MAN'S WORLD

There is an interesting passage in the Gospel according to Luke that you may want to ponder on, when studying this strange thing of the world belonging to the devil.

What can you deduct from this? God had given the devil power over all the kingdoms of THE WORLD. And the devil lures us with it. Now, just imagine, him being the devil and all, how he deceitfully uses that power to persuade each and every soul that he possibly can to follow his WAY of the world ... So as to gain glory for himself and steal souls and glory from God.

Is this really true? Well, ask for yourself, do you think that most of the people in the world are walking the Christian walk, or is the world going the other 'way'?

When you go out into the world or do something worldly, are you aware of the presence of God with the same intensity as when you are doing something Godly? Of course not.

Most people aren't aware of the presence of God unless they're praying or at church. Even when something awesome or terrible happens and they gasp, "Oh, my God!" they still aren't actually beckoning to their Father, but only using it as a figure of speech ... Which by the way, is the same as taking the Lord's name in vain, if you want the TRUTH. In vain, means empty ... So if you're uttering the Lord's name, and you're not even thinking of Him, but just using His name with no thought toward Him ... Is that not in vain?

We live in the world. You can't totally isolate yourself from it. But you can control your thoughts, how you are influenced, and what you accept from the practices of the world.

Let's look at some of the deceptive ways that the world tries to win your heart, shall we?

Consider television. Can you watch a program on TV today that doesn't use the Lord's name in vain? How about a show where someone hasn't been unfaithful to their spouse? How many programs are there that don't include drugs, sex, violence, gangs, adultery, homosexuality, murder, theft, jealousy, conspiracy, or, well, evil of any kind? Why is that? Because these are the 'ways' of the world. Many of them are true stories. Though you may not practice these things in your own life (at the moment), even the suggestion of them puts seeds in your mind. If you had never seen them, or heard about them, you wouldn't know about them, you wouldn't think about them, and they wouldn't be a future threat (to your salvation) of any kind. Ignorance is bliss? Perhaps in some ways, yes. Wouldn't you be a happier person if you never knew evil or wickedness of any kind? If you never knew it existed, your mind wouldn't ever think of it. I can't think of a more blissful thought.

BEWARE MAN'S WORLD LURES
WHY IS A FRIEND OF THE WORLD IS THE ENEMY OF GOD

That's exactly what the devil wants. If you do a little investigating, you'll find that just 50 years ago, things were quite different. If you have a Grandma or Granddad, or if you know an elderly person, just ask them how the world has changed since they were a kid, and you'll find that there was a lot less wickedness in the world just a very short time ago.

Now, 50 years isn't a very long time, and when you watch a really old TV show ... One that's in black and white, there's a HUGE difference in the way the world was, and the way it is now, but over those 50 years, the changes were oh so very gradual, and little by little, the devil has gotten people to believe that the evils of the world today, are just normal.

Being disrespectful is not normal.
Divorce is not normal.
Adultery is not normal.
Crime is not normal.
Violence is not normal.
Addiction is not normal.
Homosexuality is not normal.

But unfortunately, the world today, thinks these things are normal.

The world has convinced people to accept it's evil ways a little at a time. The devil has gotten the world used to so much wickedness that things are in a terrible mess, and people have forgotten all about how to live a Godly life.

MAN'S WORLD CONCERNS
A FRIEND OF THE WORLD IS THE ENEMY OF GOD FEARS

If you are a Christian ... You represent Christ, so you are not of this world either. Everything the world offers looks exciting, but we don't see what lies behind its deceptive promises. In our human condition, we don't see how temporary the world and its promises are. We might feel good for a short while, but soon, all will turn to dust. If you follow THE WAY of Jesus, instead of the way of the world, you'll find the true fulfillment that you're looking for, but can never seem to attain from things of the world.

The world may seem captivating. It may be attracting to people, and there are things that are necessary for life that require people to go out into the world, but my friend, the more a person gets attached to the things of the world, the more distance they put between themselves and Jesus. I'm not being cruel to say, stay out of the world as much as you possibly can, I'm warning you for your own spiritual protection. If you find yourself fascinated by any of the ways of the world, or you think of them as normal, or if you prefer them to sharing time with your Father, or doing His business, I urge you to search for the TRUTH about those ways. God doesn't like them. I'd like to show you that scripture again that I showed you at the beginning of this study:

James 4:4 A friend of the world is the enemy of God.

Now you might say, how can I be a disciple of Jesus Christ and spread the Gospel if I don't venture out into the world? My friend, those sheep who are lost, that God has assigned to you, WILL find you, or you WILL find them, in one way or another. You just have to recognize the opportunities and be on the look out for them. When you do venture out into the world, be mindful of whether you're going out to a geographical place to do the will of God that He has assigned you, or whether you're going out to participate in the ways of the world that the devil is trickling into the lives of all the unsuspecting?

By the way, you don't have to leave your home, to be exposed to the ways of the world. The world can find it's way into your home through television, radio, computer, books, magazines, music, thoughts, telephone, friends, family, advertisement, ... Oh, there are countless ways. Anything that puts a thought in your mind that is unrighteous ... Anything that you can tell isn't God's idea, is from the world, and the prince of it.

Now that you have a better idea of what being "worldly" means, make it a practice to be keenly alert of the devil's tricks to make evil seem like it's normal. You'll be astonished at how many people are fooled into believing in the deception that society has bought into as standard.

