The Book of James - 3
Facing the World
James, in his letter, tells us how to get on with other Christians, living together in the church. But James has also much to say about how Christians should relate to the world in which they live. The Greek word for "world" is kosmos from which we get words such as cosmology, the study of the universe. This word kosmos is used in three main ways in the New Testament. It is the straight forward word for the earth, the planet on which we live. For instance, when Paul is speaking to Greek philosophers in Athens he uses the word kosmos when he says: "The God who made this world and everything in it is Lord of heaven and earth" (Acts chapter 11 verse 24).
Christians can delight in the world in this sense of the word, the wonderful creation which is all around us, beautiful, mysterious and awesome. We can celebrate the richness of God's creation in so many ways, in music, art and poetry, all those things which Paul calls "true, noble, right, pure, lovely and admirable" in Philippians chapter 4 verse 8.
The word kosmos can also mean the people who live in this earth, you and me, everyone. Listen to John's Gospel chapter three verse sixteen: "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life".
Christians find that their love for Christ gives them a deep love also so for all people.
But the word kosmos is also used in the New Testament for the powers in society which reject God and his ways. The world in this sense is opposed to goodness and righteousness, holiness and truth. This is how James uses the word “kosmos” in this letter. This is the world we cannot love if we are followers of Jesus.
James writes: "You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred towards God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes and enemy of God.” Most of us today live in this kind of world to some degree or other. The world has standards of behaviour which are contrary to God's standards taught to us in the Bible. James writes in chapter 1 verse 21: "Get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent, instead”, he goes on, "humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you". When James uses the phrase "moral filth" he not only means sexual immorality which is so common today, he certainly means that, but also, the world's ways of doing business, telling lies to get more profit, exploiting the vulnerable.
Note how James says, "anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world" We have a choice, to follow God or to follow the world.
The first Century Greek and Roman world was a world in which self-control, mercy and love were not qualities that were admired. And our world today is much the same in its attitudes to God's standards for human behaviour. Paul says in Ephesians chapter 5 verse 11 that we are to have nothing to do with what he calls the "fruitless deeds of darkness" and he even goes on to say that it is a Christian's duty to expose them. Now this takes courage. To speak out against the wrongs, injustices and oppressions and the worshipping of modern idols in our societies will not be easy.
In Germany in the 1930s an evil political regime took over the country which resulted in the terrible second World War in which may hundreds of thousands of people were murdered just because of their race, or because they opposed the regime. Very few Christians spoke out strongly against all this. But some did and some gave their lives rather than be silent against the evils of the world in which they were living. Some Christian pastors in Germany opposed this regime and made a declaration in 1934 which stated clearly that they would only bow to the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ as the only word of God to which they must listen.
Another aspect of the world Christians are to avoid is what James calls "man's anger", (chapter 1 verse 20). There is a lot of anger today in the world. We should be angry about many of the things in our world today such as child abuse, the neglect of the poor and vulnerable, the suffering of the innocent, but this is not what James has in mind here. When he urges us to avoid "man's anger" he is thinking of the anger which comes from self-centred envy and jealousy of other people; an anger that seeks revenge.
We avoid such anger by humility. James says: "Humble yourselves before the Lord and he will lift you up", (Chapter 4 verse 10). Elsewhere in his letter James speaks of humility that comes from wisdom. Now humility isn't thinking how bad you are so much as thinking how great God is. "For the Lord is full of compassion and mercy", (Chapter 5 verse 12).
So, in summary, what does James teach us about the world. How should we relate to it? Here are three thoughts to remember:
- Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God", chapter 4 verse 4.
- Humble yourselves before the Lord and he will lift you up, chapter 4 verse 10.
- The Lord is full of compassion and mercy, chapter 5 verse 12.