“For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.” (1 John 2:16)
A term like “worldliness” is vaguely understood in most Christian’s minds, but no concrete definition guides their thoughts and actions. Luckily, the Apostle John gives us a clear, sensible, and enlightening definition. He gives three components of “worldliness”. First, “the lust of the flesh.” This idea is an addiction to pleasure. Enjoyment on this side of heaven is not sinful; in fact it can even be a gift from the Father. By using the term “lust” John makes it known that the grip this desire has on its holder is consuming. This type of worldliness allows personal pleasure to be the determiner of one’s actions—a “how could something wrong feel so right” sort of ideology. This type of worldliness turns enjoyment and pleasure into idolatry. Secondly, John mentions the “lust of the eyes.” This phrase describes all sorts of coveting, jealousy, and envy—“I see it, I want it.” This person finds their heart jealously seeking gratification in material goods. All that can be obtained must be obtained. This person never finds contentment though he hopes for it in each “next thing.” Lastly, John describes “the boastful pride of life.” The worldly man’s pride is born out of his temporal perspective. His entire world-view revolves around the here and now. Only believing in what he sees, he scoffs at any notion of eternity or God—“If God really exists, why doesn’t He show up and tell me I am wrong?” John warns Christians to leave behind these snares and seek what is lasting. To avoid worldliness in the Christian life, we must commit to never put an overemphasis on our pleasure, enjoyment, or surrounding physical circumstances, and never be deceived in measuring life’s successes only by temporal indicators.
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