Study 28 – Escaping Worldliness

Jesus was the most unworldly person who ever lived on earth. Did He withdraw from society? No. His mission was to reach people and He could do that only if He mixed with them. 'You are the light of the world,' He told us. Our goal is to shine 'before men' not to escape from them (Matt. 5:14-16).

Deliverance through the Cross. The world offers only short-term success so it is pointless to put any hope in it. Paul's boast was not in outward worldly things; it was in the cross. God wants us to have the same attitude. The world crucified Jesus and the cross strikes a death blow to all our earthly aspirations. By taking up our cross (Luke 9:23) we are saying to God, 'I'm laying down my life for you.'

Deliverance through the renewing of our minds. Satan lies to the world, offering its inhabitants an increasing number of physical pleasures. Jesus, who is the truth (John 14:6), wants us to turn away from worldly thinking and be sanctified by the truth (John 17:17). We must reject worldly thought patterns and live according to His Word.

Deliverance comes through doing everything for God. God does not want to relate to us through external laws but through a relationship with Him as our loving heavenly Father.

So what do we do when we want to know whether we should go to the cinema on Sundays or play sport on Good Friday? We look at our motivation and then ask ourselves, 'Can I thank God for this? Is the peace of Christ ruling in my heart?' (Col. 3:15).

His Spirit will tell us what He wants us to do.

Deliverance through remembering it's a passing age. The Bible tells us that 'this world in its present form is passing away' (1 Cor. 7:31b) and that the 'night is nearly over; the day is almost here' (Rom. 13:12). The night began when Adam sinned and all mankind fell with him.

But now day is breaking into the darkness. Sinners will continue to live as if this world will never come to an end. It is senseless and out of character for sons of light to follow suit. Those who are righteous in Christ and who really do belong to an everlasting kingdom must 'put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armour of light' (Rom. 13:12).

To Meditate On

Jesus wants you to love Him more than anything or anyone else.

'The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life' (John 12:25).

Food For Thought

READ Matthew 5:3-10 and write down:

1. the sort of people who receive God's blessing
2. the names of two Bible characters (other than Jesus) who exemplified that characteristic.

Be Inspired

In our day, especially, the only hope for authentic Christianity is a community of believers so radically committed to Jesus and to each other that it is willing to be countercultural at the point of the world's idolatries and adulteries.
Howard Snyder

To Apply

READ Romans 13:13.
What six deeds of darkness must we cast off?

READ Colossians 3:12-14.
What eight pieces of the armour of light must we put on?

May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world (Gal. 6:14).

For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving' (1 Tim. 4:4).