WORLDLINESS, A DEADLY HINDRANCE TO ULTIMATE BREAKTHROUGH! (Rvsd)

Separation from the world, and separation to God is the first principle of Christian living and the eight component of holiness.

2 Corinthians 6:14-18 says, “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness? …17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, 18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be My sons and daughters,” saith the Lord Almighty.

Listen to the sad words of Paul concerning one of the young men who travelled with him: "...Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world."

The Bible says, “Love not the world (world system), neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh (that includes eating and drinking and sleeping and wearing clothes or whatever your body desires to do), the lust of the eyes (that includes the desire of anything you want to buy or possess, good, bad, or indifferent), the pride of life (the vainglory of life, the fighting for station, for promotion, for advancement), is not of your Father, but is of the world. 17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever” (1 Jn. 2:15-17).

James 4:4 says, “Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world (world system) is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.”

Many Christians do not receive their breakthroughs because they refuse to separate themselves from the world. They refuse to do away with worldliness in their lives. They have accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour alright, but they are still very much in love with this world. They still do things like the people of the world. They don’t understand that friendship with the world is enmity with God (Jam. 4:4).

So today, we are going to look at - “WORLDLINESS, A DEADLY HINDRANCE TO ULTIMATE BREAKTHROUGH!”

In a world of changing values and fashions, all the believers are expected to live a life of non-conformity to the world. But what do we see instead? In the church of today:

We can no longer differentiate a church from a social gathering, and all what we do in church is just to have fun.

We cannot differentiate a chorister from a harlot, and an usher is not different from a waiter.

The worship session is just like a disco night party, and we cannot differentiate a pastor from a comedian.

Pastors divorce and remarry. Pastors have mistresses outside. Pastors are no longer different from native doctors.

Salvation or holiness messages are no longer the order of the day but prosperity and entertainment (inspiring) messages are now the core course.

Falling down has become the evidence of the anointing and not transformed lives.

Prayer warriors go to tongue-speaking schools for utterances; deliverance and healing sessions are now courses to be taught.

The church of God is now an exhibition ground for the latest designer jackets and hats. And those new converts can no longer come to church for the fear of feeling inferior.

Fund raising is now disguised and referred to as revival.

There are really no remarkable differences between the church and the world any more.

Here is the truth: The ultimate breakthrough is entering Heaven at last. And to make it to Heaven in the life to come, you MUST get rid of worldliness in this present life on earth.

As a believer, you are not to be attached to the things of the world. “Those who use the things of this world should not be attached to them. For this world will soon pass away” (1 Cor. 7:31; 1 Jn. 2:16-17).

As a believer, you are to be free from the things of this life. The Bible says, “Be free from the concerns of this life” (1 Cor. 7:32).

As a believer, you are in the world but not of the world. In John 15:18-19 Jesus said, “If the world hate you, ye know that it hated Me before it hated you. 19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.”

In John 17:14 Jesus said, “I have given them thy Word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.”

The believer who has made Heaven his/her goal must steer clear from worldliness in its various forms and shapes.

1. What is the world? The “world” is an organized system, which is governed from behind the scene by the prince of this world, Satan.

Before the Fall of man the world existed only in the sense of the earth (Gen. 1:1), the people of the earth and the things on the earth. As at then there was no ‘world,’ in the sense of a constituted order. But with the Fall in Genesis 3, Satan brought on to this earth the order that he himself conceived, and with that the world system which is totally contrary to the will of God began.

Originally our physical earth had no connection with “the world” in the sense of a satanic system. Satan simply took advantage of man’s sin, and of the door this threw open to him, to introduce into the earth the organization which he had set himself to establish. From that point on this earth was in the “world,” and man was in the world.

So, we may say that before the Fall, there was an earth, but after the Fall, there was a world.

In other words, we have two worlds. On the one hand there is the world in Adam, held fast in bondage to Satan. On the other hand, there is the new creation in Christ, the sphere of activity of God’s Holy Spirit.

The system of this world is satanic. 1 John 5:19 says, “The whole world lieth in the evil one.”

The world system has shown itself to be hostile to God. The world knew not God (1 Cor. 1:21), hated Jesus Christ (Jn. 15:18), and cannot receive the Spirit of Truth (Jn. 14:17). Its works are evil (Jn. 7:7), and the friendship of the world is enmity with God (Jam. 4:4). Hence Jesus said, “My Kingdom is not of this world” (Jn. 18:36). He has overcome the world (Jn. 16:33), and the victory that overcometh the world is our faith (1 Jn. 5:4).

Today, the world has not only advanced to the very door of the church but has entered the church, and is virtually controlling everything in the church. It has drawn many of the saints into its grasp, both the clergy and the laity.

There is a spiritual force behind the world system which, by means of “the things that are in the world” seeks to catch and draw people into its system.

2. What then is Worldliness? Worldliness is doing things according to the pattern of this world. It is doing things like the people of the world (the unbelievers).

Worldliness is anything that connects you to the world. I mean anything that makes you look like the people of the world.

Once you are worldly by any measure, you have declared yourself an enemy of God – you cannot enter Heaven.

