord into worship.
In the most solemn and important time amid the perils of the last days with important and fearful events ahead, all who fear God and love His law are called to be afflicted and mourn and humble themselves and confess the sins that have separated them from God. They must feel their condition and recognize and understand their low spiritual state and low estate rather than remain satisfied with it and satisfied to remain as they are. They must make it their first business to flee to God's Word and to prayer and to seek the Lord individually and earnestly through Scripture and prayer until they find Him. Then Christians can stand on the elevated position in keeping with the sacred truths they profess and let that light shine to others that God may be glorified.
Those in positions of influence and most responsible positions, leaders in the cause and institutions and the work in Washington, must decide to be wholly on the Lord's side by putting away the evil of their works, drawing near, repenting and being converted. The commanded affliction and sorrow is a reformation through the congregation beginning with the most responsible, each man beginning in his own house and household. Each is to teach truth and work diligently without fanaticism and make no delay after year after year of messages, giving the heart to the Lord for service in conformity to the will of the divine Saviour with well-ordered lives and godly conversation. This is urgent because their ways are not acceptable to God and many passing for Christians are not worthy of the name until converted in conduct.
Specific Sins to Forsake
The call to be afflicted and to mourn and weep means grieving and repenting over sin rather than taking pleasure in self, with laughter and joy giving way to mourning and heaviness. Applied to a faultfinding and accusing spirit, it requires examining and criticizing self, humbling self before God, and turning from evil toward Him. In conflict between believers, humbling oneself before God means confessing wrong, seeking reconciliation, and removing resentment and disunion so that wounds can be healed and blessing received, rather than pride or self-justification.
Sincere grief over sin replaces careless laughter and joy in wrongdoing with mourning and humility, and that repentance includes abandoning tobacco and exercising self-control rather than hiding or excusing the sin. Those who humble themselves in this way are promised that the Lord will lift them up. Mourning and humbled joy stand against self-conceit and self-deception, which leave a person barren of spiritual fruit and unfit for the kingdom of heaven. Drawing near in penitence and humility is necessary to resist temptation and avoid losing eternal life.
Pride, selfishness and self-exaltation must be conquered and the person converted rather than allowed to destroy Christ's love in the heart. When reproved for a wrong course, people must humble themselves before the Lord instead of hardening their hearts, holding to their own wisdom, and sullenly pursuing their own way. Departure from the Lord's ways produces a perversity that will not be humbled or corrected and keeps the Holy Spirit from being manifested with greater power in the churches. Those corrected who humble themselves and gladly reform with contrite prayer receive rich gifts from Christ, answered prayer, and help to understand themselves.
A proud person must humble himself or God will humble him. Refusing to repent and humble the heart before God brings loss of spiritual strength.
True Versus False Sorrow
True sorrow is mourning over sin with humbling of self before God and turning away from pride and ambition, not mere distress at failing to gain supremacy over others. It is not a rejection of proper cheerfulness and joy cultivated through sanctification, but a rejection of foolish joking, lightness, trifling, and speech that criticizes or condemns others. What is to be mourned is inclination to sin and danger from inward corruption and outward temptation, especially because there is so little sense of how serious sin is. Mere acknowledgment of being sinful is not enough, for repentance turns from sin and seeks a purified heart.
Right cheerfulness and joy are not forbidden, but words of jesting, joking, lightness and trifling show that the profession of Christianity is not genuine. Purified hearts and genuine sorrow for sin are required, and the claim that Christ's pardon removes the need to resist temptation is rejected as no genuine religion. Repentance is part of a thorough change of character, not merely words, facing wrongdoing with genuine grief and humility and turning careless laughter and joy over sin into mourning and sorrow. That response belongs to turning to God, cleansing hands and heart, and recognizing the seriousness of sin before it is too late.
The call to affliction, mourning and weeping belongs to repentance and self-examination in the light of God's Word, turning from careless pleasure to deep sorrow and humility before God. Its grief belongs to the earnest struggle of seeking God, resisting evil and pleading for help, in contrast to carelessness and indifference. It is part of turning from sin and humbling oneself before God. Pride and failure to reform bring affliction and turn joy to heaviness until the heart is humbled under God's hand.
