| THEME: | LOVE NOT THE WORLD |
| LESSON: | THREE |
| TOPIC: | Identifying the World (Part 2) – The World is Wicked! |
| TEXT: | 1 John 2:15-16, 5:19 Galatians 1:4, 6:14, Psalm 73:1-19 |
MEMORY TRACK:
By the grace of God, in our last lesson, we saw that the worlds are the creation of gods. Any world introduced to men by its author is with the specific aim to lead its recipients to the author itself. The connection to any god is the world the god introduces. In order for Satan to connect with man and reign amidst men, he gave them his world (Ephesians 2:2; 1 Corinthians 2:6). His world is his order and arrangement of life that he gave to men as a means of living and livelihood in the present.
Let us continue our study in the identification of the world by looking more at its reach and origin
THE PERVASIVENESS OF THE WORLD
It is vital to agree with the truth that the world cuts across ALL works of life in the present. The intention of the prince (inventor and operator) of the world is to make it impossible for man to exist in the present without using this world in some way, shape or form. The fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil had within it the seed of the world (Satan’s idea and inspiration as to how a man should exist within time).
The moment man ingested this seed, the world began to take over the reins of man’s existence in the present. What began as clothing idea, became a culture and a civilization. There is therefore no area of existence in the present that the world cannot express itself through.
THE WORLD IS FOUNDED IN WICKEDNESS
Scripture tells us that the whole world lies in wickedness (1 John 5:19). This bold and direct statement suggests that there is NOTHING of this world that is not a conduit to and rooted in wickedness! The understanding of this is key to recognizing the world and the danger in loving it. To love the world is simply to love wickedness. Wickedness speaks of the very life of the wicked one.
The god of this world from his corrupted wisdom (wickedness) invented, tested and distributed a system of life within the present realm of existence. This is the world we are being called to HATE! Wickedness was the raw material with which the devil concocted the world.
THE BELIEVER AND THIS WORLD
That the world lieth in wickedness does not mean that we as believers will not have any dealings with it (1 Corinthians 7:31; John 17:15-16). This makes it critical for the wayfaring saint to know how he ought to interface and interact with the world to escape the corruption that is in it. Thereby avoiding the allure of its promises while we are in this present world (2 Peter 1:4; 2 Peter 2:18-20).
This will definitely necessitate some kind of separation between the world and the children of God (Galatians 6:14). In the actual sense, our journey of salvation is in essence a journey away from the world and its promises, unto The Father (1 John 5:4-5).
Conclusion
The world is the brainchild of God’s enemy. It is the devil’s tool for raising allegiant souls in the earth. It therefore stands to reason that all its suggestions and operations, if followed to their destination or conclusion, would invariably lead a soul away from the Lord and into perdition (2 Timothy 4:10). By God’s grace, in our next lesson, we trust that we will begin to see the constitution of the world.