Friend or Foe?

Friend or Foe?  By Bill Keller     

“Don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God." James 4:4

Are you God's friend or God's enemy?

There are only two possible answers to this question. You are either God's friend or His enemy, you can't be both. One of the most sobering passages in God's Word is today's anchor verse found in the 4th chapter of James, the 4th verse. You don't need to be a Bible scholar or have any advanced theological degrees to understand this verse of Scripture. This very simple yet powerful truth clearly states that if you are a friend of the world, you are an enemy of God!

It is time for you to decide if you are God's friend or not. You make that decision with every choice you make. Throughout the day there are choices to be made, and with each one, you and I are making a choice, we are choosing to be God's friend or God's enemy.

When you or I make a choice in rebellion to God, we have become His enemy. I don't know if there is anything as horrible than to be an enemy of God. What person in their right mind would honestly want to be an enemy of God? Yet, every time we choose to rebel against Him, that is exactly what we become.

Here is another way you become a friend of the world and an enemy of God. The Bible tells us in James 4:17, "Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins." This is known as the sin of omission. This is the sin most followers of Christ are guilty of.

Many fall into this sin is simply because they don't have the courage to take a stand for the Lord. They refuse to take a stand for the Lord in their personal life, they refuse to take a stand for the Lord with their family and friends, and they refuse to take a stand for the Lord where they work, go to school, recreate, and out in the marketplace.

When you refuse to take a stand for Christ you have become a friend of the world and an enemy of God!!!

Those who love the world and live in rebellion against God, against His Truth, and against Jesus Christ never seem to have a difficult time taking a stand for what they believe. Those who promote the sin of blasphemy certainly have no problem taking their stand by using the Lord’s name in vain. Those who promote the slaughtering of innocent babies certainly have no problem in taking their stand.

Those who produce and distribute pornography certainly have no problem in taking their stand. Those who destroy people's lives with gambling certainly have no problem taking their stand. Those who promote the different cults and false religions and are leading people's souls to eternal damnation certainly have no problem in taking their stand.

WHY IS IT THAT THOSE WHO OPPOSE GOD AND LIVE IN REBELLION TO GOD HAVE NO PROBLEM TAKING A STAND FOR WHAT THEY BELIEVE, YET CHRISTIANS, THOSE WHO CLAIM TO BE FOLLOWERS OF CHRIST, HAVE A DIFFICULT TIME TAKING A STAND FOR THE LORD???

It has NEVER been popular to take a stand for Christ because we live in a world that has rejected our Lord but taking a stand for Christ in the U. S. in the year 2020 is not popular. In the land that was built by Christians, for Christians, you are now subjected to ridicule, scorn and hatred; you are called horrible names, and will be attacked verbally and perhaps, even physically. Who wants that?

However, Jesus was ridiculed, scorned, hated, called every name, attacked, even tortured and then crucified for taking His stand for God! You see, our Lord knew that you were either a friend of this world or a friend of God. You can't be both. He chose to be a friend of God in the choices He made each and every day, and He chose to be a friend of God when it came time for Him to take his stand for God. He is our example and the One we are to emulate.

The reason so much sin is now accepted in our culture is because those who support sin refuse to back down.  While the followers of Christ have chosen to be a friend of the world, cults like Mormonism and Scientology have been growing.

The reason you have the blasphemous, anti-God trash on TV 24/7 is because those who run the TV networks refuse to back down, while the followers of Christ have chosen to be a friend of the world.

GOD SAID THAT A FRIEND OF THE WORLD IS HIS ENEMY!!!

What do you stand against?  What do you stand for?

Unless you stand for JESUS and HIS Kingdom’s purposes, you are standing for the wrong thing.

Unless you stand for JESUS and HIS Kingdom’s purposes, you are being a friend to the world and an enemy of God.