Calvary Road Baptist Church

“WORLDLY”

James 4.1-6 

As I’ve preached in the past from this pulpit, on so many occasions, the Christian has three enemies to contend with. The three enemies are the world, the flesh, and the Devil. I know that comedian Flip Wilson popularized the statement, “The Devil made me do it,” many people are persuaded they have faced terrible encounters with the Devil on numerous occasions. Still, I am not convinced most believers in Christ have ever experienced conflict with Satan.

The only time anyone might battle with the Devil is when they are being mightily used of God and inflicting casualties upon the enemies of God. But when you consider the number of people in the world and the inability of the Devil to be in more than one place at a time, crossing paths with him is unlikely.

Opposition from a spiritual being might be better understood as demonic opposition, with one of the Devil’s minions afflicting you somehow. On the other hand, the flesh is an enemy or, rather, the issue that most Christians have their greatest difficulty with. The flesh is that sinful nature inside every child of God that struggles against the urgings and promptings of the Holy Spirit, Who indwells every child of God.

It is my personal opinion that most Christians in America today are waging the spiritual battle on this front, the flesh front. Rather than unique and intelligent opposition from a brilliant supernatural being, the issue for most of us are the habitual and sinful inclinations of personality and nature that do not align with God’s will for our lives.

I’ll not preach on the Devil or the flesh, but on the world tonight. The world is the first great enemy every Christian battles with from the instant we come to know Christ. The world is that system of our human race that is directed and dominated by Satan, using his minions, the demons, and standing in direct opposition to the purposes of God. The Lord Jesus declared that the world would hate His disciples because it hated Him.[1] A servant is not greater than his Master.[2]

I used to think worldliness was certain practices like smoking cigarettes, sipping beer, dancing, or gambling, but I was wrong. I think worldliness is something else entirely. It is a matter of attitudes before actions. The Christian must first do battle against the world. Before those deeds of the flesh can be dealt with, the Christian must first deal with his entire relationship with that system that seeks to entice him to do those works of the flesh.

The significant problem among us who know Christ is worldliness. Few men of God there be that hold fast against what the Bible calls worldliness. You would be astonished at the practices of some pastors who routinely engage in activities that decades ago were universally considered worldly. Consequently, few Christians there are that are not worldly.

We ought to take a stand for the cause of Christ against worldliness. But we need to be careful how we oppose worldliness. It is unwise to be perpetually against this, that, or the other thing. Better than always being against what is wrong, we ought to be in favor of what is right while being ready to explain our actions and attitudes of opposition to the world to our children when opportunities arise.

Very simply, worldliness is sinful behavior, attitudes, and actions. There are two reasons I’ll use to show that worldliness is evil, and those two reasons are found in James 4.1-6: 

1 From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts, that war in your members?

2 Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not because ye ask not.

3 Ye ask and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.

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.

5 Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?

6 But He giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble. 

THE FIRST REASON I MAINTAIN THAT WORLDLINESS IS SINFUL IS BECAUSE IT IS THE FRUIT OF SINFUL MOTIVES 

Let me expand on this with three observations:

Observe that the root cause of worldliness is lust that wars in our members, verse 1: 

“From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts, that war in your members?” 

These Christians James wrote to were fighting amongst themselves like unsaved people so often do. War, pόlemoV, refers to the campaigns that certain ones waged against others and vice versa. This is a chronic condition.[3] You and I know people constantly waging war against their enemies, real or imagined. Fightings, mάcai, refers to the personal squabbles that continuously arise.[4] Some people are not happy unless they are unhappy. They do not seem fulfilled without a scrap of some kind. I guess they enjoy the drama.

Most Churches have had problems with worldliness. It is a recurring matter this side of eternity, and our Church is certainly not immune from the temptations and tendencies toward worldliness. The question is, What are the causes of these wars and fighting? Everything around us, the shows we watch, the music we listen to, the news we take in, the conversations we engage in, and the entirety of the surrounding culture, acts and reacts in predictable and improper ways. It is called worldliness, and such behavior is as much absorbed by us unconsciously as it is consciously decided upon.

The next question, of course, is What are the causes of worldliness?

