Unmasking Worldliness - Bible Witness

JANUARY - FEBRUARY 2013MICA [P] NO. 189/03/2012ISSN: 0219-5364 Volume 13 Issue 1THIS ISSUE: What is Worldliness? | Dangers of WorldlinessCounsels Against Worldliness | Overcome the World | God Makesthe World’s Wisdom Foolish CHILDREN’S PAGE: Hugh Latimer

Unmasking WorldlinessCONTENTSUnmasking Worldliness3 What is Worldliness?Prabhudas KoshyEditorPrabhudas KoshyPublishing & CirculationCo-ordinatorLok Kwok WahTechnical EditorsAdrienne Foo, Carolyn KoshyJenny Lok, Lok Kwok WahMah Lean Choo, Ruth LowLayout & IllustrationWang PeigangChildren’s Page IllustrationLinus KokPublisherBible Witness Media Ministry ofGethsemane Bible-Presbyterian ChurchSingaporePrinterEe Tai Press Pte LtdMailing AddressBible Witness Media Ministry510 Geylang Road, #02-06Singapore 389466Tel: (65) 6741 1910 Fax: (65) 6741 1016E-mail: editor@biblewitness.comWebsite: www.biblewitness.com7 Dangers of WorldlinessPrabhudas Koshy10 Counsels Against WorldlinessPrabhudas Koshy12 Overcome the WorldDominino dela Cruz Jr.15 God Makes the World’s Wisdom FoolishRichard TiuChildren’s Page19 Bible Trivia – Exodus 9 & 10Sarah Yong20 Hugh LatimerRuth LowAbout the coverThe decorative golden mask represents worldlinessand her allure, which veils the soul engulfed in fire,symbolising spiritual danger of hell.SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATIONThe magazine is distributed free from 2006 onwards. “Freely ye have received, freely give” (Matthew 10:8).Postage and handling charges for 2 years (12 issues):SURFACE MAILAIR MAILSingapore/MalaysiaS$10.00AsiaS$26.00Other CountriesS$14.00Other CountriesS$34.00International bank draft, money order or postal order drawn on a Singapore bank in Singapore dollars may be made payableto “Bible Witness”.LOVE-GIFTBible Witness Media Ministry welcomes love-gifts from readers to meet the cost of publishing and distribution. The Ministry alsosends the magazine freely to churches in poorer countries. Hence your generous support is much needed and greatly appreciated.USE OF ARTICLESThe articles may be freely used for non-commercial purposes, so long as they are quoted verbatim, and the writer as well asthe source identified.2 Bible Witness

What isWorldliness?Prabhudas KoshyWorldliness is not the appreciation of thebeauty of the physical world that God hascreated (Psalm 8:3; Romans 1:19-20). Itis also not engaging in serious study orcarrying out one’s business with fervency(Ephesians 4:28; 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12).However, if one engages in any of theseendeavours at the expense of God’s will andHis glory, it is worldliness. Jesus said, “No mancan serve two masters: for either he will hatethe one, and love the other; or else he will holdto the one, and despise the other. Ye cannotserve God and mammon” (Matthew 6:24).“Mammon” is an Aramaic word for an idolwhich the ancient Aramaic world worshippedas god of wealth and it came to represent allkinds of material possessions and profits. Acaptivation with material wealth and glorythat hinders the soul from loving and obeyingGod is worldliness. We cannot love Godand the world at the same time. James 4:4unequivocally declares that “the friendshipof the world is enmity with God” and“whosoever therefore will be a friend of theworld is the enemy of God”. If one loves theworld, there will be no room in his heart forthe love of God.Are your worldly engagements constantlydistracting you from spiritual activities(“means of grace”) and stunting your spiritualprogress? If so, then you are affected byworldliness. A preoccupation with the caresand riches of the world will inevitably prompta scandalous departure from God and Hiswill concerning His people (Matthew 13:22;Mark 4:19). Christians ought to be fascinatedwith God’s glory and not that of the world.According to biblical truths, worldlinesscan also be explained as the acceptance andengagement with ungodly philosophies,passions, fashions, amusements and activitiesof the world. All worldly practices thatdraw the soul away into ungodliness areconsidered as worldliness. So “the grace ofGod that bringeth salvation” teaches us that“denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, weshould live soberly, righteously, and godly, inthis present world” (Titus 2:11-12).Worldliness, then, is the unholy conduct ofthe unregenerate people, which Christiansshould avoid. In fact, Christians are exhorted,“Mortify therefore your members which areupon the earth; fornication, uncleanness,inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, andcovetousness, which is idolatry: For whichthings’ sake the wrath of God cometh on thechildren of disobedience: In the which ye alsowalked some time, when ye lived in them. Butnow ye also put off all these; anger, wrath,malice, blasphemy, filthy communication outof your mouth. Lie not one to another, seeingthat ye have put off the old man with hisdeeds” (Colossians 3:5-9).Christians are strongly warned by the apostleJohn: “Love not the world, neither the thingsthat are in the world” (1 John 2:15). Theterm “world” here refers to the ungodlyor wicked systems of the world. John alsoforewarned: “the whole world lieth inBible Witness3

