There are few subjects of greater practical importance than that considered in these pages, viz., Conformity to the World. It is one that penetrates into the daily life of families, and leads to questions of the most delicate character between those who are bound together by the most intimate relationships of life. It is moreover a subject pre-eminently suited to our times, for I venture to say there are few amongst us who have not reason to deplore a sad tendency to worldly conformity amongst those in whom we take a deep interest. Many of the young people of our day seem prepared to sweep away all barriers, and to lose sight of all distinctions; while others, who, we really hope, are Christian people, who take an interest in Christian objects, and assist us generally in our parochial work, seem to have forgotten the landmarks drawn out by our fathers, and, I fear, have become in consequence weakened in their faith, and paralysed in their Christian peace. They have become very much like Ephraim as described in Hos. vii. 8, 9: ‘Ephraim, he hath mixed himself among the people; Ephraim is a cake not turned. Strangers have devoured his strength, and he knoweth it not; yea, gray hairs are here and there upon him, yet he knoweth not.’ Thus in such characters there is a warm side, and we acknowledge it with thankfulness; but there is a cold side likewise, and we deeply deplore it. The cake has not been turned, and the result is a thorough inconsistency of character. There is sufficient religious interest to blind the eye to the discovery of decay; but, though they know it not, the decay is begun, and there are grey hairs stealing upon them, the outward signs of inward weakness; for they have mixed with the people, and strangers are devouring their strength.
But we need not suppose that this is a new difficulty, or that the temptation is now for the first time appearing in the Church. It was the same in Cowper’s day, as we may gather from his poem:—
‘Renounce the world, the preacher cries.
We do—a multitude replies.
While one as innocent regards
A snug and friendly game at cards;
And one, whatever you may say,
Can see no evil in a play.
Some love a concert, or a race;
And others shooting, or the chase.
Reviled and loved, renounced and followed!
Thus, bit by bit, the world is swallowed.
Each thinks his neighbour makes too free,
Yet likes a slice as well as he.’
But the difficulty reaches much further back than Cowper’s time. It is in fact as old as the human heart, for it is part and parcel of it, so that 1800 years ago the Church of Christ required the same warning that it does now, and the Apostle Paul gave the inspired caution: ‘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 word ‘transformed’ is alone sufficient to show the deep-seated character of the evil, for it proves that nothing less than a transformation is required to enable us to overcome it. Let human nature go on unchanged, and the result will be conformity to the world. The world and the love of it are in the natural heart, and, unless there is a change, there is sure to be worldly-mindedness in the life.
THE WORLD.
Before we can understand what is meant by conformity to the world, we must first see clearly what is meant by the world itself.
There seem to be three senses in which the word is employed in Scriptures.
(1.) It is used to express all mankind. I cannot doubt that this is the meaning of our blessed Saviour in those memorable words of His: ‘God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’ I have heard a limitation put on that passage, and seen ‘the world’ explained as meaning only the elect. But such an interpretation I believe to be contrary to Scripture. The expression ‘the world’ is constantly used for those who are not amongst the elect, but never, I believe, for those that are; besides which, the eighteenth verse of the chapter seems to me to prove conclusively that both classes, viz., those who believe, and those who do not, are here included in the one comprehensive term, ‘the world.’ The words are, ‘He that believeth on him is not condemned; but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God:’ showing, as I cannot but think, beyond a possibility of contradiction, that those who perish and those who are saved are included in the world, which God loved in His deep compassion, and for which He gave His only begotten Son.
(2.) The world stands for this earth and all that belongs to this present life, or dispensation.
Thus of the incarnation St. Paul says that our Lord ‘came into the world to save sinners.’ (1 Tim. i. 15.) So our Lord speaks of His lifetime here as a time spent in the world: ‘While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name.’ (John, xvii. 12.) So, ‘When Jesus knew that the hour was come that he should depart out of the world, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.’ (John, xiii. 1.) And this I have no doubt is the meaning of His prayer (John, xvii. 15), ‘I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.’ He did not desire that they should die, or be removed from the scene of life’s labour, but that they should be preserved in it as a holy and consecrated people.In the same sense St. John says, ‘The world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever’ (1 John, ii. 17); and again, ‘Whoso hath this world’s goods, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?’
(3.) But there is a third sense of the term ‘the world,’ and one of more frequent occurrence in Scripture than either of the other two. It is used for the body of unconverted persons as contrasted with the children of God. In this contrast there are many points clearly marked in Scripture.
(1.) The two classes are separated by the gift of God, as we learn from the words of our Lord in John, xvii. 9: ‘I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word.’
(2.) Believers enjoy a fellowship with God to which the world are strangers. ‘How is it,’ said Judas (John, xiv. 22), ‘that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world? Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.’
