Daily Devotional For Monday, July 15, 2024
Well, Monday is here and for many of you, you are back to work in this world of ours. Here is our verse for this devotion. Look at James 4:4, “Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God?” (NLT). You may have heard that Christians should be “in the world but not of the world.” You may have thought, I go to work “in the world.” Or, I go to school “in the world”. Or, I go buy groceries and shop “in the world”. How in the world is that possible? We are not only vulnerable in the “world” but we are very vulnerable around other Christians who live no differently than the world around them. We are tempted to compromise to be accepted, to be liked, and to be wanted.
You may think, “God put me in this world—why shouldn’t I be a part of it?” On the other hand, some Christians separate themselves from the world so much that their influence is limited to people who think just like they do. They avoid any contact or don’t develop friendships with lost people. On Jesus’ last night before His arrest, 6 illegal trials, scourging, crucifixion and death, He prayed this about His 12 disciples and us today. Look at John 17:14b-19:
“And the world hates them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. (15) I am not asking You to take Me out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one. (16) They do not belong to this world any more than I do. (17) Make them holy by Your truth; teach them Your word, which is truth. (18) Just as You sent Me into the world, I am sending them into the world. (19) And I give Myself as a holy sacrifice for them so they can be made holy by Your truth” (NLT).
The Bible does not say we shouldn't go into the world or be among people who don't know the Lord. In fact, it says the opposite. Jesus made that clear above in John 17:14b-19. If we don’t go and tell people about Jesus, who will? Our challenge is to live in the world but not become too fond of its values. We don’t want to adopt the world’s attitudes and behaviors, but neither do we want to be so harsh and judgmental that no one will listen to what we say.
To totally separate ourselves from the world as some religious groups do, such as the Amish, gives the impression that we think we are better. And the truth is – we are not. It is hypocritical to think that. This attitude of self-righteousness Jesus condemned repeatedly in the religious leaders of HIs day.
In the Great Commission, (if we were to read it literally from the Greek New Testament) in Matthew 28:19, should read this way: “As you are going, I command you to make disciples and baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit . . .” See that first part? “As you are going.” As you are going, where? To work! To school! To the supermarket! To the library. As you and I are going anywhere in the world, we are commanded to make disciples. We can’t do that if we isolate ourselves completely from the world.
Everyone knows there are no perfect or sinless people. We all sin. We all make mistakes. No one who is lost is looking for perfection in us, but they are looking for transparency, accountability and humility. When we blow it, we are to own up to it. We are to take personal responsibility for it – not excuse it, ignore it or blame someone or something else. We are to apologize, ask for forgiveness from others and keep moving forward. The world knows hypocrisy and self-righteousness when they see it.
I encourage you to invite the Holy Spirit to examine your heart and mind, to show you where your priorities should be and how you should interact with others. He will help you be the Lord’s faithful witness as you journey through this world. In James 4:4, the word translated as “friendship” is the Greek New Testament word [φιλία, philia]. Most of the time this word is translated as “love” because it is the Greek word for deep, intense and intimate friendship love. James is warning us against having this kind of affectionate love for the world.
James is saying we are not to have this deep affectionate love for the evil that is in this world and this world system. This word does not always refer to something bad or sinful. It can be used for relationships and affections that are good. Jesus Himself used this word in John 15:13-15:
“Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends [φιλία, philia] . (14) You are my friends [φιλία, philia] if you do what I command you. (15) No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends [φιλία, philia], for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you” (ESV).
Pastor and author John MacArthur writes this:
“Jesus’ true friends are those who have received Him as Lord and Savior, who share a common cause, common interests, and common objectives. And those who truly love Him will also “love one another” (v. 17). Finally, He explains that those who truly love Him will not love the world or be loved by the world, since the world is the hostile enemy of God” (Source: John MacArthur, The MacArthur New Testament Commentary, “John,” p. 193).
Jesus confirmed this when He said this to His disciples in John 15:18-19:
“If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first. (19) The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you” (NLT).
The truth is: we either belong to Christ or to our culture, but we cannot belong to both. I encourage you to invite the Holy Spirit to examine your heart and mind, to show you where your priorities should be and how you should interact with others. He will help you be the Lord’s faithful witness as you journey through this world.
Pastor and author Chuck Swindoll writes this:
“We in the United States of America no longer live in a Christian nation. I dare say we do not even live in a post-Christian nation. I am now convinced more than ever that we live in an anti-Christian nation. When did the tide shift? No one can say for certain, but when political correctness forbids humor at the expense of anyone except Christians and popular culture finds blasphemy entertaining, a flood of persecution will soon follow. History has taught us that much . . . The world here refers to the fallen world system that operates according to the devil’s values and is subject to the curse of sin (Gen. 3:14-19). The world also refers to that portion of humanity that lives by this system’s values and willingly serves its ends. Since Jesus came to redeem the world (John 3:17; 12:47), He rejected the world and He was rejected by it (John 318; 12:48). And this is why He began to separate His own from this world (John 10:14; 10:26-27; 13:1; 1519). His crucifixion would be the final dividing line between the kingdoms of God and the devil and His resurrection would mean that each person must make a choice between these two kingdoms” (Charles R. Swindoll, Swindoll’s Living Insights New Testament Commentary, “John,” pp. 297-298).
Questions To Consider
- Would you say you are in the world but not of it? Why or why not?
- What do you think is the hardest part of being in the world but not of the world and why?
- It is so easy for any of us to compromise on being in the world, but not of it. Where would you say you compromise the most and why?
- Since Jesus was all human, how do you think it was possible for Him to be in this world, but not of it?
Scripture To Meditate On: Matthew 6:24, Jesus said, “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon” (NKJV).
Prayer To Pray: “Dear Jesus, please help me to be in this world but not of it. Help me to hate what You hate – sin in all its forms and varieties. Help me to build Your kingdom and not the kingdom of the devil and his demons. I know this will put me at odds with the world, some of my friends, some of my family and even with some people who call themselves Christians. I accept that. I love You Jesus. In Jesus’ name, Amen!”
I love you Southside!--Pastor Kelly