MAN'S WORLD WARNING A FRIEND OF THE WORLD IS THE ENEMY OF GOD
Welcome to our Christianity Oasis Christian walk study program. This is our Man's world Bible study looking at the Bible verse which says ... A friend of the world is the enemy of God. The truth is absolutely enLIGHTening. Let's look into this together.
MAN'S WORLD DANGERS A FRIEND OF THE WORLD IS THE ENEMY OF GOD BIBLE VERSE
Let us begin, shall we? What is man's world and why should we beware of man's world and how can we possibly avoid being entangled within it? The Bible is quite clear that the way of man's world is much different from THE WAY that Jesus spoke of when He said, I am THE WAY, the TRUTH and the LIFE.
When we talk about "man's world" or things that are "worldly" ... What exactly are we talking about anyway?
James 4:4 Know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
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WOW ... That sounds
pretty serious, doesn't it? Why do you think the Bible says
this? When you think of "the world" in this sense, what do
you think it means? Is it far away lands and the cultures
that are strange to you? Is a friend
of the world someone who travels the globe for business or
pleasure? Is "the world" everywhere else except for where
you live?
Being involved in society ... Is that what it
means to be a friend of the world?
Well, to
answer these questions ... They could all be answered yes
... And no!
When James
speaks of being a friend of the world, he's not speaking of
a geographical place.Our Creator MADE the world,
physically speaking, and He Himself loves the world ... No,
James is not speaking of avoiding being "Earth friendly", he's
talking about avoiding being friends with those who chose
man's world path which has souls following trends which is
like cattle to the slaughter.
Loving the
trends of the world, and following them ... Putting yourself
before others ... Honoring behavior that is dishonorable ...
Secret thoughts of greed, anger, lust, pride, fear, doubt,
jealousy, hate, etc. ... Keeping up with the Jones's ...
Being more eager to frequent the company of the world rather
than to abide in the company of God ... THAT is what being a
friend of the world is. Did you
know that the prince of the world is the devil? Jesus said
this to the Apostles at the end of the Last Supper:
John 14:30
Hereafter I will
not talk much with you: for the prince of this world
cometh, and hath nothing in me. |
AVOID MAN'S WORLD A FRIEND OF THE WORLD IS THE ENEMY OF GOD TRUTH
That means,
the devil has no good intentions for those who believe in
Jesus. He has no interest in promoting anything Godly. If
you look around you, it's easy to see that the ways of the
world are to follow the devil.
There is an
interesting passage in the Gospel according to Luke that you
may want to ponder on, when studying this strange thing of
the world belonging to the devil.
Luke 4:5-7
And the devil, taking Him up into an high mountain,
shewed unto Him all the kingdoms of the world in a
moment of time. And the devil said unto Him, All this
power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for
that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I
give it. If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall
be thine. |
What can
you deduct from this? God had given the devil power over
all the kingdoms of THE WORLD. And the devil lures us with
it. Now, just imagine, him being the devil and
all, how he deceitfully uses that power to persuade each
and every soul that he possibly can to follow his WAY of the
world ... So as to gain glory for himself and steal souls
and glory from God.
Is this
really true? Well, ask for yourself, do you think that most
of the people in the world are walking the Christian walk,
or is the world going the other 'way'?
When you go
out into the world or do something worldly, are you aware of
the presence of God with the same intensity as when you are
doing something Godly? Of course not.
Most people aren't
aware of the presence of God unless they're praying or at
church. Even when something awesome or terrible happens and
they gasp, "Oh, my God!" they still aren't actually
beckoning to their Father, but only using it as a figure of
speech ... Which by the way, is the same as taking the
Lord's name in vain, if you want the TRUTH. In vain, means
empty ... So if you're uttering the Lord's name, and you're
not even thinking of Him, but just using His name with no
thought toward Him ... Is that not in vain?
We live in
the world. You can't totally isolate yourself from it. But
you can control your thoughts, how you are influenced, and
what you accept from the practices of the world.
Let's look
at some of the deceptive ways that the world tries to win
your heart, shall we?
Consider
television. Can you watch a program on TV today that
doesn't use the Lord's name in vain? How about a show where
someone hasn't been unfaithful to their spouse? How many
programs are there that don't include drugs, sex, violence,
gangs, adultery, homosexuality, murder, theft, jealousy,
conspiracy, or, well, evil of any kind? Why is that? Because
these are the 'ways' of the world. Many of them are true
stories. Though you may not practice these things in your
own life (at the moment), even the suggestion of them puts
seeds in your mind. If you had never seen them, or heard
about them, you wouldn't know about them, you wouldn't think
about them, and they wouldn't be a future threat (to your
salvation) of any kind. Ignorance is bliss? Perhaps in some
ways, yes. Wouldn't you be a happier person if you never
knew evil or wickedness of any kind? If you never knew it
existed, your mind wouldn't ever think of it. I can't think
of a more blissful thought.
