Cosmos

Be not conformed to this world (Greek word = Cosmos, hence the Title), but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind (Romans 12:2). 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. (1 John 2:15)

My question is: What is the world? And what are the things in the world? It seems a pretty serious charge to refrain from those things, but how do we define it?

I think a common misperception would be that anything the world does, is something that the Christian should avoid... However, what do we do with things like: The world singing, Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me? or, what do we do with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir singing, Hallelujah Chorus. Are we to stay away from those songs because the world likes them? I don't think so...

"Well, we are to refrain from their style of dress!" Well, again, how is that defined? I looked up the history of the necktie. Here's what I found:

In 1660, in celebration of its hard-fought victory over the Ottoman Empire , a crack regiment from Croatia (then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire), visited Paris. There, the soldiers were presented as glorious heroes to Louis XIV, a monarch well known for his eye toward personal adornment. It so happened that the officers of this regiment were wearing brightly colored handkerchiefs fashioned of silk around their necks. These neck cloths, which probably descended from the Roman fascalia worn by orators to warm the vocal chords, struck the fancy of the king, and he soon made them an insignia of royalty as he created a regiment of Royal Cravattes. The word "cravat," incidentally, is derived from the word "Croat."

Alan Flusser: dick.thefamilyowen.com/page5.htm

So then, clearly, we would want to avoid wearing the clothing of the world, and anyone that wears a necktie is truly apostate! ...Nah, it doesn't necessarily work that way either.

How about hair gel, Barone wears it, Blizzard wears it, (Putney use to wear it, but not any more)... Is that being worldly? I leave the answer up to you.

So, here's what I would like to suggest. Worldliness is defined as being something that is against the things of God. 1 John 2:16 says that all that is in the world is not of the Father. Since we have been called to be a consecrated, holy, separate, peculiar (peculiar means belonging only to one person exclusive of all others) people, then we need to avoid the things of the world, and dwell only in the things of God. 1 John 2:16 does us a favor in helping us to determine what is worldly: For all that is in the world: The lusts of the flesh, The lusts of the eyes and The pride of life. To stay non-worldly is to avoid doing things in order to fulfill the lusts of the flesh (cf. Ephesians 2:3 at your convenience), the lusts of the eyes and the pride of life - the three areas that seem to be present in all major temptations. Even though Jesus was not enticed by the temptation of the devil - He could not have sinned - but He was presented with the temptation in the same three areas. Eve was also tempted in the same way (Genesis 3:1-6).

What is my point today? Not conforming to this world, as I understand the Scriptures to mean, does not speak directly of clothing, music, places you visit, etc. all by itself, but rather it speaks of being godly. We determine what is worldly by what contradicts that which is godly.

• God says depart from iniquity, the world says whatever feels good
• God says not to have idols, the world broadcasts idols and even calls them such
• God says to be gracious and merciful, the world says do what's best for you first
• God says to be humble, the world boasts of its pride
• God says deny yourself, the world says indulge
• God says to guard your eyes, the world puts up sin on the biggest billboards
• God says to dress modestly, the world says draw attention to you
• God says to dress covering your skin, the world says take it all off

God says, whether therefore ye eat or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. The world... well... it just doesn't say that.

Romans 12:2 tells us that we have our minds renewed when reading the Scriptures. That helps us to conform to the Scriptures, to what is godly. When we are not in the Scriptures, then our minds are renewed by what we see in the world, and we end up conforming to them.

Be Ye Holy!!!!