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“Friend of the World, Enemy of God”
Introduction: We cannot deny the fact we are living in an age of moral decay! There is no doubt everywhere we look we are confronted with the signs of a PERVERTED, IMMORAL, and AMORAL society. However, this amoral age should not come as a surprise to the student of the Word of God.
This may surprise you, but the New Testament world was a totally pagan culture and society.
Materialism reigned supreme!
The society in general was X-rated.
Prostitution was part of their religious ritual.
Human life was cheap.
Divorce was rampant.
Large cities such as Rome, Ephesus and Antioch were centers of debauchery, sensuality, and shocking social life. It was into these wicked cities that churches were being planted. For the first time, the gospel and teachings of Jesus Christ began to penetrate the pagan environment.
New believers were being challenged to break away from their old habit patterns and to live for Jesus Christ.
From James 3:14-18 battles were going on inside the lives of believers and inside churches, between worldly wisdom and heavenly wisdom.
From James 4:1-3 James showed that strife in the home, conflicts in the business world, and conflict in our churches has its roots in the sensual desires and covetousness in our lives.
Now in verse 4, James came out with this startling statement, “YOU ADULTERESSES AND ADULTERERS...” The allustration James was making was quite familiar to his listeners. The Old Testament prophecies of Ezekiel, Isaiah, and especially Hosea, had often pictured the children of Israel as the unfaithful, impure wife of Jehovah, as we read in Jeremiah 3:20, "But like a woman unfaithful to her husband so you have been unfaithful to me, O house of Israel."
In God's eyes, when Israel began to follow after false gods, they were guilty of spiritual adultery.
In James’ eyes, believers were committing spiritual adultery. They talked out of one side of their mouth that they loved God, but in reality they were having a love affair with the world.
James’ question was a shocker, "Don't you know that the friendship of the world is enmity with God?" "Don't you know?" James shouts at the top of his voice. "What has happened to your spirit of discernment, that you no longer know what is good and evil, what is sin and what is righteousness? Have you completely lost your sense of values?"
Hold it! Let me ask the 21st century Christian in the 21st century church, where is your sense of godly values? James may very well be speaking to you who have become "lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God" as warned in II Timothy 3:4. In James 4:4-6 we read,
“Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. (5) Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy? (6) But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.”
In these verses please notice THREE statements.
FIRST: Friendship with the World DESTROYS our Fellowship with God, verse 4. “Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.” What does James mean when he scolds his readers for loving the WORLD? Reading through James, you will discover he has used this word a number of times.
James 1:27, "to keep oneself unspotted from the WORLD."
James 2:5, "Hath not God chosen the poor of this WORLD."
James 3:6, "The tongue is a fire, a WORLD of iniquity."
Now the term world has 3 distinct meanings in scripture.
Number 1: It refers to the physical earth. God created the earth to reveal to man that He is God, the powerful creator. Psalm 24:1 tells us, "The earth is the Lords and the fullness thereof, the world and they who dwell therein."
Number 2: It refers to the human world of mankind. This is the world that according to John 3:16 “…God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son."
Number 3: It refers to the world's system.
To get a handle on what encompasses the world you need to focus your attention on the words from I John 2:15-17, “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. (16) For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. (17) And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.” May I suggest you circle the SIX times where the word “world” is used and then in the margin of your Bibles write the words "lifestyle." John is saying:
Love not the LIFESTYLE that excludes God.
Love not the LIFESTYLE that demisses the need for God.
Both John and James are speaking of the LIFESTYLE man has created for HIMSELF in which he attempts to live without God. A "man of the world" is a man whose thinking is caught up and devoted to a kind of living that leaves God out of the picture.
"Worldliness is anything that makes sin look attractive and righteousness look silly."
“Worldliness is a LIFESTYLE in opposition to what is GODLY and HOLY and SPIRITUAL.”
Let's face it. We either belong to God and live for God or we belong to this world and live like the world. If you belong to God, but live like the world then you are an enemy of God.
As a child of God we cannot avoid living INthe world, but we don't have to be a PARTof the world. As a believer in Christ there is a difference in our actions, activities, mind-set and attitude.
John comes right out in I John 2:15-17 and says "STOP loving the LIFESTYLE of the World." James comes out and says you are like an adulterer or adulteress if you are a friend of the world. Even the Apostle Paul made similar statements to help us understand what James and John had in mind.
In I Corinthians 1:20 Paul speaks of the wisdom of this WORLD – “Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?”
In Ephesians 2:2 Paul speaks of the ways of the WORLD – “Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience.”