BEWARE MAN'S WORLD LURES WHY IS A FRIEND OF THE WORLD IS THE ENEMY OF GOD
What about
magazines and books? How many of them are just like
television and they fill the readers' minds with the ways of
the world. Music follows the same pattern.
That's
exactly what the devil wants. If you do a little
investigating, you'll find that just 50 years ago, things
were quite different. If you have a Grandma or Granddad, or
if you know an elderly person, just ask them how the world
has changed since they were a kid, and you'll find that
there was a lot less wickedness in the world just a very
short time ago.
Now, 50
years isn't a very long time, and when you watch a really
old TV show ... One that's in black and white, there's a
HUGE difference in the way the world was, and the way it is
now, but over those 50 years, the changes were oh so very
gradual, and little by little, the devil has gotten people
to believe that the evils of the world today, are just
normal.
Being
disrespectful is not normal.
Divorce is not normal.
Adultery is not normal.
Crime is not normal.
Violence is not normal.
Addiction is not normal.
Homosexuality is not normal.
But
unfortunately, the world today, thinks these things are
normal.
The world has convinced people to accept it's evil ways a little at a time. The devil has gotten the world used to so much
wickedness that things are in a terrible mess, and people
have forgotten all about how to live a Godly life.
John 8:23-24
And He said unto them,
Ye are from beneath; I
am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of
this world. I said therefore unto you, that ye
shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I
am He, ye shall die in your sins. |
MAN'S WORLD CONCERNS A FRIEND OF THE WORLD IS THE ENEMY OF GOD FEARS
If you are
a Christian ... You represent Christ, so you are not of this
world either. Everything the world offers looks exciting,
but we don't see what lies behind its deceptive promises. In
our human condition, we don't see how temporary the world
and its promises are. We might feel good for a short while,
but soon, all will turn to dust. If you follow THE WAY of
Jesus, instead of the way of the world, you'll find the true
fulfillment that you're looking for, but can never seem to
attain from things of the world.
The world may seem captivating. It may be attracting to people, and
there are things that are necessary for life that require
people to go out into the world, but my friend, the more a
person gets attached to the things of the world, the more
distance they put between themselves and Jesus. I'm not
being cruel to say, stay out of the world as much as you
possibly can, I'm warning you for your own spiritual
protection. If you find yourself fascinated by any of the
ways of the world, or you think of them as normal, or if you
prefer them to sharing time with your Father, or doing His
business, I urge you to search for the TRUTH about those
ways. God doesn't like them. I'd like to show you that
scripture again that I showed you at the beginning of this
study:
James 4:4
A friend of the world is the enemy of God.
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Now you
might say, how can I be a disciple of Jesus Christ and
spread the Gospel if I don't venture out into the world? My
friend, those sheep who are lost, that God has assigned to
you, WILL find you, or you WILL find them, in one way or
another. You just have to recognize the opportunities and be
on the look out for them. When you do venture out into the
world, be mindful of whether you're going out to a
geographical place to do the will of God that He has
assigned you, or whether you're going out to participate in
the ways of the world that the devil is trickling into the
lives of all the unsuspecting?
By the way,
you don't have to leave your home, to be exposed to the ways
of the world. The world can find it's way into your home
through television, radio, computer, books, magazines,
music, thoughts, telephone, friends, family, advertisement,
... Oh, there are countless ways. Anything that puts a
thought in your mind that is unrighteous ... Anything that
you can tell isn't God's idea, is from the world, and the
prince of it.
Now that
you have a better idea of what being "worldly" means, make
it a practice to be keenly alert of the devil's tricks to
make evil seem like it's normal. You'll be astonished at how
many people are fooled into believing in the
deception that society has bought into as standard.
When one
is involved in the world, one thing that becomes an issue
is their attire.
MAN'S WORLD ATTIRE A FRIEND OF THE WORLD IS THE ENEMY OF GOD DO NOT ENTER
This is an
interesting subject. What does someone who REPRESENTS
Christ wear? Now, let me tell you from the start, nobody
expects you to wear the kind of clothing they wore in
Biblical times, but a curious question just to ponder on,
is, Why do you suppose that people in the Holy lands, where
Jesus walked, still dress that way? If you've ever watched
the news and seen people from the mid-east, you know that
they still wear a cloth on their head and long garments like
Jesus did. An interesting observation, isn't it?
Let's talk
about the trends of modern times. Common sense alone tells
you that many of the styles of the world today ... In fact
for about the last century ... Don't represent Christ.
What you
wear makes a statement about you. When
people see you, the first judgment they usually make is
about what you're wearing. People aren't supposed
to judge others, but certain judgments we make about other
people are for our own protection. If you see someone who
looks dangerous, the Lord gave you good judgment to stay
away from them.
