Many people believe they are tempted by Satan and if they can escape the clutches of the devil, then they are headed to heaven.
Not so fast.
The Bible declares that Satan has a few powerful allies in the battle between good and evil: the flesh and the world.
The flesh is that bundle of appetites which every human has (which are perfectly okay IF the person can keep perfect control of his appetites and lusts), which constantly tempt humans to “overdo it” whatever “it” happens to be: eating, drinking, sexual activity.
Satan’s other ally is the world.
The Bible contains many warnings about the evil and wickedness which is in ‘the world.’
- What is ‘the world?’
- What does the Bible say about it?
- What can a person do to escape the snares which the world lays for the unwary?
THE WORLD
46 Bible verses.
That’s pretty much the extent of the information on “the world” which the Bible contains. Most of this information is in the New Testament. Most of this New Testament information is concentrated in the gospel (especially the 17th chapter) and first epistle of John.
Many teachers explain the world as “the world system.” And that’s partially true.
But the world also contains the appetites of the flesh as well as the many blandishments the world uses to get people to commit to sin: pride, greed, covetousness, blasphemy, envy and all the rest.
“For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.”
—1 John 2:16
The world contains all of the kingdoms and governments of the world. And the world uses the power and fame that comes with controlling those governments as powerful temptations to do evil.
“Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;”
—Matthew 4:8
THE BASICS
The world is a bad place.
Basically, the world is evil and attempt to trap the unwary into sin and the death such sin brings.
The world is under the sway of evil (not the evil one, as the apostates teach).
“And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness.”
—1 John 5:19
There is NO compromise with the world and its ways: one is either for God or one is for the world. There is no reconciling these two polar opposites, as many American churches teach.
“Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”
—1 John 2:15
A person has to make a choice: either submit to God or submit to the world;
Though modern American life (the epitome of the world) makes turning one’s back on the world appear to be unreasonable or even insane.
The choice: either friendship with God OR friendship with the world.
It’s one or the other, not both.
“Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.”
—James 4:4
THE WAYS OF THE WORLD
God sent Jesus into the world in order to give the men who believed a way out of the world and into eternal life.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”
—John 3:16-17
The gift of eternal life is the most precious gift of all–even if most men do not realize the value of this gift.
All with eternal life will live forever, while the world (which provided the temptations which dragged so many to their eternal destruction), will pass away.
“And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.”
—1 John 2:17
During the time Jesus was on earth, He said He was “THE light of the world”: lighting the way for men to come out of the darkness and be saved.
“Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”
—John 8:12
“As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
—John 9:5
“I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness. And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.”
—John 12:46-47
After Jesus was put to death, believers in Jesus (who are assured of life eternal) are said to be “the light of the world.”
“Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.”
—Matthew 5:14
“That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; “
—Philippians 2:15
In fact, believers are sent into this world to provide it with a light.
“As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.”
—John 17:18
But the world LIKES its sin.
The world enjoys its evil.
The world needs the darkness.
“And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.”
—John 3:19
Because most men prefer sin to righteousness (regardless of what words come out of their mouths), the world hated Jesus.
“The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil.”
—John 7:7
When Jesus spoke these words to the apostles, the Holy Spirit had not yet come. After Jesus left, the Holy Spirit came to every true believer.
“And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.”
—John 14:16-17
The Holy Spirit is the opposite of the spirit of the world: the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God.
“Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.”
—1 Corinthians 2:7
Because believers now had the Holy Spirit, the world hates them as it hated Jesus.
“Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you.”
—1 John 3:13
“I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.”
—John 17:14
“If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.”
—John 15:19
“If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.”
—John 15:18
Even though the world hates believers, Jesus assured the believer he has reason to celebrate.
“These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”
—John 16:33
One of the reason believers have victory over the world is they have peace–even surrounded by wickedness. While the wicked know no peace and are quite familiar with fear, the believer has peace.
“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”
—John 14:27
Jesus is of heaven and of God: He was/is not of this world.
“He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.”
—John 1:10
As Jesus was not of this world, so too believers are not of this world.
“They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.”
—John 17:16
“Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.”
—1 John 3:1
But one of the ways a believer can tell if someone is a counterfeit or not is their actions.
Do they value the things of God? Or do they value the things of the world? Does the world listen to them? If the world listens to them, they are of the world, not God.
“They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them. We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.”
—1 John 4:5-6
The fake TV preachers are heard of the world. The phoney “great men of God” whom the world exalts are not men of God. If they were, the world would hate them, not give them honor.
The worldling can repeat over and over “I love Jesus.” But it’s just so many empty words. The believer can tell the difference. But there’s not many believers, so the counterfeit Christians get away with their fake “I love Jesus” act 99 times out of 100.
True Christians know the difference because they have the Holy Spirit and because they obey the command to test every spirit.
“Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.”
—1 John 4:1
Finally, believers share the gospel. The world hates the gospel and will do anything to avoid it.
That’s one reason the apostate churches DO NOT preach the gospel.
They talk about the gospel.
They chatter about salvation.
They have substitutes to the gospel.
They offer empty prayers and rituals.
They blabber on about ‘discipleship.’
But they are of the world, so they will not preach the gospel as commanded.
“And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.”
—Mark 16:15
The saints will judge the world which once hated them.
“Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?”
—1 Corinthians 6:2
Finally, God will punish the world.
And the world will be found wanting.
“And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.”
—Isaiah 13:11
Do you want judgment or eternal life?
It doesn’t matter if you believe in judgment by God or not, it will happen.
And every man has enough faith to KNOW it will happen–even if he tries to suppress that faith.
A choice has to be made.
And time is growing short.
Time is Running Out: Today is the Day of Salvation
THE GOSPEL
“Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time. ”
–1 Corinthians 15:1-8
“For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.”
-—1 Corinthians 1:18-19
THE REST
Here are the rest of what the Bible says about the world.
“Behold, these are the ungodly, who prosper in the world; they increase in riches.”
—Psalm 73:12
“The earth mourneth and fadeth away, the world languisheth and fadeth away, the haughty people of the earth do languish.”
—Isaiah 24:4
“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”
—Romans 12:2
“I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine.”
—John 17:9
“But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:”
—1 Corinthians 1:27-28
“For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.”
—2 Corinthians 7:10
“Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”
—2 Peter 1:4
“For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.”
—2 Peter 2:20-21
“But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.”
—1 Corinthians 11:32
“Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.”
—1 John 4:4
“For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?”
—1 John 5:4-5
(“And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.”
—Revelation 12:11)
“Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. “
—Colossians 2:8
“For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.”
—2 John 1:7
RELATED ARTICLES
- TEAM EVIL: The Devil, The Flesh and The World
- Do You Know if You are Going to Heaven? Be Sure!
- THE WORLD: Futility of Men Exalting Men
- Separating from the World: END TIMES SURVIVAL
- End Times Survival, End Times Preparation
- Satan Has Counterfeited the Christian Church
by Jeremiah Jameson
–with Mondo Frazier
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1- ETPR/pd
2- ETPR
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