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Recently, a music awards show was in the news for a provocative performance. In this performance, Satan was portrayed in an appealing and celebratory fashion. Whether or not the performers meant to make a statement about their religious beliefs or simply poke fun at Christian convictions, the shameless messaging is revealing. It is interesting how some who do not even believe that Satan exists will glorify him and masquerade as if he is “cool” or worthy of praise. (It should go without saying that those who portray Satan as such do not have our best interests in mind and should not be applauded or esteemed by Christians).

While the motivation for such performances is not explicitly given, it is always worth remembering that Satan is not what a godless culture makes him out to be. He is not a hip, cutting-edge revolutionary bringing liberation and freedom for the oppressed. He is an enslaver who captures the unsuspecting to do his bidding (Acts 26:18; 2 Tim. 2:26). He is a cruel master who promises what he can’t deliver and lures us with what we desire (2 Pet. 2:19). There is nothing glorious about the devil. Satan is not cool. 

He Is a Murderer and a Liar 

Satan is not a misunderstood anti-hero who is here to save the day. Those who view him as such have been deceived by him. The Son of God tells us the truth about the devil’s identity: “You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies” (Jn. 8:44 ESV). 

Satan has been lying since the beginning (Gen. 3:4) and is working to deceive the whole world (Rev. 12:9). His goal is “only to steal and kill and destroy” (Jn. 10:10). This isn’t cool or glorious or worthy of celebration. It is heartbreaking and painful. The devil is an enemy to all that is good or right or pure. Unholiness is not something to celebrate, it is something to repent of (Heb. 12:14-17). 

He Is a Defeated Foe 

Satan and God are not destined for an eternal struggle. They are not engaged in a chess match that might end in a draw. We cannot choose to be “team Satan” and maybe squeak out a victory. Satan may be having a heyday, but we already know how the story ends. The Son of God is destroying the works of the devil (1 Jn. 3:8). When Satan struggles against God and His people, he is “defeated,” “thrown down,” and “conquered” (Rev. 12:8-11). Jesus has destroyed him through His death and resurrection (Heb. 2:14-16) and Satan “knows that his time is short!” (Rev. 12:12). 

A godless, biblically ignorant culture likes to portray Satan as if he is the lord of the dead or the king of hell. Satan will not be reigning over anybody in hell. Gehenna will not be a party for Satan and his buddies. Satan will not be torturing anybody or dulling out any punishment. He will be tortured and punished. Satan will not have a good time in hell, and neither will those who follow him there. The Bible tells us of Satan’s end, and it is not glorious: “and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever… And if anyone’s name was not found in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire” (Rev. 20:10, 15). 

We Are Not Impressed or Afraid 

As Christians, we do not have to be impressed with the cheap deceptions of our adversary; nor do we have to be afraid of his spiritual rebellion. We must always remember that Satan disguises himself as an angel of light and we are not ignorant of his schemes (2 Cor. 11:14; 2:11). Likewise, we have no need to be afraid of him or those who seek to glorify him. He is a defeated foe who is conquered by the blood of the lamb (Rev. 12:11). We can resist him by remaining firm in the faith and he will flee from us (Jas. 4:7; 1 Pet. 5:8-9). 

We must love those who are enamored with Satan and are doing his will. We must strive to do whatever we can to help them repent: “save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh” (Jude 23). Our goal is to correct God’s opponents with gentleness so that “God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will” (2 Tim. 2:25-26). Satan is not worth celebrating, but salvation is. 

Pray

One of the most underutilized weapons in the Christian’s arsenal is prayer. The crowning aspect of the armor of God in Ephesians 6 is “praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints” (Eph. 6:18). We should listen to the songs we sing and take the messages to heart. We sing verses like “Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere? We should never be discouraged: Take it to the Lord in prayer” (What a Friend We have in Jesus) and “In seasons of distress and grief My soul has often found relief, And oft escaped the tempter’s snare, By thy return, sweet hour of prayer” (Sweet Hour of Prayer). Did You Think to Pray? Likewise admonishes us, “When you met with great temptation, Did you think to pray? By His dying love and merit, Did you claim the Holy Spirit As your guide and stay?”

May God help us to train ourselves to make prayer our automatic response to temptation! Jesus told His disciples in the garden to “watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Mt. 26:41) and taught His disciples to pray to God, “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil” (Mt. 6:13). God wants us to endure temptation more than anybody (1 Cor. 10:13; 1 Thess. 4:7), we should solicit His help when we are facing seemingly unendurable temptation!  

