Hello Friends!
Welcome Back! Let’s continue our journey through “The
Book of James: Putting Faith to Work!”
The Book of James: Putting Faith to Work! (Chapter 4:1-6)
This
week we will continue our reading of verses 1-6
in beginning chapter 4 as we consider Two
Friendships…
James
provides another potent point in this excellent epistle addressing yet another test of true “living faith” in Jesus Christ. It is one
thing to say you “believe”
in Jesus, to say you're a “Christian”
and go through the “religious”
motions. However, it is another thing all together to – Prove it with your life!
And
now James comes to another key indicator of true “saving faith” and that is one's attitude
toward the “world” because to
be a “friend” of the “world” is to be an “enemy of God.” Therefore, God literally
becomes your “enemy” – A fearful perception!
Two Friendships: Which One?
James
begins this powerful passage by asking two poignant questions for us to
consider concerning the dangerous “desires” of worthless worldliness:
Where
do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for
pleasure that war in your members? – James
4:1
If
we were to define worldliness in one simple way, James
refers to it here as “wars”
and “fights” resulting in
major conflicts. There are “fights”
in families, marriages, employment and every arena of human existence of which
can escalate ultimately to “wars”
between nations battling against one another. Why? Because
they originate from the hedonistic “desires for pleasure” that are
vying for the worldly narcissistic person’s affections of
which inevitably creates conflict, specifically in the “assembly” of the “brethren” – Fights
within the fellowship!
IMPORTANT NOTE: This conflict within
the church is not God's design! In fact, Jesus said:
A new commandment I give to
you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love
one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have
love for one another – John 13:34-35
Then
James continues to provide more detailed evidence of the looming “lust” that brings about these “fights” and “wars” within the church body:
You
lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and
war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive,
because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures – James 4:2-3
Pastor
James has utilized many different kinds of metaphorical vocabulary to make his
point evident to his readers and in this incident he chooses violent
terminology such as “murder”
and “covet”
to grab our attention. Why? because it expresses the intensity
and destructiveness of this conflict
within the “church” itself.
These “fights” and “wars” were happening because there were
some “brethren” (believers) in
the “assembly” who were deeply
in “love” with God and there
were also “others”
(unbelievers) who were deeply in “love”
with the wicked “world”
system. With these two opposing types of “friendships” present among the “brethren,” a major conflict
is inevitable – Tares among
the wheat!
QUIZZING QUESTIONS: Who is the “you” spoken
of here? What does James mean when he says “you do not have because you do not
ask.” What
are they really searching for? These folks are the “unbelievers” within the church
of whom are not searching for God,
but they are searching for all the “things” that God can give
them. Everyone is looking for that! But
they don't want God Himself, they only want whatever their
worldly “lusts”
dictate. However, they will not “receive” what they want
according to their warped minds. Why? Because they
selfishly “ask amiss”
to foolishly “spend” it upon themselves
and their own “pleasures”
but not for the glory and honor of God. In other
words, God is the “giver of all good gifts”
if you'd only properly “ask”
of Him on HIS terms – You
do not have what you REALLY NEED because you do not ask of Him!
Friends of the World
But
much worse than that… This frenzied “friendship” with the wicked “world” means eternal “enmity” with God!
Adulterers
and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with
God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy
of God – James 4:4
James
is not speaking here of circumstances related to our spiritual weakness of
which can pull any true “believer”
into the “sins” of our “fleshly” nature. This kind of “friendship”
that James addresses here implies a deep longing to be intimately
involved with the wicked “world”
itself. It is a falling in love with all the evil drives
and impulses that are associated with this type of worldly
affection. Incidentally, this term for "world"
refers to the man-centered, Satan-directed system of which is hostile
towards “God,” “Jesus Christ” and the “Christian.” Incidentally, the Greek word
for “enemy” here is a very
strong word which represents a personal hostility
and hated. James has in mind a false
“follower” with “dead faith” of whom is in “love” with the wicked “world” system. Therefore, the unfaithful
Jewish “adulterers and
adulteresses” James warns of here are those guilty of spiritual
harlotry against their special “covenant”
with God and are actually hostile towards Him – They make themselves an enemy of God!
THEOLOGICAL THOUGHTS: The word "adulteresses" would immediately
remind James’ Jewish readers that Israel became an adulterous
wife. They would remember the Old Testament Prophet Hosea
writing of “Israel” as an unfaithful
wife of Jehovah God. Incidentally, such a term was never
used in the Old Testament Scriptures for Gentiles. Why?
Because only “Israel”
could commit spiritual “adultery”
contrary to their “covenant”
relationship with their God. Gentiles could be “fornicators”
in a metaphorical sense but only Jews could be “adulteresses” to God Himself. The nation
of “Israel” was the “covenant” bride of God as symbolized in
the marriage relationship between Hosea and Gomer. And when Israel went whoring
after other “false” gods, Israel
became spiritual “adulteresses”
in God’s eye. In the New Testament, this word "adulteresses" is also a term used for
unbelieving and “professing”
people who attach themselves outwardly
to the “church” and “Christianity” without concern for the consequences.
The Greek word for “friendship“
here means to make oneself or to take a stand against. Therefore,
with their tremendous consuming “love for the
world,” these “friends
of the world” will give nothing to
God but give themselves fully over to
the wicked “worldly” satanic
system – They are spiritual harlots!
