CHRISTIANITY AND THE WORLD
[1 John:2:15-17 [15] 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. [16] For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the 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 for ever. ]; [Romans:12:1-2 [1] I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. [2] And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. ]; [2 Corinthians:6:14-18 [14] Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? [15] And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? [16] And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. [17] Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, 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. ]; [Deuteronomy:7:1-6 [1] When the LORD thy God shall bring thee into the land whither thou goest to possess it, and hath cast out many nations before thee, the Hittites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and mightier than thou; [2] And when the LORD thy God shall deliver them before thee; thou shalt smite them, and utterly destroy them; thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor shew mercy unto them: [3] Neither shalt thou make marriages with them; thy daughter thou shalt not give unto his son, nor his daughter shalt thou take unto thy son. [4] For they will turn away thy son from following me, that they may serve other gods: so will the anger of the LORD be kindled against you, and destroy thee suddenly. [5] But thus shall ye deal with them; ye shall destroy their altars, and break down their images, and cut down their groves, and burn their graven images with fire. [6] For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth. ]; [Isaiah:3:16-24 [16] Moreover the LORD saith, Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with stretched forth necks and wanton eyes, walking and mincing as they go, and making a tinkling with their feet: [17] Therefore the LORD will smite with a scab the crown of the head of the daughters of Zion, and the LORD will discover their secret parts. [18] In that day the Lord will take away the bravery of their tinkling ornaments about their feet, and their cauls, and their round tires like the moon, [19] The chains, and the bracelets, and the mufflers, [20] The bonnets, and the ornaments of the legs, and the headbands, and the tablets, and the earrings, [21] The rings, and nose jewels, [22] The changeable suits of apparel, and the mantles, and the wimples, and the crisping pins, [23] The glasses, and the fine linen, and the hoods, and the vails. [24] And it shall come to pass, that instead of sweet smell there shall be stink; and instead of a girdle a rent; and instead of well set hair baldness; and instead of a stomacher a girding of sackcloth; and burning instead of beauty. ]; [Ephesians:5:11-13 [11] And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. [12] For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret. [13] But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light. ]; [Isaiah:28:15-18 [15] Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves: [16] Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste. [17] Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place. [18] And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it. ]; [Colossians:3:14-17 [14] And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. [15] And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. [16] Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. [17] And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him. ].
“Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world” (1 John 2:15).
Introduction
Jesus wants His followers to be a happy people. When He closed His last conversation with His Apostles before He was crucified, He said: “These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full” [John:15:11These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.
]). He was giving them something that would fill them with joy.
Salvation from sin, and the deeper spiritual experiences, bring great joy into our lives: but we are still human beings and we need companionship and recreation to keep us happy while we live here on earth.
A Christian must pay attention to the kind of friends he chooses. He should want to do what is right and not be enticed into sinful pleasure. The Psalmist wrote: “I am a companion of all them that fear thee” [Psalms:119:63I am a companion of all them that fear thee, and of them that keep thy precepts. ]). God said: “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” [James:4:4Ye 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. ]). So we see the importance of choosing our friends from among those who love the Lord.
Item 1: a) Who is a Christian? [John:1:12But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: ]; [Romans:8:14For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. ]; [2 Corinthians:5:17Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. ]; [1 John:3:9Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. ].
b) What is the world? All systems, all peoples, all spirits that are opposed to, or contradict the Law of God and the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the world. [1 John:2:16For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. ]. Why should a Christian be separate from the world? [2 Corinthians:6:14-18 [14] Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? [15] And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? [16] And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. [17] Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, 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. ]; [James:4:4Ye 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. ]; [1 John:2:15Love 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:2:17And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever. ].
Item 2: What kind of friends should a Christian keep? [Psalms:119:63I am a companion of all them that fear thee, and of them that keep thy precepts. ]; [Malachi:3:16Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name. ]; [Psalms:1:1-2 [1] Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. [2] But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. ]; [Proverbs:1:10My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not. ]; [Ephesians:5:11And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. ].
Item 3: What are the popular amusements that a child of God should not engage in? The theater, film houses, reading books that portray carnality and sensuality, pornography, visiting bad sites on the internet, partying, smoking, drinking alcohol, competitive games, homosexuality, etc. [Galatians:5:19-21 [19] Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, [20] Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, [21] Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. ]; [2 Timothy:3:3-5 [3] Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, [4] Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; [5] Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. ]; [Proverbs:21:17He that loveth pleasure shall be a poor man: he that loveth wine and oil shall not be rich. ]; [Proverbs:23:5Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven. ], [Proverbs:23:31-35 [31] Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. [32] At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder. [33] Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things. [34] Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast. [35] They have stricken me, shalt thou say, and I was not sick; they have beaten me, and I felt it not: when shall I awake? I will seek it yet again. ]; [1 Corinthians:6:12All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. ]
Item 4: a) What does the Bible say about the love of money? [1 Timothy:6:10For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. ].
b) Who is going to see God? The pure in heart. [Matthew:5:8Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. ]; [Hebrews:12:14Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: ].
Conclusion:
Many people in the world are not reading the Bible. They are watching the man or woman, boy or girl, who says he is a Christian. Are you an adornment to the Gospel of Jesus Christ? Would someone watching you be attracted by your purity and wholesomeness? Or do you try to mingle with the world and do as they do, so as not to be different? “Be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” [Romans:12:2And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
]).
If our hearts are set on making Heaven our home, it means we are not seeking after the pleasures of the world. We will be far too busy purifying ourselves in order to be the Bride of Christ.
Challenge: Have you received the three Christian experiences? Are you keeping yourself unpolluted from the world?
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