Worldliness Warning
Worldliness puts hooks into our very
souls. Once we give worldliness a room
in which to live, it will soon dominate our existence. Worldliness comes with numerous names upon
it, but every form it takes brings its captive into addiction. Worldliness is another name for
idolatry. Worldliness is idolatry
without the visible idol of clay, stone, or silver. Nonetheless, the person who heeds not the
warnings of God about worldliness will find himself kissing that idol’s feet
and sacrificing everything valuable in his life to his own formation of the
idol of worldliness. People think they
use forms of worldliness for their own satisfactions in momentary
pleasures. That is not true. Worldliness uses those that worship it. Worldliness uses them up and spits out what
is left leaving little more than an emaciated carcass as the semblance of a
living being. How often does this
scenario need to be repeated in the lives of those around us before we awake to
see the horrors of the destruction of lives that worldliness produces? Perhaps this is the most unheeded warning in
the Word of God. Worldliness is the devil’s
shiny toys offering something he never can and never will deliver. Worldliness is an I.O.U promise from the
devil that you will pay for with incremental installments of your life.
“12 I write unto you, little children,
because your sins are forgiven you for his name’s sake. 13 I write
unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning.
I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one. I write
unto you, little children, because ye have known the Father. 14 I
have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from
the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and
the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one. 15
Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man
love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all
that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes,
and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 17
And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of
God abideth for ever” (I John 2:12-17).
Clearly,
John addresses these warnings about worldliness intending a warning to all
ages. “Little children,” “young men,”
and “fathers” are all susceptible to the dangers of worldliness. The intent of the warning is that worldliness
is not a matter to be taken lightly. Worldliness
is an under the sun perspective of life. Under
the sun is a phrase used twenty-seven different times in the book of
Ecclesiastes to describe a worldly way of thinking and existing. Therefore, to understand what John warns
about in the words “love not the world, neither the things that are in
the world,” we can hear a cacophony of warning sounds in Solomon’s numerous
life pursuits for personal fulfillment.
These twenty-seven uses of the phrase “under the sun” define
worldliness. Each use of the phrase
gives us another area of worldliness that resulted in “vanity of vanities,
saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity” (Ecclesiastes
1:2).
1. “What profit hath a man of all his labour which he
taketh under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 1:3)? Life ends and we take nothing
temporal into eternity. Therefore,
invest in eternal things by producing eternal fruit and profits.
2. “The
thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is
that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun”
(Ecclesiastes 1:9). You cannot discover
some new way or new avenue of self-fulfillment. Everything has already been tried and proven
unfulfilling.
3. “13 And
I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things
that are done under heaven: this sore travail hath God given to the sons of man
to be exercised therewith. 14 I have seen all the works that are
done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit (Ecclesiastes
1:13-14). Intellectualism and
philosophical knowledge will not fulfill you as a person and these pursuits
provide little in terms of any eternal merit.
4. “1
I said in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy
pleasure: and, behold, this also is vanity. 2 I said of
laughter, It is mad: and of mirth, What doeth it? 3 I sought
in mine heart to give myself unto wine, yet acquainting mine heart with wisdom;
and to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was that good for the
sons of men, which they should do under the heaven all the days of their life. 4
I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards: 5
I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kind of
fruits: 6 I made me pools of water, to water therewith the wood that
bringeth forth trees: 7 I got me servants and maidens, and
had servants born in my house; also I had great possessions of great and small
cattle above all that were in Jerusalem before me: 8 I gathered me
also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces:
I gat me men singers and women singers, and the delights of the sons of men, as
musical instruments, and that of all sorts. 9 So I was great, and
increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom
remained with me. 10 And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not
from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all
my labour: and this was my portion of all my labour. 11 Then I
looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had
laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there
was no profit under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 2:1-11). We are given a monumental listing of accomplishments in this few verses. Building monuments
of remembrance to testify to one’s greatness to future generations is
unfulfilling in that you are not there to experience the praise. Such ventures are foolish and have no eternal
benefits. In these eleven verses of
Scripture, Solomon uses forty-four personal pronouns revealing that all of
these accomplishments were about HIM – his ego!
Whatever we seek in life to fulfill ourselves will prove to be “vanity
and vexation of spirit.”
5. “17 Therefore I hated life; because the
work that is wrought under the sun is grievous unto me: for all is vanity and vexation of spirit. 18 Yea, I hated all my
labour which I had taken under the sun: because I should leave it unto
the man that shall be after me. 19 And who knoweth whether he shall
be a wise man or a fool? yet shall he have rule over all my labour
wherein I have laboured, and wherein I have shewed myself wise under the sun.
