It’s All About Heaven “Worldliness” is a concern for this world at the expense of the soul. It is the opposite of what Paul called for: “Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth” (Col. 3:2). Thus, those who belong to Christ must limit their involvement with the world. They do not seek to maximize their pleasures. They do not measure their happiness by their physical attainments. They put restraints on their use of this worldly life, depriving themselves of pleasures which they could obtain were their time, exertions, and money not already devoted to spiritual obligations. Paul describes this mindset and lifestyle when he says that brethren should “use the world as though they did not make full use of it …” (1 Cor. 7:31). Yet, worldliness is “the respectable sin,” since it is so subtle that it is hardly recognizable as such. By virtue of having to live in this world, Christians must interact with its people and participate in its business. So, Christ prayed about His disciples, “I do not ask Thee to take them out of the world,” but hastened to add, “They are not of the world” (Jn. 17:15,16). What characterizes the world does not characterize them. They are in the world but not like the world. This distinction often seems a fine one. It can be hard to know where to draw the line between a legitimate use of the world and one which is not. Paul said that God “richly supplies us with all things to enjoy” (1 Tim. 5:17). That Christians must interact with the world, and may even enjoy it, legitimizes some degree of interaction, but, to some, almost any degree of it. However, there is a form of worldliness which is even more insidious by the fact that it parades itself as piety. This happens when people see success in the world, and the comforts and pleasures it brings, as God’s intention for them and His approval of them and their ways. While God does provide earthly blessings, there is no definite correlation which can be made between one’s physical status in this world and the status of his soul. In fact, being a Christian can make life harder, since “all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Tim. 3:12). Indeed, the gospel makes the lives of its adherents more difficult than they could be simply because it requires them to divert some of their time, energy, and resources from their pleasures to spiritual interests. This is why the Scriptures say it is the poor who are “rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom” (Jas. 2:5). God even “blesses” the righteous with hardship, as shown by Paul’s “thorn in the flesh” (2 Cor. 12:7), so that not having this world’s blessings can be a greater blessing than having them can ever be. Furthermore, making too much of a connection between one’s status in the world and one’s spirituality obscures the very reason for being Christ’s disciple. Some seem to think God gave the gospel to enhance their earthly lives. While obedience to the gospel ought to improve life, since it prohibits self-destructive, antisocial, and unethical behavior, this is a secondary purpose. Its ultimate aim is to get the soul to heaven. God gave His Son, not to make better lives, but to save sinners. Jesus made this perfectly clear when He said, “He who has found his life shall lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake shall find it” (Matt. 10:39) and “he who hates his life in this world shall keep it to life eternal” (Jn. 12:25). If God had simply wanted to make people’s lives better, He could have spared Jesus the trouble of dying on the cross. How ironic it is that what is seen as expressing God’s approval might actually be the very sign of doom! One’s faith in Christ and service to Him is really all about getting to heaven. Where one spends eternity makes whether he enjoys anything this world offers utterly moot.
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Matthew 6:19-21 ).
It’s All About Heaven “Worldliness” is a concern for this world at the expense of the soul. It is the opposite of what Paul called for: “Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth” (Col. 3:2). Thus, those who belong to Christ must limit their involvement with the world. They do not seek to maximize their pleasures. They do not measure their happiness by their physical attainments. They put restraints on their use of this worldly life, depriving themselves of pleasures which they could obtain were their time, exertions, and money not already devoted to spiritual obligations. Paul describes this mindset and lifestyle when he says that brethren should “use the world as though they did not make full use of it …” (1 Cor. 7:31). Yet, worldliness is “the respectable sin,” since it is so subtle that it is hardly recognizable as such. By virtue of having to live in this world, Christians must interact with its people and participate in its business. So, Christ prayed about His disciples, “I do not ask Thee to take them out of the world,” but hastened to add, “They are not of the world” (Jn. 17:15,16). What characterizes the world does not characterize them. They are in the world but not like the world. This distinction often seems a fine one. It can be hard to know where to draw the line between a legitimate use of the world and one which is not. Paul said that God “richly supplies us with all things to enjoy” (1 Tim. 5:17). That Christians must interact with the world, and may even enjoy it, legitimizes some degree of interaction, but, to some, almost any degree of it. However, there is a form of worldliness which is even more insidious by the fact that it parades itself as piety. This happens when people see success in the world, and the comforts and pleasures it brings, as God’s intention for them and His approval of them and their ways. While God does provide earthly blessings, there is no definite correlation which can be made between one’s physical status in this world and the status of his soul. In fact, being a Christian can make life harder, since “all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Tim. 3:12). Indeed, the gospel makes the lives of its adherents more difficult than they could be simply because it requires them to divert some of their time, energy, and resources from their pleasures to spiritual interests. This is why the Scriptures say it is the poor who are “rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom” (Jas. 2:5). God even “blesses” the righteous with hardship, as shown by Paul’s “thorn in the flesh” (2 Cor. 12:7), so that not having this world’s blessings can be a greater blessing than having them can ever be. Furthermore, making too much of a connection between one’s status in the world and one’s spirituality obscures the very reason for being Christ’s disciple. Some seem to think God gave the gospel to enhance their earthly lives. While obedience to the gospel ought to improve life, since it prohibits self-destructive, antisocial, and unethical behavior, this is a secondary purpose. Its ultimate aim is to get the soul to heaven. God gave His Son, not to make better lives, but to save sinners. Jesus made this perfectly clear when He said, “He who has found his life shall lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake shall find it” (Matt. 10:39) and “he who hates his life in this world shall keep it to life eternal” (Jn. 12:25). If God had simply wanted to make people’s lives better, He could have spared Jesus the trouble of dying on the cross. How ironic it is that what is seen as expressing God’s approval might actually be the very sign of doom! One’s faith in Christ and service to Him is really all about getting to heaven. Where one spends eternity makes whether he enjoys anything this world offers utterly moot.
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Matthew 6:19-21).