God’s Word 

Likewise, we cannot underestimate the power of God’s Word in our fight against temptation. God’s Word is “the sword of the Spirit” (Eph. 6:17) and is living, active, and sharp (Heb. 4:12). God’s Word was Jesus’ tool when the tempter sought to lure Him into sin (Mt. 4:1-11), and it should be ours as well. 

There are a couple of ways in which familiarity with and meditation on God’s Word can help us overcome temptation. In the first place, God’s Word helps us to have our minds transformed so that we can discern between what is good and what is evil (Rom. 12:2; Eph. 5:17; Heb. 5:13-14). Also, having the Sword of the spirit stored in our heart gives us instant help in tempting situations: “I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you” (Ps. 119:11). The more we meditate on and internalize God’s Word, the better equipped we are to overcome temptation. 

The Psalms tell us that the blessed person delights in the law of the Lord and meditates on it day and night (Ps. 1:2). It is not automictically the case that those who know more of God’s Word will sin less, but it is true that God’s Word is our greatest offensive weapon against being overwhelmed by temptation and conforming to the world. If we find ourselves struggling with sin and giving into temptation more than we used to, we likely need to flee to God’s Word for refuge: “Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in Him” (Prov. 30:5).

Responsibility and Accountability 

Finally, to help us overcome temptation, we should take responsibility and seek accountability. If our sin is always somebody else’s fault, we are not taking responsibility as we should. God does not tempt us, but our own desires lead us astray (Jas. 1:13-15)! When it comes to sin, we are in the driver’s seat. As God encouraged Cain before he murdered his brother, “If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it” (Gen. 4:7). We can choose to rule over sin. There is no sin that we must commit. So, when we sin, we should take responsibility for our actions by admitting that we’ve done wrong, and seeking God’s mercy: “Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy” (Prov. 28:13). 

God has given us Christian brothers and sisters to help us when we are struggling with temptation. Our time together in fellowship, worship, and community is designed to create an atmosphere of accountability and genuine spiritual concern for each other. If we neglect to assemble with the saints and spend time with our brothers and sisters, we will be more susceptible to caving into temptation. The wisdom of God tells us that “Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire; he breaks out against all sound judgment” (Prov. 18:1). We should confess our sins to one another, reach out for help, and be willing to be held accountable by our brothers and sisters (even if that means receiving rebuke). We are commanded: “Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called ‘today,’ that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin” (Heb. 3:12-12). We are told to “confess your sins to one another and pray for one another” (Jas. 5:16). 

When we are struggling, we should be with the church more, not less! May we take hold of God’s resources to help us in the fight against temptation. 

We have all been tempted and, in moments of weakness or thoughtlessness, given in to our desires. Though we looked at some principles to help us overcome temptation in James 1:13-18 last week in our first worship service, there are some practical actions the Bible describes as well. Here are a few of them.  

Take Heed 

The Bible tells us, “let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall” (1 Cor. 10:12). Realizing that temptation comes from my own desires (Jas. 1:13-15), I must be honest with myself and recognize that I’m not above sinning or being drawn away into temptation. A little bit of earnest self-inspection goes a long way. We should be aware of our own weaknesses and areas where we are more likely to be tempted. Then, we should work on being transformed by the renewal of our minds (Rom. 12:2), mindfully seeking the guidance of God’s Word in the areas we struggle most. To do this, we may have to face some embarrassment and empty ourselves of some pride, but it will always be worth it to take heed lest we fall. 

Avoid Triggers 

One easy way to resist temptation is to try not to get into tempting situations. Obviously, it’s impossible to avoid every possible tempting situation because we don’t know the future, but we can avoid some of them. If we know there is a certain sin we struggle with, we should strive to avoid the things that make that sin easier if we can. The book of Psalms opens with this description of a blessed individual: “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers” (Ps. 1:1). Avoiding the counsel of the wicked, the way of sinners, and the seats of scoffers can help us resist temptation. Likewise, 1 Corinthians 15:33 admonishes us, “Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.” 

The company we keep and the activities we engage in can go a long way to us being more or less likely to give in to temptation. If I know myself well enough to know what I struggle with, I can get out ahead of temptation by avoiding those situations altogether. These “triggers” are personal to me based on my desires and my past, but they are worth avoiding whenever possible. This may require me to draw some boundaries and miss out on some opportunities, but holiness is worth that cost (Mt. 5:29-30; Heb. 12:14). 

