James 4:4 You adulterers and adulteresses, know you not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God?… 1. Worldliness in Christians is spiritual adultery. It dissolves the spiritual marriage between God and the soul. To let the world share with God is an evil, but to prefer the world before God is an impiety. 2. Women have special need to take heed of worldly pleasures and lusts: "You adulterers and adulteresses." 3. To seek the friendship of the world is the ready way to be God's enemy. God and the world are contrary -" tie is all good, and the world lieth in wickedness; and they command contrary things. The world saith, "Slack no opportunity of gain and pleasure; if you will be so peevish as to stand nicely upon conscience, you will do nothing but draw trouble upon yourselves." Now, God saith, "Deny yourself; take up your cross; renounce the world." Well, now, you see the enmity between God and the world. (1) Think of it seriously when you are about to mingle with earthly comforts and delights, and can neglect God for a little carnal conveniency and satisfaction; this is to be an enemy to God, and can I make good my part against Him? He is almighty, and can crush you (Ezekiel 22:14). And He is a terrible enemy "when He whetteth His glittering sword" (Deuteronomy 32:41). Nay, if none of all this were to be feared, the very estrangement from God is punishment enough to itself. (2) Learn how odious worldliness is; it is direct enmity to God, because it is carried on under sly pretences. Of all sins this seemeth most plausible. (T. Manton.) Parallel Verses KJV: 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. |
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