Worldliness and Godliness

Our quest for the pleasure of this world is idolatry.

Friendship with the world is open hostility and antagonistic to God.

“A world of arrogant, self-sufficient people seeking to exist apart from God and living in opposition to God. It’s a world richly deserving of the righteous wrath of a holy God. Dead set against the gospel of Jesus Christ. This is the world we’re forbidden to love.”

We cannot love the world and love God at the same time. (philia)

Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.1 John 2:15-15

To pursue godliness, we must reject worldliness, a man-centered view of the world.

It isn’t a sin to have nice things, it is a sin to fix your heart to the pursuit of nice things.

The goal of the world is self-glory, self-fulfillment, self-indulgence, self-satisfaction, and every other form of self-serving, all of which amounts to hostility toward God.

Worldliness will eventually be evident externally, but is first deeply rooted in a heart of idolatry.

Love not the world, neither 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.1 John 2:15-16

We tend toward legalism when we define worldliness as simply external.

Valuing the world is incredibly short-sighted.

And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.1 John 2:17

Godliness and holiness will eventually be evident externally, but is first deeply rooted in a heart of submission to Jesus.

True change begins on the inside as the Holy Spirit changes the heart of man.

For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.Galatians 6:15

“Glorifying God is an intentional pursuit. We don’t accidentally drift into holiness; rather, we mature gradually and purposefully, one choice at a time. In the Christian walk, we can’t just step onto the right path and figure all is well. Christian discipleship is a lifelong journey consisting of a series of countless steps. Each step matters.”

Are there areas of worldliness in my life? Am I willing to choose godliness?

Be not ye therefore partakers with them. For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret. But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light. Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.Ephesians 5:7-17