James 4:4

An Understandable Version (2005 edition)

You people who have become unfaithful to God, do you not know that being [intimate] friends with the world [of sin] means hostility toward God? Therefore, whoever determines to be an [intimate] friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.

Cross References

Romans 8:7

This is because the one whose mind is [controlled] by the flesh is an enemy of God; for he is not obedient to God’s law, and in fact, cannot obey it.

Galatians 1:10

For am I seeking [to gain] the favor of men or of God? Or, am I striving to please people [by what I do]? If I were still [trying] to please people, I would not be a [true] servant of Christ.

John 15:19

Remember what I said to you, ‘A slave is not greater [in importance] than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will [also] persecute you, too; if they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also.

Matthew 6:24

No person can serve two masters, for he will either hate the one and love the other, or else he will cling to the one and look down on the other. You cannot serve God and material things [at the same time].

John 17:14

I have given them your word, and the world hated them because they do not belong to the world just as I do not belong to the world.

James 1:27

Religion that is pure and uncorrupted in the eyes of [our] God and Father involves taking care of orphans and widows in their distress and keeping oneself unstained by the world.

Romans 5:10

And not only is this true, but we also rejoice in God, through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have been restored to fellowship with God.

Matthew 16:4

“It is an evil and spiritually unfaithful generation of people [that keeps on] looking for a [supernatural] sign; but there will be no [such] sign given to it except the sign of Jonah [i.e., being in the huge fish for three days].” Then He left them and went away.

John 7:7

The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify about its deeds, that they are evil.

Luke 19:27

But bring those enemies of mine here [i.e., the citizens. See verse 14], who did not want me to rule over them, and kill them in front of me.’'

Matthew 12:39

But He said to them, “It is [only] an evil and unfaithful [i.e., to God] generation of people that looks for a [supernatural] sign. And there will not be any sign given to it except the [supernatural] sign [demonstrated in the life] of Jonah, the prophet.

1 Corinthians 1:20

Where is the wise person? And where is the expert in the law? [And] where is the debater of this world?

1 Corinthians 1:21

For since, according to God’s [true] wisdom, the world did not know about Him through its wisdom, God was pleased to save those who believe [in Christ] through the “foolishness” of the message preached.