A Friend of the World becomes an Enemy of God

The Bible clearly says “whoever chooses to be a good friend of the world becomes the enemy of God” James 4:4. This chapter implies that spending out time thinking on sinful things of the flesh is being a “friend of the world”. Most of the world’s ways, getting temporary pleasures, involve doing so at the cost of bodily health – hard drugs and excessive drinking of wine. “Wine is a mocker and beer a brawler, whoever is led astray by them is not wise” Prov.20:1. Brethren, let us avoid drinking and taking hard drugs for the benefit of our health.

Whenever I am reading the Bible, 2 Cor.6:14-17 touches my heart and I feel that ‘we’ as brethren are not doing all we should to fulfil the teaching in this chapter. “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers”. The word yoke describes the way of joining two things together, therefore brothers and sisters, we should not associate with unbelievers. This chapter is mostly used to apply to marriage only, i.e. if brethren marry outside of the ecclesia. However, it also applies to our getting entangled with the world, its pleasures, pastimes, politics and the like- which are all of the world- but we as part of God’s temple have to live holy, dedicated lives to God. Let us remember that we are the temple of God and the Spirit of God dwells in us. “If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him…therefore glorify God in your body,” 1 Cor.3:16-17 and

1 Cor.6:19-20. Abuse of the body is therefore a serious matter.

“He who has been stealing must steal no longer but must work” Eph.4:20-28. Fellowship describes the state of having something in common. By reason of knowing and practising God’s ways, we have fellowship with Him and with all others who are doing the same through being in Christ. Dear brethren and sisters, there is no half way position in our relationship with God, we are either in Christ by baptism into him, or outside of him, and either in light or in darkness.

Bro. Emmanuel Kondwe (Chinhoyi, Zimbabwe)