Shocking! The heart and emotion of God exposed. James 4.4-6

Good Day to you.

Keep in mind – “All Scripture is God-breathed,”¹ penned by “holy men of God,”² as we read James’ next shocking words—written to the Jewish converts he was teaching . . .

You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the spirit he caused to live in us envies intensely? But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:  “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” James 4.4-6

Phew! Can we go back to talking about prayer? This passage is tough, and I believe the chosen language is meant to be confrontational, meant to get us to think.   moichalides – the literal word for adulterer, though James uses it in the feminine actually … ‘you adulteresses.’  Why use such a reference?  So inflammatory!  So intimate, right?  Yes.  By calling us out, by calling us ‘adulterers’, God has caught us in the act . . . the act of being disloyal to him, hurting his heart . . . and cutting him to the core. 

James reveals something here about the heart of God toward us—he wants us to be intimate only with him.   He then says it another way, still in the same sentence—“don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God?”  Ah . . . loyalty, Lord?  Is that what you are talking about? 

James uses the term "world" to mean the system of evil present in the world that is influenced by Satan.  He warns that friendship with the world brings the temptation of falling into the world's values rather than upholding God's.  In one word, James is talking about COMPROMISE.  So often compromise in our values happens gradually . . . first, in some small way and then another.  And then one day we turn around and ask ourselves, how did I get all the way over here?  Ah, the slippery slope.

God wants an intimate relationship with you and me; he is not interested in religion.  God's plan has never been to give us religion; no, indeed, he gives us relationship--mano a mano, one on one.  He didn't place Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden and say, 'okay, you will be Baptist . . . or Catholic . . . or Presbyterian.'  No, instead, he came down and walked in the garden with them in the cool part of the day.  (don't you wish you could have been there?)  He offered Adam and Eve intimate relationship with him, and he desires the same with us.  So much so, that he gave us Jesus--the most costly gift ever.  Therefore when we give ourselves over to the world's values, or when we subtly move that direction, it is not subtle at all to him.  He sees our hearts; he sees our divided loyalties.   It is hurtful to him.   Hmmm . . . do you ever think about God's feelings?

But here's the compassionate heart of God--he will strengthen us--'Child, you don't have to 'go it' alone.  ‘Come to Me,’ he says.  ‘I'll give you strength in the face of temptation, and grace when you fall.  But, keep me as the apple of your eye; do not be lured by the world's offerings--they will only disappoint.' 

Why the strong statement about the proud vs. the humble? Because the proud don't see a need to curb self-will, foolish desires to satisfy the flesh . . . whereas the humble are willing to look in the mirror, and consider their ways, wanting to subjugate their will to that of God's.

“Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God” is not suggesting that God wants his children to refrain from friendship with those who are not Christians . . . far from it!  We are to be salt and light--in our neighborhoods, on the ball field, in the workplace, in the classroom, at the grocery store, at the gym, wherever.  Let’s choose to influence our culture/our world with godly values such as mercy, kindness, compassion, upright living, and honesty rather than being influenced by the culture ourselves.   It is our choice.

Christine

PastorWoman.com