James 4:9 calls sinners and the double-minded to be afflicted and to mourn and weep over sin, turning careless and self-satisfied laughter and joy into mourning, heaviness, grief and contrition instead of treating sin lightly. That mourning belongs with submitting to God, resisting the devil, cleansing the hands, purifying the heart, drawing near to God, and humbling oneself before the Lord. Those who so humble themselves before God will be lifted up by Him, finding His grace, strength and salvation. The sorrow commanded is genuine grief and turning from sin with self-examination and a changed character, not mere words or distress at losing position. It does not forbid right cheerfulness and joy, but it condemns foolish joking, lightness, trifling and faultfinding speech while calling for earnest humility in a serious time.
Call to Sorrowful Repentance
The verse calls sinners and the double-minded to be afflicted and to mourn and weep over sin, turning careless, worldly and self-satisfied laughter and joy into mourning, heaviness, grief and contrition rather than treating sin lightly. This sorrow belongs with drawing near to God, cleansing the hands and actions, purifying the divided heart, submitting to Him, and humbling oneself before the Lord, with the promise that He will lift up those who humble themselves. It is especially fitting on the great day of atonement instead of striving for status and creating discord, and it is needed because people are so easily overcome by the devil's temptations. Applied to a faultfinding, accusing spirit, it requires examining and criticizing self rather than taking pleasure in self, humbling self before God, and turning from evil toward Him.
It calls those attached to the world and divided in loyalty to God to repent with deep sorrow, letting laughter and joy give way to mourning and heaviness as they turn from the world's pollution, cleanse their lives, and purify their hearts through obedience to truth. It calls believers to answer their sin and the seriousness of the times with mourning and humility rather than worldly folly, levity, pride, vanity, careless pleasure and self-confidence. In times marked by evil and approaching destruction this sober, contrite state of mind is more fitting than laughter, and repentance calls for earnestness when grief is required. It belongs to the earnest struggle of seeking God, resisting evil and pleading for help, contrasted with carelessness and indifference.
It invites troubled, despondent, spiritually cold, lukewarm, backslidden and distant people to confess sins, seek God with all their hearts in prayer, submit to Him, and receive the Holy Spirit. Such weeping and mourning expresses repentance and desire for blessing, is nothing to be ashamed of, and is accompanied by rejoicing when the Lord blesses those who confess He has blessed them. The verse belongs to James 4:5-12, which is to be read and practiced in daily life in order to know the work the Lord gives, with the work first done in the heart and every word studied as for life. To many claiming to be Seventh-day Adventists it is a dead letter, and heeding it changes the attitude and makes doers of the Word who keep God's moral law and reach lost souls.
It belongs to words that are to be taken in and practiced so they change the spirit and atmosphere of the heart, turning from selfishness, bitterness and harmful speech toward a changed life under God's guidance. It gives a lesson every church member must learn, calling for close self-examination in the light of God's Word so the essential work is done. Having complied with what it requires, acceptance with God is to be believed by faith whether or not feeling is different, with implicit obedience to every requirement of God's law bringing abiding in Christ's love. The convictions of the Holy Spirit are warnings it is dangerous to disregard.
Humility and Drawing Near
The mourning belongs with drawing near to God, submitting to Him, resisting the devil, cleansing the hands, purifying the divided heart, and humbling oneself before the Lord. It calls sinners and the double-minded to grieve over sin rather than treat it lightly, turning careless, worldly, self-satisfied laughter into mourning and joy into heaviness, sorrowful contrition, weeping and sincere repentance. This response is an invitation for troubled, despondent, spiritually cold people to seek God in prayer and receive the Holy Spirit, with the promise that God will lift up those who humble themselves before Him.
For those responsible for sacred work, that humility means bringing trials and perplexities to God rather than relying on human advisers. Ministers need this humble, heart-searching conversion, with its grief and seriousness in place of careless laughter and joy, before serving in Christ's example. The call addresses jealous and faultfinding, talebearing and gossiping church members, busybodies stirring dissension and strife, who must submit, draw nigh, sorrow deeply over sin, and refuse to lift themselves by tearing down brethren and setting forth their own virtues in contrast. So humbling themselves proves them branches of the true vine instead of workers manifesting the attributes of Satan.
