I preached today on 1 John 2:15-17 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him, etc.
Given the Blog title I thought it might be good idea to pass on most of it here. John speaks in these verses about the world. By world he can't mean the earth itself or all the people living on it. He's clearly using the word in a specialised way, one that the NT often does. He is talking about the world system as it is opposed to God. It comes in many shapes and sizes but is always anti-God, anti-Christ, anti-Christian. (Cf Jas 4:4, Rom 12:2a, etc).
1. What does John say worldliness is?
Given the Blog title I thought it might be good idea to pass on most of it here. John speaks in these verses about the world. By world he can't mean the earth itself or all the people living on it. He's clearly using the word in a specialised way, one that the NT often does. He is talking about the world system as it is opposed to God. It comes in many shapes and sizes but is always anti-God, anti-Christ, anti-Christian. (Cf Jas 4:4, Rom 12:2a, etc).
1. What does John say worldliness is?
John very helpfully explains much of what worldliness is all about with what he says in 16 and I think that's where we need to start as there's a lot of confusion among Christians and others over just what worldliness is. I want us to concentrate on the three phrases John uses. The NIV has the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes, and the boasting of what he has and does. The traditional translation is ‘the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life’. So we can say that worldliness involves
The cravings of sinful man
The cravings of sinful manLiterally the cravings/lusts of the flesh. We are all born with certain appetites or desires – desires for food, for drink, for sexual fulfilment. We love to hear beautiful sounds and be told wonderful stories. Beyond that we desire, more generally, excitement, human fellowship and interaction, feelings of peace and contentment. Now when these desires are put into the driving seat as it were then we have worldliness. 'Eat, drink and be merry' says the world. That's its creed. 'If it feels good, do it'. Life’s for living – and by that they mean live for eating, drinking, sexual fulfilment, what ever is exciting or makes you feel good about yourself. 'That's living alright'. So they are happy to 'eat, drink and sleep football' or to say 'I live for my holidays or my family'. Any professed Christian who lives for such things is being worldly. Are you worldly? Or are you in danger of being worldly?
The lust of his eyes
The lust of his eyes
More specifically, there is a lust of the eyes – a longing to gratify the eyes with sights that we feel will satisfy us. It comes out in different ways but it basically materialism, living just for what we can see with our physical eyes. We want to be entertained, as we have already mentioned in part, to be impressed by dramas and works of art, to see wonderful sites and strange things. This why TV and film is such a constant draw. Are you living just to satisfy the desires of your eyes? Reading books, watching TV, spectating at sport, looking at people, looking at films and DVDs, gazing at the computer screen simply with the aim of satisfying your eyes? That is worldliness. Any professed Christian who lives for what he can see is being worldly. Are you worldly? Or are you in danger of being worldly?
Boasting about what he has and does
Boasting about what he has and does
Or, more literally, the pride of life. Another characteristic of the world is pride in self. Again it comes out in different ways in different people. With some it’s just a cocksureness that they will live for many years to come, that they're bound to be going to heaven, that they're among the people who count, the people who matter. There is an arrogance, a self-sufficiency, a self-confidence that is both what attracts people to the world and what makes it such an insult to God. People have spoken of pride of face, pace, place, race and grace – ie being proud of your good looks, of your skills in sport or something else, of where you come from or of your race, or even of your religion. Pride is characteristic of the world – if is not one thing, it is another. There are proud atheists but there are also proud professing Christians. There are proud white men and proud black men, people proud of their looks, people proud of their books. It is all worldliness. Any professed Christian who depends on himself is being worldly. Are you worldly? Or are you in danger of being worldly?
10 comments:
I do not agree with your definition of "worldliness" and sadly it will lead many to conclude that they lead worldly lives when they do not. To equate sinfulness with worldliness, which is what you effectively end up doing is very unhelpful.
There are many healthy pursuits which are unfortunately caught by your definition. For instance a person may enjoy listening to classical music and after the din of the day, this may be a necessary refuge to maintain a sound mind. There is nothing inherently sinful in this or in the love of some of the the visual arts.
Even over-indulgence in what are otherwise healthy pursuits, though it may be a sin, I would be reluctant to class as necessarily "worldly".
What John means by the world in the context of worldliness is surely the "world system" which is at enmity with God - anything therefore spawned by this system which bears its image viz. enmity to God, the Christian must have no part of. Viewing it this way, we may be able to produce guidelines to govern our past-times etc. which your definition does not allow.
Thanks for taking time to respond. You seem to think I'm too strict. My fear was that I was too lenient. Where do I equate sinfulness with worldliness? I agree with your second pargraph but I'm not sure about your third. As for the fourth, I'm not sure where we differ there. anyway it's good to think these things through.
Perhaps I can help focus on the differences.. the cravings of the sinful nature, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life are descriptive of all sins, not just worldliness. I suggest that your approach to worldliness is too general and not specific enough to be of help in distinguishing worldliness from all other sins.
The difference is not strictness versus leniency, it is between being specific and too general.
There is a great deal in the world which is innocent and healthy, and by your definition if it is attractive to the flesh, or the eyes or may lead to pride then it is worldly! That is plain wrong.
What the definition that I am providing does if specify that it is those things born of the enmity that the World has to God and the things of God which makes them "worldly" and therefore wrong for Christians.
I hope that this clarifies my point.
As you say, it is good to think things through!
BTW. Like your "puritan" sites. Keep up the good work!
Thanks again. That clarifies. You say that I'm saying that 'if something is attractive to the flesh, or the eyes or may lead to pride then it is worldly!' Now I agree with you that is 'plain wrong' but I don't think that was quite what I said. I can see the logical problem you're highlighting, however, and perhaps I need to look again.
Think the misunderstanding may be in this sentence?
"Reading books, watching TV, spectating at sport, looking at people, looking at films and DVDs, gazing at the computer screen simply with the aim of satisfying your eyes? That is worldliness."
It sounds as though you are defining reading books as worldliness, though I know that's not what was intended.
Thanks for picking that out Tom. Intention is an important part of it. Self-indulgence is a form of worldliness. One could read a Christian book in a worldly way.
Quote: "Self-indulgence is a form of worldliness". I disagree again. Self indulgence is a sin, but not the sin of worldliness. Glutonny is self indulgence, but it is not worldliness!! The 2 sins are distinct. It is the distinction that I am interested in and your definition offers no help here.
To pick up the point from James - ".. know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God" - That is worldliness!!
It's difficult to pin down a definition like this. The word isn't actually used in the Bible, though 'Worldly' must describe things which are indicators of worldliness.
Some passages which may be useful in defining it better:
"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" (Titus 2v11-12)
"So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" (2 Cor 5 v16-17)
"When I planned this, did I do it lightly? Or do I make my plans in a worldly manner so that in the same breath I say, "Yes, yes" and "No, no"" (2 Cor 1 v 17)
"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 3v3)
Hope this is of some use here.
I did mention some other texts when I preached including Rom 12:2 and James 4:4. Another that comes to mind is 1 Cor 7:31 those who use the things of the world, as if not engrossed in them. For this world in its present form is passing away.
I can see why my anonymous friend doesn't want to identify gluttony and worldliness but what does James mean exactly then?
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