Q28. Worldliness

[Pastor Ralph]

Q28. (1 John 2:15-16) What role does pride have in worldliness? How can we live holy lives in this world? What does “stealing the glory” look like? How can it be dangerous?

[Jewells]

Q28. (1 John 2:15-16) What role does pride have in worldliness? How can we live holy lives in this world? What does "stealing the glory" look like? How can it be dangerous?

The world promotes pride.  The army advertises, "Be All You Can Be".  And so it goes with the institutions of learning and the world system.  When people graduate the celebrate those that come from that system as they make them "proud".  After all if they institution wasn't great it would not promote one such as this.  Hollywood and the stars are used to represent everything, whether charities or causes, or products or politicians.  Obviously they know the insider info, and the success has elevated them to the top so they have the right to promote whatever it is the promote.  Millions run to do what they promote because obviously they are success  and success breeds success. Meanwhile, they fill the coffers on the money by promoting.  They did it all for money not because of legitimate praise of a person, product, cause, charity.  This is the worldliness we are surrounded with and it does affect us, our mindsets, attitudes, and sometimes the way we copy to get by or participate in.  There is no mention of God usually in this or giving God glory.  Stars usually thank the director or producer or maybe a mom or dad for sacrificing for them to get to the pinnacle of success but rarely do we see people giving God all the glory.  We know God says every good and perfect gift comes from God and yet we adopt the ways of the world and attribute it to many other things.  

God warns us through John to not love the world or the things of the world or the love of the Father is not in us.  

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life[a]—is not from the Father but is from the world.

If we know all comes from God, then all praise goes back to God and whatever we attain or steward is a gift from him and to be used as he directs we would do well and we would please God.

[Brother Clifford wilson]

Q28 We are finite God is infinite and all knowing: That being stated, as Christians we are constantly under a barrage of earthly principles.  We see all the shiney and bright things that we can buy and we know, money will permit us to live with lots of world things.  Somewhere in the quest for a comfortable life we are like David.  All the worldly things that were presented before his eyes by his foreign wives led him too take his eye off the God that he serves.  We are foreigners also, we accept earthly values from earthly ordinanances, We are proud of ourselves and we are praised amongst men.  We soon forget Him, lost in our self pride.  Col3:20 Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances,  Col 3:21 Touch not: taste not: handle not.  We should be aware these verses as we live on the earth. We must learn to pray on all things and discern the things that are within Gods word.  But for pride of material riches, having new cars, new houses nice things are not a sinful want as long as God is first in our lifes.  Job promotion and pay raises come to those who put in the work, when all the hard work is finished and your life is pleasant, remember what the source of your happiness is. Don't look at your accomplishment and give yourself the Glory.  Everything earned and accomphished in life is by the grace of God.  Staying on the narrow road will help us to navagate life with humility and grace.  Remember earthly things come and soon wither away.  We have our treasure in Jesus Christ, be filled with the Spirit and embrace our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Every gift from above is Holy and the word of God will never wither. God is with us always.

[hanks]

Q28. (1 JOHN 2:15-16) 
What role does pride have in worldliness? How can we live holy lives in this world? What does "stealing the glory" look like? How can it be dangerous? 
For example, we see it when worldly prosperity makes us proud and vain, and we expect to be greatly honoured by others. When we esteem and favour persons purely according to their birth, fortunes, and success. When there is an unholy ambition for self-display and self-glorification. Pride also appears from our wilfulness and our uncontrollable efforts to get what we want – no matter what. A true Christian living in the world is like a ship sailing on the ocean. It is not the ship being in the water which will sink it, but the water getting into the ship. So in like manner the Christian is not ruined by living in the world, but by the world living in them. This world living in us is controlled by Satan. He is the ruler and god of this world (John 14:30). Satan's power exists only because God allows him to act. If we obey Jesus and align ourselves closely with God's purposes, Satan can have no power over us. As soon as we allow anything of love for the world, we shut ourself off from the love of the Father. By taking personal credit for everything that our Heavenly Father has done for us, we steal the glory that is due to Him. Every good thing, everything we have achieved, everything we are proud of has all been made possible through our Lord. There is nothing we can take personal credit for – without Him nothing is and was possible. It can be very dangerous to steal God’s glory as seen in the case of Herod Agrippa I (Acts 12:23) when God took his sin of pride seriously and he immediately died a horrible death. 
 

