Ways of the World

 

 

THE WORD "WORLD" here doesn’t refer to the physical universe and the total system of intelligent creatures that occupy it, but to the humanity in its sinful aspect, the spirit and forces of fallen humanity that defy God and His goodness, powers and influences that oppose faith and holiness, and what St. Paul warns us against in Romans 12:2--“conforming to the pattern of this world”. In this connection, Satan is said to be “the god of this world” (2Corinthians 4:4).

 Another example that explains this point is: John 1:10 NLT--He came into the very world He created, but the world didn’t recognize him. Here “the world” appears first to denote earth and man simply as the creation of “the Word,” and then mankind as sinfully alienated from their Creator. We should not be surprised accordingly to read on the one hand that “God ... loved the world” (John 3:16), and on the other that the Christian must “not love the world” (1John 2:15)!

The Holy Bible contains numerous teachings as the Christian’s duty to avoid the world and its ways. Some of them are: 

1. James 4:4  …do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

“Anyone who isn’t with me opposes me, and anyone who isn’t working with me is actually working against me” (Matthew 12:30 NLT). Jesus made it clear there could be no middle ground. See also Matthew 6:24 "No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money”. The forces of good and evil divide the earth so sharply that there is no debatable ground between them. If God is just, He is also jealous (Exodus 20:5). The Lord taught that the world has got to hate us because we are, a chosen people, royal priests, a holy nation, and God’s very own possession (1Peter 2:9).

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind (Romans 12:2). Any effort on our part to secure the friendship of the world, to copy its fashions and vanities, to share its pastimes and its intimacies, and to enjoy its pleasures is deeply offensive to God. The great Searcher of hearts cannot be deceived. Our final Judge will soon determine to which class of the two great divisions of the human family we belong -- to those who are the friends of the world, or to those who are the friends of God.

The Christian here is exhorted  not to copy the fleeting fashions of the present time, but to be wholly transfigured in view of that higher mode of existence, in strict accordance with God’s will. “To be conformed to this world” is to act as other men do, heathen who know not God; in opposition to this the Apostle exhorts his readers to undergo that total change which will bring them more into accordance with the will of God.

2. 2 Corinthians 6:14-16  Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness?  Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever?  Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols?

Paul urges the believers not to partner with unbelievers because this might weaken their Christian commitment, integrity or standards. This doesn’t mean isolating oneself from unbelievers and idol worshippers. See 1Corinth 5:9, 10. Paul wants believers to be active in their witness for Christ to unbelievers, but not to lock themselves with them in personal or business relationships that could cause them to compromise their faith. They must avoid any situation that would force them to divide their loyalties.

The situation might become complicated when one is married to an unbelieving spouse.   Because marriage is two people becoming one, faith may become an issue and one spouse may have to compromise beliefs in the interest of unity. Don’t allow emotions or passions to bind you with someone who will not be your spiritual partner. If you are a single believer don’t enter into a marital relationship with an unbeliever. If you are already married to one, do not attempt to isolate your unbelieving spouse (1Corinth 7:12, 13). The strength of your faith, your lifestyle, and testimony should be able to influence the other person and lead him/her to Jesus.

3. 1 John 2:15 Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 

The world draws the heart away from God. The more the love of the world prevails in one, the more the love of God disintegrates. The evil of the world has been traditionally classified into three issues: 1. the lust of the flesh, of the body, 2.the lust of the eyes, leading to covetousness, and 3. the pride of life or vanity. When the serpent tempted Eve, it was in these three areas. Also when the devil tempted Jesus in the wilderness, it was again in these three matters. The things of the world quickly fade and die away; desire itself will end before long, but God’s unfailing love is not like that.  These vanities are so alluring to the corruption in our hearts, that without constant vigil and prayer, we cannot escape the world, or obtain victory over Satan.

4. Ephesians 2:2 NLT  You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God.

Satan is pictured as ruling an evil spiritual kingdom, that part of the world that chose to follow him. Prior to our salvation, we were citizens of this kingdom, spiritually dead because of our disobedience and our many sins. Through His vicarious death on the cross and subsequent resurrection, Christ neutralized Satan’s power over death, rescued us from the devil’s control and restored us to God’s kingdom.

5. Ephesians 4:21-24  Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from Him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.

Our old way of life before we believed in Christ is completely in the past. When we decide to accept Christ’s gift of salvation, it is both a one-time decision and a daily conscious commitment. We must put on the new nature, head in the new direction and let the Holy Spirit direct our thoughts. If we keep listening to God, we will keep changing all the time, a process ordinarily called sanctification.

A regenerated Christian is freed from sin and enabled to realize the will of God in his life. He is described as a saint, the common word to designate the followers of Jesus in the New Testament. “Saint” is not meant the morally perfect, but the one who belongs to Christ. In the same way, the phrase “the sanctified” is also used to call the believers, e.g. “sanctified by the Holy Spirit’’ (Romans 15:16).

As the thought of God grows in us more ethical and more spiritual, it moulds and changes every area of our lives. Thus what it means to belong to God depends upon the nature of God. Jesus declared that belonging to God means likeness to Him. In this light, we read in Ephesians 4:1, “I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received”. We are predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son (Romans 8:29). You belong to Christ. Christ died for us so that, whether we are dead or alive when he returns, we can live with Him forever (1 Thes 5.10).  It is no formal belonging, no external surrender. It is the yielding of the life in its passions and purposes, in its deepest affections and highest powers, to be ruled by a new spirit (Ephesians 4:13).

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