ARE WE “WORLDLY ?”

(Mark 4:19)  "The cares of this world" can choke out the word

 (1 Cor. 7:33-34)  Married persons may be especially troubled over worldly affairs

(John 15:18-19)  "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. 19 If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.

James 3:13-18   Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.  But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such "wisdom" does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.

James 4:1-7   What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you?   You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God.    When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the spirit he caused to live in us envies intensely? But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

“I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people—not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world.” (1 Corinthians 5:9-10)

“Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world.  The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.”  (1 John 2:15-17)

I.  The World is Good—Even Considering its Flaws.  God clearly intended each person to enjoy life to the fullest.

“God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.”

(Genesis 1:31)

“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”  (John 3:17)

“I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”  (John 10:10)

II.  Anxiety, Pain, Frustration, Injustice, War, and Evil  (among other human failings) Have Always Existed and Still Abound.  

Years ago, E. M. Blaiklock, who was then Professor of Classics (and a renowned biblical historian) at the University of Auckland in New Zealand, made this remarkable compairson:  "Of all the centuries, the 20th is most like the first."

ANXIETY – PAIN – FRUSTRATION –INJSTICE – WAR – EVIL

Have always existed across the human experiences

“As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.  All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts.” (Ephesians 2:1-3)

“We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one.”  (1 John 5:19)

III.  The Church — Christians — are Charged to be the World’s Role Models.    

In 1972, a group of international industrial leaders and thinkers, called the Club of Rome, suggested 6 proposals that humanity must put into effect if we are to survive on this planet.

1st Proposal:  “The survival of this planet necessitates new forms of thinking that will lead to a fundamental revision of human behavior and, by implication, of the entire fabric of present-day society."

“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.  You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.  Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”  (Matthew 5:13-16) 

“Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.  Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul.  Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.”  (1 Peter 2:11-12)

Conclusion.

We are called to live a balanced life.

 A Christlike walk requires each of us to consider how others view our lifestyle and moral choices.

We must constantly ask, “Am I an appropriate seasoning for my family, friend, neighbor, or coworker?”

    "The world" can also designate all that is hostile, rebellious, and opposed to God. Paul referred to the effects of the fall on the whole cosmic order: "The creation was subjected to frustration ... [but] the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage" (Rom 8:19-25 NIV; compare 2 Pet. 1:4). The world, therefore, is under the power of "the prince of this world" (John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11), "the prince of the power of the air" (Eph. 2:2), the "god of this world" (2 Cor. 4:4); "the whole world is under the control of the evil one" (1 John 5:19 NIV).

    Paul contrasted the wisdom of this world with the wisdom of God (1 Cor. 1:20-21,26-28; 3:19). "The rulers of this age" cannot understand God's wisdom hidden in Christ (1 Cor. 2:7-8 NIV). Through the cross, Christ triumphed over all the powers of this world (Col. 2:15). Indeed, God was in Christ "reconciling the world unto himself" (2 Cor. 5:19; Col. 1:20).

    The hostile sense of "the world" is especially pronounced in the Johannine writings. Nevertheless, it is important to note that the world is not inherently evil. John still affirmed the creation of the world through the logos (John 1:3-4). Jesus, "the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" (1:29 NIV), was sent to save the world (3:17; 10:36; 12:47). He is, therefore, "the light of the world" (8:12); the Samaritans acclaimed Him as "the Savior of the world" (4:42).

    The coming of Jesus, however, brought judgment to the world (9:39; 12:31). The world will hate the disciples as it hated Jesus (15:18) because they are not of the world (15:19). Jesus called His disciples to show love for one another that all may recognize them through this love (13:35) The disciples are to be in the world but not "of the world" (17:14-16). Victory over the hostility of the world is assured through the cross of Jesus (16:33) and through faith (1 John 5:4-5). The world, in fact, is already passing away (1 John 2:17).

    In the new Testament, therefore, world is influenced by both Hebrew and Greek thought and may be considered primarily in its natural order, its human order, its fallenness, or its place in God's

Paul contrasted the wisdom of this world with the wisdom of God (1 Cor. 1:20-21,26-28; 3:19).

