"These things I
command you, that ye love one another. If the world hate you, ye know that
it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would
love his own; but because ye were not of the world, but I have chosen you
out of the world, therefore the world hated you. Remember the word that I
said unto you, The servant is not greater than his Lord. If they have
persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying,
they will keep yours also."--- John 15:17-20.
The word "worldliness"
means to conform to, or to be alike unto the world. God's people have
always been troubled by trying to be like the people of the world.
Remember Israel wanted to be like other nations. They took of some of the
other nations' ways and forms of worship and backslid from God. God had
let many things come upon them to cause them to repent and turn from their
evil ways. They also wanted them a king in person of Saul, who later
disobeyed God, and forsook him. God commands strict obedience to His Word.
The Word of God says in Psa 106:15---"And he gave them their request;
but sent leanness to their soul." The moment any person or group of
people starts compromising, taking ways and fashions of the world to be
like them, "leanness in the soul" will be the result. Praise
God, there are a few people yet who will dare not not to compromise with
the world and who are still holding up the pure unadulterated truth of God
to this lost, sin-cursed world.
When we are born again we become
citizens of a heavenly, spiritual kingdom. Jesus said, "My kingdom is
not of the world"--- John 18:36.We are strangers and pilgrims in this
world--- Hebrews 11:13, 1 Pet 2:11. We have been translated out of the
kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of His dear Son---1John 1:13.We are a
new creation---2 Cor 5:17. No one but a "new man" will ever see
the new heavens and the new earth. We become son's of God---1John 3:1-2.
We are son's of God amidst a crooked and perverse nation---Phil 2:15,17.
We are crucified to the world or "dead to the world," and the
world is dead to us---Gal 6:14.We are to keep ourselves unspotted from the
world---James 1:27. We are not a friend to the world James 4:4. We are not
to love the world, if we do the love of God is not in us---1 John 2:15,17.
Jesus said, "He also that received seed among the thorns is he that
heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of
riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful'---Matt 13:32. Paul
told the Church of God at Rome to be not conformed or alike unto the
world---Rom 12:2. We are like Jesus in this world---John 8:23; 1 John
4:17. We are to deny worldly desires---Titus 2:12.
Our home is not in this world---John
14:2. We are strangers in a strange and unfriendly world. A child of God
cannot expect the world to be a friend when he is not a part of it. There
is no fellowship whatsoever between the two. A grand and glorious thought
is that Jesus is coming back to receive His own, and take us to that
glorious place He has gone to prepare---John 14:3. I am glad I am one of
those in that great multitude whose robes are washed and made white in the
blood of the Lamb; one of those who "overcame by the blood of the
Lamb and the word of their testimony." What kind of testimony you
give to the world? Do you have some of the pride of this world hanging on
you? The Word of God says we are not to wear pearls or costly array.
Anything that is worn for ornamentation or for fashion depicts pride in
the heart.
We cannot preach against picture
shows and then have one in our home in the form of a television set.
Sanctification takes out all the desires for worldly amusement and
replaces it with something more grand and glorious than the world has ever
known. Jesus said, "If you are looking for one that wears soft or
fine clothing, you will find them in King's houses." The Word of God
says that the woman was given long hair for her covering and glory; also
to show that she is in subjection to the man. The Lord shall beautify the
meek with salvation---Psa 149:4.saint of God has no need for the frivolous
things of the beauty parlor to make her beautiful. On which side are you
going to be when Jesus comes---on the side of the compromising, worldly,
powerless religion, or on the side of the ones who have kept their robes
unspotted from the things of this world? The day of judgment will reveal
many thousands of false teachers who have a form of godliness but they
deny the power thereof.