Be Not Worldly-minded
Writer Author Sylvia Huffnagle
Christian Article
:
Exhortation
- Fiction No
What do I mean when I admonish the churcht to be not worldly-minded?
This verse explains what I’m talking about: 2Cor: 4:18: While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.
And this verse: 1Cor: 15:47-48: The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. 48: As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.
For a Christian the advantage of being heavenly-minded can not be over-emphasized. First and foremost, this is how a Christian can be patient and wait on the Lord to work instead of taking things into their own hands. They do it by reminding themselves that this world is not their home and this suffering is temporary and that they do not have to have their fun or happiness now they will have eternal happiness in the hereafter and rich rewards to boot if they overcome.
Heb: 2:15: And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. Worldly-minded people think they must have their fun and happiness now because life on earth is short. But heavenly-mined people are laying up their treasures in heaven. They look forward to a better life than what can be had here without God.
Being heavenly-minded makes dying a whole lot easier, but in this article, I am addressing the need in this life to be heavenly-minded.
So the first advantage is that the heavenly-minded can lay down their life for others. They can have the mind of Christ which knows that it is better to suffer than to fail to please God. They can, “let it go” so to speak—they do not have to grab and grasp at life.
1Pt: 4:1-4: Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; 2: That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God. 3: For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries: 4: Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you:
Below are many scriptures that show the advantage of being heavenly-minded:
Mt: 5:14: Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. (The heavenly-mined are not caught up in the things of the world, they focus on being light and salt for the world.)
Mt: 16:23-27: But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men. 24: Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. 25: For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. 26: For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? 27: For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.
Lk: 12:3-39: For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things. 31: But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you. 32: Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. 33: Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth. 34: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. 35: Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning; 36: And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately. 37: Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them. 38: And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants. 39: And this know, that if the
Lk: 16:8: And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light. (The children of light—the heavenly-minded do righteousness at all cost.)
Jn: 12:25: He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth (Hateth here means not loving their life here, but loving eternal life.) his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.
Jn: 15:18-19: If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. 19: If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. (The world hates those who are willing to give up their sinful pleasures here in exchange for a promise of a better tomorrow.)
Jn: 16:33: These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. (Jesus overcame the world by being heavenly-mined. Heb: 12:2: Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.)
Rom: 12:2: 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. (The heavenly-minded renew their mind with the thinking reveal in the New Testament which is the mind of Christ.)
1Cor: 2:12: Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. (Worldly-minded people cannot walk by the Spirit of God because the world has too strong of a hold on them.)
1Cor: 3:18-19: Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise. 19: For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. (Likewise, the wisdom of God is foolishness to the world. The heavenly-minded want God’s approval, not the world’s approval—not if it means being alienated from the life of God and it does.)
2Cor: 6:14-18: Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness? 15: And what concord hath Christ with Belial? Or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?
16: And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? For ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 17: Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, 18: And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. (Only the heavenly-minded can come out from among them.)
Gal: 6:14: But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. (Only the heavenly-minded can say this in truth.)
Eph: 2:2-6: Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: 3: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
4: But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5: Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 6: And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
2Tm: 4:10: For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia. (Love of this present world will
Titus: 2:12: Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; (This is done by being heavenly-minded.)
Jas: 1:27: Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.
Jas: 4:4: 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.
2Pt: 1:4: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. (To hold fast to these promises that help us not to give in to our own high pressure temptations we must have the mind-set of 2 Cor:4:18—knowing that the things of this world are temporary and the things of God are eternal—that is being heavenly-minded.)
1Jn: 2:15-17: 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. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
1Jn: 3:1: Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. (Get rid of the idea that Christians must blend in with the world or that Christians must get along with everyone or that Christians must win the world by being like or accepted by them—these ideas are a lie. Christians should project and minister love, but it’s the God kind of love such as a good Father has for his children, not a love that doesn’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings even if the person needs to know the truth. Godly love tries to meet the person’s real needs even if it might cause animosity or rejection. This is why God has not been universally accepted—because He always does what is right, not what is popular.)
1Jn: 4:4-7: Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them. 5: They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them. 6: We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error. 7: Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
1Jn: 4:17: Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.
1Jn: 5:4: For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.
1Jn: 5:19: And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness.
Rev: 12:9: And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
Sylvia Huffnagle
Editor's Comment:
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