Uncomfortable

We all want to get along in this world. We want to be liked. We want to have friends. We want to avoid trouble. It's normal. So we figure out what people like and we try to do that. Or, at least, we do that as much as we can and, if necessary, mask the stuff we know they won't like. Can't we all just get along?

It's a little disturbing, then, that James writes, "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." (James 4:4) Wow, James, why don't you tell us what you really think? James doesn't mince words. James doesn't suggest, "Can't we all just get along?" Nor does he merely recommend against such thinking. "You adulterous people" isn't a phrase that inclines toward ambivalence. Friendship with the world is hatred toward God.

Our general approach of "just get along," however, is worse than merely a wrong approach. It is a detrimental approach. We have good news to share with those around us. That good news begins with the bad news of the magnitude of sin and continues through the wonderful news that Christ died for that sin and offers us forgiveness by grace through faith in Him. That good news ends with "And we will be with Him in the end," but before it gets there, it goes through "All things become new." (2 Cor 5:17) Or, as Paul puts it elsewhere, "We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." (Eph 2:10) That is, those sinners who come to Christ in faith experience a radically changed life. Now, if that's the "good news" and we go out of our way to demonstrate that we're living the very same unchanged life that they are, what good news do we have? If there is no fruit in knowing Christ, what are we offering?

We are "born of God." (1 John 5:1) That has to change things. The first thing is love for God and love for His people (1 John 5:1-2). And "this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments" (1 John 5:3). We become living wtnesses to the power of God. Now, understand, we as a race (human) like "same" rather than "different." We are more comfortable with "like us" than "not like us." And the person that is occupied by the Spirit (Eph 5:18) and being transformed by the renewing of the mind (Rom 12:2) and operating under God's influence (Php 2:13) is not "like us." So if you are making all the worldly folk "comfortable" around you, there's a serious problem. As Jesus said, "Everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed." (John 3:20) What should be happening is people are asking, "There is something different about you. What is it?" We ought to be different and that likely won't make people comfortable with us. And that's okay, because "friendship with the world is emnity with God" and we are to live in such a way that "they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven." (Matt 5:16)