“Friend of God” Really?

Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God?  Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.  –James 4:4

Lot was the nephew of the only man identified in the Bible as the intimate friend of God, Abraham.  Abraham essentially wanted to walk with God, but Lot did not.  Abraham was a man who possessed a deep friendship with God.  Lot was interested in a friendship with God, but he was also very interested in a friendship with the world. 

The apostle James asked the question, “Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God?  Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God” (James 4:4).

James is saying that if you are going to follow Jesus Christ, you can’t be a friend of this world.  And “the world” means this world system that is hostile to the truth of God.  In case you haven’t noticed it, this culture we are living in does not promote Christian values.  In fact, if anything, this culture promotes the opposite.   It seems at every turn there is hostility toward those of us who believe there is right and wrong, morality and immorality.  

To make things worse we are witnessing christians turning on/against other christians. Where once christians spoke kindly and with good intentions, now we see the opposite where we are tearing one another down, speaking only with ulterior motives in mind instead of with the mind of Christ.

If you want to live however you want, and engage in any pleasure that interests you, then you cannot be the friend of God.

Be the Blessing