Two Pictures of Friendship

1.) Friendship with the World (v.4-5)

Notable Quotes:

“James personifies the church as the bride of Christ. At best she has become distracted from and at worst unfaithful to her groom. The audience has the wrong object for a lover–the fallen world system and values of the unregenerate.” —Craig Blomberg

“The intention to be a friend of the world makes a person an enemy of God because it puts the world in place of God, it submits to the world’s ethics and values instead of God’s, desires the things of the world instead of God, and exalts the creature over the creator.”* * —Dan McCartney

“A man may have a competent portion of the good things of this life, and yet may keep himself in the love of God; but he who sets his heart upon the world, who places his happiness in it, and will conform himself to it, and do any thing rather than lose its friendship, he is an enemy to God; it is constructive treason and rebellion against God to set the world upon his throne in our hearts.” —Matthew Henry

Some questions to consider:
1. What is your happiness ultimately in?
2. How alert are you to the seductions from this world that causes your heart to leave worshiping God?
3. Are you chasing things right now that the world chases?
4. In what ways are you acting like a friend of the world?
5. Are we thinking the way the world thinks regarding our work, our marriage, our kids, our time commitments?

2.) Friendship with God (v.6-10)
Noteable Quotes:

“God gives what He demands.” —Augustine

“What comfort there is in this verse! His resources are never at an end, his patience is never exhausted, his initiative never stops, his generosity knows no limit: he gives more grace.” —Alex Motyer

“There is more mercy in Christ than sin in us.” —Richard Sibbes

“God cannot bear with seeing his glory appropriated by the creature in even the smallest degree, so intolerable to Him is the sacrilegious arrogance of those who, by praising themselves, obscure his glory as far as they can.” —John Calvin

“It is the outright intention to be the world’s friend that makes a person God’s enemy. Nevertheless, intentionality often begins with a wish, and even wishing to be friends with the world is as dangerous and stupid as a married person wishing to flirt with someone other than his or her spouse.” —Dan McCartney

Some questions to consider:
1. Have I grown in my friendship with God this last month; or have I slowly grown more in love with the world?
2. In what ways are you in bed with the world? Is it in politics? Is it at work? Is it your home? Your time?
3. How can I grow in my friendship with God, by intentionally and consistently drawing near to Him?
4. What is your plan to grow in your friendship with God?