Look For the Way of Escape 

God has promised that He has given a way of escape for every tempting situation, enabling us to endure it: “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it” (1 Cor. 10:13). God can help us endure and escape temptation! Sometimes that looks like literally fleeing, like Joseph who had to run from the clutches of Potiphar’s wife (Gen. 39:11-12). Thus, the Bible tells us to “flee youthful passions” (2 Tim. 2:22), “flee from sexual immorality” (1 Cor. 6:18), and “flee from idolatry” (1 Cor. 10:14).  

Learn to Say No 

We have all been in a situation where another person compels us to do something we know we should not do. We need to learn to say no. God’s wisdom tells us, “My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent” (Prov. 1:10). The word consent is key in that verse. Nobody can force us to do something we do not want to do. Our peers may coax us, influence us, guilt trip us, and plead with us, but we do not have to yield. When we feel the social pressure to do that which God calls sin, we must remember that we have the power to say “no.” If they make fun of us for not going along with them in sin, we will be blessed (Mt. 5:10-12)! We live for the approval of God, not the approval of people (Gal. 1:10).   

Have you ever felt like God has forgotten about you? Maybe you have prayed the same prayer repeatedly without receiving the answer you were hoping for. Maybe you thought things would be different than they are. Sometimes it is difficult to believe that God “is not slow to fulfill his promise” (2 Pet. 3:9 ESV). 

Many of the psalms sympathize with those who feel as if God has forgotten them. Psalm 13:1 asks, “How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?” Likewise, Psalm 44:24 asks, “Why do you hide your face? Why do you forget our affliction and oppression?” 

Sometimes there can be a tension in faith; one that simultaneously feels as if God is not moving but trusts that He eventually will. When we feel this tension, we should meditate on the fact that we serve the God who remembers. 

God Remembered Noah 

Noah was on the ark for a lot longer than just forty days and nights. While Noah was on the ark, the Bible does tell us that it rained for forty days and forty nights (Gen. 7:12). But the Bible also tells us that “the waters prevailed on the earth 150 days” (Gen. 7:24). Can you imagine being Noah and his family? God told you that it would rain for forty days and forty nights (Gen. 7:4), but He never mentioned the 150 days of waiting! I imagine on the forty-first day, tensions began to rise a bit on the ark: “The forty days are over, where is God?” 

I imagine after sixty days, seventy days, 100 days, the nervousness only grew. Can you imagine being on the ark with all those animals, surrounded by nothing but water for 150 days? That’s five months! Meanwhile, the God who told you that it would rain for forty days and nights is silent.  

This background helps us better grasp the beauty of Genesis 8:1: “But God remembered Noah and all the beasts and all the livestock that were with him in the ark. And God made a wind blow over the earth, and the waters subsided.” There was a span of time when it may have been easy for Noah or his family to think that God had forgotten them, but they served the God who remembers. In God’s anger about the corruption of the earth through sin, He did not forget His mercy and compassion for those in the ark. Likewise, God will not forget us. Like Noah and his family, we may have to wait longer than we expected, but God will always remember.

God Remembered Israel 

What kind of life would you expect the chosen people of God to live? Few of us would expect God’s chosen nation to be subjugated to slavery in a foreign nation, but that is exactly how the history of the Israelites as a nation began. While in Egypt after the time of Joseph, the Egyptians forgot how a Hebrew had saved their nation and began to oppress the people of Israel. The Egyptians “ruthlessly made the people of Israel work as slaves and made their lives bitter with hard service” (Exod. 1:13-14). Israelites were being murdered, their young were being slain, and they were subjected to grueling conditions and mistreatment for generations. Where was God? Were they still His chosen people? Why wasn’t God acting to help them? Had God forgotten His people? 

With this background in mind, Exodus 2:23-25 becomes even more beautiful: “During those many days the king of Egypt died, and the people of Israel groaned because of their slavery and cried out for help. Their cry for rescue from slavery came up to God. And God heard their groaning, and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. God saw the people of Israel—and God knew.” 

Exodus teaches us that God hears, remembers, sees, knows, and acts. No mistreatment goes unnoticed by Him. No burden we bear escapes His sight. There is no struggle we endure that God does not know about. There is no prayer for deliverance His people pray that He does not hear. God will act when the time is right. He will remember His promises and He will keep His covenants. God knows all the details. He knows the right time to act. He knows what needs to happen. We only need to know that He will remember us. The next time you feel as if God has forgotten you, or God does not know what you’re going through, meditate on the fact that we serve the God who remembers! 

