Beloved congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ,

At times one can hear the complaint that world-conformity is creeping into the church. Now, I would be the last one to deny that there is quite some truth in this statement. Yet what do we mean when we speak about world-conformity? What is this and how does it affect church life?

The text chosen for this morning's sermon also speaks about friendship with the world which is enmity with God. Yet I am afraid that oftentimes this word is quoted totally out of context.

For what does James mean when he speaks about friendship with the world? We often limit this expression to a short list of outward actions. Too often world-conformity is identified simplistically with going to places where one does not belong, or with drinking, having TV, style of dress and the like. Now without minimizing the relevance of any categories of such behavior, we must be careful that we do not see world-conformity simply as a matter of outward form. James in his letter views worldliness primarily as a matter of the heart.

This means it is quite well possible to be quiet and mild-mannered in one's life-style and yet be inwardly consumed by worldly desires and aspirations. On the other hand, it is not impossible to look worldly, by someone's definition of worldliness, and in fact be a godly person.

Moreover, we should be well aware of the fact that world-conformity can creep into the church also in the way we deal with one another, as James makes clear in the beginning of Ch. 4. This also brings us closer to the context in which we have to read the words chosen as text for this morning's sermon.

For a moment, let us start with the concluding part of Ch. 3, where James puts heavenly wisdom versus earthly wisdom. He writes there, vss. 16-18, "…" Yet what is the situation among the addressees of this letter. In Ch. 4,1 we read that there are wars and fights among them, of which the root problem is -as James already stated it in the concluding part of Ch. 3 - bitter envy and self-seeking, which poison the spirit.

Well, beloved, it is this attitude which James in our text describes as 'friendship with the world'. When there is no real love for one another, but instead a seeking of one self, this is as much a matter of world-conformity than some outward behaviour. In both cases we have to repent.

That's then also what James calls for in this part of his letter, vs. 6 > God is looking for a spirit of humility from us. God, who resists the proud, but who gives grace to the humble. Therefore, vss. 7 & 8, submit to God, resist de devil; cleanse your hands and purify your hearts.

See there how the words of our text function in their context. I minister the Word of God to you under the following heading,

JAMES, CALLING FOR REPENTANCE, HIGHLIGHTS THAT

FRIENDSHIP WITH THE WORLD IS ENMITY WITH GOD

We will see

1. what this friendship consists of
2. how we are to tackle it

I James, Br. & Sr., writes his letter, Ch. 1,2, "to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad." It is not easy to give an exact answer to the question, who these people were. When reading the commentaries the answers vary. Most likely, we must give thought to Jewish Christians, who according to Acts 8,1, after persecution arose against the church in Jerusalem, were scattered abroad. Most likely I said, since there are a number of aspects in this letter that indeed point in this direction. However we can't be completely sure about this. For a good understanding of this letter this is not necessary either.

Moreover, James phrases the address of this letter quite generally, "to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad."

'The twelve tribes' - James thus addresses the addressees of this letter as the legitimate continuation of the OT church. Though dispersed and perhaps small in number, nevertheless these Christians from the Jews form the Catholic Church of Christ, which according to Art. 27 BC is not confined or limited to one particular place or time nor to certain persons, but throughout the ages this church is gathered by Christ from every tribe, tongue and nation. Yes, that's how Christ will bring that crowd which no one can number into the New Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from God. As regards this city, the New Jerusalem, we read in Rev. 21 that it has twelve gates on which are inscribed the names of the twelve tribes of Israel.

"To the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad." 'Scattered abroad' > as I said before, it might be that in this context we must indeed give thought to actual dispersion: Jewish Christian who due to persecution had fled their home towns, and now lived elsewhere on foreign ground.

Nevertheless, in the same way as the expression 'the twelve tribes' had a more general meaning, so most likely also the expression 'scattered abroad' or 'dispersion'. James thus wants to describe the position of these Christians in the world, where they are strangers who have their real home in heaven. Yes, though living in the world they are not of the world.

