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NASB | James 4:4 You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | James 4:4 You adulteresses [disloyal sinners--flirting with the world and breaking your vow to God]! Do you not know that being the world's friend [that is, loving the things of the world] is being God's enemy? So whoever chooses to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. |
Bible Question:
Greetings Scribe - I am reminded of the passage, "For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing;to the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life. And who is adequate for these things?" 2 Cor 2:15-16. I appreciate your encouragement to walk in the Light and remain devoted to Christ (which will result in holiness as Christ lives through me), However I struggle a bit with the directive you suggest that I "reproove their deeds by my lifestyle." This, in my opinion, may result in a "holier than thou attitude" that some believers exhibit in response to those who do not know Christ (as well as to other believers who do not measure up to their standard of "holy living!") See Ex 34:30 - perhaps when others perceive that we have "been with the Lord," they too respond in fear which is manifest in behaviors that we misinterpret personally. As the Lord said to Samuel when Israel asked for a king, "for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me from being king over them." 1 Sam 8:7 What might be some causes of a "holier than thou" attitude toward others who are in rebellion? How do we guard against this? mommapbs |
Bible Answer: Part 2 of 2 Those that give mental assent to these doctrines will not be in the Light, or part of this “company of the Light bearers” they will simply have more knowledge and this knowledge itself will be their judge in that day. Those that come to the Light daily and in humble repentance ask the Lord Christ to expose any area of darkness and give them grace to overcome all things that may grieve the Lord, will be given great Grace and Glory and will shine with the Light of the Spirit, they will grow spiritually, their illumination by the Spirit will be unhindered and they will grow into the image of Christ day by day. There is nothing more irritating to a religious man who does not truly walk with God than to see a poor and humble saint who has no formal education in religious matters being used by God in the ministry of the Word bearing the fruit of holiness in both their own life and the lives of those that they minister to. It becomes imperative to the “Pharisee” to find fault in the area of religious doctrine in order to justify their own darkness, and to discount the Light that is undeniable in the ministry of the saint not called by man but by God. In the same way the world will hate the holy saint because a “Christian” they can tolerate, and the world especially delights in the “Christian” that will run with them to the same excess of riot, for in these they find a consolation for their own darkness and a temporary quieting of their conscience, not so much as you may think, (because they conclude that if the Christian sees no fault with it must be ok) that is the mind of the children of light who are under temptatioin to sin, no, the children of the darkness are usually thinking more in terms of (“just as I thought.. this ‘christian’ is not better than me.. I knew he was not for real, “holier than thou” that’s all he is.) And so the world accuses the compromising Christian, the one that actually runs with them to the same excess of riot as being the one who is “holier than thou.” Those that walk in true holiness, who know their God, who Love with the Love of Christ, who are not afraid to touch and converse with sinners, but who will always seek to please God at any cost, these holy saints are not so often accused of having “holier than thou attitudes” at the compromisers are. The truly holy rather strike fear and terror in the heart of the world and the world would rather silence their witness altogether and so the world has attempted to do this from the blood of righteous Able extending not only to the blood of Zacharias, but also the blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ and every martyr since the birth of the Church. The Lord is coming soon for a Bride without spot and wrinkle, who’s eye is single in devotion to Jesus Christ and who as a result of that single eye is full of Light. Shine Forth my brothers and sisters and without trying you will indeed reprove the world of darkness, this is of God and not of us, and has a redemptive purpose for those that will come to the Light, and a just and judgment purpose for those that will reject that Light. |