Daily devotion – the danger of worldliness
Worldliness – one of the saddest s characters in the New Testament is a fellow by the name of Demas. He was at one time a close travelling companion of the Apostle Paul and it seems as if he was the model Christian. We read of him sending greetings to the Church in Colossae and to the Christian Philemon.
But things went badly wrong and we find our selves reading ….Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me. – 2 Tim 4:10.
What went wrong? What happened to this man?
A life wasted, a testimony ruined, and the Gospel maligned. For Demas, in love with this present world, not only deserted Paul and the saints – he deserted his Saviour.
Before Demas deserted , he drifted. It was not immediate. It was not obvious at first. He did not go from disciple to deserter in a day. It was a gradual drifting, a subtle contamination and an eventual conforming to this world.
Sadly as a Pastor in these Last Days I see and know of a number of Demas situations. People can be attending Church, singing the songs, seemingly listening to the sermons – no different on the outside than they have always been.
But inside, that person is drifting. He sits in Church but is not excited to be there. She sings songs without affection. He listens to preaching without conviction. She hears but does not apply or obey.
A love for the world begins in the soul and its subtle and not immediately obvious to others. Sin does not grieve them like it once did and their passion for the Saviour begins to cool. Over time, like Demas they are taken captive by sin.
Are you drifting today?
You say, “On it’s not serious, you have just had many things on – been really busy.”
“I am still sort of attending Church when I can.”
Have you fallen in love with the present world? Are the lines between Christian and worldly conduct blurry in your mind?
You must make a choice, and it’s the most serious of decisions. Do you want the world to lose its appeal?
Then crowd out worldliness by filling your affections with the Cross of Christ. Crucify the world as a dead and undesirable thing by meditating on the love of the Saviour.
Spurgeon urged us to dwell where the cries of Calvary can be heard!
If you do this, then the things of the word will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.
Do it today!