The proud and self-pleasing person must turn from self-rule and seek God's converting power in humble, repentant grief, since a humbled and sanctified heart is necessary before safely instructing others. God requires true, earnest heart-service and placement where one can be cleansed from every stain of sin, and He will not accept prayers unless the one praying draws near with full purpose of heart. Those who humble themselves, repent, confess sins and draw near to God are promised that God will draw near to them.
Continual humiliation of soul is most acceptable to God, meaning repentance and confession not only of pointed-out sins but of all sins conscience brings to mind, showing an open break with Satan and sin. Feeling weakness, the sinner lays hold with earnest purpose and living faith on God's strength and overcomes natural defects. Walking humbly before God and seeking Him with contrition of soul leads God to manifest Himself, putting a person in condition to appreciate His mercy and to take advantage of the privileges He grants when He sends His message by whomsoever He chooses.
Promise to the Humble
Those who humble themselves before God and before the Lord will be lifted up by Him. This humbling belongs with drawing near to Him, submitting to Him, resisting the devil, cleansing the hands, purifying the heart, and turning self-indulgent, worldly, careless laughter and joy into sorrow, mourning, weeping, grief and contrition over sin. For jealous and faultfinding, talebearing and gossiping members who stir dissension and strife, it means refusing to lift themselves by tearing down brethren and setting forth their own virtues in contrast, so that being lifted up proves them branches of the true vine instead of workers manifesting the attributes of Satan. In that setting the sincere grief replaces joy in wrongdoing and includes abandoning tobacco and exercising self-control rather than hiding or excusing the sin.
Those who thus humble themselves and draw near to Him find His grace, strength and salvation against being overcome. Those who humble themselves, repent, confess sins and draw near to God are promised that God will draw near to them. The verse means to fast and pray, humble self, cleanse the heart from all impurity, confess sins, and plead with God day and night for victory over weakness and need, trusting Jesus Christ as the all-sufficient Helper who understands weakness and need, so that walking humbly with God brings sight of His salvation and knowledge of the power of His grace.
When self is humbled under God with simple, heartfelt confession, the sins that keep the Saviour away and close the heart against Jesus — jealousies, evil-surmisings, selfishness, self-sufficiency, hardheartedness, worldliness, and love of display and pleasure — are faced and seen as they appear in the sight of a holy God, with the simple prayer of faith offered while talking faith and living faith. Then God hears, lifts up the humbled, sends the Holy Spirit to convert soul, body and spirit, takes away the stony heart and gives a tender heart He can impress, turns the face heavenward, and moves to holy endeavor and a life fashioned after the divine pattern. God does not give true wisdom to the worldly-wise and prudent who are self-sufficient and do not know the things that make for their peace, but bestows wisdom on the humble and contrite who become fools in human estimation through humility, contrition, meekness, lowliness and self-denial, and reveals it to babes. He tenderly regards the humble, contrite, self-denying follower as a daily learner in the school of Christ and exalts the meek and lowly with true exaltation.
This continual humiliation of soul is most acceptable in His sight, meaning repentance and confession not only of sins pointed out but of all sins conscience brings to mind, showing an open break with Satan and sin. Feeling weakness, the sinner lays hold with earnest purpose and living faith on the strength of God and overcomes natural defects. This brings great peace and joy from the Lord, proves the Holy Spirit has touched the heart, works a miracle greater than physical healing, molds the inward character after the divine Pattern, and brings joy to the universe of God far greater than any outward display. God's grace comes to those who seek the Lord and walk humbly before Him, saving the soul from loss; those who remain in proud human philosophy and science refuse that humbling and will certainly lose their souls and remain out of harmony with God's faithful people.
Preparation for Sacred Gatherings
On the great day of atonement it is fitting to afflict the soul before God in grief over sin rather than treat sin lightly, letting laughter give way to mourning and joy to heaviness. This sorrow belongs with drawing near to God, cleansing the hands, purifying the heart, and humbling oneself before the Lord. Afflicting the soul in this way is better than striving for rank and status and creating discord.
In preparation for worship and camp-meeting the verse calls for turning to God with sorrow and grief over sin, with former laughter and carefree joy giving way to mourning, heaviness and humility. It requires honestly examining the heart before God and serious self-examination and repentance in readiness to draw near to Him and commune with Him. People should confess faults and wrongs, pray together, and put away and remove envy, jealousy, suspicion and fault-finding rather than bring unresolved discord into worship.
