Bahaya Persahabatan dengan Dunia | Yakobus 4:1-4 | Morning Spirit - 15 Juni 2026

THE DANGER OF FRIENDSHIP WITH THE WORLD James 4:1-4 "Friendship with the world is enmity with God," is what the Word of God says. The letter of James is addressed to believers facing various life struggles. In James 4:1-4, James rebukes the congregation for living in strife, envy, and love of the world. They still attend worship services, but their hearts are controlled by fleshly desires. Many believers today experience the same thing: They actively serve but are easily angered and quarrelsome. They diligently worship but find it difficult to forgive. They claim to love the Lord Jesus but love this world more. James explains that the root of the problem is not external circumstances, but the human heart, which is far from Jesus. Today, from James 4:1-4, we will learn: 3 Truths on the theme of The Danger of Friendship With the World. FIRST: Human strife stems from fleshly desires. James 4:1 Where do disputes and quarrels come from among you? Do they not come from your passions, which battle within your bodies? In this verse, James teaches that the source of conflict is not primarily from other people, but from the passions within humans. The word "lust" is Greek for "hedone," which means "self-indulgence, lust that wants to be satisfied, selfish desires." So sinful humans tend to: -want to win. -want to be satisfied. -want to be better than others. -want to be satisfied. And when these desires are not met, then arise: -quarrels. -jealousy. -hatred. -disputes and quarrels. James does not blame external circumstances, but James directly points to the human heart. So because of this: -Many domestic conflicts arise because of ego. -Many divisions in the church arise because of personal ambition. -Many friendships are damaged by jealousy and a lack of forgiveness. But Christians filled with the Holy Spirit can learn to deny themselves and live in a love that is willing to forgive and understand the weaknesses of others. To put it simply, human conflict that stems from fleshly desires is like two children fighting over a toy. They cry and hit each other. The problem isn't the toy, but the selfish hearts of the two children. Likewise, even adults, even if they appear spiritual, if their hearts are still dominated by fleshly desires, quarrels and discord will continue to arise. The Danger of Friendship with the World: SECOND Prayer becomes wrong because of wrong motives. James 4:2-3 (2) You desire but do not have, so you murder; you envy but do not obtain, so you quarrel and fight. You gain nothing because you do not ask. (3) Or you pray, but you do not receive, because you ask wrongly, wanting to spend what you ask on your own desires. In these two verses, James shows that some members of the congregation do pray, but their prayers are not answered by God because their motives are wrong. They pray, but: -Not for God's glory. -Not for God's will. -But only to satisfy their own desires. We must realize that: _God looks not only at the words of prayer, but also at the motivation of the human heart in praying. Prayer is not a tool to force God to fulfill all human desires. True prayer is: -First seeking God's will. -Surrendering ourselves completely to God. -And glorifying God's name. So when we pray, we must examine our motives when we pray: -In prayer, are we seeking God or merely seeking His blessing? -In prayer, are we seeking to be used by God or merely seeking success? -In prayer, do we long to glorify God or merely pray for our own benefit? True prayer, pleasing to God, is born from a true heart! We should not be like a child who comes to his father only when he needs money. After receiving it, he leaves, ignoring his father. Many times, people treat God like that: they only come because they desperately need something, not because they love God with all their heart. The Lord Jesus desires that our relationship with Him be a genuine one, not one filled with selfish interests. THIRD Friendship ............... Reverend Iwan Yafrin Simbolon #MorningSpirit #MorningDevotion #iwanyafrinsimbolon Questions? contact via Whats App: http://wa.me/628981200020 Email: [email protected] Instagram:   / fbcbandung   Facebook Page:   / firstbaptistbandung   Website: http://idc.church IMPACTING THE WORLD THROUGH BIBLICAL DISCIPLESHIP iPraise, iDisc, iSend