Unmasking Worldliness4 Bible Witness

Unmasking Worldlinesswickedness” (1 John 5:19). Likewise, theapostle Paul taught us that to walk after theways of the world is to be under the directionof the prince (or god) of this world, the deviland his demonic forces (2 Corinthians 4:4;Ephesians 2:2; 6:12). In the apostle Peter’slanguage, worldliness is the “pollutions ofthe world” (2 Peter 2:20). Hence, loving theactivities and amusements of the world,which are satanic and contrary to God’s holyand perfect will, is prohibited in God’s Word.What constitutes worldliness?John, the apostle, provides a clearunderstanding of what constitutesworldliness in 1 John 2:16 – “For all thatis in the world, the lust of the flesh, andthe lust of the eyes, and the pride of life,is not of the Father, but is of the world.”The Lust of the FleshWorldliness, first of all, consists of “thelust of the flesh” which is the sinful cravingof our fallen body. God has created ourbody with certain desires such as hunger,thirst and sex. These desires are good, andare not at all evil in themselves but theyshould always be controlled accordingto God’s intended design and plans.However, the world, which is under thecontrol of the devil, urges us to satisfythese bodily desires through all forms ofdistorted ways which are forbidden byGod. When these bodily desires are stirredup contrary to God’s design and purpose,they become sinful.Thirst, as mentioned, is not evil in itselfbut drunkenness is. Hunger is not sinfulbut gluttony is. Money is needful but thelove of money is covetousness, a form ofidolatry. Sleep is a gift of God but lazinessis condemnable. Sex is God’s gift to havea joyous wedded life between a man andwoman, and to beget children, but whenused wrongly, it becomes immorality.The world appeals to the natural appetitesand tempts us to satisfy them in forbiddenways. All the allurements of this world aredesigned to stir our fleshly desires to goagainst God’s specific plan and purpose.The Lust of the EyesSecondly, worldliness consists of “the lustof the eyes”. The sinful fleshly craving findsits expression through the lust of the eyes(e.g. pornography). A man’s eye is afterwomen. Jesus warned against this sin inMatthew 5:28 – “That whosoever looketh ona woman to lust after her hath committedadultery with her already in his heart.” So Jobsaid, “I made a covenant with mine eyes; whythen should I think upon a maid?” (Job 31:1).The psalmist also prayed in Psalm 119:37,“Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity;and quicken thou me in thy way.”The lust of the eyes seduces man to do evilin many other areas of life as well. It is thelust of the eyes that caused the fall of Achan(Joshua 7:21) and David (2 Samuel 11:2).Through the eye, our corrupt minds seeksatisfaction, glory and all that would exciteits pride. These include costly raiment andornaments, gold and silver, diamonds andjewels, huge and splendid houses, expensivecars, gorgeous furniture and appliances.King Solomon in Ecclesiastes 4:8 observes:“...neither is his eye satisfied with riches;neither saith he, For whom do I labour, andbereave my soul of good? This is also vanity,yea, it is a sore travail.” Through our eye, theworld exerts its pressure on us to seek itsglory. Thus, we engage in intellectual pursuitsthat are contrary to God’s will. So the lustof the eye is also the craving of our corruptBible Witness5

Unmasking Worldlinessintellect. Let not our passion for the world’sglory push God out of our mind.The Pride of LifeThirdly, worldliness consists of “the prideof life” which is the boasting of life’spossessions. The Greek word for “life” is biosand it refers to the means or possessionsof life. Therefore, the phrase “the pride oflife” means pride in what one possesses.Generally, man feels great about flaunting thethings he possesses. He wants others to knowthat he is cleverer, stronger, wealthier andeven holier than the rest. Because of thepride of life, some fall into many foolish andhurtful situations.Now we can see how the three descriptionsof worldliness are interrelated. Have you everwondered why people in general like to buybigger houses and cars or new appliancesand wardrobes even though they cannotafford them? Why do they succumb to the“travel now, pay later” or “drive first, paylater” advertising, and get themselves into ahopeless debt-paying situation? It is largelybecause they want to impress other people;they want folks to notice how affluent orsuccessful they are because of their “prideof life”.The first two forms of worldliness – the lustof the flesh and the lust of the eyes – referto desires for what we do not have; and athird – the pride of life – refers to the pridein what we do have. The world is driven bythese two things: passion for pleasure andpride in possessions.Sadly, there is much worldlinessin the church!Especially in these days, worldliness isfound in great measure among churchgoers.Churches are worldly. Worship services areworldly. Pastors, preachers and their familiesare worldly. Elders, deacons and theirfamilies are worldly. Churchgoers are worldly.Their homes and businesses are altarsof worldliness.Christians are living like worldlings. Churchesare producing more carnal men than saintsof God. Few today separate themselves fromworldliness. There is hardly a distinguishableboundary that separates Christians from theworld. In fact, many go to church with thehope that this will give them the materialprosperity they are craving for. They refuseto believe that godliness can lead to muchloss of material comfort. So many fall awayfrom the church when their wealth, health,houses, businesses and other secularinterests are endangered.There is also worldliness in the motivesand actions of many Christians. There isworldliness in their domestic life and in theirinteraction with society; there is worldlinessin the education of their family members;there is worldliness in their businesses andemployment; there is worldliness in theirexpenditure – so much being laid out forself-pleasure and self-glory, and so little forGod; there is worldliness in their religiousschemes and activities; there is worldlinessin their reading materials and conversations,and there is worldliness in their sports andentertainment. In short, there is too much ofthe spirit of fervent worldliness in the life ofa great many who claim to be Christians.Are you, my reader, more concerned aboutyour worldly advancement than spiritualadvancement? Do you sacrifice your spiritualnourishment for worldly gain? Have youbeen too occupied with material and sensualmatters rather than the Lord, His church andHis truth? If your answers to these questionsare “yes”, then you are being gripped byworldliness. Repent and turn to the Lord now.6 Bible Witness

