Today we're going to have another one of those
good heart -to -heart talks about something that
we're all deeply interested in. That's right.
What actually is worldliness? A lot of people
are talking about it. And I honestly believe
that there are few people who really understand
what they're talking about. It's like that. We
use that word so promiscuously, worldliness.
We say that somebody is so very worldly. We point
an accusing finger at a preacher's wife and we
say, he's worldly. Oh, he's wonderful. I'll tell
you something confidentially. His wife is so
worldly. And then just long before we see somebody
else and we'll say, oh, goodness. He's such a
worldly person. Well, now, honestly, it's about
time that we got down to the bottom of this thing
of worldliness. What is it we're talking about?
What actually is worldliness? And what is worldly?
You will remember that we began this heart -to
-heart talk with a discussion we had. from the
first verse in the 8th chapter of 1 Corinthians.
And these Corinthian Christians had written to
Paul, and they had a question too. It was regarding
the eating of meat. Shall meat that has been
offered in sacrifice, that part of it which is
afterward on sale, be eaten by Christians? Would
one be considered worldly if they purchased and
ate that part of the carcass that was left after
the better part of it had been offered in sacrifice
to idols? Would they be compromising their experience,
their influence, compromising as Christians?
Paul begins, now as touching things offered unto
idols. We know that we have the knowledge. In
other words, he's saying, there was a time when
you too believed that there was some virtue in
those idols. And you considered those idols sacred.
But you've been born again. You're Christians
now. You have the light. God has given you the
knowledge that there is no reality in those idols.
They are not sacred. It's offering meat to something
that has been made with human hands. There's
nothing sacred. There's no holiness, no sanctity.
no divinity in those idols. Therefore, why should
you hesitate in buying and eating the rest of
the meat from the carcass? It's good meat, and
it's a good day that you can get meat. And it's
just like that. Therefore, the answer is in the
fact whether or not you have had the spiritual
knowledge. As I said to you in our last little
heart -to -heart talk, that is the fact that
much that we consider to be spiritual today is
nothing more or less than superstition. Thousands
of people who profess to be Christians are living
under gross superstition in absolute spiritual
darkness. Many things that you accept as being
the word of God, as being religious, as being
authentic, is nothing more or less than rank
superstition. So let's face some things. Just
face it with me. You'll remember that I left
your home. In our last little heart -to -heart
talk, with that portion of the Word of God, as
found in 1 Peter, the third chapter. Peter said,
Likewise ye wives, be in subjection to your own
husbands, that, if any obey not the Word, they
also may without the Word be won by the conversation
of the wives, while they beheld your case conversation
couple the spear. Who's adoring you? He's talking
about the wives now. He's saying to your husband,
even though he's not a Christian, you can win
him to the Lord Jesus Christ, even though he
never goes to church, even though he never hears
a preacher preach. That's what it means, without
the word. Yet you, by your example, by your beautiful
Christian adoring, Dorney. Within. You're a beautiful
person within. And if you're beautiful within,
it'll come out as sure as can be. If you're beautiful
within, believe me, it projects. I promise you
it will. I promise you. Hear me. A plain appearance
does not guarantee inner beauty. I've seen some
women with skirts down to their ankles and sleeves
down to their fingers and collars up to their
chins that were the meanest women in the world.
There was no inner beauty whatsoever. All their
religion, all their holiness, all their righteousness
was in the garb that they wore. I said a mouthful.
I should stop a few minutes and just pause and
let that sink in. But it's like that. Mm -hmm.
Peter didn't say, don't keep the outside beautiful.
He didn't say that. He said, who's Adorny? Let
it not be that outward adorning of the plaiting
of the hair and of the wearing of gold or putting
on apparel. Mm -hmm. You've gotten yourself all
fixed up beautifully on the outside. But he's
saying the real Adorny. That Adorny that will...
when your unsaved husband, the Lord Jesus Christ,
is with him. Mm -mm. Let it be the hidden man
of the heart, in that which is not corruptible,
even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit,
which is in the sight of God of great price.
Oh, somebody says Miss Guman. Don't you know
what Paul says in Timothée? Sure I do. I know
exactly where it's found, too, the second chapter
of 1 Timothée, the ninth verse. He, too, is talking
about women's apparel in like manner also that
women adorn themselves in modest apparel with
shamefacedness, sobriety, Broided hair or gold
or pearls are costly array. Watch what follows.
But which becometh women professing godliness
with good works. In other words, don't get yourself
all fixed up like the first horse in the parade.
That's not even good taste. I've seen some women
who are professing Christians. that get themselves
so fixed up they look like a walking Christmas
tree. That's not even good taste. Watch which
becometh women professing godliness. Never get
to the place, though, where you think that a
plain appearance guarantees inner beauty. It
doesn't. No, it doesn't. I go back to what Paul
said to the Corinthians. Ye have the knowledge.
When you're born again and you get that inner
experience, you'll know what becometh a Christian.
