towards an understanding of worldliness – pt. 2

To review a bit of our previous material, here are two definitions we are working with:

Godliness – Godliness is a manner of life dominated by reverence for God displayed in respect for others that is visible to outside observers and is not confused with worldliness.

Worldly – Something is worldly when it belongs to the affairs of life on this earth, especially as opposed to the life of the spirit or of heaven.

In coming to our definition of worldly, we recognize that some things are worldly because they belong to this world and its affairs. In this sense, worldly things are earthly or natural. There is nothing inherently evil about worldly things in this sense.

However, it is undeniable that there is also a negative sense of worldly in the Scriptures. In this sense, something of this world or this life is worldly because in its earthliness or in one’s preoccupation with it, it is or becomes opposed to the life of the spirit or of heaven.

I’ll offer a couple of examples to hopefully clarify what I mean:

• The desire for marriage: marriage itself is ‘worldly’ in a neutral sense, it is a thing of this life and this world, it isn’t a part of the world to come, according to the Lord. But the desire for marriage can be ‘worldly’ in the negative sense if one is so preoccupied or desperate for marriage that it opposes the life of the spirit, distracts from spiritual service of ministry, or leads one to compromise the injunctions against marrying unbelievers (or even makes one willing to marry a professing Christian who has a questionable testimony).
• The activities that go on at nightclubs are almost entirely worldly in the negative sense. They are ‘things of this earth’ and thus are part of life on earth, but the primary sense in which these activities are worldly is in that they are entirely opposed to the life of spirit and of heaven.

From our definitions, we need to move to a discussion of one of the most important passages for understanding worldliness, Titus 2.12.

NAU  Titus 2:11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, 12 instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age,

These verses follow a lengthy set of instructions, first to the older men (2.2), then the older women (2.3), the younger women (2.4-5), the young men (2.6), Titus himself (2.7-8), and bondslaves (2.9-10). Our verses (2.11-12) are the rationale for these instructions concerning character and conduct.

These various categories of people are to heed Paul’s instructions in 2.2-10 because the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation. It is the grace of God that instructs us:

1. To deny ungodliness and worldly desires
2. To live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age

This information gives us a synonym for worldly desires (ungodliness) and three antonyms (living sensibly, living righteously, and living godly). If we understand these terms, we will understand better what ‘worldly desires’ are. At first glance, I would say that they are desires that motivate ungodliness and are opposed to the sensible, righteous, and godly lifestyle advocated by the Lord and the apostles. These desires are characterized by their earthly-ness or earthiness.

While this doesn’t completely define worldliness, at least we are starting to head in the right direction. Worldliness would be, at its most basic, the dominating attitude of the person who turns this verse on its head, doesn’t deny ungodliness and worldly desires but instead denies the sensible, righteous, and godly life.

I want to examine each of these terms in more detail, but that will have to wait for part 3. It will also have to wait for a few weeks as I am traveling and won’t be doing much work on the topic for a week or two.