In the world and yet not of the world. However, when we read this letter there seems to be much world-conformity among the addressees. As regards the congregation in Jerusalem we read in Acts 4, 32, "those who believed were of one heart and one soul." Yet this could not be said about the Christians to whom James wrote this letter. In Ch. 2 we read about the sin of partiality. In Ch. 3 James warns against the evil tongue, and against jealousy and selfish ambition. Therefore the word 'war' in the beginning of Ch. 4 was no exaggeration. There was a lot of antagonism among these Christians. At times conflicts flared up to a tremendous height.

What had caused this? In vs. 1b of Ch. 4 James points to 'the desires for pleasure'. The word 'desire' points to gratification of the flesh. James says it is these sinful desires which are the cause of all the quarrels and animosity among you. Yes, these sinful desires and passions were like an armed camp, ready at a moment's notice to declare war against anyone, who would stand in the way of some personal gratification on which one had set his heart. From the vss. 2 & 3 we learn that this had even affected the prayer life of the members of this congregation. They no longer drew near to God with a humble heart, but selfish interest determined also the content of their prayers. It is for that reason, so James says, that you ask but do not receive.

Overall a very grim picture. Yes, things must indeed have been pretty bad within the congregation to which James had to write this letter. I don't think that as congregation of West Albany you would easily recognize yourself in this picture. Not many of us would see the small-time disagreements and occasional petty arguments, we sometimes have with one another, as fitting this description, would we?

Yet, Br. & Sr., let us not gloss too quickly over this part of Scripture. For how often does it not happen that we too can't be bothered about the importance of right relations with one another; that we shrug our shoulders about feelings of animosity? It happens also among us that jealousy, envy, fighting for own interest affects in a negative way our living together as brothers and sisters in Christ.

Well, our text says, also this has everything to do with world-conformity. In the world everything indeed revolves around oneself. My desires, my interest should rank first, even if it is at the expense of my neighbour. That's how people in the world fight their way up. Yet God hates such a way of life. According to our text this puts us at enmity with Him. If you live this way, so James says, you have become friends with the world.

See, beloved, that's the context in which we ought to read the words of our text. After all, James does not condemn here any friendship with the world as such. No, I don't say that this has nothing to do with what we read in our text. For in both instances the antithesis is at stake.

The antithesis, as also the apostle Paul writes about it in Romans 8 when he says, that "the carnal mind is enmity against God." The carnal mind, i.e. when we set our mind on the things of the flesh, of the world, e.g. when we live for the sport, for the drinking, or you name it, whereby the Lord becomes second place.

Yet, beloved, friendship with the world can also be that though outwardly we live a well-mannered lifestyle, good reformed as far as the eye meets, and yet we still fight for own interest at the expense of fellow brothers and sisters. World-conformity is also when love grows cold in the church. It is in particular this latter aspect which James addresses in our text.

And listen then what he writes. Having spoken about the wars and fighting's that mar church life, he addresses these children of God as adulteresses, using the image of wives who have betrayed their marriage vows. We know this image also from the OT, where it is used with respect to the Israelites, whenever they went after the idols, like Baal and Ashtaroth. It pictures the unfaithfulness of God's people towards the LORD, who had entered into a covenant with them. It means that one fails to appreciate the LORD as the God of the covenant of whom Isaiah says, "your Maker is your Husband." It is because of this covenant that as regards friendship with the world the LORD has no other word for it than 'adultery'.

One may think is this word not too strong? But then remember, beloved, how the LORD in sovereign love has chosen us to be a people of His own possession. In so doing the LORD was like an ardent young man pursuing and claiming His bride. Well, the LORD now also longs for the love of this bride, for the love of her heart. The LORD doesn't want a double-minded bride. He claims us completely with all our heart, with all our soul, with our entire mind. With less the LORD is not satisfied.