Do your
clothes scream for attention, or are they meek and humble
like Jesus? Do they represent the world? Remember what we
learned about the world. Jesus said:
So, would
you say that to follow trendy fashions would be Christ-like?
Let me ask you a question. Why has nobody ever started a fad
of respectable clothing? Is it because Christians are too
ashamed? Let me remind you about the shame game, I believe
you'll remember it.
Matthew 10:32-33
Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him
will I confess also before my Father which is in
Heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him
will I also deny before my Father which is in Heaven. |
Isn't it
odd though, that people would go through the pain of
piercing their skin or tattooing themselves to sport the
latest trend, but it pains people in their ego to dress in a
Godly manner?
MAN'S WORLD JUDGES BY APPEARANCE A FRIEND OF THE WORLD IS THE ENEMY OF GOD DECEPTION
What about
jewelry? Did Jesus wear jewels or gold or silver? My bet is,
no. Let's see if we can think of something that would
glorify God in the jewelry department ... Maybe a cross or a
crucifix around your neck, showing who you REPRESENT is a
better choice than glittery gemstones and such. Did you know
that God spoke through the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah
3:16-26), telling that the jewels and trinkets and
fancy clothes that women wear will one day be replaced with
baldness and stink?
What about
hair styles? What about cosmetics? Which of the choices you
make in these areas REPRESENT your Jesus? I'll help you out
on this one ... Wear what God gave you ... You are His
image. He doesn't want you to paint the image of His
face or use polish on His fingernails or color or cut
His hair like a tire track, or reshape His
eyebrows. They are HIS image. By doing these things, aren't
you saying that you don't approve of the creation He made?
Yikes! That's quite an insult. If God wanted you to have
blue hair, you would have had blue hair when you were born.
Be natural. Be GODLY. Not worldly.
You ARE the
Temple of the Holy Spirit.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20
What? know ye not that your body is the Temple of the
Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and
ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price:
therefore glorify God in your body, and in your
spirit, which are God's. |
MAN'S WORLD SUMMARY A FRIEND OF THE WORLD IS THE ENEMY OF GOD CONCLUSION
Ask yourself, How do I glorify God by what I wear?
A good
thing to remember is that you are a shepherd of the Lord's.
Every person you meet, or every person that even sees you,
is possibly a sheep. If you display a Godly image by what
you wear, you're inviting those sheep, without even
speaking, to approach you and learn from you. You're an
example to them. You will attract those who are in your
'fold' so to speak, by the way you talk, act, AND by what
you wear, so you can see how the initial impression you make
on someone is very important. If you wear clothes that
represent a different image, you may be losing a sheep. In
fact, depending on how you dress, you may be leading a sheep
astray. You are a walking billboard and your clothing speaks
loudly about you. Who are you advertising for?
If a person
dresses in revealing clothes to impress other people, to
draw the attention of others to look at their body rather
than their soul, this is the devil's work. It doesn't take a
genius to figure out that it's not Godly to walk around with
parts of your underclothing showing. You don't have to be
really intelligent to know that fabric that you can see
through doesn't make it obvious that you're special to God.
There are many people who the devil has a firm hold on, who
are not strong enough to break free of his grip, and many
things can trigger them to do evil, dirty, harmful, even
criminal things. Even seeing someone in revealing clothing,
though it may seem normal to society today, there are
criminal minds out there that are triggered by just such
things and the results can lead to abuse, rape, even murder.
You don't want to be responsible for the actions of others
because of the clothes you wear. Geez, you may say to
yourself, do I have to scrutinize every single thing I do?
That's part of being a Christian, my friend. Nobody said it
was an easy job ... But it is a rewarding one. Yes, you have
to be extra responsible. Jesus gives you the choice. If you
think it's too much trouble, He will deny you before His
Father, like He said. If you wear discreet clothing, you're
not only silently making a Christian statement about who you
represent, but you're also protecting yourself, you're
protecting people who are weak and cannot practice self
control, and you're protecting others who may be victims of
their lack of control.
By staying
out of the world as much as you can, you're not missing
anything. Actually ... You're missing a lot. You're missing
all the attractive 'gifts' that the devil is more than
willing to give to you, that are just tricks to win your
soul away from your Father.
When you
must participate in something of the world, be alert. Always
be on guard for any ways of the world that the enemy tries
to use to lure you away from living in a Godly manner. The
world is full of them. We call them bad seeds and weeds.
There's a study that will help you to recognize when the
world is trying to plant bad seeds and weeds in the lovely
garden of your soul, and how you can get rid of them, before
they grow.
Our man's world Bible study on a friend of the world is the enemy of God Bible verse reveals that we are to avoid man's world at all cost. It may be that we have to be in man's world, but we do not need to be partakers of man's world.
There is a precious study program for women to consider called Virtuous Woman.
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