Dangers ofWorldlinessPrabhudas KoshyChristians are strongly warned about thedangers of worldliness by the apostle John.He wrote: “Love not the world, neither thethings that are in the world. If any man lovethe 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, isnot of the Father, but is of the world. And theworld passeth away, and the lust thereof:but he that doeth the will of God abidethfor ever” (1 John 2:15–17).Two specific spiritual dangers arementioned by the apostle. No Christianshould consider these dangers ofworldliness to be trivial matters.Herein we have a very crucial messagefor the modern Christians who areincreasingly embracing worldliness.Worldliness excludes the loveof the FatherFirstly, John warned: “If any man lovethe world, the love of the Father is notin him” (v. 15b), that is to say, such aman has no relationship with God.It is impossible to love the worldand God at the same time. Love forthe world pushes out love for God,and love for God pushes out love forthe world. Love for the world cannotcoexist with love for God.Bible Witness7

Unmasking WorldlinessThe absolute nature of this statement by Johnis striking and compels careful and seriousreflection. The stakes are high. Because theFather’s kingdom is at war with the kingdomof this world, the two will never coexistpeacefully. When love for the world increases,love for God dwindles. No human heart canhold these two opposing loves together.To pledge allegiance to one side is to declareopposition to the other. Worldliness willput you together with all the God-haters ofthe world. James 4:4 – “Ye adulterers andadulteresses, know ye not that the friendshipof the world is enmity with God? whosoevertherefore will be a friend of the world is theenemy of God.”Because of worldliness, many Christiansare vexed and disturbed by the demands ofa godly and service-oriented Christian life.The subtle existence of worldliness withinthe hearts of Christians keeps them awayfrom God and His kingdom. A look at mostChristians today tells us that they have muchof earth, and little of heaven.Worldly Christians are not large-hearted oropen-handed when it comes to the serviceof God; they are not willing to spend and bespent. They are not like those whose eyesare ever set on the incorruptible inheritancewhich God has prepared for them. Theyhave low spiritual vigour and are apathetictowards the things of God. They want to beengaged as little as possible in the thingsof God, and indulge more in their worldlycomforts. They grudge and murmur about thelabour, fatigue, expense and trouble that theyhave to bear in the service of God’s kingdom.They rather cherish the company of worldlymen than that of Christians. They choose tostay away from fellowships, prayer meetingsand other Christian activities. They preferthe respite and enjoyment that the housesof this world offer. They spend more of theirtime and money in the activities of the world,whether it be shopping, clubbing, watchingTV or other entertainment. When the pursuitof the material world increases in their hearts,their delight in the things of God fades away.This danger is further emphasised by John inverse 16 when he wrote: “For all that is in theworld, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of theeyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father,but is of the world.” All that constitutesworldliness, the lust of the flesh, the lustof the eyes and the pride of life are not ofthe Father.Once the world takes over the heart of aChristian, he will soon lose his enjoymentof the Father’s love and his desire to dothe Father’s will. The Bible will becomeboring and prayer a difficult chore. EvenChristian fellowship may seem empty anddisappointing. It is not that there is somethingwrong with those Christian activities, but thatthe Christian’s heart has become worldly.Worldliness embraces the temporal atthe expense of the eternalSecondly, John warned: “And the worldpasseth away, and the lust thereof: but he thatdoeth the will of God abideth for ever” (v. 17).The world and its lust are heading towardseverlasting destruction, while the obedientChristian is going to live eternally. The worldand the genuine Christian do not share thesame destiny.The world is passing away! It is rushing intoeternal hell. For anyone to set his heart on theperishing world is to inherit heartache andmisery at the end.Would you buy stock in a company that issure to go bankrupt? Would you like to spenda day to relax on a sinking ship? Would you8 Bible Witness

