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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 1 of 2 Thank you for your words of encouragement. Yes we are that Incense and it is the Holy Spirit in us that makes us so. The words of Christ that.. "... every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved." [John 3:20]..tells us that if we indeed walk in the light - if we abide in the True Vine - we will become like the Light and like the Vine, shining with the same Light of truth and holiness. It is not an attitude we push forward to "appear" as though we are in the Light, this would never reprove the darkness. A "holier than thou attitude" reproves only the person doing it, as not having any Light. The Light of the Lord is the Love of the Lord (full of Grace and Truth) and this Love itself will cause those that do not want to stop sinning to hate you. He who has a "holier than thou attitude" is in need of an understanding of what holiness (biblical new testament holiness,) really is. It is not that of being uncompromisingly strict in a list of rules and regulations dictated by a particular consensus of men of which "laws" are applicaple today (line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little, there a little,). This is not the true meaning of holiness. To walk in the light as He is in the Light has everything to do with intimacy with Christ Himself and to be completely controlled by His Love shed abroad in your heart by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. This produces an uncompromising act of devotion, a transformation of the inner man that would rather die than to deliberately grieve God's heart with sin. The Holy Spirit, the Illuminator gives you Light and you know what is and is not pleasing to God. Any hint of grieving the Spirit within and your Love for the Lord (given to you by the Spirit) causes you to shrink back in horror at the thought. Then also this Love for others will cause you to be sensitive to their lack of knowledge and without condemning them in their ignorance and darkness you will nevertheless refrain from partaking of so many of this present worlds "innocent amusements" which are not innocent at all. This will cause you to be labeled a "puritan", "holier than thou", and many other things, and yet you have said nothing "with words" to reprove the world, but simply because you do not run with them to the same excess of riot, that will be cause enough for them to speak evil of you. The very act of abiding in the vine will produce in you the fruit of the Divine stamp. This will make you different than the world. A friend to the world? As in loving those that are in the world? Of course. No better friend does a man have than a saint who knows what it means to be uncompromisingly holy. Will the world receive you as a friend? Remember what Jesus said. “ If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.” And also John writes in his epistle.. “Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you.” And this he said in context of loving your brother. The more you love those that are in the world, the more you walk in the light, the more you shine, the more you reprove the darkness (not with words but by your very life and not you but the Spirit in you), and the more they will hate you. Those that are called, and those that choose Life will come to the Light, they will see in you the Way to Life and will want to have their deeds exposed. They will come to have their bad deeds exposed so that they can find the remedy, and they will come so that they might find Good Deeds to do, which it is in their heart to do, but they know not how. |