Jas 4:4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, 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.
Friendship of the world is enmity with God.
And YET, we are to love one another, so this must be something totally different, yes?
A friend of the world is the enemy of God.
This is TRUTH.
This is such amazing truth that all who would know our Savior should study this, really study this because Satan has presented this world as all there really is, and when we fall for that we are in his deceptive trap.
A friend of the world.
So why shouldn't we be a friend of the world?
Especially when so many are extreme in promoting this world as something we should love- in most respects.
To tell anyone NOT to be a friend of this world is to risk being thought of as someone who is extremely strange and in truth- loveless. If we aren't loving- as the world loves and as those in the world choose to love -then we are the strange ones. Why shouldn't we love the place we live in? Some will even go as far as to say God made this world and we must love what He made, we must not only be friends with the world but, love the world. Yet here we are in God's word being told outright NOT to be a friend of the world and if we ARE a friend of the world then we are an ENEMY of God's. So how do we reconcile the love we are supposed to have for the things of God and being told that even to be a friend of the world is to be God's enemy.
Did Jesus love this world? People tend to answer 'yes' without giving it much thought. Jesus did not love this world, Jesus loved the people in the world.
Jesus wasn't a part of this world and we are not supposed to be a part of this world but we FORGET this!
Joh 17:9 I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine.
Joh 17:10 And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them.
Joh 17:11 And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.
Joh 17:12 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.
Joh 17:13 And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves.
Joh 17:14 I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
Joh 17:15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.
Joh 17:16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
WE ARE NOT TO BE PART OF THIS WORLD so WHY do we try so hard to be a part of this world, why? WHY?
Why do we let the alienation we feel towards this world and the people that are friends with the world get to us so badly? When we feel out of sorts, when nothing seems to be going quite right, we let it worry us, we get upset. We like when things are going smoothly, calmly, the world and all in it are in harmony with us - at least those in our little part of world. We want to get along with the world because to do otherwise would put us at odds with things and we don't like that feeling. We want to find love from this world, we want to find acceptance from this world, we want to be at peace with this world - so much in life - movies, books, school, families all emphasize this idea. So it's no wonder that when we don't fit in we get upset. The world - the ruler of this world- wants us to strive to be friends with the world rather than enemies and most people are truly caught up in doing just that.
It'd be strange to believe we should actually celebrate our lack of friendship with the world- right? Just writing it sounds strange. Maybe we really should celebrate it though, because in truth, aren't we celebrating our closeness with God, our friendship with God, when we celebrate our lack of friendship with the world?
If we took every instance when we begin to feel that lack of friendship with the world we are living in and praised God how would this alter our perception about life in general?
Would we draw closer to God through this praise? Closer to God and further from the world? Isn't this what we are supposed to - draw closer to God and further from the world and things worldly.
Putting our hope in God- not in this world. Putting our love in God- not in things of this world, this is what we are to do, right?
So, why are we so determined to be friends with the world? To fit in this world? To get along with this world?
The truth- the closer we are to our God the more loving we would naturally become towards others. Not being a friend of the world does NOT mean not being friends with others, it does not mean not loving others. We will love others more the less we love the world and this is God's truth! It sounds contrary but it's not.
Mat 4:8 Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;
Mat 4:9 And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.
The Devil rules this world- He even told our Savior He had ownership- so much so that He could offer the kingdoms of the world to Jesus.
Mat 12:32 ... neither in this world, neither in the world to come.
We are told that there is a WORLD to come.
We are not to live for this world but we are to live for the world to come, the world our Savior will usher in after the thousand years of reigning with Him in heaven. This is Biblical, this is factual.
Rev 20:4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and REIGNED WITH CHRIST A THOUSAND YEARS.
Rev 20:6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and SHALL REIGN WITH HIM A THOUSAND YEARS.
Rev 21:1 And I saw a NEW HEAVEN AND A NEW EARTH: FOR THE FIRST HEAVEN AND THE FIRST EARTH WERE PASSED AWAY and there was no more sea.
Rev 21:2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband
Biblical!
Truth!
If you DO NOT fit in this world, if you feel more at odds with the world than you do a part of it, there is a reason for it and it's not a bad thing, not like those in this world, those who are a part of this world want you to believe it is. They want you to be depressed, they want you to be angry, they want you to feel lonely, feeling a lot of heart ache and they want this because this is Satan's world and he will do anything and everything to bring us to himself, wanting us to die lost in Him, lost in this world.
We truly cannot be friends with this world we live in, we can't and we have to stop trying.
We must love God and because loving God means loving others, we will love others, but we will NOT love the world and the horrors of this world, or the lusts of this world. We will NOT seek to be friends with the world. We have to check ourselves when we get upset for not fitting in, for not feeling affection for this world. No matter what any person says- we are NOT to be friends with this world unless we want to be enemies of God.
More tomorrow by the grace of our SAVIOR!