Friendship with the world is enmity with God. No, here is not any room for compromising. And again, then we must give thought not only to church members who have befriended themselves with the world so completely that they enjoy life in the world even more than life in the church. Indeed they too, as far as God's covenant is concerned, commit outright adultery by giving the love of their heart to something else next to God. E.g., when on Sunday we can't miss out on the sport and therefore still have to watch or to listen, rather than spending this day to the honour of the LORD. Beloved, then there is something terribly wrong in our life.

Yet it is also possible that as far as this issue is concerned we take a very strong stand, whilst on the other hand true love towards a fellow brother or sister in the church is lacking. Beloved, also in the latter case we have made God our enemy. God, who says murder is sin, but we say, if a brother provokes me I have a good reason to be angry with him. Or another example, God says you shall have no other gods before Me, but we live for the money and don't want to miss out on that great holiday, whilst meanwhile there is no room for increasing our Fixed Voluntary Contributions.

The bottom line is, Br. & Sr. where does the love of our heart go out to. Once again, this leaves no room for compromising. It is not just a minor principle, that's at stake here, but our very relationship with God. Are we friend of foe?

Friendship with the world > beloved, we all are in danger here. Worldly-mindedness, it sometimes so easily creep its way into our life, to the extent that we are not even aware of it or just laugh it away as something of little significance; meanwhile not realizing that even a little bit of worldly-mindedness will cloud our relationship with the LORD.

E.g., then we still read our Bible, on Sunday we go to church, yet our heart is not undividedly dedicated to the LORD.

"Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, the Spirit who dwells in us years earnestly," vs. 5. It is not exactly clear what James means with these words, due to the fact that the original Greek gives difficulty for a proper translation. Nevertheless the thrust of it is clear. It points us to God as a jealous God, who does not tolerate that the heart of His children goes out to the world. The LORD yearns with jealousy > think of The Third Commandment, which says that God is a jealous God.

Well, the LORD indeed yearns with jealousy when He claims the rights He has on us. God claims these rights not in a cold judicial way, but full of tender love. Well, beloved, this love of God now also asks for a response from an undivided heart. As children of God we cannot give the love of our heart both to God and to the world, for in the long run this will ruin our relationship with the LORD.

II I now come to my second thought. It might well be. Br. & Sr., that you recognize some areas in your life where you have become a friend with the world. What now are we to do about this? How do we tackle this friendship? The more so since God asks our heart to be totally committed to Him. One may sigh, who is able to do so? Will there not be many sins and shortcomings, time and again?

But let us then read further in this chapter, where James provides hope by telling us that God's grace surpasses His jealous anger. He quotes Proverbs, 3, 34 which states, "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble." James sets up this quotation by telling us that God gives us more grace. The Greek word used here in this comparative form implies "so much more" or "so much greater." In other words, God's grace is greater than His jealousy and His grace can overcome His jealousy as long as we remain humble.

Summarizing, God is looking for a spirit of humility, a spirit of repentance. A spirit, which recognizes what Christ has done for us. A spirit which seeks to be truly faithful to our spiritual husband, God!

Without that spirit, we are God's enemies. Plain and simple!

With that spirit, however, God's grace overcomes His jealousy and grants us forgiveness for our wandering hearts and minds.

James thus calls for repentance, as becomes clear also from the words that follow our text, where he writes that we must submit to God and resist the devil. This requires a willing act of accepting the authority of God. In army terms, the word 'submit' means here as much as "to swear allegiance to fight under God's banner." Yes, that's how we ought to submit to God, being ready to await His commands and to do His will.

He who refuses to do so will miss God's grace and will more and more be taken by the desires that spring from his own sinful heart.

Yet when we put our trust in the LORD to be helped by Him, God's grace will make us conquer. Led by the Spirit of God we will then be able to resist the devil, yea even discover that he will flee from us.

No, we should never belittle the power of the devil. Scriptures calls him the ruler of this world and the god of this age. He is also pictured as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. Yet, strengthened by the grace of God we will be able to fight the devil and even experience the miracle that he will flee from us.

Yet, beloved, only when we let ourselves be guided by the Spirit of God. Yes, only then we will be able to live in the world and yet show up not to be of this world.

