Henry Krabbendam - James - World Evangelical Alliance

In Romans 12:2 Paul forbids the conformity with the world. He tells us
to think through all the aspects of the great battle that is waged in this world,
and to gain a clear insight into these aspects. As the mind is transformed, by
becoming increasingly aware of the destructive influence of the world, and by
ripening in its understanding of the beauty of the law of God, it will demonstrate--by
a life of practical holiness, in which the molding influence of the
world is unceasingly fought--how perfectly beneficial the will of God is.
As an example of the molding influence of the world, one may refer to
the Public School system which, as A. A. Hodge reportedly predicted in the
Nineteenth Century, has become the greatest tool for the promotion of atheism
that our country has ever known. Against the sinister background of the
attempt to mold a country through a public school system, the necessity of
Godly Home Schooling, if feasible, and otherwise Christian Schools, becomes
quite clear. To be on the defensive is not sufficient. God’s people must
take the initiative and go on the offensive! Total life should be under the directing
and controlling power of God. It hardly needs to be stressed that if the
more subtle attacks of Satan ought to be withstood surely the open and blatant
transgressions against the law of God, such as divorce and abortion-ondemand,
ought to be denounced with double force.
Finally, it is more than implied in James’ statements that there is no
neutral area. If the heart is comfortable in the world, if it is on “friendly”
terms with the world, it is in a state of war with God. The friendship of the
world is, by definition, enmity with God (See also Prov. 23:4; 28:20; 2 Tim.
3:4). Note how carefully James concludes his warning. He does not address
his hearers with regard to the spiritual adulteries they have been (or are)
committing, but with regard to the state of their hearts. If the determined bent
of their (unregenerate) will (boulomai) is to be friends of the world (Manton,
342, with reference to 1 Tim. 6:9; Prov. 23:4; Acts 11:23), there is no other
conclusion possible than that they are enemies of God. This is to say, they
hate God, whether actively or passively (Manton, 343). In this scenario the
only hope they have is that God will not reciprocate (Mal. 1:3). After all, if
they do not hate their idolatries, they have no right to call themselves “saved”
from the wrath to come! It is a sobering thought that “friendship” can be
identified as an estranging and deadening “enmity” (Manton, 345).
Even if all Christians are en route to perfection, James does not require
the presence of a perfect life as the only ground on which friendship with God
is possible. No one is perfect this side of death or the return of Christ! After
all, he already identified all his readers as “spiritual adulterers and adulteresses.”
No, it is the state of their hearts that is the determining factor. Every
Christian must be able to say, “But God forbid that I should glory, except in
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