This is also vanity. 20
Therefore I went about to cause my heart to despair of all the labour which I
took under the sun. 21 For there is a man whose labour is
in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in equity; yet to a man that hath not laboured
therein shall he leave it for his portion. This also is vanity
and a great evil. 22 For what hath man of all his labour, and of
the vexation of his heart, wherein
he hath laboured under the sun? 23 For all his days are
sorrows, and his travail grief; yea, his heart taketh not rest in the night. This is also vanity. 24 There
is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that
he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that it was
from the hand of God. 25 For who can eat, or who else can hasten hereunto,
more than I? 26 For God giveth to a man that is good
in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the sinner he giveth
travail, to gather and to heap up,
that he may give to him that is good before God. This also is vanity and vexation of spirit” (Ecclesiastes
2:17-26). The phrase “under the sun” is
used five times in these ten verses. Each
use describes a different venue sought for self-fulfillment. Each venue for self-fulfillment ends with the
similar outcomes –“vanity” or emptiness. The paradox is that man consumes his life
pursuing fullness and satisfaction through worldly mediums and the results are
always EMPTYNESS! God wants us to now
this before our lives are wasted. Learn
to give yourselves away in self-sacrificing ministry to others.
6. And
moreover I saw under the sun the place of judgment, that wickedness was
there; and the place of righteousness, that iniquity was there”
(Ecclesiastes 3:16). Injustice, graft,
and greed are common failures within humanity.
Although we should seek justice, fairness, and generosity in our lives,
these pursuits will not change the destiny of a soul. Social reform is a pursuit of moral
governance apart from faith and the change of heart. Injustice, graft, and greed exist because of
the innate evil that lays within the hearts of fallen beings.
7. “1
So I returned, and considered all the oppressions that are done under the sun:
and behold the tears of such as were oppressed, and they had no
comforter; and on the side of their oppressors there was power; but they
had no comforter. 2 Wherefore I praised the dead which are already
dead more than the living which are yet alive. 3 Yea, better is
he than both they, which hath not yet been, who hath not seen the evil work
that is done under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 4:1-3). Providing comfort to the oppressed without
showing them the way to eternal life is a futile waste of time. To fail to give a vision of existence beyond
this “under the sun” existence is greater than all the oppressive evils the
world has ever known.
We can
get the general idea of the inclusiveness of what falls into the temporal
practices that defines worldliness and consumes lifetimes on wasted pursuits
that generating no eternal benefits.
This latter factor is the ultimate criterion for what defines
worldliness.
Addressing
this warning to “little children,” “young men,” and “fathers” refers to three
stages of both physical and spiritual life.
Each stage of life poses its own types of worldliness that need to be
identified and dealt with in order to be successful at the next stage of life and
the increased worldly temptations of that stage of life. “Little children” refers to infants and
toddlers. “Young men” refers to preteen
and teen age children. “Fathers” refers
to adults or those that should know
better. Parents often program their
children in infancy for failures in worldliness. Parents often teach their children
worldliness because the parents are worldly.
All ages of people are susceptible to the temptations of
worldliness.
The
statements of I John 2:13 are different than the statements of I John
2:14. In I John 2:13, the verb tenses are
present tense. I John 2:14, the verb
tenses are aorist tense. In other words,
these warnings regarding worldliness are continuous from the past and into the
present. Every generation of all three
stages of life is continually susceptible to worldliness. We must constantly be aware of the inroads
worldliness might be making in the influence of a person’s motivations in life
at any age. Colossians 3:1-3 gives us
other admonitions to carefully guard against worldliness.
“1
If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above,
where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 2 Set your
affection on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For
ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. 4 When Christ,
who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in
glory” (Colossians 3:1-3).
Worldliness
is a perspective of life diabolically opposed to what God wants for us. Worldliness focuses our attention and
consumes our time on ventures that provide no lasting, eternal benefit other
than fluffing our egos and puffing ourselves up. Worldliness need not involve a person in
issues of moral turpitude. In most
cases, worldliness involves appearances and practices readily acceptable by
most cultures and societies while being completely unacceptable to God. The worldly person is more concerned about
what his peers think than what God thinks.
Although he may talk about his concerns about God’s thinking, such talk
is really hypocrisy. He will walk as close
to the world as his peers allow and that will still give him a façade of
acceptability with God.
“15 Love not the world, neither the things that
are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not
in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the
flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father,
but is of the world. 17 And the world passeth away, and the lust
thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever” (I John 2:15-17).
Worldliness
is being defined subjectively and narrowly within Evangelicalism and
Fundamentalism in present day Christianity.
When John says, “Love not the world, neither the things that are
in the world,” what exactly does he mean?
It is an important question to answer because to “love the world”
reveals that God’s love “is not in” that person. There is godly love and worldly love. Worldly love is any emotion that is fed by
the corruption of the “the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the
pride of life” (I John 2:16).
