Do we believe all of what God's Word says- heeding every warning and every scripture passage…? Do we really tremble at His Word? Or do we live our lives based on a lie (‘darkness’)? What is a Christian? What does it mean to be Born Again? Do we really love ‘the Truth’? It seems that these terms have a different meaning today…. We must humble ourselves and repent to the point of severing all ungodliness from our lives! Look at how we’ve fallen through the years (from the pulpit to the pew); the churches moral slide parallels that of the world! This ought not be! But it is no surprise, as we engage in and partake of the same things the world does. Giving way to voices and images that produce patterns, principals and thought processes, which go against what His pattern, principals and thought processes teach and warn! These “justifying”, “heart felt", lying facades and scenarios are laced with enticements to the flesh: full to partial nudity, vulgarity, using the Lord’s name in vain, laughing at things that are not funny (from God’s perspective), funny only from the flesh’s perspective with its evil desires – promoting lust, manipulation, revenge, greed, selfishness… idolatry! But this infidelity with the world births Ishmaels: the spirit of Antichrist’s calculated thralldom: Though it all seems to begin as “harmless…” yet the ramifications and progressions are overwhelming and overflowing… into all areas of life! Our morality - thoughts and philosophy - the ways by which we think, reason, deduct… and imagine, our drive and ambitions, our hopes, trusts, dreams and affections - what we want, strive and work for, and the ways in which we perceive, live, move and have our beings. -Our default! No, it is not harmless, and it is much more than media, academia and entertainment, for it is shaping us and molding us - neutralizing our faith and that still small Voice – our only hope, continually combative against: Byproducts of the world’s marketing as we partner with, through partaking of…. Prostituting these various applicable aspects to the carnal appetite, the godless human nature (the gateway for waging war on the saints) – invited – as we purchase temptation unto compromise, towards ‘trading the truth about God for a lie’ rather than abiding in and through the life-giving Spirit and the Word – sanctified holy/wholly for His use. O, where is the church’s consecration to God… this HOLY, HOLY GOD?
Think about it now, because we are bored: paying for “entertainment” with the money that God blesses us with, so we can watch/lust-after the unsaved (those we are to be praying for to become saved) as they commit sin – that which He died on the Cross to deliver us from! Is this not highly unreasonable and perverse? –Evil! And what of all those perverse commercials (manipulation/social engineering), so many are vile, deviant, and depraved… serenading and rewriting, ‘changing times and laws’ - and we just sit there… as the “moral” line continues to move! Why? Why do we just continue to accept it? How can we say we love ‘the truth’, while we sit there and ‘suppress it…’ with waning conviction? Much of the procured is not entertainment, it is perversion, darkness and wickedness… the spirit of Stupor’s social engineering: the prelude for, “And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand….” as it continually resurrects that which should be and remain crucified… from ‘Looking back!’ How can this be, that we justify such wickedness? This phenomenon (‘lying sign and wonder’) is coupled with that ‘evil deception’ spoken of in Thessalonians. I.e., “He will use every kind of evil deception to fool those on their way to destruction, because they refuse to love and accept the truth that would save them. So God will cause them to be greatly deceived, and they will believe these lies.” How? Because many have lost touch with the Father’s heart, and with the things that grieve and hurt Him! -Following that other gospel! “If we say we have fellowship with Him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth” (regardless of how ‘religious’ one seems to be). It seems like we don’t really believe the scriptures!