All in His love!
Friendship of the world is enmity with God.
And YET, we are to love one another, so this must be something totally different, yes?
A friend of the world is the enemy of God.
This is TRUTH.
This is such amazing truth that all who would know our Savior should study this, really study this because Satan has presented this world as all there really is, and when we fall for that we are in his deceptive trap.
A friend of the world.
So why shouldn't we be a friend of the world?
Especially when so many are extreme in promoting this world as something we should love- in most respects.
To tell anyone NOT to be a friend of this world is to risk being thought of as someone who is extremely strange and in truth- loveless. If we aren't loving- as the world loves and as those in the world choose to love -then we are the strange ones. Why shouldn't we love the place we live in? Some will even go as far as to say God made this world and we must love what He made, we must not only be friends with the world but, love the world. Yet here we are in God's word being told outright NOT to be a friend of the world and if we ARE a friend of the world then we are an ENEMY of God's. So how do we reconcile the love we are supposed to have for the things of God and being told that even to be a friend of the world is to be God's enemy.
Did Jesus love this world? People tend to answer 'yes' without giving it much thought. Jesus did not love this world, Jesus loved the people in the world.
Jesus wasn't a part of this world and we are not supposed to be a part of this world but we FORGET this!
Joh 17:9 I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine.
Joh 17:10 And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them.
Joh 17:11 And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.
Joh 17:12 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.
Joh 17:13 And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves.
Joh 17:14 I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
Joh 17:15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.
Joh 17:16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
WE ARE NOT TO BE PART OF THIS WORLD so WHY do we try so hard to be a part of this world, why? WHY?
Why do we let the alienation we feel towards this world and the people that are friends with the world get to us so badly? When we feel out of sorts, when nothing seems to be going quite right, we let it worry us, we get upset. We like when things are going smoothly, calmly, the world and all in it are in harmony with us - at least those in our little part of world. We want to get along with the world because to do otherwise would put us at odds with things and we don't like that feeling. We want to find love from this world, we want to find acceptance from this world, we want to be at peace with this world - so much in life - movies, books, school, families all emphasize this idea. So it's no wonder that when we don't fit in we get upset. The world - the ruler of this world- wants us to strive to be friends with the world rather than enemies and most people are truly caught up in doing just that.
It'd be strange to believe we should actually celebrate our lack of friendship with the world- right? Just writing it sounds strange. Maybe we really should celebrate it though, because in truth, aren't we celebrating our closeness with God, our friendship with God, when we celebrate our lack of friendship with the world?
If we took every instance when we begin to feel that lack of friendship with the world we are living in and praised God how would this alter our perception about life in general?
Would we draw closer to God through this praise? Closer to God and further from the world? Isn't this what we are supposed to - draw closer to God and further from the world and things worldly.
Putting our hope in God- not in this world. Putting our love in God- not in things of this world, this is what we are to do, right?
So, why are we so determined to be friends with the world? To fit in this world? To get along with this world?
The truth- the closer we are to our God the more loving we would naturally become towards others. Not being a friend of the world does NOT mean not being friends with others, it does not mean not loving others. We will love others more the less we love the world and this is God's truth! It sounds contrary but it's not.
Mat 4:8 Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;
Mat 4:9 And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.
The Devil rules this world- He even told our Savior He had ownership- so much so that He could offer the kingdoms of the world to Jesus.
Mat 12:32 ... neither in this world, neither in the world to come.
We are told that there is a WORLD to come.
We are not to live for this world but we are to live for the world to come, the world our Savior will usher in after the thousand years of reigning with Him in heaven. This is Biblical, this is factual.
Rev 20:4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and REIGNED WITH CHRIST A THOUSAND YEARS.
Rev 20:6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and SHALL REIGN WITH HIM A THOUSAND YEARS.
Rev 21:1 And I saw a NEW HEAVEN AND A NEW EARTH: FOR THE FIRST HEAVEN AND THE FIRST EARTH WERE PASSED AWAY and there was no more sea.
Rev 21:2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband
Biblical!
Truth!
If you DO NOT fit in this world, if you feel more at odds with the world than you do a part of it, there is a reason for it and it's not a bad thing, not like those in this world, those who are a part of this world want you to believe it is. They want you to be depressed, they want you to be angry, they want you to feel lonely, feeling a lot of heart ache and they want this because this is Satan's world and he will do anything and everything to bring us to himself, wanting us to die lost in Him, lost in this world.
We truly cannot be friends with this world we live in, we can't and we have to stop trying.
We must love God and because loving God means loving others, we will love others, but we will NOT love the world and the horrors of this world, or the lusts of this world. We will NOT seek to be friends with the world. We have to check ourselves when we get upset for not fitting in, for not feeling affection for this world. No matter what any person says- we are NOT to be friends with this world unless we want to be enemies of God.
More tomorrow by the grace of our SAVIOR!
All in His love!
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