Worldliness

Ok... Fun topic right? Well actually I am gonna be taking somethings out of book that I got from a library just tonight. That book?
Worldliness
Resisting the seduction of a fallen world.
Edited by C. J. Mahaney
(btw, I'm not gonna directly quote from the book, because I'm not sure if thats legal and I don't want to get into any more trouble :P)

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 KJV)

So what does it mean to not love the world? Well obviously this doesn't mean you are not to love anything in the physical *world*. (see my previous post about love, or just read the Bible)

The world, in the Bible, often refers to sin, sinful behaviors, all that good stuff. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. So how do we tell if we are loving the world? (you can figure that out... I hope...)

Now we will look at a few places that people commonly fall into loving the world, sometimes without realizing it.


I'm gonna do one every day (that I'm not gone) because I can't read the whole book tonight... xP
1. Media

Media is everywhere. If you don't admit this then you either live by yourself in a hole in the ground with a million cans of baked beans, or your a zombie... Just saying... So, let's look at TV. According to pastor Kent Hughes:

Today the all pervasive glow of the TV is the single most potent influence and control in Western culture. Television has greater power over the lives of most Americans then any educational system, government, or church.

This isn't very good, seeing as most the stuff people watch on there isn't Popeye... Maybe it isn't all REALLY. bad but it does push the creator's own world view, wether you realize it or not.
It isn't bad to watch some TV, movies, a morning talk show. You just gotta watch with discernment. If it isn't glorifying to God, it at least requires further investigation.

Watching with immunity:

Some Christians think, well sure I'm watching a murder, but that doesn't mean I'm gonna go shoot someone... They figure that they are immune. Maybe you won't murder someone, but I hope you have higher expectation for your life then just not deserving capital punishment... The drift toward worldliness is subtle, gradual, an internal. Assuming that you are immune is a sure sigh that the drift has begun.

96% people surveyed in a recent poll claim that they watch less TV then the average. Umm, maybe it's just me, but 4% is not a majority...

Living in front of God:

God watches when ever you do anything. If you are surfing the web, watching TV, or just talking with some friends, God is right there watching. If we truly fear God shouldn't we be careful what we do, say, think, watch, or listen to?

Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour. But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. 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. (Ephesians 5:1-16 KJV)

Does this mean we should flee all media? NO! There is LOTS of great types of media and God glorifying programs, movies, and the like. Just before you watch something next, ask yourself, "is this really something I should be seeing?"

IMPORTANT NOTE
Just because some of your Christian buddies are doing something, that doesn't make it good to do. We are all men and make mistakes. The only person we should follow with no question is Jesus.