One who rep... represents the Christ. And I've
seen many a person, not because they couldn't
afford a new suit, but because they wanted to
give the appearance of humility. That they wore
baggy trousers and frayed pant legs, not because
they couldn't afford it, But watch, neither did
they have any influence either with the unregenerated
man. Because the unregenerated man will say,
if your heavenly father is so poor that his child
can't afford anything better than that, I don't
want him for my father. Even an earthly parent
will work 8, 10, 12 hours a day to give to his
child the best humanly possible. Then, beloved,
how much more does your Heavenly Father want
you? to look nice when you represent him. And
you are an heir of God and a joint heir with
Christ Jesus. Let's be sensible about these things.
Let's just use good common sense. Let's be reasonable
about the whole thing. All right, here we go.
Now the word tells us, not of the letter, for
the letter killeth. There's nothing in the letter.
Nothing. There's nothing in that, the way you
do your hair. There's nothing in the length of
your dress. The letter killeth. But the spirit
giveth life. Furthermore, Jesus told those who
were twisting his mien, it is the spirit that
quickeneth. The flesh profiteth nothing. The
word that I speak unto you, they are spirit.
They are life. And the idea that worldliness
consists just of certain things are certain pleasures.
The scripture teaching is this. I know and am
persuaded by the Lord Jesus Christ that there
is nothing unclean of itself. But to him that
esteemeth anything to be unclean, to him it is
unclean. Time gave me you that would have gone.
Hey. Told you before I began these little heart
-to -heart talks on this thing of worldliness
that before I finished some of you would get
as mad as an old Missouri wet hen and I've seen
those in the Missouri get awful mad. But watch,
I'm giving you scripture. Paul says there is
nothing unclean of itself but to him that is...
deemeth anything to be unclean, to him it is
unclean. There's a portion of the Word of God
in the first chapter of Genesis that's overlooked.
God saw everything that he had made, and behold,
it was very good. since God has created everything.
And remember, the devil creates nothing. The
devil has no power of creation. None. You cannot
prove to me from the Word of God that the devil,
the enemy of our soul, has power to create anything.
There's only one great creator. That's Almighty
God. And since God has created everything, there
are no things evil in themselves. Because it's
said, God saw everything that he had made, and
behold, it was good. Everything that has been
created is good. There is nothing... evil in
these things in themselves. They are only good
things that we misuse or we use to excess and
we make them evil. Are you still there? Wanted
to be sure. Oh, I know what somebody's saying.
Oh, Miss Coombe, you... You don't know my husband.
He's an old alcoholic. You don't mean to tell
me that God was the creator of alcohol, the most
damnable thing in the world. Now, just a minute.
There is no evil in alcohol in itself. Alcohol
is used in industry and in medicine. It's when
man takes alcohol and abuses it that it becomes
evil. It becomes wrong. It becomes a sin. Take
drugs. Somebody will bow that rugs are the most
damnable thing in the world today. And we re...
and we hear about the drug addicts, the sinfulness
of drugs, and somebody will say, do you mean,
Miss Grumman, that God was the creator of drugs?
Well, honey, I only have his word. That is that
God saw everything that he had made, and behold,
it was very good. And many a suffering person
today, many a person in the hospital on beds
of affliction, in pain, is looking up this very
moment and is thanking the glorious Creator for
the relief that they are receiving from that
severe suffering through drugs. There is no sin
in drugs when drugs are used properly to relieve
suffering and relieve pain. But man has misused
that which God has created. Take anything. I
don't care what it is. You can make sin of anything.
You can make sin of... Eating. You can make sin
of clothing. It's true. Overindulgence in anything.
The lack of wisdom in anything. I don't care
what it is. You can make sin of it through misuse.
What? There is nothing unclean of itself. But
to him that esteemeth anything to be unclean,
to him it is unclean. Now at this point, may
I mention something else, another scripture.
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. For all that
is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust
of the eyes, the pride of life, is not of the
Father, but is of the world. I dare say there
isn't a preacher who has ever stood behind a
pulpit before has preached a sermon on this portion
of the Word of God. But they have used it from
a negative standpoint. And they have put the
emphasis on the love of the world. I do not believe
that it was ever intended to be so. I believe
with every atom of my being that the emphasis
was intended not to be upon loving the world,
but loving the Lord Jesus Christ. It's like this.
If any man loved the world, The love of the Father
is not in him. But watch. Let's use the positive
viewpoint. When you love the Father enough, you'll
not love the world. You'll not misuse these things
which the Father has created for your good and
my good. Mm -hmm. The crux of the whole matter
of worldliness is not of things but him. How
much do you love him? Look at the positive. Paul
says in answering their question as to whether
or not they could eat the meat. of the carcass
that was left after the rest had been offered
to the idols. He said, you have the knowledge.
I say to you today, you are a Christian. When
you want to know whether a thing is sin or not,
whether it's right or wrong, you can make sin
of anything. Anything. But here is your answer.
When you love the creator, of all good things,
enough. When you love the Heavenly Father enough,
when you love Jesus enough, then you will not
misuse these things that He has created for your
good and my good. The answer is found In loving
Kim enough.