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To Ed, and anyone else interested.
1 John 2:15-17
Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.
James 1:27
Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
James 4:4
You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.
Revelation 12:11
And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.
Matthew 6:24
No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.
What is it to be a friend of the world?
I suggest it is to serve/ love money, entertainment/ participate in worldly wars (please add more).
I do NOT believe it has anything to do with loving people in the world, and separation. Tell me if you disagree!Good question, Kerwin.
We should know and scriptures agree that godly love is constantly forgiving, no grudges are held, and no record of wrongs are kept, (very important!). So every day should be a new day. Godly love does not judge others unless if motivated to by protectiveness (love is protective). Godly love is sacrificial, it would lay aside its own life or desires for others, and the son of God laid down his own life for others. Godly love is consistent and it is eternal.
According to Paul, godly love is also patient, kind, trusting, it has hope and it perseveres.
What is it to be a Friend of the World?
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To Ed, and anyone else interested.I suggest it is to serve/ love money, entertainment/ participate in worldly wars (please add more).
I do NOT believe it has anything to do with loving people in the world, and separation. Tell me if you disagree!Hi Miia,
I see you put my name in the opening post.
I would say that when one promotes the sins of
another that would make them a friend of the world.Simply by associating with sinners, as Jesus did,
would not make one a friend of the world._______________
God bless
Ed JMiia,
If I remember rightly then love also hates evil and delights in righteousness.
Even sinners you love for their potential do do what is right. You hate what they are are now.
The same applies to yourself as well.
Some paraphrase this hating sin and loving the sinner.
People know the words but have trouble actually doing it. In this age that difficulty encouraging others to change to be more righteous.
Hi Ed. I would agree that “associating with sinners as Jesus did would not make one a friend of the world.”, and am opposed to separation (you know like some Christians only associate with Christians). But it depends what we do with the opportunities. I’d give examples but I’m pressed for time.
Kerwin yes, hating the sin, loving the sinner, I agree completely.
In this age that difficulty encouraging others to change to be more righteous.
Do you mean that although it may be easy to love with the right spirit, it is difficult to encourage people to change. Yes, I know that’s true.
Hi Ed and Kerwin,
About seven years ago, when I felt God’s spirit the strongest in my life I was heavily involved in my family (five kids and a partner). I was also drawn to the suffering and involved myself in anyone. Eventually the relationship ended. I spent the next five years in almost complete isolation, apart from my kids and parents. Recently I have come out of my cave and have been in a classroom, which really woke me up. I was again drawn to the suffering, and realized my inadequacies and failings. Perhaps no one I (now) know follows Christianity, however, I wait for the opportunity to break it to them I am a Christian. Nevertheless, when it comes to the things of the world such as entertainment, money making, holidays, even finding a partner, I have no interest.Hi Mia:
To be a friend of the world is to love those things that the scripture that you quoted from 1 John. We do have needs of the flesh like food, drink, sex etc. but “the lusts of any of these needs of the flesh” would be sin, and the lusts of the eyes, like greed, materialism, and the pride of like rather than humility.
The scriptures state that “by one man, Adam. sin entered into the world…” This is how it happened:
Genesis 3New International Version (NIV)
The Fall
3 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3 but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’”
4 “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. 5 “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food(lusts of the flesh, they could eat from every other tree in the garden) and pleasing to the eye(lusts of the eyes), and also desirable for gaining wisdom(pride of life, wisdom of the world for the purpose of self-exaltation), she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.
This scripture caps all of this:
Galatians 5:
19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
24 And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
26 Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.
Love in Christ,
MartyMarty you are right. But lets look at the first thing on your list: adultery. According to Jesus, anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery. If a christian is told this, they often don’t want to see it. They will not leave that marriage/ relationship, so they are placing the lust of the flesh before Jesus’ words and commands, and ‘adulterers will not inherit the kingdom of God’, so they have loved instead this life and its lusts of the flesh, would you agree? (of course many would not like to hear me say this but it is scripture).
