Worldliness
Next Part Worldliness Is Sin
Back to By David C. Pack
Is it makeup? Driving around in a bright red sports car? Wearing expensive jewellery or the latest fashions hot off the Paris runways? Is it drinking alcohol, dancing or going to parties? Should a Christian avoid any—or all—of these? Should he try not to fit in with the crowd? What does the Bible say? Just what is the Bible definition of worldliness? Must a follower of Jesus Christ completely isolate himself from the world, and everything in it, in order to avoid being worldly? Must Christians be odd, weird or completely “out of step” with the world? Do they need to sound and look “religious” in order to avoid worldliness?
What about material possessions or wealth? After all, doesn’t the Bible say, “Has not God chosen the poor of this world, rich in faith” (James 2:5)? Can a Christian be wealthy, drive a new car or own the best things, yet not be caught up in the things of this world? All men have their own opinions on what worldliness is, but God’s view is the only one that matters. So what does the Bible say?
Contents
God Wants Us to Prosper
God intends that we have an abundant life. Christ said to His disciples, “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly” (John 10:10). The Apostle John wrote, “Beloved, I wish above all things that you may prosper and be in health” (III John 2). In Proverbs 12, Solomon wrote, “the substance [material wealth] of a diligent man is precious.” He also instructed, “whatsoever the hand finds to do, do it with all your might” (Ec. 9:10).
So, if a Christian works faithfully, using God-given talents and abilities, it is God’s will that he be blessed and prosper. A follower of Christ can have a full, abundant and happy life.
The problem occurs when a person sets his heart on gaining material wealth, when everything he does and thinks about revolves around getting. He gets caught up in this world’s ways—the way of “get”—and lives contrary to God’s way of life—the way of “give.” He simply has no desire to accept, obey or pursue God’s truth.
God does call into His Church the “poor of the world” because they are not consumed by materialism. Having less abundance to cloud their thinking, they will be more willing to accept spiritual truths. And they won’t have as many material possessions that they may have to lose or give up in order to obey God.
God intends that His children consider material possessions properly, to use them wisely, for the good of others as well as themselves.
Physical Pleasures—Sinful?
Let’s examine whether or not physical pleasures are sinful. Many people use the following verse to condemn all pleasures of the flesh: “Love not the world, nor the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 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” (I John 2:15-16).
God created the five senses—sight, smell, taste, touch, hearing—so that we could experience, enjoy, and take pleasure in physical things. No particular physical thing of itself represents worldliness—but lusting after that thing is wrong. Lust is an illicit and sinful desire. It can make us desire or use something in a manner contrary to God’s law or the purpose for which He created it. Lust represents a wrong attitude of the mind and heart.
Sex, alcohol, dancing, card playing and watching television and movies are examples of activities that can produce certain pleasure. These are not wrong when used within the confines of God’s Law.
God created sex and called it good (Gen. 1:27, 31). He commanded man and woman to use it in a right and proper way (Gen 1:28). Yet, fornication, adultery, and other wrong uses of sex violate God’s law and are forbidden (Ex. 20:14; Gal. 5:19; I Cor. 6:18).
Christ turned water into wine at a wedding (John 2:1-11), showing that He approved the proper use of alcohol. As the “Lord” of the Old Testament (I Cor. 10:1-4), He inspired Solomon to write, “A feast is made for laughter, and wine makes merry” (Ec. 10:19). But drunkenness is condemned by God in I Corinthians 6:10: “[Neither] thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners shall inherit the kingdom of God.”
God’s people often danced in times of celebration. Notice: “And it came to pass as they came, when David was returned from the slaughter of the Philistines, that the women came out of all cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet king Saul, with tabrets, with joy, and with instruments of music” (I Sam. 18:6).
When the Ark of the Covenant was returned to Israel, David, a man after God’s own heart, “danced before the Lord with all his might” (II Sam. 6:14). His son Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes 3:4, “there is a time for dancing.”
Further, the saints are to praise God “in the dance” (Psa. 149:3). Clearly, dancing is not wrong. But when done in a sexually suggestive or lewd manner, it violates God’s law and is a sin. Sin is the transgression—breaking—of the law (I John 3:4).
The same principle applies to card playing, television, and movies. Ask yourself: Are the television shows I watch wholesome and uplifting? Or are they full of countless acts of adultery, fornication, drunkenness, rebellion, violence and filthy language? These kinds of programs and movies depict an ungodly way of life and are clearly worldly.
Understand. Most card playing is permissible, but not if it involves gambling, drinking games or anything involving personal stakes or lewd behaviour. Gambling is driven by lust and greed.
Do you find yourself desiring to watch, and fill your time with, endless television shows? Do you “have” to see almost every movie that comes out, in order to seek physical pleasures or escape life? If so, you are caught up in the world, caught up in “the lust of the flesh and lust of the eyes.”
You cannot live your life through television and cinema, which glorify killing, stealing, gambling, seducing and drinking to excess! It will affect your character and produce a worldly attitude.
Our Physical Appearance
What about the way you dress? Does it matter?
The way of a Christian is moderation. Paul instructed the Church at Philippi to “Let your MODERATION be known unto all men” (Phil. 4:5). Very few today practice moderation in much of anything. Hairstyles, makeup, fashion, tattoos and body piercings get more outlandish and provocative every day. Everyone seems to want to outdo everyone else. People follow the “crowd,” living according to the course of this world, set forth by Satan the devil (Eph. 2:2).
By contrast, Christians must be modest and chaste in their dress. Their appearance should never be shocking or suggestive (I Tim. 2:8-10). Remember, God created mankind in His image and likeness (Gen. 1:26). He is reproducing Himself in human beings. The body of a converted person is the temple of God, a dwelling place for His Holy Spirit. God does not take it lightly when anyone—Christian or not—defiles his body with piercings or tattoos. Read Leviticus 19:28: “You shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks [New King James: “tattoos”] upon you: I am the LORD.”
Anyone who does such things clearly abuses his body, which was created by God. God called what He created good. It is impossible for mankind to improve on anything that God created—this includes using makeup.
Called Out of This World
Should a Christian try to fit in with the world? What about joining clubs or lodges, or being involved in social activities?
Anyone seeking to serve God cannot spend time at worldly social gatherings or join this world’s clubs or lodges. A true follower of Christ must not try to fit in—to be like the people of this world. He cannot seek to dress and act like they do. The apostle Peter exhorted, “…no longer…live the rest of [your] time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God. 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, ravelling's, banqueting, and abominable idolatries: wherein they think it strange that you run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you” (I Pet. 4:2-4). The world does run to excess—and people will think you are strange when you refuse to join them.
A Christian cannot love the world—its societies and systems of men. This world is not of God. He calls it evil in Galatians 1:4. This present world is based on the satanic, “get” way of life—competition, greed, selfishness and vanity. It is easy and natural to become swept up in it. But loving and being “cozy” with society actually makes one an enemy of God (James. 4:4). Christians are called out from the world. They must separate themselves from society (II Cor. 6:17; Rev. 18:4).