Clothes Make the Man
You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. James 4:4 ESV
Makes himself – Are you making yourself God’s enemy? Ah, you object, proclaiming, “No way. I am saved and devoted to Him.” But let’s consider the context of James’ statement before we jump to denials. Perhaps the most startling element of this verse is that is was written to believers! James’ isn’t addressing an audience of pagans. He is writing to the dispersed twelve tribes. Everything about his letter assumes that his readers know God’s Word and are in the community of the faithful. They may not be acting appropriately, but they are inside the house, not outside the door. Nevertheless, what they are doing causes James to use extremely harsh language, warning them that if they continue on this path they will be enemies of God. Apparently it is quite possible to think we are “saved” and still be in mortal danger.
How does one make himself God’s enemy? First we must note that this doesn’t happen by accident nor is it caused by external forces. In Greek the word is kathistatai, to cause myself to be something. I do this to myself. I can’t blame others or circumstances or God. My own choices produce this enmity. I am completely responsible.
So here I am, a believer, who nevertheless is acting or about to act in ways that will cause me to become God’s enemy. If I were listening to James, I would beseech him to tell me where I am going wrong. This is a matter of life and death. Since I got myself into this position, now I need to get myself out. How?
The key is friendship. The word is phileo. This is particularly disturbing. It’s not agape, so I know this isn’t about sacrificing myself for the world. But it isn’t eros either. That’s what I would expect. Eros, the love that seeks to acquire. I wouldn’t be surprised if James told me that the overwhelming desire to possess makes me God’s enemy. I see that kind of behavior everywhere in the pagan world. Money, power, sex drive people to get all that they can at anyone’s expense. I understand that kind of approach is opposed to God. But James doesn’t use eros. He uses phileo, the same word that describes the love believers have for each other – the “family” love word. How can this love make me an enemy?
The answer is found in the root meaning of phileo: “To treat somebody as one of one’s own people.” How do I make the world my friend and get into so much trouble with God? I don’t distinguish between the things of God and the things of the world. I treat all of them as if they were in the same family. But you object, “I don’t do that. I know what the difference is. God’s stuff is spiritual. The world is material.” Aside from the unbiblical dualism in such an answer, if this is your approach then you didn’t understand James. If we incorporate pagan holidays into worship of the King, have we distinguished family from enemies? If we eat whatever we wish, have we distinguished food from fodder? If we speak as we wish, have we distinguished our words from the words of pagans? If we bear grudges or prejudices, have we distinguished justice from revenge? If we delay payment due, have we distinguished righteousness from personal advantage? We could go on.
Friend of the world doesn’t necessarily mean we take up the world’s immorality. All that’s needed is incorporation. Just invite a little of the outside in. Just open the way to the enemy at the gate.
Topical Index: makes himself, kathistatai, love, phileo, world, friend, James 4:4
I am so brain-washed by all of the Greek thinking in my past that I continually miss the obvious. To be in love with the world, buying into its fun and games leaves me as an enemy of God! How scary is that! Today is another day and the Lord willing, I pray that I will do better.
Roy, I am in agreement with you on this. When you think about how long we have been steeped in Greek thinking (57 years for myself) we needn’t expect to be able to be freed overnight. The freedom process starts immediately but it is indeed that “a process”.
Right now I am trying to find a balance ‘tween friends from my former way of thinking to relationships within my desire to think in the Hebrew way. Time will tell if I can maintain some of these relationships or which ones I have to cut ties with. I will most likely have to not speak to my former Faith Baptist pastor ‘cept in the occasional email if that. I meet with a couple of ladies who want to still meet with me in fellowship. As long as they respect my boundaries and want to meet with them I will. They even changed their day of meeting so I could continue.
Ah, to be so young again. I have past 77 years of Greek thinking. My issue is that I have a ministry to the members of the church I attend as their Pastoral Counselor. I do Biblical Counseling which for a group of United Methodist is rather radical. I have decided that I do not try to change them. I make a witness and then it is up to them. It is the same, whether we are in counseling or talking faith issues (Is there a difference?) It is tough to understand what is being asked of me by my faith and yet faithful to the community that has so nurished me.
Yes, it is hard, but that is the call. To be what He wants and let Him do the rest.
You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink.
You can lead a person to knowledge, but you can’t make them think!
All we can do is plant or water the seed, which is the word of God, in the Patience and Love of God. It is not we, but God that does the converting. WE do not have to prove anything.
He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world did not know Him.
He came unto his own, and his own did not receive Him.
But as many as received him, to them HE GAVE POWER TO BECOME the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
John 1:10-13
You hit it right on the head….we plant, water and pull weeds. We lead them to water and even hold the cup and I’m talking fellow believers. Some may take a sip and others drink buckets but then they turn around or turn their nose up. The pull of the world is strong.
Some that I spent years walking besides I had to shake the dust off my sandles and say ‘there you go, it’s over there, you’ve been told enough and shown enough. God’s already given you all the tools so you don’t have to be a friend of this world’ Stiff necked, blinded, not planted in good soil, sickly roots, carried away by their own lusts…who knows which it is. I have other gardens to tend. This vine keeps attaching itself to things it ought not! We prune and train and still… One friend shoved me out of their life. All mixed up spiritually and in the soul. I was exhausted because I spent so much of my time trying to keep them grounded and then as soon as I left their site they’d run back out into the world. The Word was snatched away almost immediately in many instances. Quite stunning. A battle in the mind continually for many. I think they felt relief to eliminate our relationship. They know the truth of the world but still choose it regularly and then live with constant guilt and personal unforgiveness that they projected on to me or those close to them. Just because they don’t clean out their cup and stay clean doesn’t mean others aren’t cleaning theirs! Very sad. I cleaned my cup but they don’t see that because they view everyone out of their own distorted lens.
I’d rather just present truth and walk away…or offer a period of discipleship. At some point they either start walking on their own or walk back to where they came from. Makes no sense to me how those who hear the truth return, I guess it’s familiar and comfortable. Doors have been opened to the world and there are alot of ‘feel good’ moments that many are not willing to give up. Then we seem to look like opposition to them or they turn it around on us to make us look like the bad guy.
And then there are those who decide to not be a friend of the world and then they go way overboard into legalism and chase after every wind of doctrine they hear. They look down on anyone who doesn’t believe like them. Unclean, unclean! I know believers who are friends of the world in the evening and then in the day time they clean themselves up like nothing ever went on the night before and act like they are pious Hebrew scholars. Really?! God knows. It always comes out eventually. Whatever you do in the dark shows up in the light in due time.
I am not perfect either, I have my own battles with the worlds pull, however, I do not want to be a friend of the world and I continually make strides to push away. Just tonight me and my youngest discussed how it is a daily battle as the world presses in. We need to keep showing our kids so they can be wise. I mentioned a cup of pure water and how every day the world puts a drop of ink in your cup and then you begin to think everything they are peddling is ok. Eventually your cup is black, filthy and you never felt it and you don’t even believe you are doing anything wrong because it happened so slowly. You are polluted and don’t think so because this is your new normal. Like the frog in the kettle.
I think at times we all are the person who is a friend of the world to one degree or another. We need to be humble enough to allow the Ruach or another believer to encourage us to return and then do it! Quit walking in circles or blaming others for our own failures.
Skip, how would you parse this?
For God so LOVED THE WORLD, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
John 3:16-17
Actually, I think I wrote about this recently. If not, it will come up soon.
Much to ponder, thank you.