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 desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world.1 John 2:15-16 (ESV)
A potentially painful, but critically important question we as Christ-followers need to ask often is, "Do I love the world?" Never before in history has there been so many temptations to worldliness. And because of the bombardment, we are susceptible to falling in love with the world.
You may have heard the song "Slow Fade" by Casting Crowns. The words speak of the slippery slope toward love for the world:
Sometimes we deceive ourselves by saying things like, "Well, I can watch that stuff and it doesn't affect me." Not true according to Scripture. We need to be very careful about what we "feed" our minds and hearts. We need to "feed" our love for God and "starve" our love for the world. Philippians 4:8 (ESV) should be our guide: Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
A potentially painful, but critically important question we as Christ-followers need to ask often is, "Do I love the world?" Never before in history has there been so many temptations to worldliness. And because of the bombardment, we are susceptible to falling in love with the world.
You may have heard the song "Slow Fade" by Casting Crowns. The words speak of the slippery slope toward love for the world:
The journey from your mind to your hands
Is shorter than you're thinking
Be careful if you think you stand
You just might be sinking
It's a slow fade when you give yourself away
It's a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray
Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day
Daddies never crumble in a day
Families never crumble in a day
I fear that we have become desensitized to the lure of the world and the ungodliness around us. Just think for a moment about the entertainment world. Who and what do we invite into our homes via the airwaves? What kind of language is involved? What about immorality and blatant sexuality and extreme violence? It's the world, isn't it? Most of it is certainly not of God.Is shorter than you're thinking
Be careful if you think you stand
You just might be sinking
It's a slow fade when you give yourself away
It's a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray
Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day
Daddies never crumble in a day
Families never crumble in a day
Sometimes we deceive ourselves by saying things like, "Well, I can watch that stuff and it doesn't affect me." Not true according to Scripture. We need to be very careful about what we "feed" our minds and hearts. We need to "feed" our love for God and "starve" our love for the world. Philippians 4:8 (ESV) should be our guide: Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
GLACIATION OF CHRISTIANITY
ReplyDelete"And because wickedness increased, the love of many cooling. But he that endure to the end will be saved. "(Matthew 24,12-13)
Glaciation, is a term that refers to a geological period characterized by the cooling of the earth, during which the ice glaciers cover large tracts of land beyond the alpine and polar regions.
But the ice is not only in geological terms but also in spiritual terms, ie a form of spiritual Christianity globally suffering from one of the largest that has been cooling since the appearance of the church 2000 years ago.
This cooling is the low temperatures reached by the Christian faith to the point there is no difference between the believer and the unconverted. Both are frozen spiritually. Not only that, many places and nations that were considered bastions of Christianity and missionary active today are so icy that they are becoming major cemeteries to Christianity.
But this is not a new ice age. Christianity had already suffered other glaciations.
The first occurred when Vivian apostles themselves grappling with the permissiveness in their churches. (Revelation 3,15-16) .
The second occurred when Emperor Constantine declared Christianity as its official religion, combining pagan with rioja rioja Christian.
The third occurred at the beginning of the Crusades and the corruption of Catholicism in the Middle Ages.
The fourth and last originate after the two world wars that marked the final decline of Christianity, something that until now and is continuing acceleration. The last glaciation is referred to the Lord Jesus in Matthew 24.12.
What is causing this cooling of the Christian faith? The Lord Jesus Christ provides the answer: the increase of wickedness.
This evil is the cause of all the Christian glaciations. An evil that is penetrating the churches and that cools the believers' faith, leading to the final cooling is apostasy.
It is necessary to combat this evil, to fuel our faith in the heat of the spirit and the Word of God and if possible make that faith in Christ is not the privilege of a few
Luis, thanks. Well said. Keep the fire hot.
ReplyDeleteThere is book by C.J. Mahaney that may be of interest to you. It is aptly titled, "Worldliness." I don't have it but I'll gladly read your copy should you choose to buy it. Thanks for the offer.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, I read on sovereigngrace.com that they are having a sale in their bookstore. "Worldliness" is $7 until the end of February.
ReplyDelete