“I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth. He will not let your foot be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber.” (Psalm 121:1-3)

Continuing our look at what we can do to not love the world or the things in the world, here are three more attitudes and actions we can develop to help us to not go along with the world’s way of doing things. 

Seek things that are above 

Writing to Christians who were struggling to understand the implications of their faith in Christ, the apostle Paul told the Christians in Colossae, “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on the earth” (Col. 3:1-2). To overcome worldliness, we will have to be mindful of what we seek, consume, and focus on what. What we give our energy and mental attention to is up to us. If we spend our time and energy craving what we do not have, longing after sinful things, or tied up primarily in the things of this. World, it will be impossible to overcome worldliness. 

Instead, we should intentionally dwell on “whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise” (Phil. 4:8). We will always find what we are looking for (Matt. 7:7). When we are struggling with worldliness, we must spend some time meditating on heaven, getting involved in the work of the church, and being around positive spiritual influences as much as possible. 

Ask the right question 

It is easy to become a friend of the world when we are motivated by the wrong question. Let me explain. So often, when seeking to discern the will of God in our lives and what we should do to please Him, we ask ourselves “is this a sin?” One drink of alcohol, one step too far, one small lie, one little piece of possible gossip, one hateful word, one time forsaking the assembly just because, and we may ask ourselves, “is it really a sin?” (There are only a few “lists” of sins in the New Testament—see Rom. 1:21-32; 1 Cor. 5:9-10; Gal. 5:19-21; Col. 3:5-6; 1 Tim. 1:9-10). 

The problem with “is it a sin?” being our motivating question in life is that God has called us to do more than just avoid what is explicitly described as sinful in the New Testament. We are here to shine God’s light and be ambassadors for Christ. When my operative question in life is, “is it a sin?” I can look and act just like the world in almost every single way but just not go as far as everybody else does. 

The Bible tells us that, instead of “is it a sin?”, our operating question should be, “is it excellent?” There are many things that, though not explicitly sinful, are still not good, righteous, holy things. As Christians, we must not only consider ourselves but those around us. An action might not be a sin technically speaking, but that doesn’t mean that we are letting our light shine, building others up, or becoming more like God through the behavior. We may also be setting ourselves up to be a friend of the world by seeking things that “aren’t technically sinful” but will draw us in deeper love with the world and further from our Father. 

Paul’s prayer for the Philippians is as relevant for us as it was for the original recipients: “And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ” (Phil. 1:9-10). The path to worldliness isn’t always paved with glaring sin. It’s often paved with apathy, comfort, and passivity.    

Remember the timeline

God has given us great insight into the future. We can be sure of what God’s Word says about what is yet to come because God reigns over the future. When we are struggling with worldliness, it is helpful to keep God’s timeline in mind. The Bible tells us that “the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever” (1 Jn. 2:17). The things in the world that draw our attention and stand between us and living for God are temporary. They are doomed to pass away. They are not worth trading eternity for! We must remember that “here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come” (Heb. 13:14).

When we take hold of our heavenly citizenship and realize that we are just passing through this life, we can be “people of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God” (2 Pet. 3:11-12). The world is passing away so let’s live for heaven and seek to bring as many people as possible with us!  

How Can We Overcome Worldliness? Pt. 2

In this article, we will continue our search for how we can overcome worldliness. The Scriptures tell us to “not love the world” and that “friendship with the world is enmity with God” (1 Jn. 2:15; Jas. 4:4). How can we avoid loving the world and being friends with the world when we are surrounded by the world? In last week’s article we discovered that “the world” in these passages does not refer to the earth itself or the people in the world, but to “the world’s system.” That is, the way the world does things as influenced by Satan (see 1 Jn. 5:19).

Last week’s article also discussed how the solution to avoiding worldliness cannot be to hide away in a monastery in the woods. Christians are to influence the world around them, not avoid all contact with the world (Mt. 5:13-16; Jn. 17:14-16; 1 Cor. 5:9-10). With this in mind, we will look at several biblical directives to help us avoid worldliness.

Transform our minds

In order to be “in” the world but not “of” the world, we will have to transform our minds. In fact, the Bible tells us that this is the principal way that we avoid conforming to the world: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Rom. 12:2). The only way to not conform to the spirit of the world is to have our minds transformed by the Spirit of God. It can be easy to become “a friend of the world” by siding with the cultural view of a topic despite what God has said to the contrary. We must strive to fight against such conformity and allow God’s Word to transform our thinking about even the most controversial topics.  

