Lessons from James

From today's reading, a couple of reminders.

To those who think being seeker sensitive is a good thing, to those who want to reflect the culture to attract people of the world: James 4:4 (HCSB) Adulteresses! Don’t you know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? So whoever wants to be the world’s friend becomes God’s enemy.

This is the same thing we read in 1 John 2:15-16 (HCSB) 15 Do not love the world or the things that belong to the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in him. 16 For everything that belongs to the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride in one’s lifestyle—is not from the Father, but is from the world.

The local gathering of saints is just that; and if an unbeliever happens to come in, we have instruction: 1 Corinthians 14:23-25 (HCSB) 23 Therefore, if the whole church assembles together and all are speaking in ⌊other⌋ languages and people who are uninformed or unbelievers come in, will they not say that you are out of your minds? 24 But if all are prophesying and some unbeliever or uninformed person comes in, he is convicted by all and is judged by all. 25 The secrets of his heart will be revealed, and as a result he will fall facedown and worship God, proclaiming, “God is really among you.”

So the first point is be faithful to the message given us by God and not be deceived into thinking we can do something new and win people to Christ.

The second point is a reminder to the saints about daily life. James 4:13-15 (HCSB) 13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will travel to such and such a city and spend a year there and do business and make a profit.” 14 You don’t even know what tomorrow will bring—what your life will be! For you are ⌊like⌋ smoke that appears for a little while, then vanishes. 15 Instead, you should say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.”

We can make plans - we all do; but if we take for granted that we have tomorrow, we are being foolish - maybe evil (as James says in verse 16). We all know of someone who died unexpectedly - that could be you or me, for we know not our days. Paul told us that Acts 17:26 (HCSB) From one man He has made every nationality to live over the whole earth and has determined their appointed times and the boundaries of where they live.

Our lives are but a vapor.

So let us recognize that we will to this or that, IF THE LORD WILLS. And let us be thankful for another day, wherein His mercies are new and we have breath to tell people that Jesus came to save sinners.