Unmasking Worldliness - 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