Our values, preferences, priorities, opinions, etc. should all be shaped primarily by what God has said on the subject rather than what the socially acceptable answer is. As an example, the socially acceptable view of homosexuality is that it is good and natural. The Bible describes homosexual acts as unnatural and unrighteous (Rom. 1:26-27; 1 Cor. 6:9-10). We should apply this outlook to every topic and believe what God has said.

We must allow God’s Word to shape our minds rather than the spirit of the age, trusting that God knows what He’s talking about and will be proven right every time. If we allow our minds to be informed by the mind of God rather than the hive mind of sinful humanity, then we will have a fighting chance against worldliness. If we let it, God’s Word will transform how we think about almost everything (ourselves, sin, love, forgiveness, our families, our money, our time, etc.). 

Control our appetites 

One reason Christians cave to worldliness is because they want to do what the world does. Some crave social acceptance, so they bend and conform to fit in. Sometimes we want to enjoy “the fleeting pleasures of sin” (Heb. 11:25), so we end up looking a lot less like Jesus and more like the crowd He came to call to repentance (Lk. 5:30-32). All sin ultimately comes from out-of-control desires. The New Testament often talks about “the flesh with its passions and desires” (Gal. 5:24). These desires manifest themselves in actions like sexual immorality, strife, jealousy, drunkenness, murder, etc. (Gal. 5:19-21).

These desires lure us and entice us into sin which leads to death (Jas. 1:13-15). We can overcome these desires (and therefore worldliness) by walking according to Spirit and not the flesh, setting our minds on the Spirit not the flesh, making no provisions for the desires of the flesh, walking in the Spirit, sowing to the Spirit, dying with Christ in conversion and baptism, and praying with vigilance (Rom. 8:1-5; 13:14; Gal. 5:16, 24; 6:8; Mk. 14:38). To overcome worldliness, we must find more satisfaction in pleasing God than we do in pleasing our fleshly appetites.  

Disregard the crowd 

One of the most difficult parts of overcoming worldliness is the social pressure not to do so. Humans are social creatures. We want to fit in. We were designed by God to live in community and relationships with others. As God said in the beginning, “it is not good that man should be alone” (Gen. 2:18). But we must come to terms with the fact that oftentimes, to please God, we will have to disregard the crowd. Satan certainly has numbers. The whole world is under his influence (Jn. 12:31; 2 Cor. 4:4; 1 Jn. 5:19). Many enter the gate to destruction (Mt. 7:13). God’s Word gives us a helpful principle in the form of an Old Testament law: “you shall not follow a crowd to do evil” (Exod. 23:2 NKJV). 

To overcome worldliness, we must have the courage to think for ourselves as informed by the Word of God and make our own decisions about what we should do or not do. Just because everybody wants us to do it, or says we should do it, or is doing it themselves, does not mean we should automatically follow suit. Jesus reminds us that “What is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God” (Lk. 16:14). We can’t be afraid to be different. Jesus makes it worth it.

One of the more difficult commands in the Christian life is to “not love the world or the things in the world” (1 Jn. 2:15 ESV). Another passage takes this command a step further, illustrating loving the world as spiritual adultery: “You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” (Jas. 4:4). With these words in mind, the Christian must ask how he or she can avoid falling in love with the world. At times, it seems like a nearly impossible task. In a literal sense, we live in the world, and are surrounded by the world, and it's impossible to be anywhere else other than the world (for now). How can we avoid being worldly?  

What is meant by “the world?”

Before we can know how to avoid loving the world, we must understand what is meant in passages like 1 John 2:15 and James 4:4 when the New Testament talks about “the world.” It helps to start by eliminating what we know the Bible cannot be referring to when it discusses “the world” in these passages. We know that “the world” – in this context – is not the planet earth. The earth is good! In the beginning, when God looked at everything that He made, He described it as “very good” (Gen. 1:31). God made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and everything in them (Exod. 20:11). God loves His physical creation and so should we. 

Also, we know that the Bible is not talking about the people in the world in 1 John 2:15 and James 4:4. Otherwise, God would be a hypocrite! One of the most popular Bible passages tells us that “God so loved the world” that He gave His Only Begotten Son so that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life (Jn. 3:16). If God loves the world, why would He tell us to not love the world? It must be that the “world” in John 3:16 and the “world” in 1 John 2:15 do not refer to the same thing. God loves the people in the world, and so should we. Christians are commanded to—without exception—love their neighbors and their enemies (Matt. 22:39; 5:44). Like God, Christians should love sinners and seek to share the good news with them (Rom. 5:6-11)! We know that the “world” we are told not to love is not referring to the people in the world. 

