What Is Worldliness?
So if worldliness isn’t watching movies or enjoying bodily pleasures, what is it? A closer examination of such texts as Romans 12:2 or 1 John 2:15, reveals that worldliness really is the acceptance of the world’s presuppositions. After urging his readers not to conform to the world, Paul adds that we are to be “transformed by the renewing of [our] mind.” Paul places the emphasis on our thinking. He does this because from the heart (which for the Hebrews really meant the mind) flow the issues of life (Proverbs 4:23; cf. Matthew 15:17-20). Worldliness is primarily an epistemological issue, meaning an issue relating to knowledge.
The mind is the battleground of the conflict between the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent. Paul insists that “though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God…” (2 Corinthians 10:3-5).
This is what lies behind the apostle’s warning that we don’t get deceived by “philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles [presuppositions] of the world, and not according to Christ” (Colossians 2:8).
Christians must not bow to the presuppositions of the world because Christ is not only their Savior but Lord of their intellects. Knowledge, for the Christian, is inseparable from Christ and His revelation. He is the Logos (John 1:1), the “wisdom of God” (1 Corinthians 1:24, 30), in whom “all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” are hidden (Colossians 2:3).
When Christians think in a manner inconsistent with these great truths, we become worldly. Some Christians evince their worldliness in their defense of the faith; they begin the debate by assuming chunks of anti-Christian philosophies at the start. Some do it by changing the church’s worship of God into a self-help program. Others, particularly the fundamentalists themselves, deprecate matter itself as almost sinful; they even ascribe evil to inanimate objects (“devil’s brew,” “wicked backbeat,” etc.), which is basically a pagan notion.
But perhaps the most subtle and damaging form of worldliness is the soul-numbing secularism that seeps so readily into our lives. My greatest surrender to the world occurs not when I sip a Guinness but when I allow my American culture to define my values. When I allow money, power, and status to cloud my definition of success. When I think a human corporation can provide security. When I seek first a respectable, lucrative career, rather than seeking first the kingdom of heaven. When I get so caught up in my own affairs that I overlook the governing providence of God in my life. It’s this secular thinking - this living without reference to the One we’re supposed to live for - that’s truly worldly.
May God deliver us from skewed definitions of worldliness as well as the real thing.
Posted on October 8, 2007 12:00 AM
Comments
Being raised in Mennonite family, I was brought up in a culture seeped with avoiding "worldliness." Chris, I think you did an excellent job in this article redefining and clarifying the term. I love it!
Posted by: Miss W | October 8, 2007 9:42 AM
One word. Brilliant.
Let's see if the "fundies" come out in full force...blasting your attempt at redefinition. I say to them...whatever. Put a fork in evangelicalism. It's done.
This is a wise, thought-out, and provoking explanation of worldliness, and personally, I'm impressed at your scripture references, as well as bringing it back to a matter of the mind. Makes me think.
Nice work. Jen
Posted by: Jen | October 8, 2007 6:09 PM
Well said.
Posted by: Newton F | October 9, 2007 8:55 PM
it's about time someone puts it plainly on the basis of worldliness.
Posted by: Devin Dildine | October 9, 2007 10:25 PM
Awesome.
Posted by: Ahnivah | October 10, 2007 9:52 AM
You've summed up some thoughts I've been mulling for some time, and you did it in a very readable and intelligent style. Thank you!
Posted by: Randy Cathcart | October 11, 2007 5:41 AM
Simply great! I was raised a fundie, but there was nothing fun about it. You did a great job putting it into words.
Posted by: TJ | October 11, 2007 8:40 AM
A very good essay. As a self-described fundamentalist, I quite agree with your thoughts.
"Fundamentalist" is not a dirty word. Nor is it a monolithic group-think. A Fundamentalist Christian is simply someone who believes in getting back to the basics (fundamentals), recognizing that all other opinions and beliefs that fall outside those "basics" are simply personal in nature and subject to change with knowledge and maturity.
Many of us "fundamentalists" seem to hold similar opinions on cultural and political issues not because those stances as part of our Christian beliefs, but because they have been influenced by those Christian beliefs.
Hopefully, we can respect each other's opinions and acknowledge that we all (fundies and non-) are serving the Lord and doing His work in the best way we know how.
Posted by: John Pattison, Sr. | October 15, 2007 9:34 AM
Well stated Chris. "The earth is the Lord's and everything in it." is what the Bible said the last time I ran across that scripture. It always bothers me when we label things... "secular" "non-believer" "non-Christian" etc, ad nauseum. I too came into faith via the fundie route (labels abound even here). I was inundated with what was "worldly" and got rid of a lot of great music when I went through my CD collection and got rid of my "secular" music. Thanks for such a thought-provoking article... I am now going to go enjoy a nice cold Sam Adams.
Posted by: Joshua Raines, MS II | November 7, 2007 8:30 PM
Hooray for this article! It only confirms what my friend Guy has said all along: "Not everything secular is bad, but not everything in Christianity is good, either." I agree with Guy 100%, and I'm glad that I can finally enjoy all of my favorite foods, books, magazines, music, movies, and activities without having to feel any guilt or shame. Of course, it doesn't give us permission to go and do whatever we want (cross the line to immorality) and get away with it just because we are saved. It just means that God delights in our pleasures and gets a lot of joy out of watching us enjoy ourselves. In other words, God is a very simple God. We can do whatever we want that makes us happy and gives us pleasure only as long as we don't do any of the things that are preached against in the Bible. For an example, I can read a sex article in Redbook, Cosmo, or Glamour magazines only out of curiosity's sake, and even agree on their views on masturbation, but only as long as I don't become influenced by the way these magazines support lust, pornography, premarital sex, and a woman's right to have an abortion and use birth control because I am discerning enough as a Christian to know that these behaviors are wrong because they are preached against in the Bible. Thanks again for this wonderful article. Keep up the good work!
Posted by: Joann | November 23, 2007 5:47 PM