[Clelie]

The word world in the context of Jesus teaching means anything that is not the will of God, which is the system of the devil of this fallen world. Being worldly means participanting in the life of a fallen world where sins abound including pride, feeling a.no need of God. 
 
we are in the world but not of the world. We are citizens of heaven and thus living a life that pertains to God in obedience of Him who rules and reigns in our hearts .

Stealing the glory that belongs to God means taking what is His as ours. We own nothing ,everything we have is from Him and to Him alone do we give back what is due to Him.glory, honour, merit ,praise etc. 

Taking for ourselves the glory that solely belongs to God is considering ourselves  equal to God. That very attitude of satan which has caused his downfalll . 

[Zanele Tlhakanelo]

The role of pride in the worldliness is that whatever the achievements a person receives are based on the self and not acknowledging that it is God who gives us the ability to acquire all that we have. Pride is boasting about what you have done to have all the things you need to enjoy yourself and not even care about the widows, the poor and the orphans that live in your community. Some people even boast about how much they tithe so that they can be applauded. By the way, tithing is a personal matter between yourself and God and people do not even have to know about that.

We can live holy lives by subjecting ourselves under God's authority. If we allow the flesh to rule us and not the spirit, we will surely be out of the will of God. We must allow the Holy Spirit who dwells in us and us in Him to guide, lead, direct, advise and help us in other that our lives can be perfected in Christ.

"Stealing the glory" is when you trust in your own power and nowhere think that God is at work in your life. We must acknowledge that without God, whatever we have and have achieved comes from Him and give thanks continually to what God continues to do in our lives. We do not have to forget to thank Him for life because some of us think that waking up is a right whereas it is a privilege.When you survive a car accident you give yourself credit based on your driving skills. In everything, we must give thanks according to 1 Thessalonians 5:18. I even thank God for assisting me to answer the questions that are asked here.

It is dangerous because it offends God if we do not acknowledge Him. When Jesus Christ healed the 10 lepers and only 1 coming back to thank Him, He was offended and asked if He did not heal 10 and only one came back. If you do not thank God, it means that you believe that all the powers are from you and that can be very dangerous.

[Nicolaas A.P. Mostert]

Q28. (1 John 2:15-16)

What role does pride have in worldliness?

By boasting or arrogance in one's wealth or outward circumstances

How can we live holy lives in this world?

Focus on GOD and give GOD all the praise.

What does "stealing the glory" look like?

To claim a kind of personal credit for what GOD has done.

How can it be dangerous?

We serve a jealous GOD, HE deserve to be honor and praise, if not we must accept the full consequence of that.

[Mama Eve]

Q. 28 1 John 2:15-16 What role does pride have in worldliness?

It plays a significant role because it represents a self-centered attitude that prioritizes early achievements and desires over God's will. **** of the eyes and a prideful life are temptations that pull people away from God.

How can we live holy lives in this world?

Staying focused on the Promises of God. Obedience, praying, fasting and always reading the Word and being separate from the world. According to this passage Christians can live holy lives by not loving the world but God's love.

What does stealing the Glory look like?

When people attempt to take credit for which God alone has accomplished.

How can it be dangerous?

Very dangerous because it would mean people would actually be defaming God. We should never worship any other God, for the LORD, is a jealous God.

 

 

[Brenda Joy]

 

Q28. (1 John 2:15-16) What role does pride have in worldliness? How can we live holy lives in this world? What does "stealing the glory" look like? How can it be dangerous?

