“You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.”- James 4:4
This letter from James is addressed to “the 12 tribes scattered among the nations”. [James 1:1] It is a letter that is passed around to all the associated churches in the general area. James found out that there had been a lot of infighting and disruption due to selfish desire for pleasures found in the world. In Paul’s letter to Timothy, he admonishes the church to “not be lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God”. [2 Timothy 3:4] In the 4th chapter of James, this apostle equates friendship with the world with adultery. That is to say the people were being unfaithful to their first love.
The word ‘enmity’ means “a feeling or state of hatred or animosity”. It is impossible to love both the world and God. The whole of human institutions, values and traditions is a direct contradiction to what God stands for. It’s no different than when scripture says "No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” [Matthew 6:24]
This is no time to be flirting with the ‘dark side’. The enemy continues, both night and day, to lure believers away from their beliefs. This is why we shouldn’t dabble in things that we know go against God’s Word. Trust me when I tell you you’re not missing a thing. How can you compare the world’s supposed blessings and the blessings of God when you don’t have any idea what the depth of His blessings are? The enemy will lie to you just to woo you away from your promised eternity with God. Turn your back on the world and anything or anyone who provides a temptation to do that which you ought not do. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.
Richard Keller
Bread of Life Ministries
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