“The world” that we are
commanded not to love is a very broad and encompassing term. The word “world” is translated from the Greek
word kosmos (kos’-mos).
The context defines the meaning as all of the satanic influences within
the corruptions of religion, politics, and economics. These influences have varied through the
millennia while maintaining certain consistencies within the variations. Religions have evolved and thousands of false
religions have developed over the millennia.
Within all of these false religions there is a commonality in varying
degrees of paganism, syncretism, and idolatry.
1. Paganism is the corruption of human sexuality in numerous ways and in varying
degrees. Modern day paganism has
corrupted human sexuality in degrees equal to the worst that has ever been
known in the world through the corruption of our children and the inculcation
of a culture that is practically given over to the pornographic. Inculcation is the constant barrage and
instruction that corrupts children regarding human sexuality at the earliest
ages possible.
2. Syncretism is the merging, blending, and integrating of false beliefs about God
into religious practices. Syncretism is
the corruption of Bible doctrine by degree through integrating false notions
about God and what is acceptable and unacceptable to Him. Syncretism begins with the corruption of the
Gospel and what defines a biblical faith response to the Gospel to be
saved. The span of this corruption has
extended to degrees one would have thought impossible. Yet, the span of corruption continues to
expand daily. Syncretism results in
Ecumenicism and Pluralism. Toleration is
the banner under which Syncretism thrives and growths like a field of weeds
strangling truth with its very contact.
3. Idolatry is exalting anything above the one true God in worship or in worship
practices. Idolatry does not need the
presence of a stone, wood, or metal god to exist in the hearts of humans. Idolatry is actually any form of corruption
of the sanctity of worship. Idolatry
steals worship from God to put it upon man.
Idolatry puts other things than God as the focus of ministry. Idolatry accepts any form of worship and
thereby extricates God from worship because God’s presence is always in the
midst of holiness. This world and all
that is in it is corrupted by sin and cursed of God. Therefore, God accepts only that which is
purified of worldliness to be used in worshiping Him.
What are some of the “things” that the world
offers that promise us fulfillment in our lives? These “things” are diverse and all
encompassing. We certainly find three
main categories of “things” that the world offers to entice our pursuits in the
temptation of our Lord Jesus.
“1 Then was Jesus led
up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. 2
And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an
hungred. 3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the
Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. 4 But he
answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by
every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. 5 Then the devil
taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, 6
And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is
written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their
hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a
stone. 7 Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not
tempt the Lord thy God. 8 Again, the devil taketh him up into an
exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the
glory of them; 9 And saith unto him, All these things will I give
thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. 10 Then saith Jesus
unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord
thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. 11 Then the devil leaveth
him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him” (Matthew 4:1-11).
Satan is but one being. He is neither omnipresent nor
omniscient. Although he is a being much
more powerful than are human beings, he comes nowhere near to the power of God. Satan rules and influences through millions
of minions. These minions are deceived
people promoted to positions of power and influence in world politics, world
religions, and world economics. They are
at every level of cultures and societies all over the world. These minions are antichrist in all of their objectives while promoting their ideas
and philosophies as the solutions to all the world’s problems. However, Satan himself came to meet with
Jesus to tempt Him.
“The lust of the flesh, and
the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life” (I John 2:16 are the three central
avenues through which we allow worldliness to enter into our lives. These three avenues must be carefully and
meticulously guarded.
The world “tempted” in Matthew
4:1 is from the Greek word peirazo (pi-rad’-zo). The word means to
test, try, or prove through enticements.
Jesus, like all men, was tested or tried in three main arenas of life. Every believer is susceptible to Paganism in
the form of Hedonism. These tempt us
through the “lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes.” Secondly, all people want to be lord of their
own lives in varying degrees. This
temptation comes to us in the form of the “pride of life.” This happens when we rebel against God’s
divinely appointed chain-of-command (Ephesians 5:21-6:9).
1. Satan tempts regarding what sustains us (Matthew 4:3-4). The objective of the testing is to discover to
where we first turn regarding the material needs of life. The failure is being preoccupied with what
sustains us rather than with Who sustains us. At the point of starvation, Jesus turns the
sinner’s attention to the Word of God and the God of the Word for his
sustenance. When we become preoccupied
with what sustains us, this is “the lust of the flesh” (I John
2:15).
2. Satan tempts regarding the contradiction of faith in testing or
proving God (Matthew 5:5-6).
Faith does not seek to prove God’s faithfulness. Faith trusts in and rests in God’s
faithfulness. Although God does on
occasion tell the disobedient to prove Him (Malachi 3:10), and God tolerated
Gideon’s putting out the fleece (Judges 6:37), true faith should not need to
test God. Testing God certainly should
not be needed once God has proven Himself over many occasions. We have many such occasions revealed through
the Scripture. To reject those proofs
and ask for your own experiential proofs is in fact unbelief. This is an act of the “lust of the eyes” for
it walks by sight, not by faith.