The role of pride is it breeds ****, sin, self, we become selfish, we lack compassion and we are self focused.   This is how the world operates, "How can I get ahead?" "How can I rise above others?"   We are able to live holy lives when we don't seek to be elevated, when we keep our hearts pure before God, and when we desire and crave the things of God rather than the things of the temporal world.    Stealing glory is when one receives the praise instead of offering it to God.  Stealing glory is when we think we are the source of something great rather than God.   This is dangerous because it leads to destruction.  Paul tore his clothes because they praised him.  It should shake us to the core when we feel as though God is not receiving what he deserves.

[Lisa Wolf]

Q28. (1 John 2:15-16) What role does pride have in worldliness? How can we live holy lives in this world? What does “stealing the glory” look like? How can it be dangerous?

Pride is a worldly value. God does not value pride.  James 4:4-9 Is scathing and clear: "You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us?  But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:  “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up."  1 John 2: 15 is also clear on God's opinion: "Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them."  We can llive holy lives IF we spend time in Jesus' Presence. Prayer and reading God's Word are essential to live holy lives in the world.

Gideon stole some of God's glory following Israel's decisive victory with Gideon in the lead.  Gideon witnessed miracles. All seemed to be going well; he told the people that the Lord would watch over them.  However, in his very next breath, Gideon stole God's glory:  "And he said, “I do have one request, that each of you give me an earring from your share of the plunder.” (It was the custom of the Ishmaelites to wear gold earrings.)  They answered, “We’ll be glad to give them.” So they spread out a garment, and each of them threw a ring from his plunder onto it. The weight of the gold rings he asked for came to seventeen hundred shekels, not counting the ornaments, the pendants and the purple garments worn by the kings of Midian or the chains that were on their camels’ necks. Gideon made the gold into an ephod, which he placed in Ophrah, his town. All Israel prostituted themselves by worshiping it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and his family."  By stealing the true worship of the one true God, Gideon stole God's GLORY. Judges 8 ends with Gideon's death, Israel doing more evil, and no one remembering Gideon's family.

[Janzie]

On 8/12/2024 at 10:41 PM, Pastor Ralph said:

Q28. (1 John 2:15-16) What role does pride have in worldliness? How can we live holy lives in this world? What does “stealing the glory” look like? How can it be dangerous?

It is man boasting on what he has, money, cars, grand home or what he has done, bragging on what a great job he has, what vacations he has taken, etc.

By keeping our focus on Christ and giving Him the glory.

Stealing God's glory in taking the credit for what God has done.  We must always give God glory for what he has done, and not take credit for it ourselves. It is wonderful to be a part of a miracle, to be used by God, but we must always point to Him, not to ourselves.

It can be dangerous because God does not taker it lightly.  "Do not worship any other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God." (Exodus 34:14)

 

[Krissi]

On 10/23/2024 at 2:43 AM, hanks said:

A true Christian living in the world is like a ship sailing on the ocean. It is not the ship being in the water which will sink it, but the water getting into the ship. So in like manner the Christian is not ruined by living in the world, but by the world living in them.

I love this analogy.

--

Living successfully as a Christian in this world may mean finding that sweet spot between 1) choosing to withdraw, secede or disengage and 2) entering into the world in such a way that we are subjugated to it. As Mr. Hank wrote, above, the goal may be to live in the water without drowning, not above the water or under the water but in it. For some of us, this may be withdrawing to an isolated little cottage in the woods with minimal "stuff" -- others may be called to work among secular people in a fast, materialistic city, surrounded by decadence. 

The answer is not the same. We are called to different life-duties. Our goal, however, is the same which is to rightly answer the call of Christ. As is said, "His calling is His enabling;" in other words, He will give us the strength to resist and endure the circumstances in which He places us.

Perhaps some of the questions that have to do with pride and the various ways we live our lives can be answered by knowing His calling and then being where He wants us to be? Just a thought. The safest place to be is in the arrow-tip of His will. Or, to again borrow Mr. Hank's analogy, the safest place to be is in HIs ship ... firmly grasping a hand bailer.

Conversely, the most dangerous place to be is out of His will. It seems that when we're out of His will, we've purposely chosen to put our own desires over His leading. We "worship" or preference ourselves over God. This glorifies ourselves, or our ability to make decisions for ourselves. It does not submit to His will and therefore does not glorify Him.