NONCONFORMITY TO THE WORLD

 

453. What text furnishes a name for this restriction? Romans 12:2 “Be not conformed to this world” 

454. What is meant by this? 

That the people of God should be entirely separate from the world. 

455. What does Christ say of His disciples? 

“They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world” (John 17:14). 

456. What does He say of vain display? 

“Beware of the scribes, which love to go in long clothing, and love salutations in the marketplaces, and 

 the chief seats in the synagogues,” etc. (Mark 12:38,39). 

457. What does He say on the question of worldly popularity? “That which is highly esteemed among 

men is abomination in the sight of God” (Luke 16:15). 

458. What advice has Paul to give on this subject? “Be not conformed to this world, but be ye 

transformed [from the world] by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2). 

459. What was the object of Christ’s sacrifice? 

To “redeem us from all iniquity, and to purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works” 

(Titus2:14). 

460. How does Peter describe God’s people? 

“Ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people” (1 Peter2:9).461. What has James to say with reference to the relation between God and the world? 

“Know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever . . . will be a friend of the 

world is the enemy of God” (James 4:4). 

462. Does not this conflict with the love of God, who so fervently loved the world that He sacrificed His 

only Son (John3:16)? 

“World” in that sense meant the sum total of all people. “World” in the sense that James uses the term 

was the sum total of the ways of the wicked. God so hated the latter that He went to the limit of sacrifice 

 to bring about the salvation of the former (Matthew 1:21; Titus2:14). That should be our attitude toward 

 the world. We should so intensely hate sin and its ways, that we would never encourage the world by 

walking according to the course of the world (Ephesians2:2), but rather to go to the limit of our power in 

doing all we can to help in the great work of converting worldlings into soldiers of the cross. 

463. Is there scriptural backing for this position?

Yes. Besides what we have already quoted, we have the following: “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, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of 

the world” (1 John2:15, 16). 

464. In the light of this strong array of Scripture truth, what duty becomes plain to every believer? 

 “Wherefore come out from among them and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean 

thing, and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith 

the Lord Almighty” (2 Corinthians 6:17, 18). 

465. Inasmuch as we are to be a light unto the world, and yet separated from the world, what statement 

expresses our true position? 

“In the world” (John 17:15), but “not of the world” (John 17:14). 

466. How does James define a pure religion? 

“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” (James 1:27). 

467. What should be our continual prayer? 

That we may be rid of every worldly spot. 

468. What are some of these spots? Unbelief, pride, covetousness, intemperance, lust, carnal strife, 

worldly amusements, fashions, worldly popularity, etc., etc. 

469. Is it possible in our own strength to get rid of these spots? 

“Without me ye can do nothing” (John 15:5). 

470. What light does this throw on the moralist, who aims of his own strength to make himself good 

enough for heaven? 

It makes his case hopeless. 

471. Does it excuse the man who refuses to try to live up to the model because he is “too weak anyway”? 

“Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin” (James 4:17). 

472. Then where is our hope? 

“I can do all things through Christ, which strengtheneth me” (Philippians4:13). 

473. What promise is held out to the faithful? 

“They that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament, and they that turn many to 

righteousness as the stars for ever and ever” (Daniel 12:3).