The things of this World

John 2: 15-17 Do not love or cherish the world or the things that are in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in him. 16For all that is in the world--the lust of the flesh [craving for sensual gratification] and the lust of the eyes [greedy longings of the mind] and the pride of life [assurance in one's own resources or in the stability of earthly things]--these do not come from the Father but are from the world [itself]. 17And the world passes away and disappears, and with it the forbidden cravings (the passionate desires, the lust) of it; but he who does the will of God and carries out His purposes in his life abides (remains) forever. Amplified

What is worldliness, and when is it sinful?

There have been misconceptions concerning worldliness. Christians in earlier generations seemed to be either a lot more concerned about worldliness or spoke about it more than we typically do. A major shift seems to have occurred in less than three decades' time. To hear them describe it, worldliness was essentially the sin of being too cool or dressing modern. When I first took the youth group of my present Church the youth were not allowed to wear shorts to functions, it was one of the ways they demonstrated we are not of this world. Our Amish friends take it even further. Their strategy for avoiding worldliness involves avoiding all modern conveniences. The same sort of thinking culminates in austere forms of monasticism, where poverty, celibacy, and ascetic solitude are seen as sure means of avoiding worldly influences.

In its basic term worldly simply means "pertaining to this earth." So something can be "worldly" without being sinful. On the other hand, Titus 2:12 speaks of "worldly lusts," meaning passions that are set on earthly and temporal things. Love and devotion for earthly things is inconsistent with true love for God, because the passions that drive this world's philosophies and value-systems are all characterized by pride and sinful lust (1 John 2:15-17). In other words, worldliness is a sin of the heart. Conversely, worldliness isn't necessarily related to movies, music styles, the latest fashions, or other typical fundamentalist taboos. Those things certainly can be worldly and obviously do have a tendency to provoke sinful worldliness insofar as they naturally appeal to our passions and tempt us to become obsessed with earthly things. So you cannot discover whether you are worldly merely by seeing how you look or what kind of lifestyle you live. If you want to recognize true worldliness, you have to assess your desires and passions. What do you truly love? Since worldliness is inherent in the bent of the old man, so when you examine your heart honestly, you're virtually certain to discover a degree of worldliness there.

There is a story of two Buddhist monks walking in a drenching thunderstorm.
They came to a stream, and it was swollen out of its banks. A beautiful young Japanese woman in a kimono stood there wanting to get to the other side but was afraid of the currents. In characteristic Buddhist compassion, one of the monks said, "Can I help you?" The woman said, "I need to cross this stream." The monk picked her up, put her on his shoulder, carried her through the water, and put her down on the other side. He and his companion went on to the monastery. That night his companion said to him, "I have a bone to pick with you. As Buddhist monks, we have taken vows not to look on a woman, much less touch her body. Back there by the river you did both." The first monk said, "My brother, I put that woman down on the other side of the river. You're still carrying her in your mind."

One biblical instruction for how to deal with worldliness is found in the book of Ephesians: "Put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and . . . put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness" (Ephesians 4:22-24).

Why, as a disciple of Christ must we not love the world. Worldliness is not so much a matter of activity as of attitude. The church at times sought to define its position in Christ by describing what it does not do, I don't go to movies, I don't smoke, I don't drink, and I don't wear shorts. So the individual who didn’t do all these things must be a Christian. It is possible for a Christian to stay away from questionable amusements and doubtful places and still love the world, for worldliness is a matter of the heart. To the extent that a Christian loves the world system and the things in it, he does not love the Father. Worldliness not only affects your response to the love of God; it also affects your response to the will of God. “The world passeth away . . . but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever” (1 John 2:17). Doing the will of God is a joy for those living in the love of God. “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” But when a believer loses his enjoyment of the Father’s love, he finds it hard to obey the Father’s will.

When you put these two factors together, you have a practical definition of worldliness:"Anything in a Christian’s life that causes him to lose his enjoyment of the Father’s love or his desire to do the Father’s will is worldly and must be avoided." Responding to the Father’s love (your personal devotional life), and doing the Father’s will (your daily conduct)—these are two tests of worldliness.

John points out that the world system uses three devices to trap Christians: the lust (desire) of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life (1 John 2:16). 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). God has given man certain desires, and these desires are good. Hunger, thirst, weariness, and sexual relationships are not at all evil in themselves. There is nothing wrong about eating, drinking, sleeping, or begetting children. But when the flesh controls them, they become sinful “lusts”. Because it involves violation by meeting legitimate needs in an illegitimate way. Hunger is not evil, but gluttony is sinful. Thirst is not evil, but drunkenness is a sin. Sleep is a gift of God, but laziness is shameful. Sex is God’s precious gift when used rightly; but when used wrongly, it becomes immorality.

The three Hebrew children and Joseph reveal to us how to face the pressure to conform, in each situation there was a declaration of faith that revealed their convictions. The scripture declares if “any man come after me let him deny himself take up the cross and follow me.” How does it apply to this pressure to conform? Deny the appetites that may be awaken within in order for you to meet legitimate needs in an illegitimate manner. There is a cross to bear in making a right decision in a wrong society. The cross is bearing the consequences of being obedient. What do you do when you make the right choice but the results of that choice are not immediate or you end up walking through the fire anyway or in prison like Joseph? It was Martin Luther King Jr in a union hall in lower Manhattan early in the l960’s; he closed a sermon of a speech: "Truth crushed to earth will rise again."

Today, we live in two worlds of news and information. One is "fact based," the other 'faith-based." It was a fact that there was a fiery furnace, it was intensified seven times its present heat, it was a fact that it would burn and kill for those who threw them in did died. But it was also a fact that God would deliver but if not they still would not bow. Their conviction was in God who is true and their servitude was not based on his deliverance. One is fact based, the other faith-based, may we choose faith. Deny, bear the cross and follow him, as we follow the “TRUTH”, God will rise again and again and reveal himself. He did walk with the Hebrew children in the furnace and he did show up in the prison cell for Joseph.