Idolatry. We can make an idol of our home our friends, our popularity, our job, our training or education, our cars, sports, the works on the computer, anything. Personally I believe, as a bit of a hypocrite lately, that we should have only what we need (say a rental home with beds, bedding, kitchen necessities, etc) and nothing else, nor desire anything else. Once we begin to desire ownership of property, cars, excessive clothing, jewellery, art, ornaments and so on, we are being driven by the desire of the lust of life/ love of the world and its ways.
“Hatred, wrath, strife, sedition, heresies, envying, murders, reviling’, once again this is not the fruit of the spirit. We should be at peace with everyone, except of course if we are defending the rights of another, or righteousness and salvation, (love of God is protective).
All of which we should have ‘crucified (the flesh with the affections and lusts) ‘if we live by the spirit’.
Miia,
Worldly things are based on the principles of the flesh and not the Spirit.
So how do people move away from the desires of the flesh Kerwin?
Miia…….JESUS SAID if a man putaway his wife “he” causes her to commit adultery, question is how does he cause her to commit adultery,and in what way isshe committing it?
Now if you understand what adultery really is then it all comes together, ADULTERY, is the act of breaking covenant, if a man puts away his wife for any cause other then her commiting adultery already he is “CAUSING HER TO BREAK HER COVENANT WITH HIM. IT IS NOT HER FAULT IN SUCH CASES, but none the less she is still breaking her covenant even if it the man that caused it. Because ovisouly she cant fulfill her covenant because of him putting her away from him or divorcing her.
The reason the man she remarries is then also called an adulterer is because, they have become one flesh through her marriage, and that makes the man also an adulterer with her.
Men in those days had great power over women and by law could put them away easely at any time they wished to, but JESUS WAS TELLING THEM, THEY WERE THE CAUSE OF THEIR WIFES ADULTERY, IT WAS NOT THE WOMEN IN SUCH CASES.
peace and love to you and yours. ………..gene
miia,
God tells us by obeying the true gospel of Christ and thus learning use faith in order to always live by the Spirit using the power of God after you received the Spirit by using faith and obedience to the instructions to repent and be immersed in water for the forgiveness of your sins.
Many either reject Jesus altogether or follow a false teaching. Either choice leads to a lack of power against the flesh.
Hi Mia:
You wrote:
Marty you are right. But lets look at the first thing on your list: adultery. According to Jesus, anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery. If a christian is told this, they often don’t want to see it. They will not leave that marriage/ relationship, so they are placing the lust of the flesh before Jesus’ words and commands, and ‘adulterers will not inherit the kingdom of God’, so they have loved instead this life and its lusts of the flesh, would you agree? (of course many would not like to hear me say this but it is scripture).
Jesus is addressing those who have entered a marriage contract where both individuals are Christians.
This is what the Apostle Paul wrote addressing divorce and remarriage:
1 Co t:
7 Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman.
2 Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.
3 Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband.
4 The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife.
5 Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.
6 But I speak this by permission, and not of commandment.
7 For I would that all men were even as I myself. But every man hath his proper gift of God, one after this manner, and another after that.
8 I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, it is good for them if they abide even as I.
9 But if they cannot contain, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn.
10 And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband:
11 But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife.
12 But to the rest speak I, not the Lord: If any brother hath a wife that believeth not, and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away.
13 And the woman which hath an husband that believeth not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him.
My Comment:
A marriage contract between two believers is supposed to be until one or the other or both die. The only reason for a divorce in this situation is infidelity. That is the Word of God to Christians.