For instance, if you must have a new car every year in order to keep up with the style, that is worldliness, pure and simple. If you need the car in your business for some reason, and you are quite honest with yourself about it, that is another matter entirely. If you trade in your car each year just to be in style, you are worldly.

Again, if you wear a new dress in church in order to attract attention to yourself, that is worldliness! On the other hand, if you wear a dowdy, out-of-style dress to church in order to be thought spiritual, that is worldliness, too. The dress, you see, has nothing to do with it. It is the attitude of the heart, the motive behind the act, that constitutes worldliness.

If you are hurt because people did not notice you in church or in a particular occasion, that is worldliness. If a TV program conflicts with something that you know the Lord wants you to do---your attendance at church or prayer meeting, or to help your neighbor---that is worldliness. You have chosen that in place of the Lord's will. Anything you choose in place of God’s will is worldliness. This is why God is totally against worldliness – it is idolatry.

3. How do the people of this world do things? They do things not according to the Word of God or the dictates of the Holy Spirit (Rom. 8:1-2; Matt. 6:33).

4. What are the warnings against worldliness?

a) God commands all His children not to love the world (1 Jn. 2:12-15; Rom. 12:1-2; Ex. 23:2; Jer. 10:1-2; Col. 3:1-2; 1 Tim. 5:6).

b) The lust of the flesh is of the world (1 Jn. 2:16-17; Matt. 5:27-30; Rom. 13:14; 1 Cor. 10:6-11; Prov. 23:29-35; Tit. 2:11-14; 1 Pet. 2:11-12; Jude 16-18; 1 Cor. 9:25-27).

c) The lust of the eyes is of the world (1 Jn. 2:16-17; Gen. 3:6, 13:10; Josh. 7:21; Ps. 119:37; Lk. 4:5-8; Prov. 4:25-27).

d) The pride of life is of the world (1 Jn. 2:15-17; Ezek. 28:12-17; Acts 12:20-23; Isa. 3:16-24; 1 Pet. 3:3-5; Prov. 16:18).

5. What is the corrupting influence of worldliness?

a) Worldly conversation – manner of life (Eph. 5:3-4; Jam. 1:26; Prov. 5:3-8, 9:13; Prov. 10:19, 11:13; Prov. 12:22; 18:6-7; 22:14; 26:4, 18-19; 1 Pet. 3:10-12; Col. 4:6; Tit. 3:2).

b) Worldly cares and day-dreaming (Prov. 24:9; Mic. 2:1; 2 Cor. 7:10; Matt. 6:24-34; Col. 3:2; Mk. 4:18-19; Lk. 8:14; 2 Tim. 2:4; Matt. 24:38-39; Eccl. 5:10-15; Lk. 21:34; Prov. 23:5).

c) Worldly pursuits and ambitions (1 Sam. 8:19-20; 2 Ki. 17:15; 1 Tim. 6:6-10).

d) Worldly dressing and adornment (Gen. 3:21; Deut. 22:5; Prov. 31:30; 1 Tim. 2:9-10; 1 Pet. 3:3-4; 1 Cor. 11:4-10; 1 Tim. 5:6; Rom. 12:1-2; Ex. 23:2).

The Word of God teaches Christians not to dress like the people of the world, but to dress as becometh the children of God – not in an extreme manner but rather in a balanced way.

A good personal appearance characterized by cleanliness is all a believer needs. At all times and in all places decency and modesty of dress should be our basic standard.

In 1 Peter 3 Apostle Paul sets “the outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing jewels of gold or of putting on of apparel” in contrast with the incorruptible apparel of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price. In order words, this practice is corrupt before God. Paul is implying that behind these matters of the wearing of apparel, jewelry, and make-ups, there is a power at work for its own ends. Do not allow that power to grip you.

6. What should be the Christian attitude to worldly amusements?

a) The Christian should be separate and distinct from those whose affections and desires are worldly (Ps. 73:25; Rom. 12:1-2; Titus 2:6-12; Jn. 15:19; 17:14-16; Col. 3:1-2; Lk. 14:26, 33; Mk. 10:17-30).

b) Carnal festivities are an abomination to the LORD (1 Cor. 10:7; Rom. 1:32; 1 Pet. 4:3-4; Gal. 5:19-21; Lk. 15:13).

c) Christians are to please God and not men. Christians are to live lives that help and not hinder their brethren (1 Cor. 10:23-24, 31-33).

d) Christians are to shun worldly pleasures and amusements (1 Jn. 2:15-17; 1 Tim. 5:6; Rom. 12:1-2; Num. 33:51-56; Titus 2:12; Col. 3:16).

Worldly dressing, worldly music, worldly dancing, parties, film shows, drinking, smoking, entertaining people with alcohol are not consistent with Christian living.

Do not forget this: a worldly Christian is a useless Christian. He is of no value to the world and no good to God. No man can serve two masters! Once you are worldly by any measure, you have declared yourself an enemy of God. And nothing worldly will enter Heaven.

James 4:4 says, “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.”

Conclusion: Without separating yourself from the world, you can never remain holy, and without holiness you cannot see the LORD (Heb. 12:14). The choice is yours!

Watch out for the Next edition of the Good News from the Pulpit.

• Your friend I. I. MADUBUNYI (Senior Pastor)                           12^th Mar., 2017