Love Not The World

Memory Verse: “Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever, therefore, will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.” James 4:4
Introduction
By and large, a church tends to take on the features and colouration of its immediate environment. Its membership and ‘human capital’ is hewn from its local soil. Therefore, the same character flaws show up in both. It is discipleship that transforms into new different Christ-like beings.
Worldliness
Covetousness is almost a common denominator in all churches. It can be seen in:
• Worldly ambitions, thoughts and pursuits, where a believer desires to live like an unbeliever, 1 Sam.8: 19-20; 2 Cor.10: 12.
• Worldly cravings, where a believer worries about, or runs after the basic things of life, Mt.6: 25-34; Mk.4: 18-19; Lk.12: 15-21.
• Worldly conversations, where a believer lies or jokes to amuse people, Eph.4: 25-29; Eph.5: 4; Jam.1: 26; Col.4: 6; Pro. 10:19.
• Worldly dressing and adornments that exposes and seduces, Gen.3: 9-11, 21; Deut.22: 5; 1 Cor.11: 4-6; 1 Tim.2: 9-10; 1 Pt.3:3; Rom.12:1-2.
• Worldly associations, which stand in the way of soberness and penitence, 1 Tim.5: 6; Titus 2: 11-13; 2 Cor.6: 14-17; 2 Tim.2: 4.
The Solution

We must do all we can to get worldliness out of our lives and the church, which we belong to. Constant self-examination, prayer and discipline can be of great help, Ps.139: 23-24. We must also pray for sanctification, Rom.7: 23-25 – even as we endeavour to separate ourselves from worldly people and affairs, 1 Cor.6: 18; Jn.17: 15-17; 1 Cor.15: 33; Ps.1: 1. We need to meditate constantly on the word of God, Ps.119: 105, 130, find out God’s will for our lives and commit ourselves to it, Col.1: 9-10; Heb.13: 21. We must be heavenly minded, Mt.16: 25-26; 1 Cor.15: 19; Ps.119: 63; Col.3: 1-3 – and we must not envy sinners, Ps.92:7; Prov.1:32; Ps.9:16. Finally, we must have faith in God and be satisfied with what He has given us, 1 Tim.6: 6-8; Phil.4: 6; Jam.1: 6-8.

Conclusion
The Lord wants you to come out of the world and stand out for Him. A man’s life consists not of the abundance of the things, which he possesses. King Solomon, who is more than eminently qualified to comment on such matters, said it’s all vanity upon vanity. You will rise above the temporal and grasp the eternal in Jesus name.