Topical Bible: Being Like the World

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Definition and Context
"Being like the world" refers to adopting the values, behaviors, and priorities of secular society, which are often in opposition to biblical teachings. This concept is frequently addressed in Scripture, where believers are called to live distinctively from the world, reflecting the holiness and righteousness of God.

Biblical Warnings Against Worldliness
The Bible consistently warns against conforming to worldly patterns. In Romans 12:2, the Apostle Paul exhorts believers: "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God." This verse highlights the importance of mental and spiritual transformation as a means to resist worldly influences.

James 4:4 provides a stark warning about friendship with the world: "You adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore, whoever chooses to be a friend of the world renders himself an enemy of God." Here, James emphasizes the incompatibility between worldly allegiance and devotion to God.

The Call to Holiness
Believers are called to a life of holiness, distinct from worldly practices. In 1 Peter 1:14-16, Peter writes, "As obedient children, do not conform to the passions of your former ignorance. But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do, for it is written: 'Be holy, because I am holy.'" This call to holiness underscores the expectation for Christians to reflect God's character in their conduct.

The Example of Christ
Jesus Christ serves as the ultimate example of living in the world without being of the world. In John 17:14-16, Jesus prays for His disciples, saying, "I have given them Your word, and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I am not asking that You take them out of the world, but that You keep them from the evil one." Jesus' life and teachings provide a model for engaging with the world while maintaining spiritual integrity.

The Role of the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit plays a crucial role in empowering believers to resist worldly influences. Galatians 5:16-17 instructs, "So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh craves what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are opposed to each other, so that you do not do what you want." The indwelling Spirit enables Christians to live according to God's will rather than succumbing to worldly desires.

Practical Implications
Living distinctively from the world involves practical decisions in various aspects of life, including entertainment, relationships, and ethical choices. Believers are encouraged to evaluate their actions and attitudes in light of Scripture, seeking to honor God in all they do. Colossians 3:2 advises, "Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things," urging Christians to prioritize eternal values over temporal pleasures.

Conclusion
While the Bible does not call for complete withdrawal from society, it does demand a life that is set apart, characterized by a commitment to God's truth and a rejection of worldly values. Through the guidance of Scripture and the empowerment of the Holy Spirit, believers are equipped to navigate the challenges of living in a world that often stands in opposition to their faith.

Topical Bible Verses

Romans 12:2
And be not conformed to this world: but be you transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
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1 John 2:15-17
Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
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1 John 2:16
For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
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Ephesians 2:2
Wherein in time past you walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now works in the children of disobedience:
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Ephesians 5:11
And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.
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2 Corinthians 4:4
In whom the god of this world has blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine to them.
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Colossians 2:8
Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
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Greek

1483. ethnikos -- as a Gentile
... Gentiles, like the rest of the world. Cognate: 1483 (from 1482 , "a Gentile," a ) --
to live as a non-Israelite, ie as a ; someone who fails short of being a ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1483.htm - 7k

Library

The Flag of the World
... loving the world without trusting it; somehow one must love the world without being
worldly. I found this projecting feature of Christian theology, like a sort ...
//christianbookshelf.org/chesterton/orthodoxy/v the flag of the.htm

The World Our Enemy.
... especial caution, which tend to the well-being of men in ... of preventing and relieving
want, and the like, are for ... as they do, our exertions on this world as an ...
/.../newman/parochial and plain sermons vol vii/sermon iii the world our.htm

Basil -- the Creation of the World
... one condition to the contrary; but in genesis each being proceeds from its like
and from ... Certainly, that evil exists no one living in the world will deny. ...
/.../various/the worlds great sermons volume i/basil the creation of.htm

The Salt and the Light of the World.
... So shall we drink the light like some diamonds, keep it ... will see in us that we count
the world his, hold ... shine with the hope of seeing him, and being taken home ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/macdonald/hope of the gospel/the salt and the light.htm

God's World
... there, and why we are on it, instead of being anywhere else ... he saw what God who made
it is like: and we ... made him feel that he belonged to this world, and must ...
/.../kingsley/twenty-five village sermons/sermon i gods world.htm

Of God and his Exclusive Eternity.
... And so these parties in like manner understand the Maker of ... it is written, "Thou
who didst make the world out of ... that manner might be, and of being capable of ...
/.../augustine/a treatise on faith and the creed /chapter 2 of god and his.htm

A Continuation of Mr Bunyan's Life; Beginning Where He Left Off ...
... of offence, but rather suffer many inconveniences, to avoid being never heard ... books
he has caused to be published to the world; where like the archangel ...
/.../bunyan/grace abounding to the chief of sinners/a continuation of mr bunyans.htm

Jacob Jones; Or, the Man who Couldn't Get Along in the World.
... After being sold out three times by the sheriff, and having the deep mortification
of ... to Jacob Jones why he could never get along in the world like some people ...
//christianbookshelf.org/arthur/words for the wise/jacob jones or the man.htm

The World Preserved for the Sake of Christians. Man's ...
... the confusion and destruction of the whole world, by which ... to their doctrine of all
things being changed into ... such as Socrates and the like, suffer persecution ...
/.../chapter vii the world preserved for.htm

How to Become Fishers of Men
... so completely as he did when, like a physician ... cross and protest against an ungodly
world, you cannot ... our fellowship with Christ, or our being separated from ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 32 1886/how to become fishers of.htm