Study 52 – Worldliness
The Bible doesn’t link worldliness with lists of rules. Rather, it focuses on three main areas: worldly wealth, worldly wisdom and worldly religion.
Worldly Wealth
While the New Testament certainly doesn’t condemn us to a life of abstinence, it does regard worldly riches as a dangerous snare. Mammon is a god looking for your allegiance. You can’t serve the true God and mammon. The early church evidently accepted the rich, but Paul warned them ‘not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain’ (1 Tim. 6:17).
Don’t let financial issues rule your life. You mustn’t allow possessions, promotions and prestige to dominate your decisions. Careers, cars and mod cons mustn’t direct your life. This is worldliness – living as though this present age has all the answers and establishes the value system. Don’t underestimate its power. Paul lost one of his close co-workers to its seduction. ‘Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me’ (2 Tim. 4:10).
Worldly Wisdom
‘Worldly wisdom’ will never allow you to boast of a faith centred in the cross. God’s wisdom stands in stark contrast to that of the world. ‘Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe’ (1 Cor. 1:20-21). The cross is utter folly to the world, but God communicates his grace through it.
Few of us enjoy being regarded as fools, puritans, bigoted fundamentalists or intellectual dinosaurs, so it’s tempting to dilute the Christian message through reason and moderation. ‘The cross sounds a bit horrid and foolish,’ we decide, ‘I’ll give the gospel a more sophisticated feel. I think that more people would accept it if it was cool to believe in Jesus.’ So we adopt a more palatable message and the cross loses its offence and, through worldly wisdom, its power to save.
Worldly Religion
Paul saw ‘worldly religion’ as a subtle cul-de-sac leading nowhere. He challenged the Colossians, ‘Since you died to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!’ (Col. 2:20,21)? He warned them, ‘See to it that no-one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition … do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day’ (Col 2:8,16).
The very rules which some want to impose to stamp out ‘worldliness’, Paul regards as another form of worldliness! So be on your guard against prescribed and imposed rules and regulations which can simply reflect the culture in which you were raised or to which you may have become accustomed. Regimented and harsh legalism is absent in the New Testament. The gospel brings freedom. So instead of imposing detailed rules, Paul preferred to appeal to conscience (2 Cor. 4:2) and invited others to judge what he said (1 Cor. 10:15).
On such matters as a man’s hair length, for instance, Paul simply said, ‘Does not the very nature of things teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a disgrace to him’ (1 Cor. 11:14)? But he prescribed no particular length. How long is long? The most recent fashions or personal preference can’t arbitrarily dictate the standard. The Puritans had a reputation for diligent obedience to Scripture, but they grew their hair far longer than people do today. We mustn’t duck the offence of the cross or be unnecessarily offended by hair length!
Such fiercely imposed standards are far removed from the atmosphere of the New Testament in which Paul declares, ‘For everything God created is good; and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer’ (1 Tim. 4:4,5).
To Meditate On
We must avoid conforming to the world.
‘Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world’ (Rom. 12:2).
‘(Grace) teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age’ (Titus 2:12).
‘Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: … to keep oneself from being polluted by the world’ (Jas. 1:27).
Food For Thought
We’ve been chosen out of the world (John 15:19; 17:14,16; 2 Cor. 6:17)
But we need to maintain contact with the world and do good (1 Cor. 5:9,10; Gal. 6:10; Titus 2:14).
To Be Inspired
‘Worldliness is allowing one’s appetites, ambitions, or conduct to be fashioned according to earthly values.’
John MacArthur |
