Alternative Lifestyle
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James, like many biblical writers, says much about an alternative lifestyle, but it has nothing to do with LGBTQ. The OT prophets foreshadowed and the non-Gospel NT writers looked back on an alternative lifestyle most fully proclaimed by Jesus.
Much is being said in our society about cancel culture and being “woke.” For true believers, cancel culture isn’t our problem because we are already part of a counter-culture called the Kingdom of God whose inhabitants shouldn’t have to be “woke” to true injustice because we should never have been asleep.
As we’re going to see today, we cannot hold to the culture James calls the world and the counterculture called the Kingdom of God at the same time and still be considered friends of God. To be the culture’s friend is to be God’s enemy.
You spiritual sluts who have been sleeping around on God, whoring for the world, don’t you know being the culture’s friend, any version of the culture, pits you against God (even if you call yourself a Christian)? Therefore, if you scheme how to be the culture’s friends, to live by the culture’s values, to get what the culture offers, to be focused on your rights and not your responsibilities, you make yourself God’s enemy, your doing, not God’s. Is the scripture wrong when it says the spirit God breathed into us intensely covets what the culture offers? But God’s grace is sufficient for those who will repent. God is hostile to those who look at others with contempt, but the faithfulness of those of low status will find grace. [James 4.4-6 (JMT)]
We’re going to break it down verse by verse today.
As we’ve seen, James was not afraid of offending his hearers for a good reason.
As we’ve seen, James was not afraid of offending his hearers for a good reason.
The problem here isn’t adultery but spiritual adultery.
The problem here isn’t adultery but spiritual adultery.
Here James simply continued a theme common in the Bible.
Here James simply continued a theme common in the Bible.
20 But no luck. Like a false-hearted woman walking out on her husband, you, the whole family of Israel, have proven false to me.” God’s Decree.
1 Don’t waste your life in wild orgies, Israel. Don’t party away your life with the heathen. You walk away from your God at the drop of a hat and like a whore sell yourself promiscuously at every sex-and-religion party on the street.
4 A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah.” Jesus then left them and went away.
38 For whoever is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”
“The problem is not that we’ve tried faith and found it wanting, but that we’ve tried mammon and found it addictive, and as a result find following Christ inconvenient.” (Arthur Simon, Bread for the World founder)
I know the language I used in my translation is strong and would have been highly offensive to any other congregation I’ve served, but it is no stronger than James’ would have been perceived to be.
I know the language I used in my translation is strong and would have been highly offensive to any other congregation I’ve served, but it is no stronger than James’ would have been perceived to be.
James explicitly described the nature of the adultery.
James explicitly described the nature of the adultery.
It was friendship with the world; we would say culture.
It was friendship with the world; we would say culture.
10 for Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me and has gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia.
The values of the culture, any human culture, are our default setting.
The values of the culture, any human culture, are our default setting.
In the US, our cultural values, even in many churches, cause us to be human havings, not human beings.
In the US, our cultural values, even in many churches, cause us to be human havings, not human beings.
James used even stronger language for the consequences of our adultery.
James used even stronger language for the consequences of our adultery.
It pits us against God; puts us at cross-purposes with God; removes us from the will of God.
It pits us against God; puts us at cross-purposes with God; removes us from the will of God.
Whether or not it was our intent, the result is we have rejected friendship with God to make ourselves God’s enemies.
Whether or not it was our intent, the result is we have rejected friendship with God to make ourselves God’s enemies.
But why is this true considering many of us were taught to be a good American was to be a good Christian?
But why is this true considering many of us were taught to be a good American was to be a good Christian?
Because if we were taught that, we were taught wrong.
Because if we were taught that, we were taught wrong.
Because Jesus taught us there would NEVER be any such thing as a Christian majority in any culture.
Because Jesus taught us there would NEVER be any such thing as a Christian majority in any culture.
13 “Enter through the narrow gate, because broad is the gate and spacious is the road that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it, 14 because narrow is the gate and constricted is the road that leads to life, and there are few who find it! 15 “Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inside are ravenous wolves.
Because we willingly entered a counterculture, an alternative lifestyle, whose values will never be wholly, or maybe even partly, endorsed by ANY human culture.
Because we willingly entered a counterculture, an alternative lifestyle, whose values will never be wholly, or maybe even partly, endorsed by ANY human culture.
27 “To you who are ready for the truth, I say this: Love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. 28 When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer for that person. 29 If someone slaps you in the face, stand there and take it. If someone grabs your shirt, giftwrap your best coat and make a present of it. 30 If someone takes unfair advantage of you, use the occasion to practice the servant life. No more tit-for-tat stuff. Live generously. 31 “Here is a simple rule of thumb for behavior: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you; then grab the initiative and do it for them!
11 And the greatest among you will be your servant. 12 And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
If you doubt what I’m saying, take note of the disciples’ reaction in this next passage.
If you doubt what I’m saying, take note of the disciples’ reaction in this next passage.
23 And Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I say to you that with difficulty a rich person will enter into the kingdom of heaven! 24 And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than a rich person into the kingdom of God.” 25 So when the disciples heard this, they were extremely amazed, saying, “Then who can be saved?”
We cannot live two value systems simultaneously which is the reason when it comes to politics Christians are not Democrats or Republicans, they are…well, Christians, endorsing only what is right according to the King and opposing what is evil.
We cannot live two value systems simultaneously which is the reason when it comes to politics Christians are not Democrats or Republicans, they are…well, Christians, endorsing only what is right according to the King and opposing what is evil.
Because in this new culture, our rights are God’s responsibility, our responsibilities, including the rights of others, are ours.
Because in this new culture, our rights are God’s responsibility, our responsibilities, including the rights of others, are ours.
Okay, when I started this lesson, I intended to take in verses 4-6, but this might be all we can digest for today. While the challenge is explicit and James is unapologetic, we will see next time he is equally explicit about the reward for those who will take it up.