Unmasking Worldlinesslike to dance a night away in a nightclub thatis on fire?No reasonable person would lay up treasurewhere moth and rust destroy and thievesbreak in and steal, would they? The apostlePaul said in 1 Corinthians 7:31, “the fashionof this world passeth away.” The worldwith all its fashion and lust is headingtowards eternal peril. The apostle Petersays in 2 Peter 3:7, 10, “But the heavensand the earth, which are now, by the sameword are kept in store, reserved unto fireagainst the day of judgment and perditionof ungodly men... But the day of the Lordwill come as a thief in the night; in thewhich the heavens shall pass away with agreat noise, and the elements shall meltwith fervent heat, the earth also and theworks that are therein shall be burned up.”So if you love the glories and the pageantry ofthis world, you will pass away together withthem. You will not only lose your treasure butalso your soul. If you love the world, it willpass away, taking you with it.Christians, be cautioned: worldlinessdistracts us from taking delight in thingsthat abideth for ever, even doing God’s will.So if you are stuck in some worldly living, beforewarned of your quick destruction.Are you surprised that this world and itsglories are facing a perilous end? Well, it isgoing to be worse and worse. Sin isdestroying this world. But there is a blessedhope – “he that doeth the will of God abidethfor ever” (v. 17). What is the will of God thatyou should obey so as to live for ever? Jesusgives the answer to this question. He says,“And this is the will of him that sent me, thatevery one which seeth the Son, and believethon him, may have everlasting life: and I willraise him up at the last day” (John 6:40). Ifyour heart would love the Lord Jesus andfollow His Word, instead of loving andfollowing the world, you will abide forever.Do not flirt with the world, it will seduce youinto destruction, but follow the will of God inChrist Jesus and you will have eternal life.Gethsemane Bible InstituteCebu, The Philippines13 First St., Happy Valley, Cebu City,The Philippines 6000Tel: (+63) (032) 254-1544Email: gbpcmissions@yahoo.comAlem Gena, EthiopiaPO Box 46519, Addis Ababa,EthiopiaTel: 0911-385223 / 0911-823720Email: gethsemane_eth@yahoo.comPlease pray for and support the work of GBI in preparing preachers of the Word.Cheques may be made payable to Gethsemane Bible-Presbyterian Church.Please indicate “GBI” or “Gethsemane Bible Institute” on the back ofthe cheque.A ministry of Gethsemane Bible-Presbyterian ChurchGETHSEMANE BIBLE INSTITUTE“And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the samecommit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.” – 2 Timothy 2:22 Timothy 2:2GBI

Prabhudas KoshyIn 1 John 2:15-17, when the apostle warnedus about the dangers of worldliness, healso provided three unmitigated counselsagainst worldliness.The first absolute counsel against worldlinessis a command: “Love not the world, neitherthe things that are in the world” (v. 15a).No Christian should engage in any form ofworldly activities. He should not even desireto be like the world. Oh let us all stop lovingthe world! Jesus said about true Christians:“ye are not of the world, but I have chosenyou out of the world” (John 15:19). If this istrue, how can a Christian continue to love theworld more than God?Christians, we are just sojourners hereon earth. We are not here forever. We arepilgrims heading to the glory land. So do notget stuck in the miry clay of worldliness.If you, my reader, have been abiding inworldliness, it means that you are headingtowards a fiery end in hell. Please repent fromyour sins. Ask the Lord Jesus Christ to renewyour heart by the mighty work of His HolySpirit so that you may love God with all yourheart and not the world that is perishing.10 Bible Witness

Unmasking WorldlinessIf you are a backslidden Christian, you mustnow yield to the Spirit who teaches youthrough His Word. Plead before His presencefor a resurgent love for the things of God, yea,even for the things that matter for all eternity.The second counsel against worldliness isa great declaration – “he that doeth the willof God abideth for ever” (v. 17a). A personwhose character and personality are shapedby a life that is obedient to God will not beaffected by the passing away of the world andits vain desires.Do not desire anything in this world morethan the will of God permits. Our desire hasto be always regulated by the Word of God.All the pursuits of the world must be subjectto His will. Never pursue any of our desiresbeyond His will for us.It is a Johannine way of saying, “Only onelife, ’twill soon be past; only what’s done forChrist will last.”The third counsel against worldliness is thewonderful reminder that there is eternal lifefor all who forsake worldliness to embracethe love and will of God – “he that doeththe will of God abideth for ever” (v. 17a).God’s cure for worldliness is the bringingbefore us of another world, an eternal world,which is infinitely more glorious than thatwhich He calls on us to forsake. There isno thorough cure for worldliness but this.It is a lack of faith in eternal realities thatmakes us worldlings! By faith, when oureyes are fixed on the world to come, we willlearn to set our affections on things above.Christians, we need to be sternly andrepeatedly warned against the spirit ofworldliness. The Church is very prone toforget her role as a pilgrim in this present evilworld. Our dignity as God’s chosen people isnot in craving after the things of this world,but in doing His will and thereby gettingready for His glorious appearance. Let usnot allow the world to obscure or blur ourvision of the glory and kingdom of God thatHe has called us to inherit. Dear Christians,let us live on earth as heavenly citizens.Spreading the Gospel throughout the world andedifying the body of believers.Your generous gifts for Bible Witness Media Ministry help us to defraythe cost of printing and mailing the magazine for free distribution,especially to pastors and churches in poorer countries.Please send your support for Bible Witness that God’s Word may reachmore people. Your cheque may be made payable to Bible Witness.(For more information, please refer to page 2.)

