The Christian an Worldiness

Salty,
First of all, I want to thank you for posting the article. I look at worldliness as a whole entity. The article gave many examples of what Christians have emphasized avoided according to groups, geography, and earlier times. Sometimes our minds are so petty or self serving we isolate that which is worldy or evil. For example, look at some different denominations. Baptists have chosen to call (in most instances) drinking, dancing, and gambling worldy. The Church of Christ would add coffee and organ music to the list. Yet both groups ignore gossip as a worldly vice.

Your article gave the example of bathing being seperated in the Far East by sexes. Here in the West it is not given a second thought.

There has been more arguing on this board whether some vice is right or wrong, only exceeded by the Calvinism threads. It is funny we never see a thread on smoking.

Personally, I think this nit picking on isolated issue is the wrong approach. This is how I look at it. If a person has the Holy Spirit guiding them, there is no need to memorize the latest Baptist rules. This is the bottom line. It is more of an attitude to the things of this world than it is to individual actions. Things are things, and any material thing can be put above the Lord. It does not have to be money, sex, drugs, or alcohol. It can be eating like a pig, shopping like an addict, anger, etc....... The Christian's daily life should reflect a secondary importance to all worldly things, and it should be as natural as breathing. As guided by the Holy Spirit, one should live their life. It may or may not agree with someone elses ideas.

There are lots of people who abstain from alcohol headed straight to hell because it is a rule they memorized to please the congregation or Mom and Dad but left Christ out of their lives. Lots of gossipers in the local church are headed for hell because they are at church to exchange juicy stories, not to worship the living God.

At times a Christian will get caught up in the world, but overall, day by day, his or her life reflects a genuine interest of spiritual things, not worldly things. The driving force in their lives is a love of the Lord, love of their fellow man, joy, peace, patience, etc. The driving force of an unsaved person is some material object first in their lives.

To focus on the title of the op, a Christian and worldliness is a temporary condition. One cannot live with God and the world in first place.

What I have found from experience is those who are adamant about one single worldly issue are using it to cover up their worldliness on a hundred other subjects. I have also found that those who shout the loudest about vice issues are usually guilty of another one or however many. A person who has a true close walk with the Lord does not have to use their mouth to proclaim that fact. Their life reflects it without a word.

What astounds me is people put stuff, material things, over eternal things. How can one compare seventy or eighty years of collecting junk to that which lasts forever?

 

Salty, it is an interesting article. So much in fact, that I wanted to know more about the author. From the host link, here http://www.ldolphin.org/asstbib.shtml (scroll down to Stedman's Libary) and from there to "Authentic Christianity" at Stedman Org. http://www.raystedman.org/authentic-christianity

Wish I had time this morning to devote more time there. However, it is Sunday morning, with stlll much to do before arriving early at church, this morn.

Perhaps, you (and others) will be interested in spending some time exploring here, as time permits. (Just listened to his sermon on Food Fads. It's under Thematic Studies.

 

My friend, Ray went to DTS and two summers worked with and drove around Hary Ironside around and one summer worked with J. Vewrnon McGee. He served Peninsula Church at Palo Alto, Ca. for 40 to 50 years I believe. I have been blessed by his work. I guess you could say he went from cowboy to preacher and served in WWII.

 

"Worldliness" is an attitude of the heart first and foremost. One can be as straight-laced and buttoned-down as possible and still have a worldly heart.

 

I agree!!! It is a mental attitude.

 

Bingo! Worldliness is an attitude.