A Study Of Worldliness - Part Two (I John 4:5)

 The key verse I want to pick apart on this study of worldliness is I John 4:5:

1Jn 4:5  They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them. 

Firstly, let's go back a few verses:

v. 1: This one is about false prophets.  We're told to test the spirits.  OK.

v. 2: "Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:"  There was a gentleman once who kept rambling on about "Jesus Christ and the Holy Father".  I remembered this verse, so in order to test the gentleman, I asked whether he believed in the "incarnation", another word for Jesus coming in the flesh, because I thought that if I said the verse word for word, he might catch on to that.  Was I right or wrong in this testing method?  I don't know.  Anyway, he said he doesn't believe in "incarnation", so didn't know what to make of that.

v. 3: on the antichrist: Maybe I should have asked "Do you believe Jesus has come to us as a human being?"  Now, if anyone says no to that, Scripture says that such a spirit is Antichrist.

v. 4: overcoming the antichrist..."greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world."  "he that is in you", I believe that's the Holy Spirit, God at least.  "he that is in the world", I believe that's Satan.

OK, on to v. 5:

"They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world": Worldliness is their language.  I've off and on caught myself using worldly terminology to describe things, that is, the terminology of nerd culture, perhaps in a carnal sense, wanting to "be like the cool kids".  And yes, I heard that from a song:

"I wish that I could be like the cool kids
'cause all the cool kids, they seem to fit in"

"and the world heareth them": OK, now it popped in my head what the key word behind my study of this Bible verse is: REFERENCES.  What I mean by "references" is this:  You ever watch a TV show or movie and catch a bunch of the references?  For example, Star Trek.  In one of the episodes of the "Picard" series, the crew goes to this sort of space museum (I think), and there is this creature, newly with teeth.  It growls at one particular crew member, and the crew member is mutually distraught at the creature.  This is in reference to the tumultuous relationship between the creature and the particular species of the crew member, a relationship that has stayed the same since the original series in the 1960s.

Now, some might say, "Come on, just say who they are!", and to that I say, "No."  I'm trying not to be friendly with the world.

Back to the references, let me give you an example of a failed attempt at pleasing the world:  When Hillary Clinton ran for President in 2016, she said something like the following in order to please the crowd:

"I don't know about Pokemon Go...but I think they ought to have Pokemon Go To The Polls!"

Mrs. Clinton was trying to please the world in this instance.

Those who are of the world speak the world's language.  For another example, I know of a school student who is a fan of a certain book franchise.  Let's say the time is 9:45AM.  I could say it's 9:45AM.  Or I could make a reference to said franchise.  If I said the latter, I would be appeasing the student by speaking the world's language, especially since the said franchise celebrates the second sin in Galatians 5:20.

Now, speaking the world's language, and living with the following attitude:

1Co 9:20  And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law;

are two different things.  The later is basically, not being a jerk, or, as they say, "When in Rome, do as the Romans do".  The former is, in my opinion, mere appeasement, such as to appeal to fans of something that sounds like a bearded molder of clay.  (And no, my obfuscation of pop culture references is not in and of itself an intentional reference to the obfuscation of the name of the chief nemesis of the said book franchise.)

Again, why don't I just say it?  It's not as if I'm hiding my knowledge of such things, it's obvious I have this knowledge!  It's partially for the sake of those who have no idea what I'm talking about.  The less you know about worldly things, the better.

The world is very enticing.  The sights.  The sounds.  I John 2:16 says it well:

For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 

Plus, the world is HARMFUL to your fruitfulness in Christ:

Mar 4:19  And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful. 

Worldly people (even among those claiming Christ) who bear no fruit go to Hell (also see Matthew 3:10 and Matthew 13:22), as well as those who never hear the Word (Matthew 13:19, Mark 4:15), and whose who hear the Word, yet fall away in time of persecution (Matthew 13:21, Mark 4:17).

Keep unspotted from the world! (James 1:27)  Bear much fruit! (John 15:8)