James 4: Worldly Wisdom vs. Godly Wisdom

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Okay. On we go. James' letter to the scattered converts Jews. He has been warning and teaching on which “wisdom” to appeal to in the life of a Christian – the wisdom of the world (which as he has made clear comes from the earth, the soul of man or demons) OR the wisdom from above – which bears the fruit of the Spirit.

James 4:1-3 Review

Last week we covered verses 1-3 which say:

James 4:1 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.

James goes on at verse four – our text for today and says:

James 4.5
Meat
April 26th 2015

Friendship with the World

James 4:4 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?

Alright, back to verse 4. Apparently, the converts were really engaged with the ways of the world – at least in how they were approaching matters – something that did not please James in the least. And so after detailing how they were finding themselves completely ineffective in prayers he says:

4:4 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. These words – adulterers and adulteresses – are frequently used throughout scripture to describe people who both are “faithless” in their relationship to God and are engaged with idols. In Hosea 3:1 we have an example of this when God said to Hosea:

“Go yet, love a woman beloved of her friend, yet an adulteress, according to the love of the LORD toward the children of Israel, who look to other gods, and love flagons of wine.”

Isaiah 57:3&7 and Ezekiel chapters 16 and 23 all speak to this fact.

Therefore I do not think we have to believe that James meant that those to whom he wrote were literally guilty of physical adultery. However, the EXACT words for a physical adulterer are used here – “MOIKHOS” and “MOYKHOLIS” instead of word for idolater – “IDOLOLATRIA.” In my opinion this doesn’t change things – which shows how difficult scriptural interpretation can be.

Earthly and Heavenly Adultery

It’s a very interesting situation actually, the use of the word adultery to describe the unfaithfulness of a person to both the living God and to a spouse. We have terms to describe earthly adultery – unfaithful. I say earthly adultery rather than marital adultery because adultery involving God is marital adultery too. When we are unfaithful in earthly adultery we choose to be unfaithful to the relationship, the union, the promises, and the covenants we made between our spouses and have indulged in our own desires and passions and lusts to satisfy the self and the temporary rather than to remain faithful to the one we promised to solely love.

Typically, in the act, there is neglect of the spouse, misappropriation of devotions and desire, and of course the adoration and “worship” if you will – of another. All elements present in idol worship (or heavenly adultery which includes time, devotion, attention, allegiance, adoration to ANYTHING other than the Living God) are present in earthly and vice versa.

The idea here seems to be, "You have in effect broken your marriage covenant with God by loving the world more than him; and, by the indulgence of your carnal inclinations – by seeking the wisdom of the world to get your solutions you have violated those obligations – you are adulterers in God’s eyes. You have left Him for another. You have chosen to seek their attentions and devotions over mine.

Remember, all the way back to chapter 2 the apostle has been telling them that “they ought not give preferential treatment to the rich,” (he’s gonna get all over the rich again in chapter 5). Then in chapter 3 he’s been talking about strife and envy being present among them and then in the first three verses here in chapter four he says that the result of their seeking and employing the wisdom of the world instead…

The Primacy of Love and Allegiance

of the wisdom from above. Now he flat out calls them adulterers. The comparisons are absolutely fascinating to me between earthly adultery and heavenly. But let me make something clear – as serious and selfish and unfaithful the act of earthly adultery is, it does not compare to heavenly. Not that we would make an either/or decision on the matter. But I say this because there are people and religions who marital fidelity MORE important than heavenly. That would be akin to loving husband or wife more than Him, breaking the first commandment. Our primary allegiance and devotion and worship and adoration is to God – not our spouses.

This is why the first and great commandment is not to love spouse but to love God because the fact of the matter is when a man or woman loves God first they would never choose to leave and cleave to another in their earthly marriage – because their love FOR Him would prevent this. We also note that our love for God being primary is unlike the love we extend to neighbor or spouse. The second great commandment says that we are to love neighbor as ourselves. We do not love God as we love ourselves. He is far above self-love. We would never worship neighbor or adore them, or pray to them, or trust them as the solution to our life problems. Neither do we obey them over obeying God. He is primary. But the second IS like unto it – LOVE of neighbor as ourselves. And in this likeness we do seek neighbor over self, we do love neighbor as we love self, and we do respond to them and their needs – all forms of love.

Earthly Marriage as a Reflection of Faithful Devotion

In addition to all that we’ve mentioned, we can’t help but note that James has talked quite a bit (to these believers) about avoiding envy and strife among themselves. If there was ever a condition that produces envy and strife in an earthly marriage it would be adultery – I think more than any other thing. The seriousness of the sin is evident physically in the Old Testament as those guilty of it were put to death, a physical picture for all who practice heavenly adultery and go wandering after other gods. The end result is spiritual death.