Overcomethe WorldDominino dela Cruz Jr.“For whatsoever is born of God overcomeththe world: and this is the victory thatovercometh the world, even our faith. Whois he that overcometh the world, but he thatbelieveth that Jesus is the Son of God?”(1 John 5:4-5).The main focus of the apostle John’s teachingin 1 John 5:4-5 is overcoming the world.In fact, the phrase “overcometh the world”appears three times in these two verses. Ofcourse, the apostle John is not saying thatall people on earth are able to overcomethe wicked system and sinful lifestyle of theworld. He was referring to a special group ofpeople – those who are born of God. In otherwords, only a Christian on this planet has thepotential to live a victorious life though heis living in a sinful world. This sounds veryintriguing to me. So it is good for us to lookat 1 John 5:4-5 closely and meditatively.The assurance of Christian victoryJohn begins by saying, “For whatsoever is bornof God overcometh the world” (1 John 5:4a).The phrase “born of God” tells us that here,John is not talking about professingChristians but truly born-again Christianswhose hearts have been regenerated and whoare indwelt by the Spirit of God. So only a truebeliever has the potential and the capabilityto overcome the world because of hisdynamic relationship with God. This is anunmistakable promise of victory to everyChristian. It is important to note that thisassurance is not given only to an elite groupof Christians but to all genuine Christians.We are told that a soldier in the army ofAlexander the Great was not acting bravelyin battle. When he should have been pressingahead, he was lingering behind. The greatgeneral approached him and asked, “Whatis your name, soldier?” The man replied,“My name, sir, is Alexander.” The generallooked him straight in the eye and said firmly,“Soldier, get in there and fight or change yourname!” Alexander the Great wanted his nameto symbolize courage. In the same way, thename “Christian” must symbolize victoryagainst the world because the Word of Godtells us so.By way of application, a Christian studentis able to overcome peer pressure in hisschool, a Christian employee is able toovercome the compromising environment athis workplace and a Christian businessmanis able to overcome the temptation to cheatin the business world. A Christian has everyreason to live a triumphant life wherever heis because of the seed of new life implanted inhis heart. Yes, it is not easy to overcome theworld. But the Word of God has given us theassurance that though it is difficult, we canovercome it.The word “overcome” is one of the favouritewords of the apostle John. In 1 John 5:4, the12 Bible Witness

word “overcome” is in the present tense. Itconveys a continuous action. So a Christiancan experience victory in his life as hecontinues to struggle against the pressureof the world. The child of God should bevigilant all the time because the devil is likea roaring lion, walking about, seeking whomhe may devour. The moment a Christianstarts to live a careless life, he will also ceaseto overcome the world because overcomingthe world is a constant battle against itsevil philosophies and immoral practices.No wonder, there are people who wereactively serving the Lord when all of asudden, we hear of them being overcome bythe world instead of they overcoming theworld. One of the reasons is that when theystart to let their guard down, they beginto be slack in their Christian life and livecarelessly. The fact that you are doing welltoday is not a guarantee that you will still bedoing well tomorrow because overcomingthe world is a daily fight. That is why manyservants of the Lord may have started wellbut only a few end well. Dear reader, bealways watchful. Do not live a careless life.The apostle John continues by saying, “Andthis is the victory that overcometh theworld.” The word “victory” suggests to usthat all the power needed for our victory isBible Witness13

Unmasking Worldlinessmade available to us. In addition, the word“overcometh” in this phrase is in the aoristtense, which expresses an action done onceand for all. When we put together the ideasconveyed by these two words, we hear Johnsaying that the victorious power to overcomethe world is already made available to everyChristian. Of course, I see this as a referenceto Christ’s once and for all victory againstSatan and the world, which we have receivedby faith. As one Bible scholar beautifully putsit: “To believe that Jesus has been victoriousis to have the power that enables us also towin the battle, for we know that our foe isalready defeated and therefore powerless.”The realization of Christian victoryInterestingly, in verse 4, the apostle John endsby saying, “Even our faith.” Thus far, we haveseen the assurance of victory given to everytrue believer. But how can a true believerappropriate this assurance of victory?The answer is given to us by the apostleJohn – even our faith. Faith is the key torealizing the victory, as we often sing, “Faithis the victory that overcomes the world.”Strictly speaking, faith does not save anyone.Christ is the one who saves us. But faith is themeans whereby a person is able to receivesalvation that is in Christ Jesus. In the sameway, every Christian can appropriate by faiththe divine power made available to overcomethe world. By faith, a Christian can receivethe power needed for daily victories. Thenew birth gives the believer the potential ofvictory, but the realization of actual victorydepends on his active exercise of faith. Truly,a Christian is called principally to live a life offaith, a life of dependence upon God.I remember when I was a Bible collegestudent in Singapore, I was invited to preachGod’s Word in a fellowship meeting held in abig house. After I had preached, the head ofthe home confessed in front of the brethrenthat before they became wealthy, they usedto pray fervently every night. But when theLord blessed them abundantly, their prayerlife declined and they seldom attended prayermeetings in the church. Friends, whetherin abundance or in need, let us live a lifeof dependence upon God because withoutconstantly exercising our faith, we cannotovercome the world. A victorious Christianlife is the result of faith.Faith in what? The apostle John makes it clearto us in verse 5 when he says, “Who is he thatovercometh the world, but he that believeththat Jesus is the Son of God?” This is the soleobject of our faith – the Lord Jesus Christ.Any faith that is not anchored in Jesus Christis as good as nothing. True Christian faith isChristological. The person that can actualizevictory in his life against the world is he whobelieves that Jesus is the Son of God.Now that we have already looked at1 John 5:4-5, we discover that it is thewill of God that every true believer shouldovercome the world and live a victoriousChristian life. That is why He has givenevery Christian the power that has onceand for all overcome the world. God’sWord gives assurance of victory to everytruly born-again Christian. The key tothat victory can be summed up in a singleword: faith. May God help us to walk closelywith Him every day because without Him,victory over the world is unachievable.The new birth gives the believer the potential of victory,but the realization of actual victory depends onhis active exercise of faith.14 Bible Witness

