WORLDLINESS

1. WORLDLINESS

2. “Worldliness remains an issue at the core of our existence and [spiritual] survival. Though the specific cultural forms of worldly influence may change, the same devil is laboring [today] with the same purpose [as in the first century] – to draw us away from spiritual interests to material concerns; to seduce us from high values to carnal behavior; to bring us down into the pit that is a foretaste of eternal destruction” (Warren E. Berkley, The Preceptor, Volume 51, Number 3, page 1).

3. But what is “worldliness”? It is that which pertains to the world, “that realm wherein ‘the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life’ reign supreme.” • This is the case because “the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one” (1 John 5:19). • The politically correct term for worldliness is “secular humanism.” • But, just as the term “feminism” robs women of all that is feminine, the term “humanism” robs mankind of all that is human.

4. While claiming that being human is the highest level of existence (hence, that there is no God), the humanist can give no legitimate reason why man should behave any differently from animals. • Therefore, those caught up in it differ very little from animals in their conduct. • And the more consistent the humanist the more like an animal’s his conduct will be. • In this series we will consider at least seven (and perhaps as many as ten) expressions of worldliness. • But before we look at specific forms of worldliness, let us consider worldliness in general.

5. WORLDLINESS

6. 1 John 2:15 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.

7. 1 John 2:16 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.

8. 2 Timothy 4:9-10 Be diligent to come to me quickly; for Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world, and has departed for Thessalonica--Crescens for Galatia, Titus for Dalmatia.

9. IMMODESTY

10. “Immodesty” is the opposite of “modesty,” which is the noun form of the adjective, “modest,” which means “well ordered, orderly, i.e., well behaved, discreet, decorous” (E.W. Bullinger, A Critical Lexicon and Concordance to the English and Greek New Testament). • Putting it another way, “immodesty” is dressing or behaving in such a way as to call attention to one’s physical attributes, while “modesty” is dressing or behaving in such a way as to call attention to one’s spiritual attributes.

11. THE PURPOSE OF CLOTHING • The way some people - even Christians - dress, you would think the only purpose for clothing is protection from the cold. • The warmer the outside temperature, the less they wear, especially when engaged in recreation. • Consider, however, what one atheistic sociologist had to say about this.

12. THE PURPOSE OF CLOTHING “If clothing were simply a matter of comfort and protection, then there are many occasions when we could all abandon our costumes, thanks to modern technology. We have air-conditioning, central heating and soft furnishings in our homes and could easily wine, dine, entertain and relax in the nude without any protective problems arising.

13. THE PURPOSE OF CLOTHING "The human body is a mass of gender signals, and every curve of flesh, each bulge and contour, transmits its basic signals to the eyes of interested onlookers.

14. THE PURPOSE OF CLOTHING "The female breasts, the buttocks, the hips, the thighs, the waist, the slender neck, the rounded limbs, and the male chest, the body hair, the broad shoulders, the muscles of the arms and legs, all these visual elements are potentially arousing to the opposite sex.

15. THE PURPOSE OF CLOTHING "If their messages are to be reduced, then they too must be hidden by enveloping garments." (Desmond Morris: Manwatching: A Field Guide to Human Behavior, pages 215, 216)

16. IMMODESTY • Sin led to sexual awareness and shame.

17. Genesis 2:25 And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.

18. “In this ideal state, man and woman view their person and sexuality with wholeness and thus feel no shame in their nakedness. Here their nakedness is an image of openness and trust. With the loss of innocence in the Fall, they will feel shame and temptation and so need to protect their vulnerability by the barrier of clothing.” (Bruce T. Waltke, Genesis: A Commentary, p.90)

19. Genesis 3:6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.

20. Genesis 3:7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings.

21. “The discovery of their nakedness was followed by an effort of their own to cover it.” • The KJV and ASV translate it “aprons.” The NASB translates it “loin coverings.” The ESV translates it “loincloths.” YLT translates it “girdles.” • Thus, the clothing Adam and Eve made for themselves covered only the midsection. • And they, apparently, were again comfortable in one another’s presence.

22. Genesis 3:8 And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.

23. Genesis 3:9-10 Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, "Where are you?" So he said, "I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself."

24. WHY DID THEY HIDE? • They apparently felt comfortable in one another’s presence but.... • They still felt naked when they heard God coming, even though they had attempted to cover their nakedness from one another.

25. Genesis 3:11 And He said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?"

26. Genesis 3:21 Also for Adam and his wife the Lord God made tunics of skin, and clothed them.

27. The word translated “tunics” in the NKJV is translated “coats” in the KJV, ASV and YLT. It is translated “garments” in the ESV and NASB. • “Adam and Eve’s ‘coverings’ of 3:7 were only loincloths, inadequate to cover their shame. Now with the ‘sacrifice’ of an animal, God crafts for them tunics that reach down to their knees or ankles.” (Waltke, p.95)

28. IMMODESTY • Sin led to sexual awareness and shame. • Women should adorn themselves in modest apparel with good works and incorruptible beauty.

29. 1 Timothy 2:9 in like manner also, that the women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with propriety and moderation, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly clothing,

30. 1 Timothy 2:10 but, which is proper for women professing godliness, with good works.

31. 1 Peter 3:1 Wives, likewise, be submissive to your own husbands, that even if some do not obey the word, they, without a word, may be won by the conduct of their wives,

32. 1 Peter 3:2 when they observe your chaste conduct accompanied by fear.

33. 1 Peter 3:3 Do not let your adornment be merely outward--arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel--

34. 1 Peter 3:4 rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.

35. 1 Peter 3:5 For in this manner, in former times, the holy women who trusted in God also adorned themselves, being submissive to their own husbands,

36. 1 Peter 3:6 as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, whose daughters you are if you do good and are not afraid with any terror.

37. IMMODESTY • Sin led to sexual awareness and shame. • Women should adorn themselves in modest apparel with good works and incorruptible beauty. • Women should dress to be chaste, not chased.

38. Titus 2:3 the older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things--

39. Titus 2:4 that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children,

40. Titus 2:5 to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed.

41. IMMODESTY • Sin led to sexual awareness and shame. • Women should adorn themselves in modest apparel with good works and incorruptible beauty. • Women should dress to be chaste, not chased. • One should never cause another to sin.

42. Romans 14:13 Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother's way.

43. Luke 17:1 Then He said to the disciples, "It is impossible that no offenses should come, but woe to him through whom they do come!

44. Luke 17:2 It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones."

45. Matthew 5:28 "But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart."

46. IMMODESTY • Sin led to sexual awareness and shame. • Women should adorn themselves in modest apparel with good works and incorruptible beauty. • Women should dress to be chaste, not chased. • One should never cause another to sin. • There is no double standard.

47. Genesis 3:21 Also for Adam and his wife the Lord God made tunics* of skin, and clothed them.

48. 1 Timothy 2:9-10 The clothing God made for Adam covered just as much skin as the clothing He made for Eve. Clearly, God did not want either of them to go topless once they perceived their nakedness

49. Genesis 3:21 Also for Adam and his wife the Lord God made tunics* of skin, and clothed them.

50. It is interesting that Eve apparently made no attempt to cover the upper part of her body. Many men, today - even some Christians - will go outside without covering the upper part of their bodies. But it is doubtful that they would want their mothers, wives or daughters to do so. If a woman is naked with the upper part of her body exposed, so is a man. If not, why not?