June 8, 2022

James 4: 4 (NIV)

You 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.

A thing does not have to be evil itself to lead us down the path to destruction.*

Several years ago, there was a new television show that I really liked and watched faithfully every week. I knew it was a little “rough” but I overlooked the bad stuff because I liked so much about it. Later, I bought the DVDs of the first two seasons. When I sat down to do some binge-watching, I was appalled that I had actually allowed such trash into my mind. When I was watching with a week in between, it didn’t seem so bad but seeing a few episodes back-to-back was revealing. Is that not how we become desensitized to the culture of the world? We welcome it into our lives in little pieces over the course of time, convinced all the while that we have kept ourselves pure. 

While human friendships are not exclusive - that is, we can have many friends and many types of friends - God says we can’t be friends with him and with the world at the same time. We must choose God or be guilty of spiritual adultery and become God’s enemies. As someone else has asked, “Who wants to be God’s enemy?”* 

How can you tell if you have crossed over that line into enemy territory? Think about how you spend your money and your time. Consider how you talk and dress and who your closest associates are. Before attending an activity or watching a television show, picture inviting your preacher to join you. Ask random friends and acquaintances if they know that you are a Christian. 

These steps can quickly reveal your outward condition but purity is more than skin-deep. How wholesome is your thought-life? How healthy is your prayer-life? Do you spend quantity and quality time in the word? Are you Spirit-filled? Are you God’s friend or his enemy?

The world is waiting and watching to see if what we believe makes any difference in the way we live. If we live like the world, how will the world ever see the true life-changing power of Jesus Christ?*