I hope we are not erecting an idol as our/their “god” – one that suits our/their way of living! -Coming to believe these lies! I can’t help but think of our children and our grandchildren, and those God gave us sway, influence, and spiritual jurisdiction over. We are the source of leadership and authority in the home, and in their lives, yet we sit there, sometimes with them and partake! It seems that we talk of maintaining a Christian worldview for our children and our loved ones… and those we have sway and influence over, yet, I dare say, many more hours are spent on the carnal/humanistic worldview: ungodly media, academia, and entertainment than on the things of God (Barna/Pew research)! Is this not being ‘a friend of the world’? Which of these is having the greater influence on our/their lives? But, somehow we justify… and believe it to be acceptable. -Odd! It is here that our rebellion and lack of love for the truth sets new standards, which, our posterity, and those we have sway, influence and spiritual jurisdiction over now live by, as we (being the example) have given approval by not walking uprightly ourselves: They, to a degree, see us as the pattern/example of which to live by… but we don’t abstain and we do not speak the truth in love (lowering the bar, altering the standard)! We, thereby, are instituting and creating ‘new Christian’ standards in their lives, superseding God’s patterns, principals and thought processes! As they think to themselves (consciously or subconsciously) and whisper under their breath: “they do it…” or, “…they know what I am doing, and they’ve never said anything to me – so it must be ok (negating Holy Ghost conviction)!” Can we not see that this perpetuates lukewarm Christian’s… false assurances, false converts - following ‘another Jesus’, following ‘another gospel’ (one that we’ve created)? We need to change! We are far better off to “make” and have “enemies” for the sake of Christ, by speaking the truth to them in love - with kindness (with our godly words and actions), than to have “friends” that we’ve led right to hell… because we dare not offend them! What would you do if you saw a toddler wandering off… right on the edge of a cliff? I fear that many do not really believe that souls will actually go to hell and burn! Although religious - I fear that many have become callused to a point of not really wanting God in their lives… and not at all wanting to disown their own lives… oh, they would never say that with their words, yet, in their living – ‘denying the power that could make them holy’: Believing His ways and commands to be too burdensome, too costly… fanatical, so we ignore, shut out and pull away. Why? Is it because we believe ‘another gospel’? Is it because we are more in tune with the world’s way of thinking– of an unholy relationship? “The Lord your God is a devouring fire; He is a jealous God.” He does not want to be first in your life- He wants to be ALL! “You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.” Are we doing this? Many maintain a zeal for God, but it is not according to knowledge - and God’s people perish for the lack thereof: I hope we are not erecting an idol as our/their “god”–one that suits our/their way of living! -Coming to believe these lies!
What, in today's world, does a Christian have in common with ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX OR NETFLIX, etc.? Such is shaping the church- according to the working of Satan… as such is The World! (READ James 4:4)
We cannot compromise with morality for the sake of "unity"… for to do so only negates the power of God.
I fear that many are hurting the Holy Spirit.
I fear that many will not be ready when He returns!
-bruce
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Comments
Because in the previous verses, James has been blunt: His readers have been living according to worldly wisdom. The wisdom of the world says that to be successful, we must do whatever it takes to get what we want out of life. We must provide for ourselves; nobody else is going to. We must be willing to fight for what we want.
The wisdom of heaven calls us to a far different approach: Christians should trust God to provide all the good we need. That's what He does (James 1:17). And because we trust His love and goodness and power to provide, we don't have to abuse each other to get what we want. Instead, we are free to obey Him. This means serving each other. It means meeting each other's needs.
Because James's readers were unwilling to trust God in this way, He now calls them adulteresses. He equates their choice to continue following the wisdom of world with the sin of a wife who sleeps with another man. Spiritually speaking, these Christians are cheating on God with the world.
James says something which should be obvious to us, but it's not: We can't be friends both with the world and with God. Worse, anyone who continues to be friends with the world is living as God's enemy. It's important to understand what James is not saying here: He is not saying Christians should never be friends with non-Christians. Nor is he saying that Christians should never engage their culture, or with the people they meet. That's not what this passage is about.
James is clear: Christians who choose to continue to live according to the wisdom of the world, driven by envy and ambition, seeking what they want above all else, are not living as friends of God. They are living in adultery as God's enemies.
Thank you, I will be waiting for pt 2
Karen "KC"
We as Christians must guard our hearts and minds. The things we allow around us serve to numb and lull us sleep. Don't be like the maidens with no oil in their lamps. If only Christians would care more for what God thinks than what the world thinks. The bible speaks of the great apostasy that must happen. I believe this is a factor of that taking place.
"You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God."
– James 4:4