|
|
|
|
"In His law he meditates day and night" Psalm 1:2
More Search Options
 Print This Article
Worldliness: Satan’s Greatest Attack
Volume 13, Number 4
Wayne Burger |
April 6, 2008 |
Meditating on the Word
"In His law he meditates day and night" Psalm 1:2
"Meditating on the Word," edited by Wayne Burger, is a work of the Columbine church of Christ, 7453 S. Zephyr Ct., Littleton, Colorado, 80128. E-mail: burgpreach@prolynx.com -- Suggested topics are welcomed.
Vol. 13 No. 4 April 6, 2008
Worldliness
Satan’s Greatest Attack
During the first three hundred years of the church’s history, Satan did his very best to absolutely destroy the church (Revelation 12:13-17). But God protected His precious bride (Revelation 12:5, 14). When Satan learned that he could not destroy the church as a whole, he began a concentrated effort to entice individual members of the body of Christ (Revelation 12:17). Since that time Satan has used all kinds of sins to entice and lure away Christians. He has used false doctrines, divisive attitudes, and even the binding of individual personal opinions. He will do anything to keep Christians from going to heaven.
I’m afraid that we have forgotten that “the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” I Peter 5:8. We have mountain lions around our house, therefore we keep a close watch for them, especially in the darkness of night when we are outside the house. That is the attitude that we need to have about the Devil. Maybe our problem is that we have pictured in our minds that the Devil is a beast dressed in a red outfit and carrying a pitchfork. We’re on guard against that creature! But, Satan is never that obvious. He approaches and entices in subtle ways. His weapon is not a pitchfork, but sin and he never makes sin look bad. It always looks good and offers pleasure to those who participate.
Accepting the Darkness
What happens when you walk from a lighted room into a dimly lit room such as a movie theater? You can’t see at first can you? Then, after a few seconds or minutes, you can see can’t you? Is that because the room got lighter? No, the difference is that your eyes got accustomed to the surroundings and you can see. Spiritually speaking, that is what happens to us when we walk into a sinful surrounding. At first, we may be shocked and can’t believe our eyes and ears. But, it’s not long until we see and hear the same things, but it no longer bothers us. What has happened? Our spiritual eyes have gotten accustomed to the darkness of sin and we accept it, and move around in it just like we do in that darkened room.
Satan’s greatest attack against Christians today is worldliness! Satan doesn’t have to get people to “quit the church” to become his servants. All he has to do is get Christians involved in the sins of the world. He doesn’t care if you continue being part of the church. Unfortunately, I’m afraid that he is doing a pretty good job of that! Too many Christians are participating in the sins of the world. What has happened is that Christians live and associate with the world so much of the time that they have come to accept the world’s standard of morality. The Christian’s spiritual eyes have come to accept the darkness of sin. The sins of the world do not seem as bad as they once did. Many Christians don’t even realize that what they are doing is sin. They have come to think that since “everyone” is doing it, it must be okay. It’s amazing that parents don’t accept that logic when their children try to justify their actions in this manner, but they accept this logic when it comes to something in which they are engaged!
God and Worldliness
God says a great deal about the sins of the world. The apostle John addressed this subject when he wrote, “Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever” I John 2:15-17. Likewise, James, the Lord’s half-brother warned against worldliness when he said, “You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God” James 4:4. In this context an “adulteress” is not one who commits the physical act of having a sexual relationship with one who is not her married partner, but it stands for spiritual adultery. That is, one who claims to be a Christian, but who participates in the sins of the world is committing “spiritual adultery” against God.
Although those passages condemn “worldli-ness” they do not specify what worldliness is. Being “worldly” is manifested in the movies and videos one watches, in the way men and women dress, in the alcohol that is consumed, in the language one uses, in one’s pursuit of pleasure and/or money, priorities in life, and in many other ways.
The Challenge
Let me challenge each of us to evaluate our acceptance and participation in activities of the world. Stop and think about what the clothes you wear show. Are they immodest? Evaluate the movies and videos you watch. Are they filled with nudity, vulgarity, and corrupt speech? Evaluate the language you use and the jokes you tell or laugh at. Is it the language that Jesus would use? Check your priorities and see what is most important to you? Do you put sports and other personal pleasures before God?
The problem with many sins of world is that it is a matter of judgment or relativity. The Bible doesn’t tell us the exact measurement of modest or immodest clothing. The Bible doesn’t tell us exactly what language to use or not use. The answer is seen in whether or not one sees these activities as God sees them or as one’s fleshly nature sees them.
I’m afraid that in the day of judgment, many people who thought they were faithful Christians are not going to heaven because they have lived worldly lives even though they have technically been a Christian. Remember, the apostle John said that those who love the world will pass away – that is be separated from God.
(The next few weeks I’m going to write several articles about specific sins of worldliness).
Wayne Burger
Behavior Proves Citizenship
Philippians 2:17-21
In this context Paul contrasts those whose appetite is their god and who glory in their shame with those whose citizenship is in heaven. He, of course, exhorts us to “join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us” v. 17. He warns against following those whose appetite is their god. Who would that be today?
Think about society today – Appetite is their god! They satisfy their appetite no matter what it is. If things are what they want, they buy them, even if they have to use credit cards. Look at the play toys of adults. Garages and yards are full of “things” to satisfy their appetite. If their appetite calls for sex, they satisfy it, even if it is illicit, extra-marital, or even homosexual.
Paul denounced those who glory in shame. Can any better description be given for America today? Madonna has led the way. In 1983 she said, “I have no shame.” She has proven it. The root idea of “shame” is “to hide.” The opposite of “to hide” is “to reveal.” Is there anything Americans will not reveal? America saw it illustrated by Janet Jackson at the 2005 Super Bowl half time show. But it’s not just the entertainers. Anywhere one goes, whether into a place of business or walking on the sidewalk, it is shocking what women reveal. It is illustrated by what will be revealed on any of the TV and radio talk shows. People have no shame. They will discuss the most intimate details in public. It’s no wonder that Paul said, “Whose end is destruction” v. 19.
Notice the contrast which begins in verse twenty. It begins with “for” which carries with it the idea of “but.” Our citizenship is in heaven – not on the earth. The contrast is that one’s behavior proves his citizenship. One may be a Christian, but if his/her behavior is like that of the world, his citizenship is not in heaven, but on earth. Too many men and women who claim to be Christians, manifest by their behavior that they are of the world. Let’s prove by our behavior that our citizenship is really in heaven.
Wayne Burger
Print This Article
|
|
|
 |
