
                           The Christian and the World
        
                               by I. C. Herendeen
        
        "Love not the world" (I John 2:15).
        "The world passeth away, and the lust thereof" (I John 2:17).
        "Be not conformed to this world" (Rom. 12:2).
        "Come out from among them, and be ye separate" (2 Cor. 6:17).
        
             The Christian is plagued by three great, powerful and subtle 
        enemies--"the world, the flesh and the devil."  They are terrible 
        foes  which must be overcome if we are to be saved.  However,  at 
        this time we will consider but one of these enemies which  Scrip-
        ture warns us not to be "conformed" unto, namely "the world."  It 
        is not easy to give a clear definition, but we would, with anoth-
        er, describe it as both "a society and a system."  "As a society, 
        it  is  composed of `the world of the ungodly' (2 Pet.  2:5),  of 
        `men  of the world which have their portion in this  life'  (Psa. 
        17:14).   It is composed only of unregenerate humanity, the  Lord 
        having  delivered all His people from `this present  evil  world' 
        (Gal. 1:4). Though still in it, the Christian is no longer of it. 
        As  a  system,  it  is under the dominion of  Satan  who  is  its 
        `prince'  (John 12:31) who regulates its policies and  its  poli-
        tics."   He  is its "god" (2 Cor. 4:4) directing  its  religions.  
        Eph. 2:2 tells us the unregenerate "walk according to the  course 
        of  this world, according to the prince of the power of the  air, 
        the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience."
        
             Considered morally, the world is synonymous with the kingdom 
        of Satan (Matt. 12:26), or the unregenerate part of humanity.  It 
        is  fallen human nature acting under the influence of the  devil. 
        "The  spirit of the world is hostile to godliness,  dominated  by 
        carnal  ambition,  pride,  avarice,  self-pleasing  and  sensuous 
        desires and interests.  Its opinions are false, its aims selfish, 
        its  pleasures  sinful,  its influence  thoroughly  corrupt,  its 
        honors  an  empty bauble" (something showy  but  worthless).  The 
        world is the sphere of rebellion against God; it is away from God 
        and  in  opposition to Him.  Unregenerate persons think  only  of 
        this  world's  ways and things to the neglect of  "the  world  to 
        come".   They are always thinking more of earth than  of  heaven, 
        more  of  time than eternity, more of the body than  of  pleasing 
        God.  Both the religious and profane world are under the  control 
        of   Satan in their ways, habits, customs, tastes, practices  and 
        aims,  and  in these things are a great and subtle enemy  of  our 
        souls.   Every  one  who is a true Christian  and  determined  to 
        please  the Lord will be in earnest in renouncing  these  things, 
        and will earnestly seek to order his life by God's standard,  the 
        Holy Scriptures.
        
             The world surrounds us.  We have it exhibited on every  hand 
        day  in and day out.  For example, the very immodest and  lustful 
        way  in which women dress; wearing that which Holy Writ  strictly 
        forbids (see Deut. 22:5; I Tim 2:9) to their shame.  Dear friend, 
        if you really love the Lord, see to it that you are not guilty of 
        such  forbidden practices.  Remember, God's stern command is  "Be
        NOT  conformed  to this world" (Rom. 12:2), to its  wicked  ways, 
        customs or fashions.  Believers ought to live in marked  contrast 
        from  it; we ought rather to be "comfortable unto His  (Christ's) 
        death" (Phil. 3:10).  Instead of being conformed unto this  world 
        we  ought  to be more and more separated from the world  (2  Cor. 
        6:16-18).  Its  ungodly  ways ought to be abhorrent  to  us,  and 
        especially  those of the unregenerate professing religious  world 
        which  "hates" our blessed Saviour (John 15:25), and  which  "put 
        him to an open shame" (Heb. 6:6).
        
