“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” James 1:27 (NIV)
There is a perpetual tug on the believer’s life to go back to being a slave to sin instead of a slave to righteousness. Satan seeks to lure you to compromise your convictions and seek pleasure through worldliness.
Staying clean while living in a dirty world becomes your daily challenge. God wants you to keep yourself from being polluted by the world. You cannot pursue godliness and worldliness at the same time. Your divided loyalty will not yield the fruit of righteousness.
Advertisements in our culture are designed to convince you that need something that you currently don’t have. They always over-promise and under-deliver. The products and services advertised never completely satisfy.
Worldliness contaminates our relationships with others as illustrated in Paul’s letter to the church at Corinth. They were placed in a seedbed of wordliness.
“Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly–mere infants in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere men?” 1 Cor 3:1-3 (NIV)
Paul continues this concept in his personal letter to his son in the ministry, Timothy. He identifies our desperation for God’s grace in being delivered from worldliness.
“For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope–the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.” Titus 2:11-14 (NIV)
Is your life marked by worldliness or godliness? What kind of life are you portraying to a watching world?
Pursuing God,
Stephen Trammell
Pastor of Leadership and Pastoral Care
3 replies on “Worldliness”
In last night’s 55 + Power Summit, Dr. Bisagno in his
message on prayer stated “use the shield of faith to
shut out worldy thoughts”
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