Friendship with the World

"But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. "Woe to you who are full now, for you shall be hungry. "Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep. "Woe to you, when all people speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets. (Luk 6:24-26 ESV)

Now Jesus pronounces woes on those who experience their blessings in this world rather than in the one to come. Those who are rich are not waiting for the coming consolation in glory, but rather are satisfied with their consolation now. Those who are full are not hungering for the righteousness of God, but rather are satisfied with the their physical state of being well fed. Those who laugh are not concerned with the joy of the Lord, but rather with the joy of the world. Those who have a good reputation are not trying to please God, but rather to please the men of this world.

The contrast that Jesus sets forth here is obvious…we can either enjoy Christ and long for eternal glory with Him, or we can enjoy the world and be unconcerned with those things that have an eternal weight to them. We can be heavenly-minded OR worldly-minded…but we can’t be both.

You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. (Jas 4:4 ESV)

Being friends with the world is so far set against God that it’s equated to being at enmity with Him. We are enemies of God if we are friends with the world. These two positions are in opposition to each other and can never be made to exist peacefully together.

For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. (Rom 8:5-8 ESV)

May we take inventory of our lives to see where we stand on the spectrum of loving God and loving the world. May we come to a deeper understanding of the hatred that we show God when we befriend the same world that condemned Him. May we be brought to a closer walk with Christ as we walk away from the worldly pleasures that so easily beset us and walk towards our Lord.