So, what does “world” refer to in 1 John 2:15 and James 4:4? The “world” we are commanded not to love is described in 1 Corinthians 2:12 as “the spirit of the world.” We could call it “the system of the world” or “the way the world does things” as influenced by Satan (1 Jn. 5:19). The “world” we are not to love and not be friends with is the attitude, spirit, and way of doing things that contradicts God’s system, God’s order, and God’s Spirit. 

Christians should not feel at home in a world that says, “shout your abortion” and “love is love, marry whoever you want.” The world’s outlook contradicts God in the realms of sex (it’s okay before marriage, homosexuality is to be celebrated, etc.), gender (male and female are social constructs), morality (we are just animals, do whatever you want), recreation (if there’s no alcohol it isn’t fun), religion (all roads lead to heaven), and the list goes on. These popular, “worldly” notions and ways of doing things oppose God’s order for the world and should be rejected by Christians lest we become God’s enemies once more (Jas. 4:4). It is tempting to love the way the world does things because it comes with short-term benefits. When we love the world, we get to fit in, we don’t get ostracized, people don’t think we’re weird, we get to fulfill the sinful desires of our flesh and “enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin” (Heb. 11:25). It is tempting to just fall in line and be conformed.  

What is not the solution

With a firm grasp of what the “world” we are commanded not to love is, how do we avoid loving the world? First, it should be noted what the solution is not. There is always a temptation to avoid worldliness by becoming a recluse and excusing ourselves to a monastery in the woods to only interact with Christians and only be around godly people. The problem with this is that God has not called us to be monks. We cannot be the light of the world and the salt of the earth if we are never around the world. This would just be another way of hiding our light under a basket and allowing our salt to lose its flavor (Mt. 5:13-16). 

We are called to be “in” the world but not “of” the world, and we cannot avoid all contact with those who are not Christians (Jn. 17:14-16; 1 Cor. 5:9-10). It is impossible to not be around worldly people. More than being impossible, it’s not what God wants. God wants to reconcile the world to Himself through Christ (2 Cor 5:19) and we are the only ones who can share the message of Christ with the world (2 Cor. 5:20). Jesus wants us to be around the world, sharing His message with the world, turning the world upside down, but doing so without going along with the way the world does things. Since this is the case, how can we avoid worldliness? We’ll tackle this question directly in next week’s bulletin article.   

The Swiss Champ is an impressive multitool. Better known simply as the “Swiss army knife,” the Victorinox Swiss Champ is a 3.6-inch pocketknife that has an impressive 33 functions. The Victorinox describes the infamous tool as “the ultimate pocketknife, packing no less than 33 functions and countless possibilities. Wherever you are and whatever happens, if it can be fixed, it can be fixed with the Swiss Champ.” 

This impressive, medium-sized pocketknife folds away a fish scaler, hook disgorger, ruler, magnifying glass, bottle opener, 6 mm screwdriver, wire stripper, toothpick, pin, wood saw, Philips screwdriver, multipurpose hook, scissors, tweezers, key ring, nail file, nail cleaner, metal saw, metal file, 2.5 mm screwdriver, large blade, ballpoint pen, sewing awl, chisel, pliers, wire cutters, wire crimper, small blade, can opener, 3 mm screwdriver, 1.5 mm screwdriver, and a corkscrew. Oh, did I mention that it can fit in your pocket?

The Swiss Champ gives us a wonderful illustration of God’s design for the church and our place in it. These 33 diverse tools with varying functions all come together to form one, helpful, needed thing that can be used to build, fix, and help the one who uses it. The church is the same way. In one body, the church is compressed of a diverse group of people with varying talents, abilities, and functions who all work together to glorify God and build, fix, and help the fallen world around them.

Sometimes, it can seem like I must be a Swiss army knife to be a good Christian. I must be good at organizing, leading, evangelizing, memorizing, studying, teaching, writing cards, visiting, talking on the phone, helping others in need, and donating large amounts of money, otherwise, I am not who God wants me to be. But, this is not the case. God expects the church to be a Swiss army knife, but He doesn’t expect each Christian to be a Swiss army knife!  

Notice the words of the Holy Spirit through Paul to the Romans: “For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness” (Rom. 12:4-8 ESV). Likewise, we also read: “But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body” (1 Cor. 12:18-20).

