Worldliness
The horrific spiritual cancer called worldliness is a mindset which is focused upon sensual, earthly things. This deadly poison pollutes everything it touches and kills everyone who embraces it. The inspired penman James is quite plain about how dangerous worldliness is. He minces no words in explaining how completely incompatible it is in someone desiring to be genuinely righteous. He writes:
"Ye adulterers and adulteresses, 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. Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, 'The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy'? But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, 'God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble'" (James 4:4-6, KJV).
These words identify five gruesome truths about this ungodly mindset when it has metastasized in one of God's children.
Worldliness is spiritual adultery. A Christian is a member of Christ's bride, the church. Essential to a godly marriage is an exclusive love and devotion for one's mate. To divide your love and loyalty between Christ and the world is to be a spiritual adulterer.
Worldliness is spiritual treason. A Christian is a member of Christ's army, the church. Integral to your enlistment is an oath of loyalty. To have divided loyalties between Christ and the world is to be a traitor. You cannot serve God and Mammon (Matthew 6:24).
Worldliness is a repudiation of the Scriptures. At no place in God's Word will you ever find God's approval of living for the here and now. It is unauthorized; thus, it is sinful. In addition, worldliness is an implicit repudiation of belief that God is and He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Regardless of what your lips may say about God, your life is being lived as an atheist. Therefore, righteousness and worldliness cannot peacefully and acceptably co-exist in a Christian's heart. To believe in God is to repudiate worldliness; to embrace worldliness is to repudiate God and His word. There is no middle ground.
Worldliness is a perversion of the spiritual. Humans are immortal spirit-beings living in a temporary physical body. To use the spiritual capabilities you possess to pursue fleeting material things instead of the eternal God and His righteousness is perversion of the highest rank. You should use the abilities God gave you to think, feel, reason, love, and plan for spiritual advancement.
Worldliness is sin against God's grace. The purpose of God's grace is to eliminate sin in your life (Romans 6:1-2). To "deny ungodliness and worldly lusts" (Titus 2:11-12) does not mean to indulge, pamper, or satisfy them. To "abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul" (1 Peter 2:11) does not authorize worldliness in any way. To view God's grace as permission for carnal thinking and worldly living is an egregious sin. God categorically condemns it (Jude 4).
Just as it is impossible to be both hot and cold spiritually, it is equally impossible to be both holy and worldly. No one can travel on the broad way to destruction while walking on the narrow way to life. Those who have been raised to walk in newness of life in Christ are to seek those things which are above, where Christ sits on the right hand of God. Our affections are to be set on things above, not on things on the earth (Colossians 3:1-2). Worldliness which manifests itself in loving the world (1 John 2:15), being friends with the world (James 4:4), and/or being conformed to this world (Romans 12:2) are all sinful.
—from the Christian Messenger (March 16, 2023), Alggod, Tennessee