If for a moment we keep on reading past our text, then James continues his description of a humble walk with the command, "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you." Note well what James writes here, beloved. For we sometimes have the tendency to reverse this order.

At times in my ministry I hear the complaint, "Prayer would not be so difficult, if only I could sense God's presence." But that is the opposite of what we read in James 4, 8. Those who utter a complaint like this want the promise to come before the command. Yet James teaches that more grace is given to those who first set their feet on the path of obedience. Thus rephrasing verse 8a, I could render it as follows: those who obey the command to seek God's presence, God will also enrich with the grace of His presence. To be able to fight the battle the first thing which is requires is: to live close to the LORD; to live close to the LORD, e.g. in prayer and in faithful reading His Word.

Setting out for us an ordered program of obedience, James continues, "Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded." These words are reminiscent of the service of the priests under the OT. Whenever they drew near to God they had to purify themselves thoroughly. They had to wash their clothes and to cleanse themselves completely. Through this ceremony with water the LORD wanted to teach His people that the pollution of sin had to be removed. God's people had to be a holy people fully dedicated to the LORD.

Well, that's what James also wants to make clear. Those Christians to whom he writes had to purify themselves both outwardly and inwardly. They had to clean up the outer life of their hands, i.e. they had to break with sin in their life, the actual wrong-doings. But at the same time they also had to break with all double-mindedness in their heart, i.e. they should no longer try to compromise, try to combine serving the Lord with being friends with the world. It is either the one or the other, for no one can serve to masters. The LORD asks love from an undivided heart.

Yes, then looking into the mirror of God's Word one will become more and more aware of his own wretchedness, vs. 9. Yes, then we will learn that friendship with the world is sin indeed, enmity with God. Then we will no longer laugh this away as something not to worry about, nothing serious. But then we will humble ourselves in the sight of the Lord and repent.

Indeed, beloved, that's what the Lord asks of all of us. Therefore, let us stop trying to belittle the sins in our life as "not too bad, it could be much more serious." But instead let us bow our knees and confess to the Lord as David did in Psalm 51,

Oftentimes we are quite superficial in judging what is wrong in our life. True, we may live as redeemed children of God. Yet to be truly thankful for this redemption one must start with considering his sins and confess them before the Lord. Yes, in drawing near to God, first of all we are to humble ourselves before Him.

If we do so we may also hold on to the promise that through blood of Christ God will cleanse our lives from all the sins we have committed and receive us into favour again. Like that father of the parable who was waiting for his son to close him in his arms again. Well, beloved, that's how the Lord is waiting for all who have wandered away from him, and who through all kind of sins have messed up their life. And who of us this morning would say that he or she has no made a mess of it?

"Draw near to God and He will draw near to you." Br. & Sr., we don't have to wait for God. On the contrary, God is waiting for you, for you and me; for our repentance and confession of sins, for a life that is fully devoted to Him.

Always remember, beloved, friendship with the world in what kind of form does not matter > friendship with the world cannot be combined with worshipping the Lord, it is enmity against God. Let us then indeed break with all world-conformity. Let us cleanse our hands and purify our hearts. Let us humble ourselves before the Lord and repent from our sins.

And then each and every one of us knows quite well in what area of life he has to follow this up. Let us then all do so, beloved, so that God's grace may abound in our life. God, who longs to be gracious to us, longs to show us compassion.

Beloved, let the Lord then not wait for you. But bow your knees and confess your sins. And out of thankfulness for the forgiveness of your sins render your life to Him undividedly without any restriction.

I can assure you, then joy will abound in your life. True joy, i.e. the joy of faith which has much more substance than the empty and fleeting joy of this world. It has substance, since it is rooted in God's sure promises of salvation in Jesus Christ. In other words, the joy of faith is more than just some subjective feeling, but it is a reality brought about by the work of the Holy Spirit within us. Yes,

That's why we pray,

Amen.

Last modified: December 01, 2002