In a healthy earthly marriage, which perhaps best illustrates the heavenly marriage between believer and God, scripture essentially gives on two main instructions to the male/female participants: Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loves the church and gave His life for it, AND wives respect your husbands – give them your allegiance and utter devotional respect. Of course, to do this would require love of an otherworld nature.

The love husbands are to have for their wives is agape – not philos, not eros, not storgay – agape. The respect wives are to give their husbands is the Greek word Huppotasso and it does mean subordinate oneself to. Sorry ladies, cannot get around the fact. The relationship makes sense when we consider the origins of males and females. Since God took woman out from man it only makes sense that the MAN, from whom woman was taken, would want her to respect him and take a subordinate position. Likewise, the woman, having come out from man would long to be loved by the one she came out from.

Hence the two commandments. And hence another picture in earthly marriage to our heavenly individual marriages to God. We love Him because He loved us first, and we, as His bride, make ourselves subordinate to Him in all things. The comparisons are so vast and beautiful it’s hard to take them all in. Unfortunately, like many of us have been in our flesh toward people outside the earthly marriage, many of us are guilty of the far more egregious crime of committing adultery against God.

The Power of Love

In my estimation, and in my years of counseling people on earthly and heavenly matrimony, I have come to see that when a woman knows that she is loved (in the truest sense of the word) she will respond with subordination. Therefore God, in the face of our adulteries against Him, always shows forth us love abundantly, wooing us back to a place of subordination our will to His. In the Book of Hosea God gives us the most wonderful picture of first our heavenly unfaithfulness and His initial response to it followed by this wooing love that heals all marriages.

Chapter 2 Hosea.

In the first verses God is angry with the adulterous heart of Israel and say to Hosea:

1 Say ye unto your brethren, Ammi; and to

Divine Displeasure and Judgment

your sisters, Ruhamah.

2 Plead with your mother, plead: for she is not my wife, neither am I her husband: let her therefore put away her whoredoms out of her sight, and her adulteries from between her breasts;
3 Lest I strip her naked, and set her as in the day that she was born, and make her as a wilderness, and set her like a dry land, and slay her with thirst.
4 And I will not have mercy upon her children; for they be the children of whoredoms.
5 For their mother hath played the harlot: she that conceived them hath done shamefully: for she said, I will go after my lovers, that give me my bread and my water, my wool and my flax, mine oil and my drink.

Consequences of Idolatry

He continues with his anger toward her idolatry, her friendliness with other lovers, and says:

6 Therefore, behold, I will hedge up thy way with thorns, and make a wall, that she shall not find her paths.
7 And she shall follow after her lovers, but she shall not overtake them; and she shall seek them, but shall not find them: then shall she say, I will go and return to my first husband; for then was it better with me than now.
8 For she did not know that I gave her corn, and wine, and oil, and multiplied her silver and gold, which they prepared for Baal.
9 Therefore will I return, and take away my corn in the time thereof, and my wine in the season thereof, and will recover my wool and my flax given to cover her nakedness.
10 And now will I discover her lewdness in the sight of her lovers, and none shall deliver her out of mine hand.
11 I will also cause all her mirth to cease, her feast days, her new moons, and her sabbaths, and all her solemn feasts.
12 And I will destroy her vines and her fig trees, whereof she hath said, These are my rewards that my lovers have given me: and I will make them a forest, and the beasts of the field shall eat them.
13 And I will visit upon her the days of Baalim, wherein she burned incense to them, and she decked herself with her earrings and her jewels, and she went after her lovers, and forgat me, saith the LORD.

A Promise of Redemption

Then, all of a sudden, and without giving reason, God suddenly speaks words of UTTER AGAPE LOVE toward his wayward wife:

14 Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her.
15 And I will give her her vineyards from thence, and the valley of Achor for a door of hope: and she shall sing there, as in the days of her youth, and as in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt.
16 And it shall be at that day, saith the LORD, that thou shalt call me Ishi; {Ishi: that is, My husband} and shalt call me no more Baali. {Baali: that is, My lord}
17 For I will take away the names of Baalim out of her mouth, and they shall no more be remembered by their name.
18 And in that day will I make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven, and with the creeping things of the ground: and I will break the bow and the sword and the battle out of the earth, and will make them to lie down safely.

