Since love of the world is probably the number one reason for apostasy in the church, we need to find balance between world flight and worldliness. The word that John uses is the Greek word kosmos from which we derive the English word cosmos. The first thing to do if we are not to love the world is to identify what the world is. The second rule for growing in godliness is this: Guard against worldliness. Though nearly everyone agrees with this sentiment, there is a major disagreement as to what worldliness actually is. What in the world is worldliness? 2:12). 12:1). The Snare—I am okay because of my religious works and activities. 1. A. Paul’s struggle - Romans 7:14-25 B. No doubt some of the changes which have occurred in religion have added credence to the idea that our own moral values are subject to change. Never in the Bible is he called the Savior only of the elect. It would be easier if the Bible gave a list of worldly activities, and showed us where exactly to draw the line, but it does not. Worldliness is the lust of the flesh (a passion for sensual satisfaction), the lust of the eyes (an inordinate desire for the finer things of life), and the pride of life (self-satisfaction in who we are, what we have, and what we have done). If the enjoyment of the pleasures of this world requires us to have an alliance with the world, we prefer to suffer than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season (Heb. Sometimes we flatter ourselves that we can have both God and the world, but the Bible contradicts that foolish notion. (noun) I am not a pessimistic person; yet, the moral degeneracy which I see about me is conducive to producing a gloomy outlook on life. The other passage is 1 John 2:15, where John commands Christians not to love the world. November 26, 2020 All Dictionary. Do you love the Father or the world, or are you trying and failing to love both. They are inclined to be too close to the world so that the world bewitches, fascinates, and ensnares them. They had not transformed their thinking—it was still carnal. The church at Corinth was plagued with many problems because of its worldliness. And after a careful study, I am confidently convinced that worldliness is our greatest threat. In 1 Corinthians 6, they are suing one another. . .used generally of feasts and drinking parties that are protracted till late at night and indulge in revelry” (Thayer, p. 367). The Bible has a great deal to say about worldliness, none of it good. 5:16-18, 24-26. 4:4), but God has given us all things richly to enjoy (1 Tim. Steve Hill is founder of Heartland World Ministries Church in Dallas. While I am talking about lasciviousness, I might as well add that the “petting” which occurs while our young (and some not so young) people are dating is also condemned by the definition of the word given to us by reputable Greek scholars. There is a fine line between stewardship of our bodies and possessions and obsession and even idolatry. Our preacher talks about them, but he's never defined the term. Covenant Evangelical Reformed Church of Singapore, Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Australia, Missions, Sister Churches, Christian Schools. If we love the world for its own sake we will devote our time, our energy, our money and our life to the things of the world to the exclusion of God. This is why the devil is constantly seeking to introduce worldliness into the church. Yet, we have become persuaded that we can passively sit in front of these television sets and watch these programs without them ever affecting our moral character. If anything, it makes it more reprehensible. Pleasure only becomes sinful when it satisfies the lusts of our flesh, the lusts of our eyes, and the pride of life. From the beginning, Christians have struggled with living in a world of sin without being a part of that world. When we love the world, we devote ourselves to the things of the world: we seek the things of the world so that they will satisfy our desires. “The Cure for Worldliness” (James 4:7-10) Series: Living the Faith (James) Rev. It can make us desire or use something in a manner contrary to God’s law or the purpose for which He created it. Thank you for the thoughtful article. Others, whose life is rather simple and uncluttered by modern inventions, might derive pleasure from judging, belittling, and gossiping about their fellow saints. We do not live in the Old Testament, hemmed in by laws that regulate what we eat and wear. In his first letter, the Apostle John lays out the challenge and the danger of worldliness. Truth Magazine XXII: 43, pp. 3:16-17. The world around us is becoming progressively more morally degenerate. By Brock Henry “You and I have need of the strongest spell that can be found to wake us from the evil enchantment of worldliness… There are many dangers facing the Lord's church in our present society. There is nothing sinful in pleasure itself. I know for a fact, that many of the television shows are becoming sexually suggestive if not