James 4:1-17.
James 4.1-17
Friendship with the World
"Why do you fight and argue with each other? Isn't it because you are
full of selfish desires that fight to control your body? You want
something you don't have, and you will do anything to get it. You will
even kill! But you still cannot get what you want, and you won't get
it by fighting and arguing. You should pray for it. Yet even when you
do pray, your prayers are not answered, because you pray just for
selfish reasons. You people aren't faithful to God! Don't you know
that if you love the world, you are God's enemies? And if you decide
to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God. Do
you doubt the Scriptures that say, "God truly cares about the Spirit
he has put in us"? In fact, God treats us with even greater kindness,
just as the Scriptures say, "God opposes everyone who is proud, but he
is kind to everyone who is humble." Surrender to God! Resist the
devil, and he will run from you. Come near to God, and he will come
near to you. Clean up your lives, you sinners. Purify your hearts, you
people who can't make up your mind. Be sad and sorry and weep. Stop
laughing and start crying. Be gloomy instead of glad. Be humble in
the Lord's presence, and he will honor you.
Saying Cruel Things about Others
My friends, don't say cruel things about others! If you do, or if you
condemn others, you are condemning God's Law. And if you condemn the
Law, you put yourself above the Law and refuse to obey either it or
God who gave it. God is our judge, and he can save or destroy us. What
right do you have to condemn anyone?
Warning against Bragging
You should know better than to say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to
the city. We will do business there for a year and make a lot of
money!" What do you know about tomorrow? How can you be so sure about
your life? It is nothing more than mist that appears for only a little
while before it disappears. You should say, "If the Lord lets us
live, we will do these things." Yet you are stupid enough to brag,
and it is wrong to be so proud. If you don't do what you know is
right, you have sinned."
Father God, forgive my sins. Thank you for sending Jesus Christ down
to die on the cross and for shedding his blood for me. Three days
later you resurrected him. I accept that. I invite Jesus Christ into
my heart as my Lord and savior. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.
God bless you.
Friendship with the World
"Why do you fight and argue with each other? Isn't it because you are
full of selfish desires that fight to control your body? You want
something you don't have, and you will do anything to get it. You will
even kill! But you still cannot get what you want, and you won't get
it by fighting and arguing. You should pray for it. Yet even when you
do pray, your prayers are not answered, because you pray just for
selfish reasons. You people aren't faithful to God! Don't you know
that if you love the world, you are God's enemies? And if you decide
to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God. Do
you doubt the Scriptures that say, "God truly cares about the Spirit
he has put in us"? In fact, God treats us with even greater kindness,
just as the Scriptures say, "God opposes everyone who is proud, but he
is kind to everyone who is humble." Surrender to God! Resist the
devil, and he will run from you. Come near to God, and he will come
near to you. Clean up your lives, you sinners. Purify your hearts, you
people who can't make up your mind. Be sad and sorry and weep. Stop
laughing and start crying. Be gloomy instead of glad. Be humble in
the Lord's presence, and he will honor you.
Saying Cruel Things about Others
My friends, don't say cruel things about others! If you do, or if you
condemn others, you are condemning God's Law. And if you condemn the
Law, you put yourself above the Law and refuse to obey either it or
God who gave it. God is our judge, and he can save or destroy us. What
right do you have to condemn anyone?
Warning against Bragging
You should know better than to say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to
the city. We will do business there for a year and make a lot of
money!" What do you know about tomorrow? How can you be so sure about
your life? It is nothing more than mist that appears for only a little
while before it disappears. You should say, "If the Lord lets us
live, we will do these things." Yet you are stupid enough to brag,
and it is wrong to be so proud. If you don't do what you know is
right, you have sinned."
Father God, forgive my sins. Thank you for sending Jesus Christ down
to die on the cross and for shedding his blood for me. Three days
later you resurrected him. I accept that. I invite Jesus Christ into
my heart as my Lord and savior. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.
God bless you.
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