Changed by His Love
1 John 2:15: Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
Worldliness is not so much a matter of activity as of attitude. It is possible for a Christian to stay away from questionable amusements and doubtful places and still love the world, for worldliness is a matter of the heart. To the extent that a Christian loves the world system and the things in it, he does not love the Father. Worldliness not only affects your response to the love of God; it also affects your response to the will of God.
Doing the will of God is a joy for those living in the love of God. “If ye love Me, keep My commandments.”
But when a believer loses his enjoyment of the Father’s love, he finds it hard to obey the Father’s will. When you put these two factors together, you have a practical definition of worldliness: anything in a Christian’s life that causes him to lose his enjoyment of the Father’s love or his desire to do the Father’s will is worldly and must be avoided. 1
Loving Him
How do you know if you have too much of this world and not enough of Jesus? Examine your passions. How passionate are you for the Word of God and the Spirit of God and the will of God? Are you more passionate about a sports game than a worship service? Hard questions and truthful answers can be the beginning of a new outpouring of His love upon your life.
For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ. Galatians 1:10
Loving Others
To be worldly is to love God less and to love the world more.
Make Me Like You
Lord, please keep my heart from embracing this world, instead of embracing You alone.
1. Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