Unmasking WorldlinessGod Makes theWorld’s WisdomFoolish1 Corinthians 1:20-28Richard TiuOne of the great themes of the apostle Paul’swritings is the infinite wisdom of God. Heuses this theme to direct the hearts andthoughts of men to a proper perspective ofthe Christian life, and often, as a rebuke tothe high-mindedness of the worldly life. Hisrhetorical question in 1 Corinthians 1:20d,“hath not God made foolish the wisdom ofthis world?” best sums up that rebuke.While this world has taken great strides inintellectual advancements, it has not madeany real headway in things that matter mostin life. In fact, the world has yet to figureout how to solve the sin problem. The guiltand its consequent eternal death hoverover every sinner’s head like guillotinesready to crash down any moment. In fact,everyone who is born into this world ishell-bound because of this sin problem.And so, one may ask, “Is there any hope atall for mankind?” The answer is “yes” andit lies not in “wisdom” as the world knowsit, but in “foolishness” as the world viewsit. What the wisdom of the world can neverobtain, the foolishness of God will gloriouslyattain. The very wisdom the world hassought is what God will one day bring tonought as He has made the world’s wisdomfoolish. The passage for considerationwill make this truth known to us.Unfortunately, even within the church, thereare some who think that worldly wisdomis superior. In the church in Corinth, someconducted themselves in a worldly manner.So Paul asked, “Where is the wise? whereis the scribe? where is the disputer of thisworld? hath not God made foolish thewisdom of this world?” (verse 20). He thenproceeded to show the believers in Corinththat worldly wisdom is indeed foolishnessbefore God, though some might considerGod’s wisdom as folly. This message of Paulis very relevant to the churchgoers of ourtime too, as many of them are foolishlyembracing the wisdom of the world.Worldly wisdom repudiated by afoolish method“For after that in the wisdom of God theworld by wisdom knew not God, it pleasedGod by the foolishness of preaching to savethem that believe. For the Jews require asign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom”(verses 21-22).The Jews look to “signs and wonders” as thegauge for truth. The Greeks in those timesdesired esoteric wisdom and were knownto spend much time discussing new ideasand philosophies in their search for truth(cf. Acts 17:18-21). Yet in all their efforts toBible Witness15

Unmasking Worldlinessseek the truth, they had missed out the verymethod whereby the truth of God is revealedbecause it was plain foolishness unto them.The divinely appointed method ofpreaching the Gospel has always beenunattractive, even disgusting to the worldlywisewho considered it foolishness. Theirattitude towards the God-ordained methodof bringing souls unto salvation will preventthem from really knowing the Godof salvation.Do we not also see the same attitude insome ministers of the Gospel these days?Churches today consider Gospel-preachingto be outdated and have thus replaced itwith modern methods. Pragmatism takescentre stage as the pulpit is set aside. A lotof drama, choreography, signs and wonders,and funky music have replaced preaching asthe major means of presenting the gospel.They believe that the worldly means ofcreative presentations, flashy gimmicks aswell as ingenious devices will bring in thedesired results. They say that these are themethods that attract churchgoers nowadays.Thus this fulfils what the Scriptures hadprophesied, that people “after their ownlusts shall they heap to themselves teachers,having itching ears; and they shall turnaway their ears from the truth, and shallbe turned unto fables” (2 Timothy 4:3-4).Modern methods may indeed attract theworld and they will remain as such – anattraction. But God has chosen preachingto be the method of calling sinners untosalvation. In God’s omniscience, He usesthe preaching of the Gospel to confoundthe wisdom of the world. And untothose that believe, the foolishness ofpreaching makes them wise unto salvationthrough faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.Worldly wisdom repudiated by afoolish message“But we preach Christ crucified, unto theJews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeksfoolishness; but unto them which are called,both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power ofGod, and the wisdom of God” (verses 23-24).The story of Christ crucified, being the powerand wisdom of God, was as repulsive to theJews as it was ridiculous to the Greeks.The Judaizers take great offence at thepreaching of the Gospel because it reducesthe observance of Jewish laws to nothing interms of their salvation. Thus the message“Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and thoushalt be saved, and thy house” (Acts 16:31)is a big stumbling block to them.The Greeks, on the other hand, find follyin the message, “That at the name of Jesusevery knee should bow, of things in heaven,and things in earth, and things under theearth; and that every tongue should confessthat Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of Godthe Father” (Philippians 2:10-11). Is JesusChrist the Lord and the Messiah? Was Henot mocked and persecuted by His ownpeople? Did He not die a horrible death onthe cross? That is a stupefying message totheir critical minds.The root word translated “foolishness”(μωρός) is where we get our Englishword “moron”. Thus the message “Christcrucified” is a moronic idea to the wiseGreek thinkers in view of their superficialknowledge of Christ. The message thatChrist was crucified is true. But the Gospelstory does not end with His death. TheLord Jesus Christ resurrected from thegrave on the third day according to theScriptures (1 Corinthians 15:1-4).continued on page 1816 Bible Witness