The causes of worldliness are said by James to be lust, ἡdonή. Our English word hedonism is derived from this Greek term. The lusts, the appetites, the cravings we seek, among other things, dopamine hits the pleasure center of our brain that each can cause worldliness, but it doesn’t have to. Be it a rush or a relaxation, we have a very much physical, emotional, and spiritual appetite that craves being fed. Of course, the problem is that once we are so fed, we only want more because feeding such appetites does not satisfy us.

We know from other verses that James does not hesitate to identify with the readers if their problem is a problem in his own life. But here, he doesn’t suggest that he has a problem with worldliness. Notice the word combinations he uses to tell what is at issue is not a present problem in his life, “among you” and “your members.” The historical record of James’s life and reputation suggests that he was not a pleasure seeker, but a somewhat austere and profoundly godly man.

This suggests he is commenting about a problem that might overwhelm his readers while not overwhelming him. James certainly had a sinful nature, but he did not allow that nature to entice him into worldliness. The ease with which we moderns can sink into the ditch by the side of the roadway of life known as pleasure, comfort, ease, thrills, chills, and stimuli, both from doing some things and from doing no things, was not his style of living. His pattern of life illustrates to us that worldliness is inexcusable among Christians. We do not have to live that way. How are the lost supposed to know that salvation is anything if we behave exactly like unsaved people?

Next, observe that there is an aggravation to this problem of lust we need to take note of. It is the prayerless life, verse 2: 

“Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not because ye ask not.” 

We all have wants and desires. There is nothing wrong with having needs. The problem is when we try to satisfy those needs and desires in our own way. Let me illustrate. How many people have a self-image problem? What do people do about their perceived self-image problem? You see so many of these guys, young men mostly. Some of them are walking. Others are riding bikes. They try to look cool while strutting along or riding a bike. Excuse me, but no one walking or riding a bike because he has no car is cool. How should he address his problem, solving other problems in the meantime? Get a job.

I know a guy who is a self-described trust fund baby. His wealthy parents divorced when he was young, setting him up for life. He has never lacked material wants of any kind. But he worked a job and used to work on the same satellite program I once worked on. Why work if he doesn’t need the money? He is a Christian, and he knows God wants him to work. He does not work for money or to pay bills, but he works because work is what God wants for a man. Proverbs 14.23: 

“In all labour there is profit.” 

But not even working a job solves every manliness issue. Many issues, perhaps, but not all. Even guys with jobs often have self-image issues, and some will scratch and kick for a raise to buy a fancy new car that bears no relationship to their income. Why? To address their self-image issues. It never solves their problem, but they try. How much better would it be for the Christian to exercise the wisdom and faith to ask God for insight to see yourself in a better light and to realize that you are a child of the king? The key for the Christian man is not to try elevating by showing off or working like a dog until you dig an early grave, but to humble yourself and rejoice in your status as a child of the King!

What about some women? There are sometimes women who don’t feel like they measure up. So what do some of them do? They put their self-image femininity to the test by dolling up and overdressing or flirting with every fellow they see or dressing in a trashy way. What should a woman instead ask for? Go to God and pray that He will make you beautiful on the inside, which counts so much more than being vain on the outside.

Do you need a raise? Don’t stab George in the back and make him look bad. Pray to God for a raise, then tell your boss what your needs are after you have worked like you are worth the extra money you are asking for. If you do not fervently pray for yourself, your spouse, your children, your boss, me, and others in this Church, you are probably worldly. I could go on, but a vital indication of a worldly Christian is that they are generally prayerless.

Observe that some people will be prayers and yet they are still worldly. What about them? Verse 3: 

“Ye ask and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.” 

Do you see the word “ask” back in verse 2, aἰtέw?[5] It refers to appealing, with the sense of appealing to a superior, since this word is never used in conjunction with the Savior’s prayers to His Father.[6] “It is the constant word used for the seeking of the inferior form the superior.”[7] Now take note of the two words “ask” in verse 3. They are two more instances in which the word aἰtέw is used. The verbal form of the word's first use in this verse means to ask for one’s own self, thus to ask selfishly, to ask amiss. The second use of the word in this verse is, again, a form that suggests asking a superior to ask with humility.[8]

It boils down to this: Either the worldly prayer says, “Gimme this,” or else he asks properly but with an evil motive. Whatever the problem is, the prayer offered by the worldly praying person isn’t what God demands in order to answer the request. God desires to answer our prayers. He is a giving and prayer answering God. But He will not do so if by answering that prayer He will not be glorified. Turn to Matthew 7.7, where we again see this word aἰtέw: 

“Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.” 