             The world seeks to gratify its lusts with no thought of  nor 
        concern for God's will or glory; hence, we must tread the path of 
        separation from it in obedience to Him.  It is God's purpose that 
        His  people, all His people, should detach their  affections  and 
        interests completely from the thinks of this visible and corrupt-
        ible  and perishing order and "Set them upon things above"  (Col. 
        3:2).  But  as things are now it is hard to detect  any  line  of 
        demarcation  between  the  Christian and the world.  As  so  many 
        deport  themselves,  it is most difficult if  not  impossible  to 
        distinguish  "him that believeth" from him that "believeth  not." 
        It  was  never contemplated that the Lord's  people  should  make 
        themselves  at  home here, for their "citizenship is  in  heaven" 
        (Phil.  3:20).   "God  separated Abraham  from  his  people,  and 
        `righteous  Lot'  and his household from the inhabitants  of  the 
        plain.  He carefully separated Israel from the  nations,  setting 
        them  apart  by peculiar laws and customs.  And in  this  age  He 
        commands His Church to `have no fellowship' with unbelievers,  or 
        be `unequally yoked' with them.  In the light of this, what about 
        us?  Are  we taking a definite stand in this matter?  If  we  are 
        not,  why  not? Will the Lord accept any of our excuses?  He  has 
        given  us  our marching orders when He said we are to  "go  forth 
        unto Him without the camp, bearing (not seeking to avoid) his re-
        proach"  (Heb. 13:13).  Do we think we can mix in our  lives  the 
        things  of this wicked world and not sin?  Impossible!  Sin is  a 
        serious matter.  The very Son of God suffered and died to put  it 
        away, yet great numbers posing as Christians are taking an active 
        and  prominent part in the world's merry-making and mad  scramble 
        after  its pleasures, wealth and temporal benefits!  In a  matter 
        so  solemn can we, dare we, afford pretense and trifling!  If  we 
        really believe these things then let us live and ACT as though we 
        believe them, and really be what we profess to be.  If we do  not 
        believe  them, then let us quit the miserable pretense  of  being 
        followers  of the meek and lowly Jesus, members of His  body.  In 
        other words, let us quit being hypocrites and take our  Christian 
        profession seriously. He who seeks God must be prepared to make a 
        full surrender of all worldly prospects, pleasures and  benefits, 
        and  give himself wholly to God. We must be willing to  give  Him 
        all the affections of our hearts, for His command is "Thou  shalt 
        love  the  Lord thy God with all thy heart"  (Matt.  22:37).  The 
        world from which the Christian is to detach himself "lieth in the 
        evil one" (I John 5:19).
        
             It  is a sad fact but there are two kinds  of  "Christians"; 
        the  converted and the unconverted, "possessors and  professors." 
        The  professors are overcome by the love of the world, the  cares
        of the world, the business of the world, the money of the  world, 
        the  pleasures  of  the world, the desire to go  along  with  the 
        world,  and, alas, the desire to be like the world.   Of  course, 
        with all their worldliness, they must be religious and pretend to 
        piety.  "They make no objection to any article of belief  of  the 
        Christian faith, nor do they deliberately choose evil and  openly 
        rebel against God.  No, for with all their worldliness they  hope 
        to  get to heaven at last.  They think it only proper  that  they 
        should  have  a religion of some sort, though they  are  not  too 
        particular  what it is just so long as they are  religious.   But 
        they  cannot and do not intend to give up their idols.   Religion 
        is  very popular with them just so long as it does not  interfere 
        with  their worldly desires and ambitions...Just so long as  they 
        can have their religion and world, too."
        
             When our Lord commanded through Paul to "Come out from among 
        them"  He  did not mean that the Christian must give up  all  his 
        worldly  callings,  his trade, his profession,  his  business  if 
        lawful and according to the Word of God, for then he "must  needs 
        go out of the world" (I Cor. 5:10).  He did not forbid any should 
        be  bankers, farmers, or lawyers, for example.  God  expects  His 
        people not to be idle but busy "working with his hands the  thing 
        that  is  good" (Eph. 4:28).  "If any man will not  work  neither 
        shall he eat" (II Thess. 3:10).  We are not to give up any lawful 
        work  but  "do with our might whatsoever our hands  find  to  do" 
        (Eccl.  9:10), being our business, conducting it in "the fear  of 
        the  Lord"  and to "the glory of God."  Neither are we  to  stand 
        aloof  from all intercourse with unconverted people,  and  refuse 
        their society entirely. Our Lord and His disciples did not;  they 
        went to the marriage feast and say at the Pharisee's table.
        
             Christians are not to be odd, eccentric and strange in their 
        dress, ways of behaviour, conduct or voice.  Such things  attract 
        notice  but  are most objectionable, unnatural, and ought  to  be 
        carefully  avoided.   To wear clothes of such a  color,  for  in-
        stance,  or made in such a fashion as that you will be  a  public 
        spectacle  and the object of comment is wrong and dishonoring  to 
        the Lord; all know it merely affected.  You may be sure that  our 
        Lord  and His apostles and their companions dressed and acted  as 
        befitted their place and rank in life.  It was the Pharisees  who 
        "made broad their phylacteries, and enlarged the borders of their 
        garments."  Why?  "To be seen of men" (Matt. 23:5).  True sancti-
        ty (saintliness, holiness, purity) is one thing, and  sanctimoni-
        ousness (pretended piety, religious hypocrisy) is another.
        