James
then continues with another powerful question for these spiritual “adulterers and adulteresses”
to seriously “think”
about:
Or do
you think that the Scripture says in vain, “The spirit who dwells in us yearns
jealously”? – James 4:5
In
other words, James is saying: “Do you think that
the Scripture says for nothing that the spirit that dwells in us lusts to envy
and that you are a living proof of the veracity of Scripture?” The
“unregenerate” person has
within themselves a “sinful” natural spirit that “yearns jealously” for the
affections of the “world.” In
stark contrast, the true “believer”
in Jesus Christ has within themselves the Holy
Spirit of Whom also “yearns jealously” for the “truth” of God. It is interesting to note
that James’ quote “The
spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously” isn't found anywhere
in the Bible, either the Hebrew or Septuagint. It is simply a composite
thought from Scripture by James and represents the essence of
general teaching pertaining to the whole counsel of God’s Word. The context
here is that the Scriptures everywhere “teach” that the fallen “spirit” within man “lusts to envy” the “things” of the “world” and “yearns jealously” for their affections.
This “evil” impulse is there
within – And we must fight against it!
Friends of God
Conversely,
James finishes this thought with a prominent promise of God’s “grace” and forgiveness
found in His Word:
But He
gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, but gives
grace to the humble.” – James
4:6
God
gives “more grace” in spite of
the wicked heart of “man”
and our propensity to “lust”
for evil things. God gives “more grace”
in spite of man's evil “desires”
and thus “makes himself”
God’s “enemy” by choice.
God indeed gives much “more grace”
– But to whom?
Only the “humble”
will receive God’s “grace” and
unlike the previous verse, here James quotes the Scripture directly:
Surely
He scorns the scornful, but gives
grace to the humble – Proverbs
3:34
Therefore,
if you're consumed with your “lusts” and “pride,”
parading that you're a true “believer”
but are passionately in “love
with the world” and controlled by “envy” which is the diagnosis of the heart
of the “unregenerate,” you are
never going to “receive”
God’s “grace.” These people
will only “receive” God’s “scorn”
because He “resists the
proud” – They are His
enemies!
The
Apostle Peter also quoted from Proverbs 3:34
when he had this to say in his first epistle concerning the “proud” of heart verses
the “humble” of heart:
Likewise you younger people,
submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another,
and be clothed with humility, for “God resists the proud, but gives grace to
the humble.” – 1 Peter
5:5
POINTS TO PONDER: The Greek word for “pride” is quite interesting. It contains
the word “above” and the word to “show off” and refers to
somebody who shows himself as if he were above
everyone else because he is exalted in his own mind. The “lovers of the world” are those who parade
a certain kind of outward belief in God. They attach
themselves to the “church” but
the reality is that their “affections”
are toward the “world” and
they are controlled by the “evil”
internal impulses that characterize all “unregenerate”
hearts. The Greek word for "resist"
is very interesting as well. This word is a military term that depicts a full
scale army prepared for battle. It has the idea of God
setting up His troops to do battle against the “proud.” The wicked “world” is filled with pride.
Although it isn't always pompous external pride, it is a pitting of one's own
“will” against the “will” of God.
Therefore, God “sets up” His army in a military array to do war
against the “proud”
– God opposes the proud!
Beloved,
God is indeed “gracious” but
He “gives grace” only to the “repentant” and “humble” in heart. The Lord “wars” against the “proud” – But
He gives His great Grace to the humble!
In closing:
It
was back in chapter 1 where James
originally introduced this test
of true “faith” when he said:
Pure
and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and
widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world – James 1:27
So
James says here that “pure”
and “undefiled religion” will “keep” itself “unspotted” and unstained “from” the “world”
of evil – Satan’s lair!
GOD’S WORD IS CLEAR! Anyone who is a friend of the “world” is the “enemy” of God! The two are – Incompatible!
In
fact, the Apostle John aptly applies this same “truth”
in stating that if you “love”
the “world,” you don't
“love” the “Father”:
Do not
love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love
of the Father is not in him – 1 John 2:15-16
Straight to the point!
That's
how it is for people who “love the world.”
They “lust” for “pleasure” and the thrill of the moment. If
you're a “friend” of the “world” then you're an enemy
of God. In other words – There's no place for
compromise!
REAL REFLECTIONS: Where does your
“love” and “affection” go? What
do you “love”
most in life? Who do you “love” more, gracious God or this wicked “world” system? You don't want to be the “enemy of God” because the “day” is “coming”
when God is going to “put all His enemies
under the feet” of Jesus Christ for eternal
“judgment” – Don't be an enemy of God!
With this information as a foundation for your personal studies,
please read through verses 1-6 of the fourth
chapter of James.
Keep looking up and sharing the Gospel while there is still time… Hallelujah
and Maranatha – come quickly Lord Jesus!
We are not guaranteed tomorrow – tomorrow may be too late! If you haven't yet made that most important decision of your life, won't you make Jesus Christ your personal Lord and Savior today - before it's too late? Today is the day of Salvation!
If you have been blessed by this message or have a specific question, prayer request or testimony, please send me a note to: encouragingconcepts@live.com
I love hearing from you. Keep reading Encouraging Concepts!
Blessings!
Shane K. Morin <><
Encouraging Concepts
Truth for Today
"Living Life From a Biblical Worldview"Lighthouse Publications <><