Covenant of Eternal Love

19 And I will betroth thee unto me forever; yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in lovingkindness, and in mercies.
20 I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness: and thou shalt know the LORD.
21 And it shall come to pass in that day, I will hear, saith the LORD, I will hear the heavens, and they shall hear the earth;
22 And the earth shall hear the corn, and the wine, and the oil; and they shall hear Jezreel.
23 And I will sow her unto me in the earth; and I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy; and I will say to them which were not my people, “Thou art my people;” and they shall say, “Thou art my God.”

There is so much here that we won’t go into today but the principles are fairly evident as they relate BOTH to our heavenly marriage.

Heavenly and Earthly Adultery

to God and our earthly marriage to each other.

One final point relative to heavenly and earthly adultery – of which I am sadly an expert on both – Jesus took the idea of extramarital relationships – earthly here but, in my opinion, applicable to the heavenly marriage – and brought them up to a new level, saying in Matthew 5:27-28:

“Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.”

That’s a heavy, heavy statement but makes so much bloody sense – here’s how. In the Old Covenant, while God wanted the heart, He settled for outward compliance under the law – with the exception of covetousness, which I think was a command thrown in there to keep the God-fearing Jews who were able to keep the other nine commandments on bended knee. Nevertheless, Old Testament compliance was in many ways externally demanded. When Jesus came along, He took everything into the heart. That’s what needs the changing for the actions to follow. Have a change of heart and you will have a change in flesh. So Jesus says very plainly, relative to earthly marriage:

“Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.”

This, of course, was not suggesting that to commit adultery was okay, but rather to even keep the inclinations out from where they begin – the Human Heart. The same principle, I believe, will reveal all of us when we are dead and gone, when it comes to our faithful allegiance, our marriage, our heart for God.

Allegiance and Heart for God

In other words, we may attend church, we may do many wonderful things in the name and face of God, but has He been our groom from the heart to whom we have been faithful? Or did we live adulterously from the heart against Him throughout our walk? It is unfortunate to admit but we have all had flings and affairs in our marriage to God. Most of us have let others into our relationship with Him – some just by little flirtations, some in torrid affairs that have seemed to last a lifetime. They all begin in the heart – and ultimately work their way out to the hands and mouth and eyes. And what or who do we have these extramarital relationships with – All that is in the world. Idols. And they are ANYTHING that is not Him.

Friendship with the World

So back to James. For the past two weeks, we have been talking about what sources we turn to as Christians to comfort us, lead us, move us, teach us, help us – are they from the “wisdom from the earth, the soul, or demons” or the “wisdom from above.” So after calling them out on their unfaithfulness in their respective heavenly marital relationships, James reveals their lover, saying:

“. . . 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.”

First to the Greek to make the passage clear: When James says “world” twice here, the Greek is Kosmos (both times), so he is speaking of the things that exist in the cosmos of heaven and earth that do not exist in heaven – in other words, the things that are from the earth, the soul, and of demons – wisdom that does not operate in heaven. Second, the Greek word for “friend” here is filos – as in Philadelphia, the city of brotherly love, so what he is referring to are people who love and are engaged as friends with the principalities of this world. Finally, the words enemy and enmity used here in the King James – as in

“. . . 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.”

. . . are derived from the same Greek term ECTHO – which means hateful adversary or opponent. So it reads like this:

James 4:4 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.

I think it’s important to

Friendship with the World

Reiterate that the world that James speaks of is the fallen principalities and powers, not the physical world God created for us. This physical realm is a beautiful incomprehensible gift full of wonders and blessings that continue to sustain and add quality to life. Such things serve to reveal Him to us because of their wonder. We can get so wrapped up in the spiritual things that we refrain from seeing the witness of God in creation – heaven and earth. So even though Kosmos is used we have to put that into a reasonable contextual balance.

That being said, God is at odds with “worldly principalities,” and they are at complete odds with Him. CS Lewis said something – I think it was in “The Screwtape Letters” about every square inch of the universe being fought over by forces of light and dark. It’s certainly a romantic thought but I’m not so sure there’s a fight – God is in control. But there is certainly a gap made wide, and it is filled with “enmity” – hateful adversity. Therefore, friendship with the world's idols, principles, actions (loving it, serving it, employing it in our response to life) is not just adultery, it’s adultery with something that is an enemy of God!