Jesus states the following:
Matthew 5:32King James Version (KJV)
32 But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.
My comment:
This is a difficult situation. It appears that the man is responsible for his divorced wife committing adultery if she remarries, and I will just have to pray to ask God for wisdom regarding this situation. Adultery is not a sin that cannot be forgiven, and if the woman did not want the divorce and the husband divorced her anyway contrary to God’s Word, it would seem that he would bear the burden, and would not be eligible to remarry, but it would seem to me that she could remarry another Christian. (But I don’t want to add to the Lord’s words. I will have to ask God about this in prayer)
Idolatry is the worship of anything or anyone as God other than God Himself, and so, I don’t see any of that is we thank God for the things that he gives us, a nice house, a nice car etc. I believe that if we are sincere Christians we know when we have put those things ahead of serving God.
Love in Christ,
MartyMia:
After praying, I believe that the Word of God means that if a Christian man or woman is divorced by his wife or man through no fault of their own, they should remain unmarried, even though they were not at fault, and hope and pray that the responsible party repents, and re-constitutes the marriage contract, but also, if he should happen to die, then she would could marry again in the Lord.
Hi Mia:
But suppose after he has put away his wife he re-marries or has relations with another while she remains single and has not had sexual relations with another since she was divorced?
She would have been able to file for a divorce, according to the Word of the Lord, because in his re-marriage or relations with another, he has committed adultery, and so, she could then remarry in the Lord.
Hi Mia:
But suppose after he has put away his wife he re-marries or has relations with another while she remains single and has not had sexual relations with another since she was divorced?
She would have been able to file for a divorce, according to the Word of the Lord, because in his re-marriage or relations with another, he has committed adultery, and so, she could then remarry in the Lord.
That sounds completely right.
It’s a complicated topic in some instances though. Example I know a woman who lived quite miserably and unmarried to a man for decades. He was mentally unwell, abusive, spiritually adulterous, and detested her Christianity to the point of blasphemy, with threats that unless she stop God’s work they were finished. She eventually left as she felt guided to and never looked back, and is single till this day, (doesn’t date). Now that past relationship could be seen by many Christians as ‘living in sin’, as they never married, (and there is supposedly a distinction in legal marriage and cohabiting because Jesus told the woman at the well that the man she was with was not her husband), or it could be classed as a biblical marriage in God’s eyes even though it is now a closed door for her, and she never sees the man. Could she go on legally and marry for the first time if she met someone, or is it best she remain single, as any future marriage could be adultery, (unless her ex passed away or found another woman).
I mean that is complicated, whereas a more straight forward story is a Christian family and the wife wants a divorce but the man does not, and there’s no abuse or adultery on his part and she ends up with another man. Obviously that is straight out adultery (for her and the new man), and Jesus said that adulterers cannot inherit the kingdom of God.
Jesus said that before the end of the world it will be as the days of Noah “when people were marrying and giving in marriage.” Surely, these days have become exactly as Jesus said they would, people marrying and giving in marriage, (allowing it).
Miia…….JESUS SAID if a man putaway his wife “he” causes her to commit adultery, question is how does he cause her to commit adultery,and in what way isshe committing it?
Now if you understand what adultery really is then it all comes together, ADULTERY, is the act of breaking covenant, if a man puts away his wife for any cause other then her commiting adultery already he is “CAUSING HER TO BREAK HER COVENANT WITH HIM. IT IS NOT HER FAULT IN SUCH CASES, but none the less she is still breaking her covenant even if it the man that caused it. Because ovisouly she cant fulfill her covenant because of him putting her away from him or divorcing her.
The reason the man she remarries is then also called an adulterer is because, they have become one flesh through her marriage, and that makes the man also an adulterer with her.
Men in those days had great power over women and by law could put them away easely at any time they wished to, but JESUS WAS TELLING THEM, THEY WERE THE CAUSE OF THEIR WIFES ADULTERY, IT WAS NOT THE WOMEN IN SUCH CASES.
peace and love to you and yours. ………..gene
Gene, true, but maybe part of it was the fact that men in biblical days could have more than one wife (note: virgins or widows only), even if he put away one or some, wheras a woman could only have one husband?
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