Who Do We Actually Follow?

Good morning.

The next few passages from the Book of James give a certain standard to Christian living. As we have said in the beginning of this series on this book, James did not beat around the bush, but he said it as it is and should be. The next passage follows on from our previous message.

“⁴You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. ⁵Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the spirit he caused to live in us envies intensely? ⁶But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:

‘God opposes the proud
but gives grace to the humble,’” (James 4:4-6).

In the previous passage James mentioned getting what we want through fighting about or for it and trying to get it from the Lord by asking with selfish motives. This is the way the world would go about getting what they want – using every crafty skill to their availability to get what they want. Jesus mentioned the same in Matthew 6:31-32: “So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.” If we are constantly putting our focus on our immediate needs and wants instead of on the Lord’s needs and wants for our lives as Jesus mentioned in Matthew 6:33 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%206:33&version=NKJV, we act just as the world acts and are therefore following their direction.

If your child does not follow your advice, but instead follows their friends’ advice and do a lot of unwise things, messing up their lives, how would you feel - frustrated as if you would like to leave them to their own devices? How do you think God feels if we keep being only religious, and for the remainder do as the world system and Mammon dictate and not what He desires of us? I once went to a church’s men’s meeting where we had a breakfast together, which was followed by a message. One thing I enjoy is to be in company of people talking about Jesus, and was therefore quite shocked when the conversation among these men of the church centred on their shares in the stock market.

James stated quite strongly in verse four above the same that Jesus stated about Mammon in Matthew 6:24: “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.” If we follow the world and its monitory systems and just drag God along to be eternally safe, we are actually serving idols and therefore hate God – in other words we treat Him disrespectfully with contempt just as a child would their parents by not following their wise advice.

Do we ever think along these lines? Deception is very subtle. I have mentioned it before and I mention it again. Just listen carefully to the message that goes out from many preachers these days. It’s a ‘bless me’ message that leaves all the responsibility to the Lord to make us what we are supposed to be, whilst we just keep on living as the world determines. The message from the Bible is completely contrary to this idea. Through it the Lord says ‘obey me and do as I tell you so you could become what I want you to be’. “Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose,” (Philippians 2:12-13).

If we therefore boast in our own accomplishments, as the world does, we tell the Lord that we don’t need Him and actually hate Him for interfering with our lives and religion, and He then opposes us (verse 6). However, if we humbly rely on Him and work with Him to accomplish His desires for us, He gives us grace.

Lord, help me obey.

Thank you Lord that your Word went out from your mouth, via your servant’s pen, and it will not return to you empty, but will accomplish what you desire and achieve the purpose for which you sent it.

Please pass this on if you think others may benefit by it.