"The rulers of this age" cannot understand God's wisdom hidden in Christ (1 Cor. 2:7-8 NIV).

Through the cross, Christ triumphed over all the powers of this world (Col. 2:15).

Indeed, God was in Christ "reconciling the world unto himself" (2 Cor. 5:19; Col. 1:20).

The world is not inherently evil. John still affirmed the creation of the world through the logos (John 1:3-4).

Jesus, "the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" (1:29 NIV), was sent to save the world (3:17; 10:36; 12:47). He is, therefore, "the light of the world" (8:12); the Samaritans acclaimed Him as "the Savior of the world" (4:42).

    The coming of Jesus, however, brought judgment to the world (9:39; 12:31).

The world will hate the disciples as it hated Jesus (15:18) because they are not of the world (15:19).

Jesus called His disciples to show love for one another that all may recognize them through this love (13:35)

 The disciples are to be in the world but not "of the world" (17:14-16).

 Victory over the hostility of the world is assured through the cross of Jesus (16:33) and through faith (1 John 5:4-5).

 The world, in fact, is already passing away (1 John 2:17).

    In the new Testament, therefore, world is influenced by both Hebrew and Greek thought and may be considered primarily in its natural order, its human order, its fallenness, or its place in God's redemptive order.

WORLD, THE The created order in the totality of its space and time. The development of the biblical concept and the varieties of ways in which the term is used become evident when the Old Testament uses, Greek concept, and New Testament uses are considered in sequence.

The Old Testament The ancient Hebrews had no word for the "universe." When speaking of the totality of creation, they used descriptive phrases like "the heavens and the earth" (Gen. 1:1 NIV), "heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them" (Ex. 20:11; compare Phil. 2:10 NIV), or "the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them" (Neh. 9:6 NIV). Evident in these more extended descriptions is the view that the world consisted of an expanse of land ("the earth") that was surrounded by water and set under the canopy of the heavens. More simply, they could use the inclusive "all" (Isa. 44:24; Jer. 10:16; 51:19).

    Basic to Hebrew thought was the affirmation that God created everything above the earth, on the earth, and under it (Gen. 1:1-2:3; Job 38). The doctrine of creation asserted the sovereignty of God--and the superiority of the God of the Hebrews over the idols worshiped by other peoples. Four Hebrew words have been translated by "world." The word eretz (2,047 times) normally means "earth" or "land." It is translated as "world" four times in the KJV and twice in the RSV (Isa. 23:17; Jer. 25:26). Olam is translated as "world" twice in the KJV (Ps. 73:12; Eccl. 3:11). Its general sense is age, or long duration. Two other rarer words appear predominantly in the poetic writings (tebel, which is synonymous with eretz, 36 times, for instance, Ps. 18:15; Job 37:12; and cheled, which is synonymous with olam, 5 times, for instance, Pss. 17:14; 49:1). The Hebrews, therefore, did not have a single concept of the world but thought of the creation in terms of its geographical and temporal extent.

Greek Thought The word kosmos (from which we get the English words "cosmic" and "cosmology") originally described anything that was constructed or built, then its order, or by extension its ordered beauty. The world was a perfect unity, beautiful in its order. From the time of the use of kosmos to describe the world, therefore, the order of the world was primary. Precisely this concept of the world as an ordered system is absent from Hebrew thought.

    The order of the world was explained variously by the leading schools of philosophy. Plato held that the kosmos included both the visible world and all that could be known by reason. The concepts of world, heaven, and space began to merge. Heraclitus and later Aristotle rejected any notion of a beginning of the world. The world was infinite, without beginning or end. For the Stoics, the logos was the rational principle that gave order to the world. The idea of God as Creator and the world as God's creation was foreign to the Greeks. The world was an extension of the logos that gave it order. Plato considered that a demiurge formed the world in a manner consistent with perfect being. Even for Plato, however, neither was the demiurge fully God nor was the world a creation. It was an extension or emanation of the demiurge.

