Where Does Your Friendship Lie?
We have all been around them, those fake friends who smile at your face but talk behind your back. Those who try to play it both ways and present themselves to each group differently. I am sure we can all think of how poorly things have gone when the lies have been exposed. However, did you realize that there are those who practice this misguided behavior when it comes to their walk with Christ? This is the next topic that James discusses in his fourth chapter.
“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. 5 Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us? 6 But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:
“God opposes the proud
but shows favor to the humble.”
7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.9 Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.”
James 4:4-10
Once again we see that James does not mince his words, he attacks the issue head on. And once again, I wish that the topic he discussed was only prevalent in the church of that day; but this is simply not true. James begins this topic by pointing out that those who claim to follow God but still seek to be apart of the world, are adulterers. James is quick to remind the readers that to keep one foot in the world, to follow the desires that lead us to sin, places us in enmity against God. God is pure, He can have nothing to do with sin. 1 John 1:5, “This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.” 1 John also continues with a message similar to what James is stating here, 6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.” 1 John 1:6. You see, we can’t have it both ways. We cannot follow after the things of the earth which keep us bound to sin, and also follow God who wants to free us and have a relationship with us. This is why James uses the word “chooses”. We all have a personal choice, we can either follow the world or follow God. It cannot be both ways.
James continues by reminding the readers that God is jealous. He wants our undivided attention and to have a relationship with Him, it is why He sent His spirit to dwell in us. But do to free choice, there are some who choose to ignore Him for the desires of the world.
If the passage were to end here, the outlook would be pretty bleak. However, James continues to remind the reader that while God is a jealous God, He also gives us grace an aspect that no distraction in the world can offer. How do we receive this grace? By humbling ourselves and realize that we are trying to be a fake friend to God. We try to devote our time to Him but at the first chance we get we run for what separates us from Him. This is why James says that we must submit to God. When we come before Him and acknowledge that we are pursuing things that draw us farther from Him, we become humble. In this humility we receive the strength to resist temptations and then draw nearer to God! How amazing is that? This process simply proves that salvation cannot be won on our own merit, but by the grace of God! When we turn from what is causing us to sin, we begin to hear Him more, we are no longer the double-minded individuals that James discusses in verses 1:8 and 4:8.
Again, if the passage were to end with the acknowledgment that we are double-minded and adulterers, we would lose hope. This is why I love how James ends the discussion on this topic, “Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you” James 4:10. How amazing is it to think that the God who created heaven and earth will exalt us! And the only thing that we need to do for this to occur is to acknowledge that He wants a relationship with us, not one that is fake and double-minded, but a pure and true relationship that strives to know Him more!
Seek the truth and encourage one another,
Alex