DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- A FRIEND OF GOD

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – A FRIEND OF GOD

"Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a find of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, 'The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously?' " ​ (James 4:4-5)

When James calls them adulterers and adulteresses, it is unclear whether he is speaking to them as literal fornicators or in a figurative sense. In the Old Testament, God often calls the nation of Israel adulterers and prostitutes because they went after other gods instead of true worship of the only true God. So it may be in the sense that James is writing to people who have hooked up with the world. They may be going through the religious motions but are not worshiping in spirit and in truth.

The Holy Spirit who lives in us is jealous. He does not want us flirting with the world. An illustration might be a wife or a husband who is jealous because his or her spouse is having an affair with another person or being polygamous. The jealousy is a pure jealousy because the relationship is being violated.

God is jealous for us. In the ten commandments, God calls us to be devoted only to Him with no other gods because, He said, "I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God" (Exodus 20:5). In fact, one of His names is Jealous. In Exodus 34:14, God says, "you shall worship no other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God." He will not tolerate adultery or harlotry. We cannot have it both ways. Jesus said that we cannot love God and mammon at the same time (Matthew 6:24). We cannot have it both ways. Either we are a friend of the world or we love God.

Friendship calls for a common commitment between two people for the relationship to be close. God is committed to us, and He calls for us to be committed to Him. Friendship with the world destroys that commitment. God is jealous for our friendship, and considers us an enemy if we violate our covenant with Him.

"A friend of Jesus, O what bliss, that one so weak as I should ever have friend like this to lead me to the sky." God is a faithful friend to us. I want to a faithful friend to God.

Love, Dad