Warnings Against Worldly Alliances

It’s pretty ruthless to have an extramarital affair with a friend in the family, but it is really a slap in the face to have the affair with someone that actually hates our spouse – or our God. Jesus makes it plain why James would be reminding his readers of this and warning them to refrain from friendship with the world, saying in Matthew 6:24: “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”

In 1 John 2:15, we read similar instructions, but instructions that are far more direct: “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”

Paul said in Romans 12:2: “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” This is a very difficult verse for some because of the plethora of applications it has taken over the years. For the Amish “not being conformed to this world” means not driving automobiles or using buttons on their clothing. To the LDS, it’s not drinking or smoking, and the laundry list goes on and on. Again, the world is referring to principles and dark powers and attitudes and world views, not those things that revolve around human existence. We cannot forget that Jesus was criticized with eating with unwashed hands, hanging out with sinners, being a glutton and a winebibber.

Guiding Hearts and Christ

Recognizing True Service

Paul gives us insight into how to tell where our hearts are focused when he said in Galatians 1:10: “For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.” This being said, we might even suggest that those who behave in certain outward religious fashions as a means to please religious men and women around them are as guilty of being of the world as those who do nothing to please men but from the heart only seek to please God.

Again Paul, in Colossians 2 beginning at verse 6 says: “As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: 7 Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. 8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.”

These last things listed in verse 8:

• Lest any man spoil you through
• Philosophy
• Vain deceit
• Tradition of man
• Rudiments of the world

All have the potential of playing a role in our friendship with the world. “Philosophy” (philosophia) – wise findings. “Vain deceit” (kenos apate) – empty deceptions. “After the tradition of men” (kata paradosis anthropos) – the precepts, laws, traditions of Man. “After the rudiments of the world” (kata stoicheion kosmos) – a base principle of the world. This last one especially relates to religious ceremonialism.

Speaking of rudiments of the world again in Colossians 2:20 Paul said: “Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye…

Analysis of Worldly Wisdom vs. Spiritual Wisdom

"Touch not; taste not; handle not; Which all are to perish with the using; after the commandments and doctrines of men? Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body; not in any honor to the satisfying of the flesh."

It is so interesting to me that since these things ARE, in fact, the elements upon which the world operates (and therefore what we would embrace as friends of the world) that God would have us approach life as Christians in the world from the opposite angle. Described in the all familiar 1st Corinthians chapter one passages, Paul begins with:

17 For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. 18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. 20 Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?

The Foolishness of God vs. the Wisdom of Men

21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. 22 For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: 23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; 24 But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. 25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men. 26 For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: 27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; 28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: 29 That no flesh should glory in his presence. 30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: 31 That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

The Spirit vs. the Soul

Final verse for today in James (verse 5) Where he rhetorically adds to the argument:

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

In other words, he says, do you think the scripture for the heck of it says:

“The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?”

This is an unusual passage for a couple reasons.

First, he cites the Old Testament as telling us that “the Spirit that dwells in us lusteth to envy.” This is interesting because when we think of the Spirit within us we think of what God gave us to give us life. To say that it lusteth to envy is odd. If he said the SOUL it would make more sense but he doesn’t. The Greek here is Pneuma.

Again, by reading passages like Proverbs 21:10 which says:

“The soul of the wicked desireth evil: his neighbour findeth no favour in his eyes.”

Or

Genesis 6:5 which says:

“And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.”

OR

Genesis 8:21

“And the LORD smelled a sweet savour; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake; for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done.”

We have continuity for the soul of man lusting to envy but to me the use of Spirit lusting to envy is difficult.

Maybe there are passages I could not locate in the Old Testament that speak of the Spirit and not the soul of man being lustful to envy – or actually doing anything carnal but I didn’t find one.

The second issue or difficulty with this passage is where James says:

“Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain,”

Understanding Scriptural References

Scripture say this. Not even the apocryphal books. It seems like a quote and critics could demand that it is. We have a similar situation with Ephesians 5:14 which says:

“Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.”

Again, suggesting that either Jesus or scripture said this but there is no legitimate place where we have a record of either.

Options for Understanding

So what to say? There are some options:

Scripture is wrong. Scripture has been defiled. Scripture is incomplete. Scripture is not exhaustive.

Or how about this one:

James is speaking generally about scripture – because the Old Testament is replete with passages that talk about envy and the presence of it in our existence (like):

Ecclesiastes 4:4, "I considered all travail, and every right work, that for this a man is envied of his neighbor."

Job 5:2, "Wrath killeth, and envy slayeth the silly one."

Proverbs 14:30, "Envy is the rottenness of the bones."

Proverbs 27:4, "Who is able to stand before envy?"

The Propensity of Human Nature

In other words, these passages (and many others) prove that there is strong propensity in human nature toward envy and this was the meaning of James when he says that scripture says.

That’s the way I see it.

Questions/Comments?