    The use of kosmos in the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible, marked the beginning of a biblical concept of world. The merging of Hebrew and Greek thought later found its fullest expression in the works of Philo of Alexandria, who used the word more than any other writer in antiquity.

In the New Testament Three words are translated as "world" in the New Testament: oikoumene (15 times, "the inhabited earth"), aion (over 30 times, similar to the Hebrew olam meaning "long duration," "age," or "world"), and kosmos (188 times). World can carry various nuances.

    1. The whole created order Paul before the Areopagus in Athens spoke of "the God who made the world and everything in it" (Acts 17:24 NIV). The doctrine of creation was still fundamental to the New Testament writers. The early Christians in Jerusalem addressed God as "Sovereign Lord, ... you made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and everything in them" (Acts 4:24 NIV). The biblical writers could therefore refer to "the foundation of the world" (Matt. 25:34; Luke 11:50; John 17:24; Eph. 1:4; Heb. 4:3; 9:26; 1 Pet. 1:20; Rev. 13:8; 17:8) or the creation of the world (see Rom. 1:20; compare John 17:5).

    2. The earth and its inhabitants John 1:9 refers to "the true light which enlightens everyone was coming into the world" (NRSV). Similarly, in the farewell discourse in John, Jesus spoke of His departure from the world (13:1; 16:28). The authorities complained that "the world"--meaning all people--had "gone after him" (John 12:19). Satan offered Jesus "all the kingdoms of the world" (Matt. 4:8 NIV), and Paul saluted the Christians in Rome, saying, "Your faith is proclaimed throughout the world" (Rom. 1:8 NRSV). The meaning of "the world" in John 3:16 should probably be understood in this sense.

    3. The arena of human activity. This especially pertains to wealth and material goods. "The cares of this world" can choke out the word (Mark 4:19). Married persons may be especially troubled over worldly affairs (1 Cor. 7:33-34). In this sense, the elder admonished the Johannine community, "Do not love the world or anything in the world" (1 John 2:15 NIV; compare 2:16-17).

    "The world" can also designate all that is hostile, rebellious, and opposed to God. Paul referred to the effects of the fall on the whole cosmic order: "The creation was subjected to frustration ... [but] the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage" (Rom 8:19-25 NIV; compare 2 Pet. 1:4). The world, therefore, is under the power of "the prince of this world" (John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11), "the prince of the power of the air" (Eph. 2:2), the "god of this world" (2 Cor. 4:4); "the whole world is under the control of the evil one" (1 John 5:19 NIV).

    Paul contrasted the wisdom of this world with the wisdom of God (1 Cor. 1:20-21,26-28; 3:19). "The rulers of this age" cannot understand God's wisdom hidden in Christ (1 Cor. 2:7-8 NIV). Through the cross, Christ triumphed over all the powers of this world (Col. 2:15). Indeed, God was in Christ "reconciling the world unto himself" (2 Cor. 5:19; Col. 1:20).

    The hostile sense of "the world" is especially pronounced in the Johannine writings. Nevertheless, it is important to note that the world is not inherently evil. John still affirmed the creation of the world through the logos (John 1:3-4). Jesus, "the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" (1:29 NIV), was sent to save the world (3:17; 10:36; 12:47). He is, therefore, "the light of the world" (8:12); the Samaritans acclaimed Him as "the Savior of the world" (4:42).

    The coming of Jesus, however, brought judgment to the world (9:39; 12:31). The world will hate the disciples as it hated Jesus (15:18) because they are not of the world (15:19). Jesus called His disciples to show love for one another that all may recognize them through this love (13:35) The disciples are to be in the world but not "of the world" (17:14-16). Victory over the hostility of the world is assured through the cross of Jesus (16:33) and through faith (1 John 5:4-5). The world, in fact, is already passing away (1 John 2:17).

    In the new Testament, therefore, world is influenced by both Hebrew and Greek thought and may be considered primarily in its natural order, its human order, its fallenness, or its place in God's redemptive order.

    See Creation; Earth; Heaven.    R. Alan Culpepper