2-21-2010/ Who is your friend? /James 4:1-6

Intro: One decision that all Christians have to eventually make is choosing either the world or God as true friend.

I. Befriending the world will result in conflicts for Christians.

A. Conflict with others (v4): Christians who befriend the world will always have conflict with other genuine Christians because one belongs to the world and the other belongs to God.

B. Conflict with self (v1b-3): Christians who befriend the world will have internal conflicts because in the core of befriending the world, there lies desire for pleasure, lust and selfish wants, all of which devalue God and things of God.

C. Conflict with God (v4): Christians who befriend the world are in hostility with God because the idea is that befriending the world over God is the breaking of the spiritual marriage covenant with God. Hence, people are referred to as adulteresses.

II. Pride is the reason for friendship with the world.

A. The root cause of choosing the world over God is pride.

B. In the core of befriending the world, there lies pride because the underlying idea of choosing the world over God is that people do not need God or God is insufficient.

III. Befriending God means humility.

A. Befriending God refers to humility because when a Christian befriends God over the world, there is the conceder that God is indispensable foundation in one’s life.

B. Befriending God is humility, and God looks for a person of humility and gives grace (v6). The description of God’s preferred person, through out the bible, is described as person of humility.

IV. Conclusion: When Christians befriend God, grace of God will be renewed daily whereas befriending the world will result in ongoing detrimental conflicts.

V. Application: Be humble.

A. Look to Jesus Christ: Jesus Christ came to us as a man even though he is one part of divine trinity. Jesus Christ is the epitome of biblical humility.

B. Imitate Jesus Christ: Jesus Christ is the ultimate role-model of humility for all Christians because he befriended and relied upon God in all things despite who he was.