Worldliness doesn't always manifest itself in social taboos--smoking, swearing, drinking, dancing, gambling etc. In fact, few Christians would indulge in these practices. Abstinence, however, does not always guarantee spirituality. Many Christians who wouldn't think of taking a cocktail think nothing of quarreling, clamoring, and separating from their brethren at the drop of a hat.
James has heard about and observed church fights, and he ponders the reasons why the saints engage in squabbles (James 4:1). What lies at the root of wrangling and petty disunity? The answer is not far to seek. Contentious and cantankerous Christians are just doing what comes naturally. They're giving expression to their old nature, which James calls "lusts that war in your members".
All believers experience a conflict of inclinations raging in their soul. Out of their Adamic depravity come selfish cravings for position, popularity, and prestige. These fleshly desires are at war with the Holy Spirit who is producing contrary desires--godly appetites.
Two conflicting powers are at work in the soul--each vying for domination and each prompting an opposite inclination. The inner drive toward the works of the flesh manifests itself in outward strife and turmoil.
The word "lust" in verse 2 is a different Greek word from that represented by the world "lust" in verse 1. In verse 1 it signifies the pleasures and delights which come from fulfilling the heart's desire. In verse 2, "lust" suggests "the setting of one's heart or soul upon a thing".
Passions for pleasure struggle for fulfillment. Overt acts of sin always begin with the inordinate desires of the heart. The Christian who hankers after illegitimate pursuits is due to suffer disappointment and the frustration of desire.
Evil desire crops out in some surprising actions, murder among them (vs. 2). Envy is the prelude to destroying the reputation of others, and it may lead even to taking someone's life--as the case of David amply illustrates (2 Samuel 11:1-17). Once we embrace these desires, we're not beyond practicing them in the church. This leads to hostilities in the camp of the saints and sometimes to all-out war.
James 4:3 indicates some believers go so far as to implicate God in the satisfying of their fleshly desires. Not able to get what they want when they want it, they call upon God to intervene on their behalf. They misinterpret the promise of Jesus in Matthew 7:7 to mean they may expect a favorable answer to every selfish whim, just as long as they pray in Jesus' name.
They intend to squander God's gifts upon their unbridled passions. This kind of prayer is born of greed and self-love, and this kind of believer is devoted only to his own personal happiness even though it deprives others of their well-being.
They give no thought to asking what pleases the Lord, and they don't confine themselves to the kind of prayers Jesus would ask. Their first and foremost ambition is to please self.
James intimates in James 4:4 that church spats and splits can be traced to worldliness. Who would suspect battling believers are really worldly warriors? James charges worldly-minded Christians with infidelity to Christ. They have abandoned Christ to cohabit with a system which opposes and hates Christ.
The whole world system lies in the lap of the wicked one. Satan imposes his own anti-God philosophy upon everything he touches. Human leaders seldom are aware of Satan's power and influence upon them. Nevertheless, the devil is the god of this age and has "blinded the minds of them which believe not" (2 Corinthians 4:4). He is the prince of this world (John 12:31).
The person who chooses the world instead of Christ shows thereby he doesn't love the Lord, for he has identified himself with a system which hates Christ. How can a true Christian feel at home with and enjoy the company of the devil's crowd?
Any professed Christian who loves the world is proved by his affection for what God hates to be a rebel against God and probably not a genuine believer after all.
No comments:
Post a Comment