'Worldliness' - Define it please.

You are on the right track - it is primarily a heart issue, but it often manifests itself externally (though not always). The question is where is our affection? Is it on Christ and pleasing Him, or is it somewhere else?

 

Colossians 3:2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

 

I believe Jesus gives us in Matt 6:19-34 gives us a very good example of the difference between worldiness and Godlines.

And yes according to verse 21 he explains that the heart is the source of our affections.

The best definition I can gleen from Scriptures for worldiness.......is anything and everything we have in our lives that takes higher presedence than God is worldiness.

And yes Andy I believe all are external manifestations protray where out heart lays.


When I was working as what you might call youth pastor....I used a little illustration...If you want joy in your life follow the letters in this word.

J--Jesus
O--others
Y--you

I personally believe if we just get this set prioity set in our minds and follow it in all that transpires in our lives, God will got all the honor and glory from our lives.

 

Worldliness??? I think about ole Demas who followed Paul---but then there came a day when . . . and Paul says, "Demas hath left me having loved this present world."

The neon lights were a little too bright for our pal, Demas!!!

 

Titus 2:12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;

 

"Worldliness" i an inner condition that may or may not be evident to the general public. Jesus' teaching in the Sermon on the Mount offers so much insight here, especially the "you have heard...but I say" teachings. He was talking to many who had a form of righteousness (fasting, praying, tithing pharisees), but whose inner motivation was self, not God.

tfisher1, I think "worldly" is so much deeper than someone's pet sin (or pet dislike).
"Worldliness" is when we, as aliens to this culture, begin to think of ourselves as natives here, instead of ambassadors for Christ (1 Peter 2:9-12).

Unfortunately, some folks use "worldliness" as a cop-out to describe something that doesn't suit their tastes or preferences. We should be careful to assign the "sin" label to things that are sin, but if it's a matter of taste or preference, to keep it in that realm.

Just my $0.0005 (after taxes).

 

My goodness, we are ALL worldily to some extent. Worldliness is simply allowing the influence of what the world offers into your everyday life. Lord knows I love those TV shows "24" and 'Battlestar Gallactica". I also have a big screen TV with a DVD player to rent those movies that I like, like "Walk the Line", which I just saw last week.

So we are all influenced by the things of this world, unless of course we go live in a cave in the Ozarks, which I don't think to many of us will wish to do.The question is, do our worldily pleasures outweigh our spiritual time? If it does then their truly is an unbalance.

 

So, as long as the good outweighs the bad, you're safe. Right Ron?

 

arkie, excellent answer.

I know it's excellent, because that's exactly what I would say.

 

Aaron

Whether we want to admit it or not, what you say is true.

 

and get ready...you'll get A BUNCH of different answers here!

To some, hair touching a guy's ear or collar, or jeans on a Sunday morning is sin. Others' view and focuses more on not causing others to stumble (i.e., suggestive clothing causing one struggling with lust to stumble). Still others would say that short of provocative or blasphemous/vulgar messages, clothes are up to the wearer.

I guess I look at the heart mattering the most. If I'm wearing something or doing something to "stick it to the legalists," then my heart's not right. Vindictiveness is worldly. But if I'm going over someone with a microscope, looking for "worldliness" so I can blast them, then I'm being legalistic and pharasaical...and that's worldly as well.

What we do, we should do with humility, and as unto the Lord.

And, one of the reasons I am Baptist is because of local church autonomy. I firmly believe in some of the stuff our church does (a contemporary approach to one worship service, cutting edge to another, and traditional to yet another, for example), is viewed as terrible by some on this board. Fine. I've prayed about it, and I'm good with what God is using in our congregation...I'm sure that others that differ with me on some of the "minor stuff" are going to faithfully serve God in their church, whose ideas differ.

 

Scripturally speaking, worldliness is something pertaining to the temporal world that impedes or interferes with one's view of God.

However, worldliness is typically defined by Christians as "anything secular that I don't approve of".

Discerning worldliness is a double-edged sword. Scripture does not, for the most part, define what is worldly, and indeed, what constitutes as worldly may change depending on circumstance or condition. Someting may be worldly for one person at a specific point in time, and might not be worldly for another person at another point in time. We as discerning Christians need to be very careful identifying what is worldly, and need to likewise be careful not to overlook something that is worldly.

 

I could agree with your first statement, but not the other two.

Anything "secualr" is definitely worldly as it detracts from the things of God and emphasises the activities of the world.

It's the "association game": the deviant behavious pattern is established, those activities associated with that behaviour are worldly. Note that all deviants do participate in some good activities, but when the majority of the participates are deviant, then mark it down: it's WORLDLY!

 

I see what you mean, but simply being secular does not equate to being worldly, at least not in the sense that they detract from God.

My choice of cookware when I made breakfast this morning was secular. My choice of which car I drive is secular. My choice in which brand of toilet paper I use is secular. My choice on whether to pay with a ten dollar bill, or a five and five ones, or use a debit card, is secular. None of those things detracts from God.

[ March 16, 2006, 02:30 PM: Message edited by: Johnv ]

 

Hellivision, Hell's Box office

 

I consider it worldliness when Christians believe that a style of dress or music used by Christians in a temporal culture in the past is the standard by which we judge Christians in the present. 50 years from now, clothing and music styles used by Christians will be different from those used today. That is not in any way an indication of their spiritual relationship with God.

Worldliness raises cultural norms (past or present) above what God desires of the heart.