Just like the Swiss Champ, when it comes to the church, “the members do not all have the same function” (Rom. 12:4). Instead, like a master builder, God has constructed the body of Christ so that each person’s varying function, strength, talent, etc. can be used to serve as a cohesive unit. No part is more valuable than any other, and no part has to do the work of the whole. The tweezers on the Swiss Champ have a different job than the wood saw. The wood saw doesn’t have to be the tweezers and vice versa. They are on the same team, using their varying abilities to work in the area where they are needed. It should be the same in the church!

Our job is to figure out what our function is and execute it. Our elders should look for ways to provide opportunities to get involved and our members should be willing to present ideas of what they can do to the elders. If you are a Christian, God has you in His church for a reason. May we all strive to do what we can, with what God has given us, to build up the body and reach the world! Maybe you are good at comforting and encouraging. Write cards. Call others. Go forward when others go forward. Maybe you’re good at coming up with ideas. Sit down with the elders and share what you have with them. Maybe you are good at cooking meals. Provide food for some of the shut-ins. If you don’t know what you can do, ask God, ask the elders, ask others, and you will find out! 

May we as Christ’s body be like the Swiss champ! Not fighting or competing or sitting idle, but all working together for the same glorious end. No part is more vital than the other. Each part is needed. The whole suffers when even the smallest function goes missing. May God help us to use our talents for His glory, whatever they may be. The Swiss Champ is an impressive multitool, but it pales in comparison to the church when we each do what we can!

Many in modern culture might shud­der that God would hate any behavior or personal trait.  Yet the Bible makes it crystal clear that there are things God hates (Prov. 6:16-19).  These seven things should remind the people of God that their heavenly Father is just, righteous, and holy.  The fourth on the list is “a heart that devises wicked plans” (Prov. 6:18a). Considering that a heart that devises wicked plans is hated by the Lord, we should do everything we can to avoid having such a heart. Here are some biblical steps we can take to prevent having a heart that devises wicked plans.  

First, Christians must be sure to keep their hearts with all vigilance (Pro. 4:23).  Every aspect of one’s life flows from his heart; so the heart must be guarded at all costs.  The heart can be guarded with vigilance when we exer­cise self-control over: 1) what we say (Pro. 4:24); 2) what we set our eyes on (Pro. 4:25); 3) where we go (Pro. 4:26); and 4) how we walk (Pro. 4:27). 

Second, in order to prevent having a heart that devises wicked plans, we as Christians should be vigilant and watch­ful in prayer (Matt. 26:41; Col. 4:2).  The saint’s defense against the schemes of Satan is not complete without constant prayer, coupled with alertness and per­severance (Eph. 6:18).  There are few things Satan desires more than for a Christian to develop a heart that devises wicked plans.  Therefore, Christians must watch and pray that they do not enter into temptation (Mat. 26:41).  Go­ing to God in prayer to make our re­quests known allows the peace of God to guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (Phil. 4:6-7).

Third, a heart that devises wicked plans can be avoided by cultivating one’s heart as a storehouse of good.  Jesus declared that good or evil comes from the storehouse of one’s heart (Matt. 12:34-35), and the good news is that each individual can decide what he stores in his heart.  The psalmist de­clared, “I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you” (Psalm 119:11).  A Christian’s heart should be so full of God’s Word that there is no space left for wicked plans.  Instead of dwelling on that which tempts us or plans to sin, Christians should dwell on that which is true, hon­orable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, and praiseworthy.  Therefore, we will make no provision to gratify the desires of the flesh (Phil. 4:8; Rom. 13: 14).  

Fourth, in order to take heed against the temptation of having a heart that devises wicked plans, Christians should “be careful to devote themselves to good works” (Titus 3:8; cf. 3:14).  It has been said many times that an idle mind is the devil’s workshop.  Christians can guard against having a heart that de­vises wicked plans by mindfully culti­vating a heart that devises good: “Do they not go astray who devise evil? Those who devise good meet steadfast love and faithfulness” (Pro. 14:22). Christians should be schemers—for good.  Christians should have hearts that devise plans, but the plans should be plans for good works, evangelism, overcoming temptation, helping their neighbor, etc.  

Fifth, Christians must fight against our own hearts going astray by being sure to assemble with the saints.  The author of Hebrews warns by inspiration: 

Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceit­fulness of sin (Heb. 3:12-13).

Notice a few things about this section of Scripture.  First, the command to “take care” in­dicates that the condition of one’s heart is the individual’s responsibility.  There­fore, it must be in accord with an indi­vidual’s own choices.  

