Hello Friends!
Welcome back to our Monday morning Daily Devotions
summer series titled
“The Book of James: Putting Faith to Work!”
The Book of James: Putting Faith to Work!
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!
Thank you for reading! Don’t miss next week’s continued study of The
Book of James: Putting Faith to Work!…
May the Lord Jesus Christ continue to bless you with His perfect
love, mercy and grace!
Keep looking up and sharing the Gospel while there is still time… Hallelujah
and Maranatha – come quickly Lord Jesus!
Blessings!
Shane <><