Unmasking WorldlinessWorld’s FoolishnessGod’s Wisdom17

Unmasking WorldlinessAll those who believe in this Gospel truth willnot perish in their sins but will be saved foreternity. However, those who reject this truth,being wise in their own eyes, are in darknessconcerning the Gospel of eternal life. Whenthe Lord Jesus returns, they shall stand incondemnation for the folly of their unbelief.The crux of the matter“Because the foolishness of God is wiser thanmen; and the weakness of God is strongerthan men” (verse 25). Even the foolishnessof God, if there was such a thing, is waybeyond parity to man’s wisdom. The Lordconveyed this truth through the prophetIsaiah, “For my thoughts are not yourthoughts, neither are your ways my ways,saith the LORD. For as the heavens arehigher than the earth, so are my wayshigher than your ways, and my thoughtsthan your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8-9). Godis the only supreme omniscient beingof unfathomable wisdom. To this, Paulexclaims, “O the depth of the riches bothof the wisdom and knowledge of God! howunsearchable are his judgments, and hisways past finding out!” (Romans 11:33).“For ye see your calling, brethren, howthat not many wise men after the flesh, notmany mighty, not many noble, are called”(verse 26). People of power and influenceare likely to have an unfavourable view ofGod’s calling because it is seen as a threatto all that they care about in this world.Thus, not many of them will be found inthe church. This also goes to show that theGospel is meant to flourish even withoutthe aid of such people. And one can onlywonder how so many pastors fret over theprospect of losing influential churchgoers ifthey preach an “offensive” Gospel message.The social stratum of the Corinthian churchis typical of the church as we know it today.Though there may be people of the upperclass, they are few and far between. Pews aremostly filled with the common folk, manyfrom the lower strata of society. The reasongiven is simply that God has chosen the lowlyand weak for a purpose – that their faith andhope in Christ might shame the high andmighty who have become wise in their ownconceits. “Seest thou a man wise in his ownconceit? there is more hope of a fool than ofhim” (Proverbs 26:12).“But God hath chosen the foolish things ofthe world to confound the wise; and Godhath chosen the weak things of the world toconfound the things which are mighty; andbase things of the world, and things whichare despised, hath God chosen, yea, andthings which are not, to bring to noughtthings that are” (verses 27-28). The wisdomof God! It defies natural law; for thingssuperior are put to shame by those that areinferior. What greater irony could there bethan in seeing the proud and powerful beingbrought down to nothing by the despisedweaklings of the lowest sort – their downfallbeing the result of their own unbelief. Thisbrings to mind the story of the rich man andthe poor beggar, Lazarus (Luke 16:19-26).There is something about wisdom and pride,wealth and vanity that usually makes thosewho possess these unwilling to give them upfor Christ. Remember the rich young rulerin Matthew 19:21-23?Worldly wisdom lures people to foolish selfdeception.“Let no man deceive himself. Ifany man among you seemeth to be wise inthis world, let him become a fool, that hemay be wise. For the wisdom of this world isfoolishness with God...” (1 Corinthians 3:18-19).The hopelessness of human wisdom can onlyfind its remedy in the cross of Christ, thecrucified, who is the power of God and thewisdom of God!18 Bible Witness

