Bible Text: 2 Corinthians 11:3 | Speaker: Dr. Harold J. Sala | Series: Guidelines For Living | As Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. 2 Corinthians 11:3

Like a barber who is not satisfied with his haircut and keeps snipping away, I feel like some things still need to be said in this current series of chats on worldliness. Frankly, if you are a regular listener, you probably are aware of the fact that what I’ve been talking with you about is pretty heavy stuff.

In recent years, I’ve had a growing concern that lots of people go to church, sing the songs, and go through the motions of being a Christian, but in reality do not really know Jesus Christ. This, of course, is a very serious charge! Now, for a moment I wouldn’t attempt to say, “This one is in, and this one is out!” Only God knows the hearts.

But what troubles me is the homogenized staleness, the lack of love which is so evident, the powerlessness of so many who constantly are overwhelmed by temptation, the inability of so many people to live like the redeemed instead of the world, the constant questioning of so many truths for which thousands have died. The bottom line is that too often, today, there is little difference between the Church and the world.

No, I’m not suggesting that the real differences are cosmetic—what we wear, or what we drink or don’t drink, where we go or the kind of music we listen to. A generation ago we labeled this, “worldliness,” and promptly forgot that all our actions stem from the heart.

But I do believe worldliness, the kind that causes our hearts to grow cold, is the real virus of the faith today which is causing many of us to justify that which would have brought down the condemnation and wrath of the reformers, who died for their faith rather than compromise it.

Worldliness, to me, is an attitude of the heart, and like a silent virus which begins to cripple and debilitate the muscles of our soul and faith, we are often unaware that we have been infected by it until we are shocked into the sober realization that we have been duped, and what we bought into, which we thought was the real thing, is a parody, an imitation of real Christianity.

Paul described this, saying, “As Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ” (2 Corinthians 11:3). Jesus Himself voiced concern that many who know the language do not know the reality. Of these He said, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’” (Matthew 7:21-23).

Strong words? You bet they are. It is not unusual for me to get letters like the one from a woman who said, “Our family would move almost anywhere if we could find a church which really preaches the Word of God and loves people.”

They do exist, but there are few of them. The problem, however, is not the church; it is us who sit in its pews week by week. May God send a spirit of revival whereby we cry out with the songwriter, “More love to thee, O Christ, More love to Thee! Hear Thou the prayer I make on bended knee; This is my earnest plea: More love, O Christ, To Thee; More love to Thee, More love to Thee.”

The promise of old is still valid today. “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and will heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14).

Resource reading: Judges 2:16-19