In the most solemn and important time amid the perils of the last days with important and fearful events ahead, all who fear God and love His law are called to be afflicted and mourn and humble themselves and confess the sins that have separated them from God. They must feel their condition and recognize and understand their low spiritual state and low estate rather than remain satisfied with it and satisfied to remain as they are. They must make it their first business to flee to God's Word and to prayer and to seek the Lord individually and earnestly through Scripture and prayer until they find Him. Then Christians can stand on the elevated position in keeping with the sacred truths they profess and let that light shine to others that God may be glorified.
Those in positions of influence and most responsible positions, leaders in the cause and institutions and the work in Washington, must decide to be wholly on the Lord's side by putting away the evil of their works, drawing near, repenting and being converted. The commanded affliction and sorrow is a reformation through the congregation beginning with the most responsible, each man beginning in his own house and household. Each is to teach truth and work diligently without fanaticism and make no delay after year after year of messages, giving the heart to the Lord for service in conformity to the will of the divine Saviour with well-ordered lives and godly conversation. This is urgent because their ways are not acceptable to God and many passing for Christians are not worthy of the name until converted in conduct.
Specific Sins to Forsake
The call to be afflicted and to mourn and weep means grieving and repenting over sin rather than taking pleasure in self, with laughter and joy giving way to mourning and heaviness. Applied to a faultfinding and accusing spirit, it requires examining and criticizing self, humbling self before God, and turning from evil toward Him. In conflict between believers, humbling oneself before God means confessing wrong, seeking reconciliation, and removing resentment and disunion so that wounds can be healed and blessing received, rather than pride or self-justification.
Sincere grief over sin replaces careless laughter and joy in wrongdoing with mourning and humility, and that repentance includes abandoning tobacco and exercising self-control rather than hiding or excusing the sin. Those who humble themselves in this way are promised that the Lord will lift them up. Mourning and humbled joy stand against self-conceit and self-deception, which leave a person barren of spiritual fruit and unfit for the kingdom of heaven. Drawing near in penitence and humility is necessary to resist temptation and avoid losing eternal life.
Pride, selfishness and self-exaltation must be conquered and the person converted rather than allowed to destroy Christ's love in the heart. When reproved for a wrong course, people must humble themselves before the Lord instead of hardening their hearts, holding to their own wisdom, and sullenly pursuing their own way. Departure from the Lord's ways produces a perversity that will not be humbled or corrected and keeps the Holy Spirit from being manifested with greater power in the churches. Those corrected who humble themselves and gladly reform with contrite prayer receive rich gifts from Christ, answered prayer, and help to understand themselves.
A proud person must humble himself or God will humble him. Refusing to repent and humble the heart before God brings loss of spiritual strength.
True Versus False Sorrow
True sorrow is mourning over sin with humbling of self before God and turning away from pride and ambition, not mere distress at failing to gain supremacy over others. It is not a rejection of proper cheerfulness and joy cultivated through sanctification, but a rejection of foolish joking, lightness, trifling, and speech that criticizes or condemns others. What is to be mourned is inclination to sin and danger from inward corruption and outward temptation, especially because there is so little sense of how serious sin is. Mere acknowledgment of being sinful is not enough, for repentance turns from sin and seeks a purified heart.
Right cheerfulness and joy are not forbidden, but words of jesting, joking, lightness and trifling show that the profession of Christianity is not genuine. Purified hearts and genuine sorrow for sin are required, and the claim that Christ's pardon removes the need to resist temptation is rejected as no genuine religion. Repentance is part of a thorough change of character, not merely words, facing wrongdoing with genuine grief and humility and turning careless laughter and joy over sin into mourning and sorrow. That response belongs to turning to God, cleansing hands and heart, and recognizing the seriousness of sin before it is too late.
The call to affliction, mourning and weeping belongs to repentance and self-examination in the light of God's Word, turning from careless pleasure to deep sorrow and humility before God. Its grief belongs to the earnest struggle of seeking God, resisting evil and pleading for help, in contrast to carelessness and indifference. It is part of turning from sin and humbling oneself before God. Pride and failure to reform bring affliction and turn joy to heaviness until the heart is humbled under God's hand.