Isn’t that a wonderful promise to claim? Hold to that promise, but at the same time notice what Jesus said in Matthew 6.33, only eight verses before: 

“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” 

So many Christians today are worldly. That said, worldliness is not good and is not necessary. 

THE SECOND REASON I MAINTAIN WORLDLINESS TO BE SINFUL IS THE WAY JAMES DEALS WITH THE WORLDLINESS OF THE READERS. HE CORRECTS IT. 

Two questions to address:

First, how are we to correct sinful behavior? The way Paul did. Approach the individual with the Word of God and follow the pattern seen in Second Timothy 3.16: 

“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” 

Now, how did James use this four-point outline? The doctrine he skipped over. Why so? He was positive his readers knew this doctrine because he was their pastor and might have even taught it himself. Next comes reproof. This refers to telling them they are sinning. The reproof comes in verse 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.” 

What a powerful way to speak to Christians! James told them they were committing spiritual fornication, that made them spiritual adulterers. How cold and insensitive their hearts must have been for the Holy Spirit to have used such strong terms to awaken them out of the doldrums. If God reproved you of your sin, would He speak to you in a still, small voice? Or must He take from you something you love or break your leg to get your attention? Does God have to bankrupt you to get you to look in the mirror of His Word? Anyone on friendly terms with the world has already made themselves an enemy of God because God and the world are irreconcilably opposed.

Third, James corrected their thinking in verse 5 and the first part of verse 6. 

“Do ye think the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy? But He giveth more grace.” 

Let there be no misunderstanding on this matter. Do you think God doesn’t mean what He says? He is serious when He warns us of our weaknesses and tendencies to sin. The sinful nature within us lusts to envy. Envy is the chief characteristic of the world. Why do so many people illegally migrate from the Middle East to Europe and across our southern border? Most do not come to work hard to make a living, though some do. Most are moved by envy, which is wanting what the other guy has. Is that not the entire platform of the Democrat party and leftists in general? It is all about envy. Always trying to keep up with others and pouting when God wants you to stay where you are to build character over time through hard work and prayer.

The solution? No matter how much lust is inside, God always has more grace to give. He always gives more. But availing yourself of grace is a real issue.

Now, James instructs in righteousness: 

“Wherefore He saith, God resisteth the proud but giveth grace to the humble.” 

You say your prayers go unanswered, worldly Christian? That is why you stopped praying? Humbly approach God. Go to Him with humility. Don’t be proud before God. He knows too well how little reason we have to be proud before Him, Who created all things. Ask for things that are needed. Ask humbly. Ask that you might glorify Him Who is worthy to be praised. Such a prayer will always be answered. 

Is there fighting and yelling in your house? Maybe it’s because you are worldly?

Do you have a problem with the sins of the flesh? Maybe it’s because you haven’t realized that being a friend of the world sets you at odds with God, Who sent His Son to die for you.

Do you even realize that certain deeds of the flesh are worldly? Listen to that still, small voice.

Some here may not be friends of the world because you are the world. You are a citizen of the realm of darkness. You are in and of the world if you’ve never received Christ as your personal Savior.

You have never taken care of your sins. And it is sin that will keep you out of heaven for ever.

If God is dealing with you about worldliness or salvation, won’t you come to Christ?

__________

[1] John 15.18

[2] Matthew 10.24

[3] Rogers, Jr., Cleon L. and Rogers III, Cleon L., The New Linguistic and Exegetical Key To The Greek New Testament, (Grand Rapids, MI: ZondervanPublishingHouse, 1998), page 561.

[4] Ibid.

[5] Gerhard Kittel, Editor, Theological Dictionary Of The New Testament, Vol I, (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1964), pages 191-193.

[6] Bauer, Danker, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and other Early Christian Literature, (Chicago, IL: The University of Chicago Press, 2000), page 30.

[7] Spiros Zodhiates, The Behavior Of Belief, (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1973), Part Two, page 230.

[8] Ibid., page 231.

 

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