True Christians Are Not Friends Of The World!

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I’m going to get disagreement with this post, but it is nonetheless biblical. God says that true Christians must never become too close with the ways of the world, because these are contrary to the ways of God:

“Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know you not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God” (Jam. 4:4).

Getting too friendly with the sins around us is demonstrating hatred against God, and it is a visible fruit that this person is NOT a true Christian. God has explicit instructions in the Bible for Christians, which must be followed for their own good. Rejecting these is willfully rejecting their marriage vows and trampling on their marriage covenant. In this light, it is easy to see why God calls these people His enemies.

How does the true Christian become too friendly with the world? By rejecting the “royal law” of James 2:8. By doing this they show that they are unworthy of being God’s royalty and noble Christian ambassadors. Christ calls the true (obedient) Christians his bride. Is this a calling more enticing than what the world offers? Of course it is – a trillions times more. And it is eternal and spiritual, rather than temporary and mortal.

Are You Praying Lustfully?

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True Christians must never prioritize objects ahead of God or it will kill them spiritually. God says: “You lust and have not: you kill and desire to have, and cannot obtain: you fight and war, yet you have not, because you ask not”(Jam. 4:2).

The expression “desire to have” actually means to covet something. Simply put, this type of prayer is nothing less than lusting for or receiving something. It is on the level of getting, rather than giving.

James 4:5 tells us, “Do you think that the scriptures says in vain, the spirit that dwells in us lusts to envy?” We have human nature that gets us to lust, but we either have God or this world – never both! Lust destroys the true Christian spiritually. It comes from the deceitful heart that is desperately wicked within each human being (Jer, 17:9).

Yes, God says to ask for what we desire, but these desires must not be selfish or harmful to us. If we simply ask for money, power or fame, then these can be injurious requests.

“You ask and receive not, because you ask amiss, that you may consume it upon your lusts” (verse 3).

It’s pretty evident that this type of selfish prayer will not be answered and needs examination. When we ask “amiss,” we ask in an evil way, or in a selfish, wrongly focused prayer.

How To Rule The Tongue

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True Christians have their citizenship in heaven and represent/speak on behalf of the Almighty God of the universe. So God wants to teach them to speak like Him.

Many true Christians make mistakes, and “if anyone makes no mistakes in what he says, he is a perfect man able to bridle the whole body also” (Jam. 3:2, RSV). We all make mistakes, but that doesn’t mean these should be our way of life. If each Christian is able to bridle his body, then Christ can rule over the entire spiritual body.

“Behold we put bits in the horses’ mouths that they may obey us: and we turn about their whole body. Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whitsoever the governor listeth” (Jam. 3:3-4).

That’s no mean feat. Ships can be guided through waves and storms with a little rudder. Our tongue expresses what is in our mind, and if we can just control our tongue, we can guide our whole being and demonstrate a great deal of character.