When one is involved in the world, one thing that becomes an issue is their attire.

MAN'S WORLD ATTIRE
A FRIEND OF THE WORLD IS THE ENEMY OF GOD DO NOT ENTER

This is an interesting subject. What does someone who REPRESENTS Christ wear? Now, let me tell you from the start, nobody expects you to wear the kind of clothing they wore in Biblical times, but a curious question just to ponder on, is, Why do you suppose that people in the Holy lands, where Jesus walked, still dress that way? If you've ever watched the news and seen people from the mid-east, you know that they still wear a cloth on their head and long garments like Jesus did. An interesting observation, isn't it?

Let's talk about the trends of modern times. Common sense alone tells you that many of the styles of the world today ... In fact for about the last century ... Don't represent Christ.

What you wear makes a statement about you. When people see you, the first judgment they usually make is about what you're wearing. People aren't supposed to judge others, but certain judgments we make about other people are for our own protection. If you see someone who looks dangerous, the Lord gave you good judgment to stay away from them.

Do your clothes scream for attention, or are they meek and humble like Jesus? Do they represent the world? Remember what we learned about the world. Jesus said:

John 8:23 I am not of this world.

So, would you say that to follow trendy fashions would be Christ-like? Let me ask you a question. Why has nobody ever started a fad of respectable clothing? Is it because Christians are too ashamed? Let me remind you about the shame game, I believe you'll remember it.

Matthew 10:32-33 Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in Heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in Heaven.

Isn't it odd though, that people would go through the pain of piercing their skin or tattooing themselves to sport the latest trend, but it pains people in their ego to dress in a Godly manner?

MAN'S WORLD JUDGES BY APPEARANCE
A FRIEND OF THE WORLD IS THE ENEMY OF GOD DECEPTION

What about jewelry? Did Jesus wear jewels or gold or silver? My bet is, no. Let's see if we can think of something that would glorify God in the jewelry department ... Maybe a cross or a crucifix around your neck, showing who you REPRESENT is a better choice than glittery gemstones and such. Did you know that God spoke through the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 3:16-26), telling that the jewels and trinkets and fancy clothes that women wear will one day be replaced with baldness and stink?

What about hair styles? What about cosmetics? Which of the choices you make in these areas REPRESENT your Jesus? I'll help you out on this one ... Wear what God gave you ... You are His image. He doesn't want you to paint the image of His face or use polish on His fingernails or color or cut His hair like a tire track, or reshape His eyebrows. They are HIS image. By doing these things, aren't you saying that you don't approve of the creation He made? Yikes! That's quite an insult. If God wanted you to have blue hair, you would have had blue hair when you were born. Be natural. Be GODLY. Not worldly.

You ARE the Temple of the Holy Spirit.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 What? know ye not that your body is the Temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.

MAN'S WORLD SUMMARY
A FRIEND OF THE WORLD IS THE ENEMY OF GOD CONCLUSION

Ask yourself, How do I glorify God by what I wear?

A good thing to remember is that you are a shepherd of the Lord's. Every person you meet, or every person that even sees you, is possibly a sheep. If you display a Godly image by what you wear, you're inviting those sheep, without even speaking, to approach you and learn from you. You're an example to them. You will attract those who are in your 'fold' so to speak, by the way you talk, act, AND by what you wear, so you can see how the initial impression you make on someone is very important. If you wear clothes that represent a different image, you may be losing a sheep. In fact, depending on how you dress, you may be leading a sheep astray. You are a walking billboard and your clothing speaks loudly about you. Who are you advertising for?

If a person dresses in revealing clothes to impress other people, to draw the attention of others to look at their body rather than their soul, this is the devil's work. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that it's not Godly to walk around with parts of your underclothing showing. You don't have to be really intelligent to know that fabric that you can see through doesn't make it obvious that you're special to God. There are many people who the devil has a firm hold on, who are not strong enough to break free of his grip, and many things can trigger them to do evil, dirty, harmful, even criminal things. Even seeing someone in revealing clothing, though it may seem normal to society today, there are criminal minds out there that are triggered by just such things and the results can lead to abuse, rape, even murder. You don't want to be responsible for the actions of others because of the clothes you wear. Geez, you may say to yourself, do I have to scrutinize every single thing I do? That's part of being a Christian, my friend. Nobody said it was an easy job ... But it is a rewarding one. Yes, you have to be extra responsible. Jesus gives you the choice. If you think it's too much trouble, He will deny you before His Father, like He said. If you wear discreet clothing, you're not only silently making a Christian statement about who you represent, but you're also protecting yourself, you're protecting people who are weak and cannot practice self control, and you're protecting others who may be victims of their lack of control.

By staying out of the world as much as you can, you're not missing anything. Actually ... You're missing a lot. You're missing all the attractive 'gifts' that the devil is more than willing to give to you, that are just tricks to win your soul away from your Father.

When you must participate in something of the world, be alert. Always be on guard for any ways of the world that the enemy tries to use to lure you away from living in a Godly manner. The world is full of them. We call them bad seeds and weeds. There's a study that will help you to recognize when the world is trying to plant bad seeds and weeds in the lovely garden of your soul, and how you can get rid of them, before they grow.

Our man's world Bible study on a friend of the world is the enemy of God Bible verse reveals that we are to avoid man's world at all cost. It may be that we have to be in man's world, but we do not need to be partakers of man's world.

There is a precious study program for women to consider called Virtuous Woman.

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