Children’s PageBible trivia - Exodus 9 & 10Read Exodus 9 and 10.Sarah YongThe diagram below shows the different damaging effects of theplagues on people, animals and crops. For example, “B” representsa plague that affected both people and animals, but not thecrops. Use this diagram to fill in the table below.PeopleAnimalsCropsPlague Description Order DamageBoils Ashes from the _______ turned into this. ___ B______ Caused the death of the cattle of Egypt. 5th ___Hail Accompanied by thunder and ____. ___ C______ The Lord brought them in an east wind. 7th ___Which letter best represents the extent of the plague of darkness? ___Spiritual LessonOn three occasions, Pharaoh broke his promise to Moses and Aaron(Exodus 8:25, 10:11 and 10:24). Yet Scripture reminds us that all thesehappened according to God’s sovereign will. Read Romans 9:17 and 18,then complete the short passage below.God raised up __________ that He might show His __________ through him,and that God’s __________ might be declared throughout all the __________ .God alone decides to whom He will show __________ , and whom Hewill __________ .Answers to Volume 12 Issue 4: Bible Trivia - Exodus 8&9 (p.23)1st-fish, B / 2nd-frogs, A / 3rd-lice, C / 4th-flies, D / strength; people; peace19

Children’s PageStory retold byRuth LowIllustrated byLinus KokHugh LatimerAn English Reformation preacher and martyrHugh Latimer was a priest studying divinityin Cambridge together with Thomas Bilney.Latimer held on steadfastly to the Roman Catholicteachings, and strongly opposed the new religiousviews of Bilney.One day, on completion of his graduatestudies, Latimer preached to all the students in theuniversity. He purposely criticized the doctrinesthat were against the Roman Catholic Church.Bilney heard him and decided to sharewith him his testimony of conversion.Latimer recounted, “Bilney heard meat that time and perceived that I waszealous without knowledge; and hecame to me afterwards in my study,and requested me, for God’s sake, tohear his testimony. I did so—andto say the truth, by his wordsI learned more than beforein many years… from thattime forward I beganto savour the Word ofGod, and forsook theschool doctors and theirfooleries.” Latimer’s eyeswere opened to the truth.He was converted andjoined Bilney to preachthe Word.Bible Witness

Children’s PageHowever, the Roman Catholic Church wasnot happy with Latimer because of his faith andpreaching. He suffered interrogation and temporaryimprisonment.Upon his release, by God’s providence,Latimer was appointed to be a royal chaplain. Hepreached before the king and found favour withhim. As such, Latimer had the freedom andprotection to preach in England for 4 years.But when the king gave the order for allpreachers to submit to the Roman Catholicdoctrines, Latimer opposed these measures,stepped down from his post, and wassilenced for 8 years. He was finallyarrested and confined in the Tower.Bible Witness21

Children’s PageLater, a new king, whose name was KingEdward VI, came to the throne. He allowed Latimerto preach openly for 6 years. When King EdwardVI died, Mary Tudor became queen. She wantedto restore the Roman Church in England, and thiscaused Latimer to be arrested again.Latimer was confined in the Tower for 2 yearsbefore he was led out to be burnt, together withanother godly man, Nicholas Ridley. It was 1555,and Latimer was then 80 years old.22 Bible Witness

Children’s PageA bag of gunpowder was hung round his neck,and as the fire was lit, he uttered his famous words,“Be of good cheer, Master Ridley, and play the man;we shall this day, by God’s grace, light such a candlein England, that shall never be put out.”Indeed, men of God may be bound andburnt, “but the word of God is not bound”(2 Timothy 2:9). God’s Word continues toflourish in the hearts and lives of peoplearound the world today. May you and Ifearlessly defend and proclaim it for thesalvation of others!The apostle Paul says to us, “Be notthou therefore ashamed of the testimonyof our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: butbe thou partaker ofthe afflictions of thegospel according tothe power of God”(2 Timothy 1:8).Bible Witness23

Gethsemane Bib le -Presbyterian Church ’s25th Anniversary Events“Unto Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesusthroughout all ages, world without end. Amen.” – Ephesians 3:21In thanksgiving to God for 25 years ofGethsemane Bible-Presbyterian Church’s ministry,the following events will be held on five Saturdays of March 2013.We warmly invite you to come and rejoice with us as we exalt theLord Jesus, our Saviour, through the preaching of His Word.Gospel RallyAll are welcome. Admission is free.Level 5, Auditorium, Singapore Post Centre, Singapore 408600(Next to Paya Lebar MRT)The Gospel of Jesus Christ2nd March 2013, 8.00 p.m.Speaker: Rev Dr Paul FergusonPublic Lectures on the Doctrine of the ChurchAll are welcome. Admission is free.Level 5, Auditorium, Singapore Post Centre, Singapore 408600(Next to Paya Lebar MRT)Lecture I: The Church – A Household Founded on Christ9th March 2013, 8.00 p.m.Speaker: Rev Dr Quek Suan YewLecture II: The Church – A Pillar and Ground of Truth16th March 2013, 8.00 p.m.Speaker: Rev Dr Jeffrey KhooLecture III: The Church – A Spiritual House unto God23rd March 2013, 8.00 p.m.Speaker: Rev Dr Prabhudas KoshyGBPC 25th AnniversaryThanksgiving Service & DinnerThe Regent Singapore, Singapore 24971530th March 2013, 7.00 p.m.Speaker: Rev Dr Prabhudas KoshyIf you would like to join us for the Thanksgiving Service & Dinner, please call thechurch office at 6741 1910 during office hours on weekdays to register. Cost per person: $95