3. Satan tempts regarding what fulfills us (Matthew 5:7-10). There is within every human being an innate
desire to be both loved and appreciated.
These things fulfill us as human beings.
We can live through all types of difficulties if we understand we have a
God Who loves us and appreciates our willingness to endure life as we serve
Him. A very large part of life is the
curse and living our lives through the difficulties of the curse. Sickness and death ought to be expected
aspects of our lives. It helps us endure
life’s trials and difficulties when we know we have others willing to encourage
us and walk with us through the fires.
However, there is also a temptation to seek our own gratification
through wrong motivations. To do well
for the praise of others is to steal the glory that belongs only to God. Dr. Harold B. Sightler once said, “Many a man has not
given in to the lust of the flesh, and has passed up the lust of the eye with
flying colors; only to give in to the pride of life.” “The pride of life” is the worship of one’s
self for one’s successes. Self-righteousness
is a major manifestation of “the pride of life.”
One cannot even imagine the
many facets of worldliness. Most pastors
recognize worldliness as easily as one might see a painted red face in the
midst of a crowd. Worldliness is apparent
in one’s mannerisms. Worldliness is
apparent in conversations, occupations, and even one’s recreation. Worldliness is apparent in the way we dress
and even in our countenance. Worldliness
is apparent by what we love and what we do not love. Worldliness is apparent by what we do and
what we do not do. In most cases, there
is very little difference between professing Christians and the lost in all of
these things. A Christian cannot love
the world and love God at the same time.
Yet many worldly Christians have deceived themselves about their
worldliness and about their love of God.
Over the years, it has been my
responsibility to speak to many parents about the warning signs of worldliness
apparent in the lives of their children.
In many cases, parents took offense when approached them about apparent
signs of worldliness in their children.
In almost every case, when warnings went unheeded, those children later
abandoned church attendance, went off into the world, married unbelievers, and
evidenced a reality completely foreign to that of a “born again”
individual. What are some of the signs
of worldliness in the lives of the children of believing parents?
1. They constantly bicker with their siblings.
2. They come to church, but do not listen or hear what
is being said.
3. They have no burden for holiness in their own lives
and they have no burden for the lost with which they come in contact. They have no real ministry in life that is
motivated by their love for God.
4. They love what the world loves and have secret,
hidden lives known only by them. Their
friends know nothing of their professed Christianity. They do not want their friends to know
because they are ashamed of Christ.
5. They have no real interest in spiritual things, in
building a relationship with Christ, and no thoughts of ministering to
anyone. They have no fear of God (Romans
3:18).
The lack of parental concern
about worldliness in children troubles me greatly as a pastor. Worldly children grow to be worldly
adults. Sadly, many Christian homes are
fertile greenhouses seemingly intent upon nurturing worldliness. Our local churches and godly homes must focus
attention upon the abrogation of worldliness.
Pagan and materialistic cultures cultivate worldliness. We are bombarded with worldliness at every
turn in life. Our Hedonistic cultures
inculcate (to teach and impress by
frequent repetitions or admonitions) worldliness. The answer is not isolation, but
education. We must warn of the subtle
influences of worldliness. We must teach
that the only solution to worldliness is complete repentance that then seeks to
live in fellowship with Jesus.
It
is important that we understand that worldliness must be replaced with the kind
of spirituality that expresses itself through ministry. Worldliness expresses itself through
carnality and selfishness. Spirituality
always expresses itself through compassion, self-sacrifice, and ministering the
truths of the Word of God to others.
Replacing worldliness with spirituality is difficult in that
spirituality can come forth in an artificial form of worldliness known as self-righteousness. This expresses itself through contempt
towards those that do not measure up.
All these artificial means for self-fulfillment must be replaced with
genuine, compassionate ministry. This is
the known as the Replacement Phenomena.
“17 This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that
ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,
18 Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life
of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their
heart: 19 Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto
lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. 20 But ye
have not so learned Christ; 21 If so be that ye have heard him, and
have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: 22 That ye put
off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according
to the deceitful lusts; 23 And be renewed in the spirit of your
mind; 24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created
in righteousness and true holiness. 25 Wherefore putting away lying,
speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. 26
Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: 27
Neither give place to the devil. 28 Let him that stole steal no
more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which
is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. 29 Let no
corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the
use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. 30 And
grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of
redemption. 31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and
clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: 32
And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as
God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you” (Ephesians 4:17-32).
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Numerous studies and series are available free of charge for local churches at:
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Dr. Lance Ketchum serves the Lord as a Church Planter, Evangelist/Revivalist.
He has served the Lord for over 40 years.
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