The Challenge of Worldliness

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father, but is of the world. The world and its desires are passing away, but the one who does the will of God lives forever.

— 1 John 2:15-17

The average worldling, like a mole in its dark hole, walks in the darkness of this world without the slightest inkling of God’s love and mercy or of the gracious and free atonement and salvation that God offers to those who acknowledge that they are sinners.

We have seen many times that the world in its “wisdom” has flown right into the face of God’s wisdom. For decades they follow the attractions of the world, only to find that they have created yet another disaster.

There was a great preacher by the name of Bud Robinson who proclaimed the Gospel in various parts of the world. Then he visited New York City for the first time, and his friends took him on the grand tour of the city. He saw New York in all of its glory. That night he knelt to pray, and this is what he said: “Lord, I thank you that once in my life I had the opportunity of seeing the great city of New York. And Lord, I thank you even more that I didn’t see one thing that I wanted.”