Second, contrary to the claims of many in the religious world, it is possible for a believer (a brother) to develop an evil, unbelieving heart that causes one to fall away from God.  This fact high­lights the graveness of the responsibility to keep one’s heart with all vigilance. 

Third, the remedy for developing an evil, unbelieving heart is found at least partially in being exhorted by fellow brethren daily.  This daily exhortation is impossible if one does not assemble with fellow Christians or seek the ac­countability of brethren.  The assem­bling of the saints is a God-given safe­guard so that the people of God can guard against developing a heart that devises wicked plans and instead be stimulated unto love and good works (Heb. 10:24-25).

A story is told about Leonardo Di Vinci revealing his painting of the last supper to his pupils for the first time. As the story goes, Leonardo’s students were marveling at the symmetry, perspective, depth, and detail of the painting. Di Vinci grew frustrated with their distraction from the main subject of the painting and exclaimed, “see only Christ!”. Unfortunately, there is a temptation for even Christ’s pupils to become distracted from the focus of their lives. Let us consider how as Christians, and as the church, Jesus ought to be the main focus. 

Jesus Should Be the Focus of Our Lives

Christians are encouraged to “run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith” (Heb. 12:1-2 ESV). The Christian life is a life of looking to Jesus. If Jesus is not our focus as a Christian, we need to readjust our vision. If Jesus is our focus we will emulate Him, learn about Him, keep Him in the forefront of our minds, and slowly become more and more like Him as our life goes on. We must strive to allow Jesus to be our teacher in all things having to do with life and godliness. 

When we allow Jesus to be our focus and our teacher, we will be more like Him. As Jesus said, “A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher” (Luke 6:40). If we are not becoming more like Jesus, it is because we have lost our focus. We need to keep looking to Jesus!

Jesus Should Be the Focus of Our Singing 

One of the central components of Christian worship is singing. But not just any singing. The singing we read about in the New Testament is always centered around Jesus in one way or another. Christian singing in worship is to be done by those who are filled with the Spirit, make melody in their heart to the Lord, and give thanks always to God through Jesus (Eph. 5:18-20). Our singing is to be to the Lord as the word of Christ dwells in us richly and we do all things in Jesus’ name (Col. 3:16-17). Those who overcome the forces of Satan in the book of Revelation sing the song of Moses and the Lamb (Rev. 15:3). The focus of our singing as the church is the One Who died to set us free!

Jesus Should Be the Focus of Our Preaching 

The apostle Paul reminded the Corinthians that the message that the apostles preached was “Christ crucified” (1 Cor. 1:23). To preach the gospel is to preach the cross of Christ (1 Cor. 1:17). The heart of the true gospel message in its pure, New Testament form has never been “lofty speech or wisdom” but “Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (1 Cor. 2:1-2). Whenever true Christian preaching occurs, no matter the motive of the preacher, the message is focused on Jesus Christ (Phil. 1:15-18). When we assemble as a church, we should expect to hear about Jesus! If He’s truly our focus, He’ll be the focus of our preaching. 

Jesus Should Be the Focus of Our Giving 

As Christians who give every first day of the week, sometimes our giving can seem monotonous or insignificant. Paul reminds Christians that when they give, they should do so with minds centered on Christ who, “though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you by His poverty might become rich” (2 Cor. 8:9). May our giving flow out of hearts that are focused on the One who gave it all! 

Jesus Should Be the Focus of Our Communion 

The apex of the Christian’s week is remembering Jesus’ death in the Lord’s Supper on the first day of the week (Acts 20:7). In the Lord’s Supper, Christians partake of the body (represented in the bread) and blood (represented in the cup) of Jesus (Mark 14:22-25). Partaking of the Lord’s Supper is to be done discerning the Lord’s body, and in so doing we proclaim His death until He comes back (1 Cor. 11:26-29). When we partake of the Lord’s Supper, we are participating (or communing) in the body and blood of Christ (1 Cor. 10:16) and are gathered around the Lord’s table, where He is host (1 Cor. 10:21). Every single week, we gather as one to remember Jesus Christ, to remember our fellowship around His body and blood, and proclaim His death while expecting His return. It’s all about Him!  

As Christians, our life, our worship, and our everything should be focused on Jesus. After all, we have been crucified with Christ, and it’s no longer us who live, but Christ who lives in us (Gal. 2:20). He is our life. Let us continually strive to keep Him as our focus!