Three things cause conflict internally in people. Certainly not from people whose wisdom is pure and peaceable, easy to be entreated and gentle. And then in verse 14, He says, “You are my friends if you do” - what? - “enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son.” And we’ll stop at that point. Why is God so opposed to the proud? Typically, by the way, as James unfolds these tests through the epistle, he really cycles back very often through something he has already said, and in chapter 1, verse 27, he really introduced this when he said, “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and the widows in their affliction and to keep oneself? I’m sure you’re aware of the use of this term, kosmos, throughout the New Testament. Jesus didn't leave his message on the phone And Ahithophel packed his animal, rode back to his home, set things in order in his house and strangled himself. I see it, I what? The specific goal of every true Christian is to do that by becoming like Jesus Christ in character. Pro. Do you have to say, “No, all my affections go to the world, I love the world, I love the things of the world, I love the joys of the world, the pleasures of the world, I’m driven by that.” Then whatever might be your profession on the outside, you better do a little inventory on the inside because anyone who is affectionate with the world, who is intimate with the world, who carries the world in his heart, who has in him the spirit of the world, who has not died to the world, having been crucified in Christ, any such friend of the world is the what? That is why a rich man can easily gain many such shallow friends. In other words, where do the wars come from? And then there was how you respond to temptations and who you blame for them. The very wars he talks about in chapter 4, verse 1, are evidence of the presence of worldly wisdom in conflict with divine wisdom. And when David committed sexual sin with Bathsheba, his granddaughter, and David then, in effect, murdered his granddaughter’s husband, Ahithophel was furious. You have some people who claim to know Christ and they demonstrate a wisdom that is from God,” and that’s the test at the end chapter 3. That may sound difficult to some, and in fact it is impossible for the selfish and the unbelieving, but it is only allowing God to love other people through you. It emphasizes the desire itself whereas hdon emphasizes the pleasure of that desire. 9:8) while a scoffer will resist (Prov. Second Corinthians chapter 6 again emphasizes the mutual exclusivity of these two things. Don’t be an enemy of God. “It is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be, so then they that are in the flesh cannot please God, but you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit if the Spirit of God dwells in you.”. The witnesses help with mediation, clearing up misunderstandings, and establishing the truth of what is going on and the application of Scripture to the situation. So the legacy of conflict is given by the two kinds of wisdoms clashing. We get hedonist. The first thing that generates internal conflict - let me stop at this point and say this: Again, if - I really - you know me, I like to keep moving in the text and I sort of leave the illustrations to you a lot of the times. Now, James sounds a lot like Paul. The two are mutually exclusive. I believe what it says is that when you identify an enemy of God, you must be talking about an unbeliever. And then to put it another way, he says you - you desire to have, that’s zelo, you covet. You will see them quickly latch onto the next person they will parasitize, or perhaps will find them stepping on you in their effort to move up higher in the quest to be king of the hill. He’s not referring to those sins that we stumble into because we do not strongly hold to the means of victorious grace. What is that goal? And may they know the wisdom that is pure and peaceable and gentle and easy to be entreated and without hypocrisy and without partiality, that wonderful peace that controls passion and ends frustration that comes to those who put their faith in you. In fact, he says it is enmity with God - enmity. As the trust level goes up, so does the intimacy and the influence. For to be a friend of the world is to be what? Help Grace to You bring important resources like this to people in your community and beyond, free of charge. You are to desire to point non-Christians to the savior and assist believers to walk in spiritual maturity with Christ. You cannot affirm your intimacy, affection, and love for God on the one hand and the same for the world. Look at verse 2, lust, kill, fight, wage war, that’s pretty strong language. It’s often translated “love” in the New Testament. So where does the prolonged state of warfare come from and where do those individual battles that fill up that prolonged state come from? Henry Durbanville. And Paul says in Romans 12:2, “Be not conformed to this world,” and Colossians 3:2 says, “Set your affections on things above and not on things on the earth.” And Peter calls for the very same thing at least a couple of times in 1 Peter. He’s already given us the perspective back in chapter 3 verse 11, “Does a fountain send forth out of the same place sweet and bitter water?” Verse 12, “Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olive berries, a vine bear figs? That happens to all of us. Older Children – Do one or more of the following: 1) Write down all the Scripture references made. Look at Romans 1. This is a - no doubt a medium-contacting false prophet who conjures up evil spirits and represents the satanic enterprise. Death. You can’t. Our Lord tells the parable of the lost coin, the parable of the lost sheep and the parable of the lost boy. Let’s bow together in prayer. You have entered into affection with me, to common cause, common interest, common enterprise, common objective. - “unfruitful.”. It is the word that means evil pleasure, desire for evil pleasure. So Saul, who is called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, set his eyes on him and this is what he said to this man. Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends…. 13 He who goes about as a talebearer reveals secrets, But he who is trustworthy conceals a matter.” It may be tempting to reveal the secret of someone you do not like and by doing so you may be able to cause them harm, but you will also harm yourself in demonstrating the lack in your own character. He pursues [them with] words, [but] they are gone.” Pity the man that has such friends and not true friends that will tell him the truth. Humility is necessary for wisdom. He says, “Where do all these battles and wars on the outside come from? For that reason, it is not proper to talk to other people about it and even those you are asking to be witnesses should only be told they are needed to help in resolving a conflict lest you prejudice their opinions. Did you see that there? He’s not referring to those times we fall into sin because in temptation we don’t take the ekbasis, the way out, which God always provides. The logic of what Paul is saying, then, is an enemy is an unbeliever. Friendship with the world puts a person in great danger. The fear of being hurt in a friendship is real for the simple reality is that we live in a fallen world cursed by sin and even Christians are only saved sinners, not saints who have already been glorified. Here at Grace to You Europe we take our data protection responsibilities very seriously and, as you would expect, have undertaken a significant programme of work to ensure that we are ready for this important legislative change. Please respond to confirm your registration. But that’s how it is if you’re a friend of the world. Satan’s pride caused him to think that he could be like God and he has sought to usurp Him ever since (Isaiah 14).