It is important to note that no Christian becomes worldly all of a sudden. Worldliness creeps up on a believer; it is a gradual process. First is the friendship of the world (James 4:4). By nature, the world and the Christian are enemies (“Marvel not, my brethren, it the world hate you,” 1 John 3:13). A Christian who is a friend of the world is an enemy of God.
Next, the Christian becomes “spotted by the world” (James 1:27). The world leave its dirty marks on one or two areas of his life. This means that gradually the believer accepts and adopts the ways of the world.
When this happens, the world ceases to hate the Christian and starts to love him! So John warns us, “Love not the world!”—but too often our friendship with the world leads to love. As a result, the believer becomes conformed to the world (Rom. 12:2) and you can hardly tell the two apart.
Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Real [commentary on 1 John], pg. 73-74
It is even more difficult when your church embraces the world, and you end up at odds with your own brothers and sisters in the Lord.
ReplyDeleteSadly, sometimes worldly believers will treat fellow Christians more harshly than the world does.
-Carolyn