Intro
This is Dreamwalker1960. As a reminder you can read the transcripts of all my podcasts at dreamwalker1960.com. You can use most podcast platforms if you wish to listen. All you need do is do a search for Dreamwalker1960.
Discussion
Who are the adulterers of the book of James?
This is not referring to just those that commit adultery upon their spouse, even though, technically they are included. It is those that say that they have asked Jesus Christ to be their Savior. It is those that then instead of being a loyal bride to the Holy Bridegroom, which is who Jesus is. They turn their backs upon Him and seek after those things that they can see about them.
He tells us not to seek after things of the world. For they shall rust away and be eaten by moths or stolen by thieves.
Matthew 6:19-21 NKJV – “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Nonetheless, this is exactly what they do seek after. They seek after wealth, and fame. They seek after the bigger, the better, and the shinier. They turn themselves into adulterers, cheating upon their Savior and rejecting those promised and cherished rewards that will come when we no longer live for up to a hundred years. But when we live for billions, upon billions of years.
This is the one concept most in the world have forgotten, that we are all to be eternal beings. We are all promised to live for billions of years. Most, however, reject this thesis. They claim that all there is, is this poultry one hundred years. And so, they seek after that which turns them into adulterers.
The Bible makes it clear. If you seek after riches, it can most likely be impossible to enter the eternal live that is to come.
Matthew 19:23-24 NKJV – Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”
We are to reject the lusts and desires of pleasing ourselves, but to humble ourselves and worship He who died upon the cross. Allowing us the ability to be seen by His Father, our Creator.
The desires of the self must die. Placing ourselves at the center of our concerns must die. For if we do not do this, we are promised to die a second time. To be dead eternally in the sight of God. Even though physically we will still be alive, but in such anguish and misery that we will have no time to know or think of anything else but that agony we will be experiencing if we do not end being adulterers to He that has called us to be His bride.
Revelation 21:8 NKJV – But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”
Repent of your sin. Turn your backs upon them and never return to them. For if you do not, God Himself will break you form the vine of the bridegroom and allow you to be cast into the fire (John 15:1-6).
James 4:1-10 NKJV – Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures. Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, “The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously”? But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “GOD RESISTS THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE.” Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.
Why do people insist upon making themselves into adulterers? Because they believe it is all about themselves. They are selfish and self-serving. They believe the world revolves about them, when this is the furthest thing from the truth.
James 3:13-18 NKJV – Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
This is why they pray incorrectly. They pray for more wealth. They pray for comfort. They pray for earthly rewards. They pray for everything except that which God requires of them. The Bible teaches to seek after less and if given wealth to give it to those in need not ourselves. We are told not to seek after the things of the world. We are told we will not live in true and complete comfort, except that comfort that comes from true and complete devotion to God.
1 Timothy 6:6-10 NKJV – Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
1 Timothy 6:17-19 NKJV – Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.
1 John 2:15-17 NLT – Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.
Do you think you are one with God through Jesus Christ just because you call yourself a “Christian” and go into a building called a “church” once a week. This is the land of the “Sunday Christian” the “rice Christian.”
Just so you understand that second reference. A “rice Christian” is referring to what missionaries in China called those that went to a Christian mission because they were paid to go there with rice. Sadly this was done and the priest or pastor that encouraged or endorsed this can be called a false teacher. So, due to this their fate has already been determined.
2 Peter 2:1-3 NKJV – But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber.
Accordingly, a rice Christian is someone who receives earthly rewards in return for saying they follow Christ. Now think upon that a moment. Think about those that have said they turn to Christ and then seek after expensive homes, cars or trucks. That seek after enough wealth to buy fancy clothes to become members of golf courses. Live in exclusive gated communities, while all the time professing they are “Christians.”
This is what makes them adulterers. Therefore, since they are committing adultery against Jesus Christ Himself. Then they more than any other adulterer have earned their place in that judgement that Christ Himself will pass upon them.
1 Corinthians 6:9-10 NKJV – Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.
Galatians 5:19-21 NKJV – Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
What many do not understand is that true dedication to following Jesus Christ is not what has been taught for centuries. Yes, you heard that correctly: hundreds of years.
More generations have gone to the grave in a false understanding of what is required to be a follower of Christ. Yet those that lived the simple lives in rural areas came closest to true servitude to Christ’s teaches if they strived to follow them. This is witnesses here within the Bible:
Luke 21:1-4 NKJV – And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury, and He saw also a certain poor widow putting in two mites. So He said, “Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all; for all these out of their abundance have put in offerings for God, but she out of her poverty put in all the livelihood that she had.”
Why say this? It is explained to Timothy this way:
1 Timothy 6:17-19 NKJV – Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.
Those that horde their wealth unto themselves do not willing give all their wealth unto those in need.
1 John 3:17 NKJV – But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?
Yet most have been taught to live in this manner. For generations most seek to be wealthy and pass on this wealth to their offspring. All of which is a sin. Which labels all that seek to show and flaunt their wealth to be condoning sin instead of seeking to be disciples of Christ if they profess to the world they are “Christians.” Thus, they are adulterers and in fact hypocrites. To the point that this is said to the Pharisees that lived in this manner:
Luke 16:13-15 NKJV – “No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.” Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, also heard all these things, and they derided Him. And He said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God.
As I have pointed out before. The Greek word of “abomination” is only used six times in the NT. Four of those times it describes the antichrist and those that follow and worship that person. What does that make these adulterers?
Repent and downsize NOW!
God Bless