A Friendly Reminder….
Friend of the world – Who is a philos tou kosmou (friend of the world)? This is a vitally important question.
Here’s the simple answer: a friend of the world is an enemy of God. A friend of the world disregards God’s instructions for living, replacing His instructions with guidance from the world. Since there can only be one true God, replacing His instructions with different directions about life can only mean that the replacements come from a false god. To be a friend of the world is to be idolatrous. To be a friend of the world is to serve a god other than God. It doesn’t require debauchery, treachery or megalomania. It only requires asserting that God’s instructions don’t matter, or that we know a better way than what is set forth in God’s Holy Word.
Did that remark suddenly cause you to shudder? If it is true that biblical disobedience puts you in the position of an idolater, are you still able to claim friendship with God? Don’t you want to be all you can be, all God intended you to be? But are you willing to manifest that desire within the boundaries God sets? Often, we sin not because we are selfish or power-hungry or rebellious. We sin because we desire to improve God’s plan. We think we can do it better. The desire may be genuine and noble but the means are sinful. We befriend what the world has to offer in order to do what God wants.
I know that I fail this test on a daily basis. I often think that MY way is the best. Surely God would not have given us the power of choice & free will if He didn’t expect us to use it, right?
What do you long to be? What desire do you hold in your heart? James’ comment is not about active expression and outward progression. James does not require us to actually do anything about befriending the world’s values. He suggests that all we need is to wish we could have what the world offers!
“Delight yourself in God and let Him give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4).
So here’s the question: What are you wishing for? If you had the means, what would you bring to fruition? Is your motivation biblical or worldly?
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