Christianity Separates from the World
Christians are not of this world. Jesus, in speaking of His followers, says, “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) The apostle John says: “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.” (John 2:15) The apostle James says: “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 apostle Peter says, “For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revelings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries.” (1 Peter 4:3) Salvation of God saves people from the sins of the world. The apostle Paul says: “Among whom [those who walked according to the course of the world] also we all had our conversation [conduct] in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.” (Ephesians 2:3) When he was in sin he walked as the world walked, but when he became a Christian he was saved, or separated, from such a life. The spirit of Christianity and the spirit of the world are directly opposite in their nature. “What fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness?” (2 Corinthians 6:14)
Surely every reader is convinced that Bible Christianity saves men and women from a worldly life. Now how is the world going? We see them striving, planning to lay up treasures here upon earth. Christian conduct is to lay up treasures in heaven. We see the world joining secret societies and trusting in life insurances for protection. Christians with any degree of light do not do such things, but trust wholly in God, who has promised to care for them. We see the world dressing in feathers, flowers, laces, ribbons, beads, pearls, jewels, gold, and costly array. Such is not the Christian’s dress. They are commanded to dress in modest apparel with shamefacedness, as people should who profess godliness. We see the world chewing and smoking tobacco and using snuff, opium, etc. Such is not Christian conduct, neither is it becoming to the gospel of Christ. We as Christians must live clean, pure and holy lives.
We see the world trusting in omens and signs, or a kind of witchcraft, such as a horseshoe bringing good luck, and hundreds of other very foolish signs very unbecoming a Christian, but is a fruit of the flesh (Galatians 5:19-21). We see the world returning evil for evil; when wronged they seek revenge. Christians do not act that way; they love their enemies. They are not overcome with evil, but overcome evil with good. We see the world engaging in foolish and slangy talk, the telling of stories, and saying funny and amusing things. Such is not a godly nor Christian conversation. Christians are to be sober minded, to have a sound speech; every word must be seasoned with grace, that it may minister grace to the hearers.
We see the world going to shows, fairs, picnics, card parties, ball games, horse-races, theaters, etc. Christians do not love the world nor its revelry. There is too much for a lover of the Lord to do in this sinful world to spend time in such worldly amusements; besides he has no desire for such things. His affections are set on things above. What do you think of a professed Christian sitting along side of a worldly man watching the horse-races? When the race is becoming very close they both get nervous, and both cheer with equal enthusiasm. What kind of a light is this professed Christian? What is there here noble or beautiful for Christianity? While the professed Christian and his unprofessed companion are cheering over the horse-race the true Christian is visiting the sick, or encouraging the discouraged, or helping the needy, or about his honest toil.
The reader can at once see which is more Christlike. I pray God to make every professed Christian who thus enjoys the world to blush with shame as he reads this. Sometimes we see a company of young men and young women walking down the street, maybe the greatest number of them belong to church, and it goes out before the world that they are Christians, but along with their unprofessing companions they are jesting and laughing, and giddy and frivolous, and fashionably dressed, so you cannot tell the life of the one from the other. Ah, tell me where is the separation between the Christian and the world if this be Christianity.
Alas! how sad that the standard of Christianity has been so lowered that you are in many instances unable to distinguish it from the world. Thank God! true Christianity retains her exalted seat far above this world. She reigns a queen of light and peace in her robes of spotless white. She is beautiful. “She… looketh forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners.” (Song 6:10)