SUNDAY 3RD MAY, 2020

MEMORY VERSE: - “Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry” (Colossians 3:5).

INTRODUCTION: - Not all Christians make required efforts to fully overcome the sinful nature and live in total submission to the Holy Spirit. Most Christians today, more than ever before, are behaving in a worldly or carnal or unspiritual manner. Instead of consistently resisting the pull of their sinful Adamic nature towards sin, they were not living continually in disobedience, they were in the process of compromising the world’s beliefs and behaviours and their own sinful nature. Such people are giving the devil opportunity to gain influence in areas of their lives, while they still wanted to be a part of God’s people going to heaven (1Corint.10:21; 2Corint.6:14-18; 11:3; 13:5).

1) The Condition Of Worldly Christians

For this group, sin and rebellion did not fully control their lives, nor had they been involved in the immoral and ungodly behaviours that would completely separate them from God’s Kingdom (1Corint.6:9-11). Yet, they are behaving in such a way that they were no longer growing in their relationship with God. They are acting as immature believers who do not fully understand what it means to follow Christ and how it should affect their daily lives (1Corint.3:12). Their worldliness and immaturity are expressed in “envying and strife”. They are unconcerned about and tolerant of immoral behavior within the Church (1Corint.5:1-13; 6:13-20). They do not always take God’s Holy Word seriously or have proper respect for Spiritual authorities (1Corint.4:18-19). They are sensual, egocentric and unforgiving. They have to gratify the flesh, finding it difficult to heed to sound doctrine of the Word of God, and at times get offended or heady and stubborn. They prefer to follow their own ways or rather give head to false teachers who will not rebuke or reprove their sinful lifestyles. They love the world and the things therein with the lusts and have no love for God or the people of God (1Jh.2:15-17).

2) Dangers For Worldly Christians

Those worldly Christians are in danger of being influenced to abandon their devotion to Christ (2Corint.11:13). Their lives are conforming more and more to the ungodly patterns, beliefs and behaviours that are common in the world (2Corint.6:14-18). Because of this, they will be disciplined and judged by the Lord; and if they continue to conform to the world, they will finally lose their place in God’s Kingdom (1Corint.6:9-10; 11:31-32). In fact some go as far as committing the kind of openly extreme sin that separates people from Christ and leads to Spiritual death (1Jh.3:15; 5:17).

3) The Warnings To Worldly Christians

a) Worldly Christians must realize that they are in danger of losing their faith if they are unwilling to turn from all that displeases God in their lives (Rom.6:14-16; 1Corint.6:9; 2Corint.11:3; Gal.6:7-9).

b) They must learn from tragic example of the Israelites, whom God destroyed because of their rebellion against Him (1Corint.10:5-12).

c) The must understand that it is impossible to fully participate in God’s plan and purposes while giving in to the influences of Satan, the world and their own sinful nature (Mt.6:24; 1Corint.6:21).

d) They must separate and walk in a different path than those of the world (Mt.7:13-14; 2Corint.6:14-18) and be totally submissive to the leading of the Holy Spirit (Rom.8:17).

The letters of the Lord Jesus to the Church in Pergamus and the Church in Laodecea (Rev.2:12-17; 3:14-22) are very important for any carnal and worldly Christian.

It is better to “take heed unto yourself” (Lk.21:34) and to the doctrine of the Holy Spirit by whose help and power, you can purify yourself “from all the filthiness of the flesh and Spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God” (2Corint.7:1).

1) Describe a worldly Christian?

2) What are the dangers for worldly Christians?