Worldly is wrong.
The world that we live in is full of sin. I am a sinner. You are a sinner. And if you didn’t know that, then surprise. You are a sinner. Though sin is all around us and we have a sinful nature in us, there is hope! Our hope is found in the Lord. While I wish we could ask forgiveness for our sins once, turn away from all our desires to sin, and move on, that is unfortunately not necessarily possible. We will be faced with temptations daily, and it is an ever-constant battle to combat the world. I personally can attest to the reality of this, and I heavily rely on God’s constant grace and love to list day to day for Him.
In Jerry Bridges book, Respectable Sins, Bridges talks about danger of worldliness. People have different opinions on what worldliness means. Often times it is very specific things that congregations or people believe is worldly, however it should be understood that “worldliness is much broader than a list of prohibited activities or modern-day conveniences” (Bridges, 165). There are many pieces of scripture that discuss the topic of worldliness. They are all warnings to avoid falling into the sin of this. Romans 12:2 says “Do not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is- his good, pleasing and perfect will.” We are called to not be of the world but live in it. 1 John 2:15–16 also says, “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not with them. For everything in the world- the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life- comes not from the Father but from the world.”
Brides says, “Based on Paul’s warning in 1 Corinthians 7:31, I define worldliness as being attached to, engrossed in, or preoccupied with the things of this temporal life” (166). I agree with Bridges’ definition. The harsh reality is that staying away from worldliness is very difficult. We live in the world, but we are called to not conform to it, and yet we are constantly bombarded with the temporal things of the world.
One thing that I consider to be a part of the world is immense desire to fulfill sexual desires in manners and ways that are not meant to happen according to God. These desires are often fulfilled through adultery, one-night stands, friends with benefits, and sexual assault and rape. I am going to discuss the topic of sexual assault and rape and I believe that this is something of the world that is ever present. God created sex to be within marriage solely, and yet our society has taken it completely out of its intended context, placing its value to nearly nothing. There are thousands and thousands of cases of rape that occur regularly.
In an article entitled, “103 Uber Drivers Accused of Sexual Assault or Abuse”, discusses the sad reality that sexual assault, rape, and abuse is something that is prevalent in our nation. While not always, it is often the man who assaults the female. In the article I found, the drivers took advantage of the passenger when they were at their weakest in order to fulfill their sexual desires. This is something within the world that is very pressing, and while it may not always be rape or sexual assault, there are many ways in which sexual desires are wrongfully being fulfilled.
As a Christian wife, I am saddened that the world we live in is so exceedingly sexualized. He is surrounded by things that will tempt him sexually. The internet is considered valuable and helpful, however it is full of ludicrous things that often tempt men. TV shows are showing nudity, sexual relations, and so much more. It is hard to avoid these types of entertainment, as they are more and more frequent these days. I challenge you to try your best to abstain from surrounding yourself with these wrong influences. The more you surround yourself with wrong, the more likely you are to feel tempted to commit them on your own will.
I have included some helpful websites that can provide some helpful tips on how to stay sexually pure until marriage.