In Colossians 2:8 Paul speaks of the rudiments or principles of the WORLD – “Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.”
To sum it up, the WAYS of the World, the WISDOM of the World and the PRINCIPLES of the world are man-centered and not God-centered.
Let's face it! We live in this world, therefore the world's lifestyle without God surrounds and touches our lives every day.
WORLDLINESS is in our homes.
WORLDLINESS is in our lives.
WORLDLINESS is in many of our Christian Schools.
WORLDLINESS is in our churches.
As someone said, “We looked for the church and found it in the world; we looked for the world and found it in the church. Is it any wonder our teenagers are so confused when they see the church in the world and the world in the church?
Our teenagers are confused about the importance of the church when they see their parents’ inconsistency in attending.
Our teenagers are confused over which religion is right to follow when their parents state that other religions are just looking at it from a different point of view. That is a very, very wrong answer.
Our teenagers are also confused over life, especially over the “thou shalt not’s” as they watch Christian adults violate them as if it was ok to do so.
Is it not too strong to say that friendship with the world is enmity with God?
Jesus said in Luke 16:13 "No man can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon."
In sadness, Paul wrote of his friend Demas in II Timothy 4:10, "For Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world…"
Pastor what is the difference? How do I know if I am a godly Christian or a worldly Christian? In answering those questions, ask yourself this one: Which do I enjoy the most?
Doing the things of God with the people of God in the house of God, or doing things of the world with the people of the world in the places of the world.
When Paul said of Demas "he loved this present world…" what does that involve? Think through your answers to these questions:
Are you more interested in news and current events than in the salvation of your friends, neighbors and relatives?
Are you more concerned in planning a family outing than in preparing your family for heaven?
Do you have a greater interest in building your own reputation, than that of Christ?
Do you find yourself becoming engrossed in the affairs of daily life and forgetting to live each day in the light of the soon return of Christ?
Do you find yourself neglecting personal prayer, reading the Word of God, consistent gathering for worship?
Do you find yourself caught up in the world of materialism?
Are you more concerned about being HAPPY than being HOLY?
Are you more concerned about making plans to leave your material goods to your children, while failing to plan to leave them a spiritual heritage?
Are you unwilling to get involved in a ministry that requires personal inconvenience and sacrifice?
Are you more excited about attending a church dinner than a prayer meeting?
Do you spend more time reading secular magazines, books and newspapers than reading and studying the Word of God?
Are you more interested in talking about sports, hobbies, or TV programs than about the Lord?
Let's nail this down, “What kind of LIFESTYLE are you showing your children and grandchildren?” Don't think you can hide these facts from your children and not have them affected! They will soon discover what is going on.
The contemporary adage is true, "garbage in – garbage out. Worldliness in will be worldliness out. Worldliness in our lives soon dulls our love for Jesus."
Do your children and grandchildren see a genuine Godly character, or do they see you living in spiritual adultery?
Is Sunday morning just a show of singing these songs, "Blessed Assurance Jesus is Mine” and “What a Foretaste of Glory" or “Oh, How I Love Jesus”? Once the Sunday halo comes off, does your every day worldly lifestyle go on? All the while, the children and teenagers wonder, with a great deal of confusion, WHICH IS THE RIGHT WAY.
Everything about the LIFESTYLE OF THE WORLD touches us every day. Someone said,"CHRISTIANS MUST LIVE IN THE WORLD, BUT THEY ARE NOT TO LET THE WORLD LIVE IN THEM."
In Colossians 3:1-3 we read, “If we then be risen with Christ, SEEK those things which are above…SET your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life, is hid with Christ in God.”
In Titus 2:11-13 we read, “For the grace of God, that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that denying ungodliness and WORLDLY lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present WORL;: Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;…”
Jesus said in Matthew 5:13-14 we are to be "the salt of the earth" and “the light of the world."That is, we are to change the world, but not allow the world to change us.
The way to combat worldliness is to be a friend of God. Please turn again to that great challenge given by the Apostle Paul in Romans 12:1-2, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. (2) And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” Notice again verse 2, "Do not conform any longer to the patterns of the world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." Let's say it this way:
"Don't let the world with its fads and styles, with its habits and pleasures, with its dress and amusement and actions, SQUEEZE YOU INTO ITS MOLD."
Notice Paul goes on to say, you are to be "transformed by the renewing of your mind." Old habits do not disappear overnight. The lifestyle you had before you were saved will not change immediately after you come to Christ. But it can and must change if you are going to live for God and shine as lights for Him in the world. The key is the mind. He who controls the MIND will control how you live.
