Epikos Church

Worldliness

“Today, the greatest challenge facing American evangelicals is not persecution from the world, but seduction by the world” – C.J. Mahaney

1John 2: ¹⁵Do not love the world or anything in the world…”

The verse above is a verse I find difficult to make applicable to my life.  What does John mean by ANYTHING?  Why is this verse all encompassing?  What is meant by love?  Why do I find this verse difficult to apply to my life?

Before moving any further I hope that this blog is not read through the lenses of legalism or is applied as someone trying to tell you how to live out your Christian life.  My hope for my brothers and sisters (as well as myself) is that through the study of Biblical texts we are further conformed to the image of Christ. 

I also want you to know that I personally enjoy playing video games, I enjoy watching a good football game, I enjoy a good beer, and I love the company of my wife.  So what did John mean when he said, “Do not love the world or anything in the world.”?  Is there need for me to repent of the enjoyment I find while watching a Packer game (as long as they’re winning) or kissing my wife?

To begin, let’s go back to creation.  Genesis chapter 1 concludes with “God saw all that he had made, and it was very good…”  We can see that prior to Adam’s rebellion against God (Genesis 3:6-7) ALL was not only good, but VERY good.  As Christians we have the God-given ability to look at the created order and know we are meant to enjoy it.  What stains our ability to truly enjoy creation in a God-ordained way? We are born in sin. From the cradle to the grave we are living in a fallen world. Here is where we need to examine ourselves and find a way to apply 1John 2:15 to our Christian walk.

In Romans 8 Paul explains that “20…the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 20that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.” Mankind’s fall into sin was not the only effect of Adam’s rebellion.  All of the created order was subjected to sin.  Now instead of the ability to enjoy food we have gluttony, instead of being able to enjoy a day in the sun, many of us need sunscreen or we’ll cook like an egg on a skillet. 

But Romans 8:20 also states that God was “the one who subjected it, in hope..”.    Here is where I’d like to take the opportunity to take C.J. Mahaney’s definition of  the “world” in 1John 2:15.  “The world we’re not to love is the organized system of human civilization that is actively hostile to God and alienated from God.”  Armed with C.J.’s definition we should be able to turn our focus from a view of “Are you telling me I can’t do (fill in the blank); to “When I’m doing (fill in the blank) am I able take hope that one day Christ’s Kingdom will empirically reign over all things”. Now we need to find ways to enjoy creation in a way that is Christ-centered and glorifying to Him.

Our Pastor as well as the Apostle Paul (2Corinthians 13:5) has commanded us to take opportunities to “examine yourselves”.  Take the passages quoted in this blog and examine yourselves.  Right now walk through your daily, weekly, and monthly practices and examine them.  Ask yourself “what can I do to make the best of my time, finances, relationships, etc.”  Ask yourself if you are using God’s creation as a means to reflect the One who saved us, or are you falling in love with the “world”.  As you are going through your daily lives are your practices helping you progress in holiness, or furthering your love for the world?

I want to end this blog with one warning as well as how we can take hope amidst the seduction of the world. 

The warning comes from the Biblical character Demas.  As you read through Colossians and Philemon you’ll see Demas mentioned among Paul’s friends.  We can assume that Demas was a minister of the gospel and possibly even endured persecution while defending the gospel.  Yet in Paul’s last epistle he writes 2Timothy 4:9 Do your best to come to me quickly, 10for Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me…”.  Demas deserted Paul because he lost focus of Christ’s mission and fell in love with the world. 

Our hope comes from our Savior.  Jesus says in John 10 “27My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. 29My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. 30I and the Father are one.”  Although we need to be aware of the world’s seduction, we need not fear that we will be overtaken.  We are safely held in the hand of Jesus; the One who effortlessly holds the everything together and died so we may be pure despite of our depravity (Hebrew 1:1-3).  Jesus also said on the night he was betrayed “…In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33). 

As we pray on how to apply 1John 2:15, look unto Jesus the author and perfecter of our faith, and know that he didn’t come make us live a miserable life, but he came for the joy set before Him.  He came to provide eternal life to His Bride the church, and Epikos is a local expression of Christ’s bride and kingdom.

Hebrews 12:1Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. 2Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, December 8th, 2009 at 2:22 pm and is filed under Theology. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.