featuring explicit sexual scenes. If not, you need to cut it out of your life or reduce your use of it. The Bible uses the word “world” hundreds of times in a variety of meanings. Therefore, they are quick to condemn worldliness in others. For some Christians, worldliness is defined almost as “whatever the world does, if the Christian does it, it is worldliness.” That, however, is an inadequate, inaccurate, and ultimately unhelpful definition. This email address is being protected from spambots. I've never gone to church before, so some of the things they talk about in the church I've started attending are kind of new to me. The worldly Christian will pray less, meditate less on the word, and become infrequent in his attendance at public worship. And it is by the power of the cross that the world is crucified unto us: “But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world” (Gal 6:14). We must never forget that our moral standard is fixed forever. var path = 'hr' + 'ef' + '='; Worldliness is a terrible problem for mankind -- from preacher, church leaders, and parents and for the youth of our land. The music will be silent, the sensual pleasure will be over, worldly friends will be gone and he will be sober. A bed sheet with text and/or artwork used as a visual aid to a preacher's sermon. “The lust of the flesh” is the desire or longing of the sinful nature. If you find yourself enjoying the company and the sins of the ungodly so that you even find yourself. John explains the meaning when he adds “neither the things that are in the world” (v. 15). The repeated emphasis shows that we are to be distinct from the world as Jesus was. That’s why John writes, “The whole world (kosmos) lieth in wickedness” (1 John 5:19). Watching TV is not per se sinful, but watching pornography is; sports are not sinful, but skipping church to watch sports is; drinking alcohol is not sinful, but underage drinking or drunkenness is. Other Christians, who want to avoid legalism, with its excessive rules and judgmental spirit, err on the side of worldliness. What is there in this life which so fascinates you, so titillates your lust, so attracts you, that it draws you away from Christ? addy0260c1431402d70faadcc109789228a5 = addy0260c1431402d70faadcc109789228a5 + 'sbcglobal' + '.' + 'net'; My brethren, be not deceived, lasciviousness is still a sin. Flesh over Spirit. The second incentive is: “he that doeth the will of God abideth forever” (v. 17). I offer my definition: “Worldliness is an attitude of the mind and heart in which the heart of a person is fascinated, excited, and bewitched by those things which gratify the sinful lusts, and it is a giving over of oneself to serve those things instead of God.”. Or, perhaps this reflects a view of life: the belief that the world must become increasingly more corrupt immediately prior to the second coming of Jesus Christ. Such being the condition of things in many of the churches, we need not wonder at what took place. If such acts were adulterous in the first century, and Jesus said they were, they are adulterous today. Its Distortion—Deformed view of God. These studies are scriptural and are available for download and use in teaching, edification and evangelism. Text: Ephesians 2:1-10 I. We cannot allow the church to become filled with a bunch of moral reprobates. Many sermons address this passage; it’s a “go-to” passage for Bible-believers. Insofar as the “world order” is the enemy of God, we are not to befriend it, and we are not to love it, but we are to hate it and to oppose it. Aligning with rebellious sinful man's ways... instead of God's. If so, I will be glad to provide the space for his material to be presented and replied to. The fact that two thousand years have passed and cultures have come and gone has not changed the word of God in any way. Or the worldly person will join a false church, which is basically the world with a religious mask. Thanks! Another thing which incites lust and falls under the condemnation of God because it is lascivious is nudity in dress. Then the scriptures where Jesus rebuked hypocrites saying, ‘ first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye’ (Matthew 7:5). For example, it is possible for a pastor to preach on worldliness when he is also a worldly person. Aimed at church members, the sermon reinforces Christian morality by grounding its exhortations in Biblical texts and examples. He said, “For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revelings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries: wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you” (I Pet. The world encourages us to live independently of God, to find everything we need in this present life, and not to concern ourselves with God and eternity. 3:1-3) b. Sometimes I think we lose sight of who we are and what are mission is. They quit preaching against these forms of worldliness because they are just as guilty of it as the rest of the worldly people. 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