If your mind is controlled by the Word of God you will live in a Godly way.
If your mind is controlled by the World you will live in a worldly way.
Returning to James 4:4, please notice God's attitude toward the world, "Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God." Let me say it this way, "Don't you know that when you fall in love with the world, you begin to hate God?"
James is saying our affections cannot be divided. We cannot be in love with the world and with the Lord at the same time. It has to be one or the other.
Please listen carefully. I realize there are many things in this world that are not deliberately anti-God, things that are not openly defiant of God's laws. But in a way, many of these seemingly innocent desires and activities are ungodly and worldly,
if they retard our spiritual appetite,
if they weaken our spiritual influence and testimony for Jesus,
if they cannot being glory to Christ,
if they compromise our witness in life and testimony,
if in our effort to feel comfortable with people and places and activities of the world, we may automatically lower our standards to their level of conduct.
The result is then enmity with God! This leads us to our next verse and next point.
SECOND: Friendship with the world DENIES our Faith in God, verse 5 “Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?” One of the problems with verse 5 is the reference to the scriptural quotation, "The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy." If this is supposed to be a reference to some particular Old Testament passage, no one, from that time to this, has been able to locate it.
The best way to understand this reference is to view it in the same way we would view a preacher who might say, "The Bible says," and then refer to some concept generally taught in the Bible. James is simply saying the whole tenor of scripture teaches us that the Holy Spirit who lives within the believer JEALOUSLY DESIRES TO COMPLETELY POSESS THE BELIEVER AND CONTROL HIS LIFE.
Exodus 20:4-5 tells us, "You shall not make for yourselves a carved image…you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God.
Deuteronomy 6:15, "For the Lord your God is a jealous God among you."
The Holy Spirit of God does not want us to give
one ounce of our energy,
one moment of our time,
one square inch of our hearts to ungodly things.
God's spirit is JEALOUS of every moment stolen from Him. Every affection given to the world grieves Him. God wants all of you, and He is jealous if He does not have that.
God doesn’t want to be "King for a day;" He wants to be King of our life.
He is not just the appetizer; He wants to be the entire entree.
He is not just the introduction; He wants to be the entire book.
He is not just the ornament; He wants to be the entire wardrobe.
He is not just a moon-lighting king on a part time throne.
We must realize Christianity is not just something we do during church time. It is
a way of living,
a way of acting,
a way of dressing,
a way of walking,
a way of talking and
a way of relating to people seven days a week.
We must choose whether we will be friends of the world or friends of God.
THIRD: Friendship with God DEVELOPS the Framework of Our Humble Spirit, verses 6-10, “But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. (7) Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. (8) Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. (9) Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. (10) Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.” The good news is, God "gives more grace," and "gives grace to the humble." Here are four tenets of practical advice to overcome the world:
First, Submit to God.
Second, Resist the devil.
Third, Draw near to God.
Fourth, Cleanse your hands and purify your hearts.
John Wesley once said, "Anything that cools my love for Christ is of the world." My friends, are there any areas in your life where you are allowing yourself to "be conformed to the pattern of this world?" James 4:4 again tells us "…Know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God?…" I John 2:15 says "Love not the world…neither the things that are in the world."
First and foremost the Christian life is a positive allegiance to Jesus Christ.
We should become so occupied with Jesus Christ that the things of this world become stale and tasteless.
There is little danger of conforming to the lifestyle of the world WITHOUT, if you have enough of Christ WITHIN.
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If God has spoken to your heart after reading the sermon “Friend of the World, Enemy of God” then right now talk to God about what He has spoken to you.
Do you have the assurance that one day you will go to heaven? If you have no assurance that you know Jesus Christ, then I trust you will decide to accept Him as your personal Savior. The Bible tells us in
Acts 16:31, “…Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved…”
Romans 10:13, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
This prayer is here for those who need to ask Jesus to be their personal Savior: “I do want to go to Heaven. I know I am a sinner, and I do believe Jesus Christ died for me. I realize I cannot buy this great salvation, nor can I earn it. Knowing Jesus died on the cross and arose from the grave to pay my sin debt and to purchase my salvation, I do now trust Him as my Savior, and from this moment on I am completely depending on Him for my salvation.”
If you made the decision to accept Jesus Christ as your personal Savior let me know? Please send an e-mail to, pdmikBBM@aol.com and I will send you some literature that will help you in your Christian life.
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In His Amazing Grace,
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