             As  Christians  we  must beware of being  swallowed  up  and 
        absorbed  in the affairs of this world.  Whatever we be,  banker, 
        farmer  or lawyer, we will, of course, strive to do our duty  and 
        to do it well.  "And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily as unto the 
        Lord, and not unto men" (Col. 3:23).  But "we must take care that 
        we  do not permit our work to come between us and Christ.  If  we 
        find  that  our temporal affairs are interfering with  our  Bible 
        reading, prayer and meditation, and encroaching on our Sundays so
        that we do not have time for the Lord as we ought, we will choose 
        being less rich and prosperous in this world rather than that our
        souls should not prosper.  This may require real self-denial, but 
        it  is the way of true separation from the world."  We are to  be 
        "temperate  in all things" (I Cor. 9:25), even in things  lawful. 
        Anything that takes up too much of our time and attention so that 
        we  do not have sufficient time for the things of the Lord is  to 
        be  eschewed.  We are to "seek first the kingdom of  God"  (Matt. 
        6:33).
        
             We are also commanded to "redeem the time, because the  days 
        are  evil"  (Eph. 5:16).  This means that we are to  buy  up  our 
        opportunities and invest them for eternity.  Every moment of free 
        time  is to be used to the best advantage and not in idleness  or 
        other  ways to no profit for the time to come.  The  divine  fiat 
        is, "Give attendance to reading" (I Tim. 4:13).  This commandment 
        is  to  be  obeyed, not ignored. We should  make  ourselves  very 
        familiar  with the Word, and also "hide" it in our  hearts  (Psa. 
        119:11).  For this we should set apart a portion of each day  for 
        reading  and meditating on the Holy Scriptures.  In addition,  we 
        should  read  with  diligence and care good books  on  the  Bible 
        written by accredited authors whom God has gifted to be  teachers 
        of  His flock.  If we plead lack of time then let us see that  we 
        make time, for we always have time for what we really want to do. 
        Paul   wrote  Timothy  requesting  him  "....when  thou   comest, 
        bring...the books, and especially the parchments" (II Tim. 4:13).
        
             Of course it is no easy thing to "come out from" the  world. 
        It requires a constant struggle and exertion, incessant  conflict 
        and  self-denial.   To come decidedly out from the  ways  of  the 
        world  and be unmistakably separate, requires a  real  determina-
        tion.  But if our heart is right everything else will be right in 
        time.   We should set before our minds every day as grand  reali-
        ties,  which they are, the matter of our souls  eternal  welfare, 
        God, Christ, heaven, hell, death, judgment to come and  eternity. 
        Let  us remind ourselves that what we do not see is just as  real 
        as  what we do see, and ten thousand times more important.  Armed 
        with  this faith we will regard this world as a mere shadow  com-
        pared  with the reality of "the world to come."  We will  disdain 
        its praise or blame, its enmity or rewards.  Moses "esteemed  the 
        reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasure of Egypt" and 
        so  "he  forsook  Egypt;" for "he endured as seeing  him  who  is 
        invisible" (Heb. 11:26).  Dear friends, "the time is short", "The 
        end  of all things is at hand", the shadows are lengthening,  the 
        sun  has  nearly gone down.  "The night cometh when  no  man  can 
        work"  (John 9:4).  The judgment will soon be set and "the  books 
        opened."  Are you ready for the great judgment day?  Let us awake
        and  "come out from the world" while "it is called today."  In  a 
        little while the things as we now see them will have passed  away 
        -  no more eating and drinking, feasting and  frolicking,  making 
        and  getting  gain" (James 4:13).  If these are  the  things  our 
        hearts  have been set upon and we have pursued so ardently,  what 
        will we do when all have passed away forever?  How could we  ever 
        think  of  being happy in heaven, a place of holiness  and  where 
        worldliness  has  no place whatever!  O friends,  consider  these 
        things  more  seriously than you have ever  done  before.   Awake 
        while there is yet time and "set your affections on things above,
        and  not on things on the earth" (Col. 3:2).  Persevere  in  your 
        separation  from the world and be a most decided  Christian.  You 
        will never regret having lived too holy and too separated a life.

