Reset Password
Reset Link Sent
| Blogs > Katididaustralia > Katididaustralia |
|
Friendship With God Or Friendship With The World Which Will You Choose? James 4:4 Adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever, therefore, wants to be a friend of the world is making himself an enemy of God It is our choice who our friends are is it not? The thing is that we are most often judge by the friendships we keep. Who we associate with effects our thinking and our actions. We tend to take on our friends' attributes and characters to some extent. Of course, friendship and association with others is a natural need. Proverbs 18:24 There are companions ready to crush one another, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother Proverbs 17:17 A true friend shows love at all times, And is a brother who is born for times of distress Proverbs 27:6 The wounds inflicted by a friend are faithful, But an enemy’s kisses are plentiful Proverbs 27:9 Oil and incense make the heart rejoice; So does sweet friendship springing from sincere counsel Especially since we are made in God's image do we crave friendship. He also likes friendship. James 2:21-23 Was not Abraham our father declared righteous by works after he offered up Isaac his on the altar? You see that his faith was active along with his works and his faith was perfected by his works, and the scripture was fulfilled that says: “Abraham put faith in Jehovah, and it was counted to him as righteousness,” and he came to be called Jehovah’s friend. Proverbs 8:30 Then I was beside him as a master worker. I was the one he was especially fond of day by day; I rejoiced before him all the time Without friendship, people perish. How much more so will we perish without friendship with Jehovah God, perishing for all eternity. Matthew 7:13+14 Go in through the narrow gate, because broad is the gate and spacious is the road leading off into destruction, and many are going in through it; whereas narrow is the gate and cramped the road leading off into life, and few are finding it 2thessalonians 1:8+9 .....as he brings vengeance on those who do not know God and those who do not obey the good news about our Lord Jesus. These very ones will undergo the judicial punishment of everlasting destruction from before the Lord and from the glory of his strength Matthew 25:46 These will depart into everlasting cutting-off, but the righteous ones into everlasting life.” What is the context of 'the world' in Scripture? John 3:16 “For God loved the world so much that he gave his only-begotten , so that everyone exercising faith in him might not be destroyed but have everlasting life. Here it is referring to mankind in general. James 4:4 Adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever, therefore, wants to be a friend of the world is making himself an enemy of God Here is is referring to those lying in the power of the wicked on(satan) and separated from God. Why is it that we can be separated from God? 1John 5:19 ....the whole world is lying in the power of the wicked one How is satan's rulership manifest? 1. False Religion; 2. Political Governments, and; 3. Commercialism. The false religions of the world promote war, prejudice, immorality, idolatry(which is greed), along with false teachings. The political governments of the world do not work in harmony with God's principles and standards but work according to their own thinking. They offer corruption and half-hearted, patchwork solutions to the needs of mankind with little sympathy or empathy to those in true need. The commercial systems of the world are only working for the 'love of money' with a 'greed is good' mentality. We now live in a 'milk carton' society where everything is manufactured to be thrown away in the first instance and not repaired which is ruining our ecosystems and resources. It is designed to play on our wants instead of our needs which are two vastly different things. So, what can we do about the world around us? Nothing. These things will be sorted out in God's own good time. Then how can we separate ourselves from satan's world? By putting into practice the things learned from the Bible. By applying God's principles and standards in every aspect of our daily lives and in our thinking. God's moral standards and satan's lack of moral standards is where the difference really lies. Immorality is openly promoted by the world - corruption, greed and indecency. Galatians 5:19-21 Now the works of the flesh are plainly seen, and they are sexual immorality, uncleanness, brazen conduct, idolatry, spiritism, hostility, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, dissensions, divisions, sects, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and things like these. I am forewarning you about these things, the same way I already warned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit God’s Kingdom. 2Corinthians 6:17 “‘Therefore, get out from among them, and separate yourselves,’ says Jehovah, ‘and quit touching the unclean thing’” Never-the-less, it is easy to love little bits of this world. To be lured by satan's enticements. There are many things that feel or seem good to us in our imperfect state such as jewellery, cars, expensive homes, clothes, shoes, makeup and music. It isn't that these things are neccessarily bad in and off themselves but the chasing after them to put them before the love and worship of God is the trap satan lays out for us. Likewise, it is not against God to enjoy ourselves and have fun, laughing and playing with friends and family, but once again, do these things come before our thinking of God and our devotion to Him. It is vital to weigh up, also, whether these things are of a wholesome nature. It may not be the dancing and partying that is necessarily the problem but the venue and the accruements that go along with such a venue. It is also vital that we do not hate people. We need to hate the things of satan that they do and not follow along after them in their behaviour but we need to be peaceable with everyone, even our enemies, so that they may be able to come to God through our showing of love and care toward them. We need to resist the world's ways without hatred and prejudice toward our fellowmen. Like a big city at night, the world can look very pretty indeed, but what does the light of day reveal? Filth and corruption with a very thin veneer of goodness glossed over it. Cultivate The Finest Friendship Of All Friendship actually costs us something. It may be our time, our resources and our love. So, isn't friendship with God worthy of our effort? Isn't it the highest goal that we can aim for? Can we be part-time friends with Jehovah? Is being a part-time friend with anyone really friendship? When we want to build a close friendship with someone do we not put in the effort to get to know that person? How much more so is it important to get to know God. His attributes and character. His likes and dislikes. How much more important is it that we take on Jehovah God's attributes than of those in the world around us. Galatians 5:22-26 ....the fruitage of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, mildness, self-control. Against such things there is no law. Moreover, those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed to the stake the flesh together with its passions and desires. If we are living by spirit, let us also go on walking orderly by spirit. Let us not become egotistical, stirring up competition with one another, envying one another. Mark 10:29 Jesus said: “Truly I say to you, no one has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or or fields for my sake and for the sake of the good news who will not get 100 times more now in this period of time—houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, , and fields, with persecutions—and in the coming system of things, everlasting life So, how can we do the things that will bring us into friendship with God? By learning the Truth of Scripture, study the Bible regularly, sacrificing our time and our resources and the things of this world to put God first in our lives, going to Meeting on a regular basis and by taking part in the ministry to teach and preach the Good News of God's Kingdom, to help others to understand the love God has for us and the blessing available to us now and into the future. We too can really have the PRIVILEGE of being called 'God's friend.' Yours Sincerely, Katidid. |
×
×