April 17, 2025

LOVE NOT THE WORLD, FOR WE ARE PASSERS-BY

Apst. Emmanuel Osezele

KEY TEXT: James 4:4 KJV: "Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God."

SOJOURNERS: We are just passing through — this world is not our home. Let us, beloved, be on watch for God. Worldliness can come in little by little. It can start with something small, then progresses into something bigger. Don’t allow worldliness to have any small gap in your life. We must have that spirit of discernment to discern right from wrong. The fashion of the world can deceive us into thinking that nakedness is good, and ungodly styles are reigning — but we must be on watch. John 15:19

THE WORD, OUR PROTECTION: Anybody who loves the world cannot be a friend of God. So open the Bible. Read it with attention and prayer. Listen to it preached. Think over it constantly and discuss it with others. That’s the start. If we would flee worldliness, how diligent we should be in careful and prayerful reading and hearing of the Scripture. That means nothing else but getting a new mind through exposure to, and absorption of, God’s Word — all blessed to us by the Holy Spirit. Let us not conform to this world. Romans 12:2 says, “And be not conformed to this world; but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind.”

WORLDLINESS EXAMPLES: As a woman, the world says that trousers are okay, and that wearing makeup is okay in modesty. But we that know the Scriptures can deduce from Deuteronomy 22:5, “The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man…” We know that this world is given to darkness, and that we can only but warn the world of their darkness and pull them into the light of Christ. The world may look at us as people that are not right — we will look strange to them, but know that you are set apart intentionally for the sake of holiness. 2 CORINTHIANS 6:17

PRAYER:

Lord Jesus, take away any part of the love of the world that still resides in me before it is too late, in Jesus Christ’s mighty name. Amen.

REFLECTION:

Romans 12:2 KJV: “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”