(3.) The world has no real knowledge of the Father, of Christ, or of His people. They may think they know Him, and may really know a great deal about Him; but as for that knowledge which our Lord declares to be life eternal, they are perfect strangers to it, for His language is, ‘Oh righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me.’ (John, xvii. 25.) In like manner said St. John, when speaking of the Father’s boundless love in 1 John, iii. 1, ‘Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the children of God! therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.’
(4.) The world has its origin in this world, and belongs to it; but believers have their life from God.
So the world are sometimes called ‘the children of this world,’ as e.g., Luke, xvi. 8: ‘The children of this world are wiser in their generation than the children of light;’ and our Lord puts the contrast very plainly when He says (John, viii. 23), ‘Ye are from beneath, I am from above: ye are of this world’ (?? t?? ??s??); ‘I am not of this world.’
On the other hand, of believers He says, that their life is from above. Just contrast the passage already quoted with His language in John, xvii. 16. Of the world He says, ‘Ye are of this world.’ But of His little flock, ‘They are not of this world, even as I am not of this world.’ They have a life given them from above (????e?, John, iii. 3), and therefore St. John plainly declares respecting them (1 John, v. 19), ‘We are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness.’
(5.) The world has its portion in this world; believers have their portion in heaven.
The world are like the rich man described by our Lord, to whom Abraham said, ‘Thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things.’ The good things that he sought for were all connected with this present life, and he received them. Thus there are few better definitions of men of the world than that given by David in Psalm xvii. 14, when he describes them as ‘men of the world, which have their portion in this life.’ Every person has his portion somewhere; i.e., we all have some treasure at which we are aiming, something that we are pursuing if we do not all attain it. Now the portion of the men of the world is altogether in this present life. I do not mean that they have no vague hope of going to heaven when they die; but that they are practically living for the things of time. It is for the things of this life that they are spending their strength, and here it is that they really have their portion.
How different it is with those whom God has called out of the world! They are in the world, but their treasure is in heaven, and they can say as David did (Psalm xvi. 5), ‘The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance and my cup: thou maintainest my lot.’ To them the world is a crucified thing, as St. Paul said, ‘By whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.’ They have a new hope and a new inheritance; for, being children, they are heirs, heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ. Their conversation is in heaven, because their Saviour is there; and, while they are diligent in life’s occupations, they seek first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness. They are looking for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.
(6.) But there is another point in which our blessed Saviour has marked the contrast between the two classes still more clearly, viz., this, The world does not love Christ or His people. I know that the first impression produced on many minds by such a statement would be that there is not this antipathy in our own times. There is so much kindliness of heart amongst worldly people, and in many cases they show so much friendliness, that it is difficult to realise this hostility. But our Lord distinctly declares it, and all His words are true. In John, xv. 18, 19, He says, ‘If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. 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.’ So again (John, xvii. 14), ‘I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.’ So St. John echoes His Master’s words, and says (1 John, iii. 13, 14), ‘Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you: we know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren.’ In all these passages there is the contrast clearly marked between the world and those whom God has called out of it to be a separate people unto Himself; a contrast so marked that it produces enmity on the part of the world towards the separated people. But still, as I have already said, there are multitudes of professing Christians who are ready to deny the existence of any such enmity, and most of ourselves have frequently met with generosity and kindness from those who we cannot but fear are still people of the world. How then are we to explain this apparent difference between Scripture and experience? How is it that we do not find a greater hostility on the part of the world towards the people of God? Of course the testimony of God’s Word must be true, and the explanation must be sought for in ourselves. I would suggest to those brethren who think they see a difficulty, three inquiries which may perhaps remove it.
(1.) Do we not sometimes mistake conformity to the externals of the Gospel for love to Christ? In a Christian country like this, the most thoroughly worldly persons are induced, by their sense of respectability, to conform to the visible practices of Christianity; but it does not follow on that account, that the real enmity of the human heart towards a blessed Saviour is removed, or that the offence of the cross has ceased.
(2.) Do we not sometimes mistake personal regard to ourselves, for a love to the people of God? Men of the world have strong natural affections, and those natural affections may happen to be fixed on the children of God; but it does not follow on that account, that they love either Christ or His people.
(3.) Are the people of God thoroughly faithful in their intercourse with the world? Is not an exhibition of the Lord Jesus Christ so greatly modified in many cases, that the world is never brought into collision with the high standard held up by Him? If our Gospel is softened down to meet the world’s mind, of course it will excite no hostility; and I cannot but fear, that the friendship we so often meet with in the world, may arise from our taking low ground ourselves, and not really shining forth as lights in the world, or exhibiting with sufficient clearness the holy character to which Christ has called His people.
But without stopping to dwell on these causes for the absence of the apparent enmity, we must, I think, all admit the clear contrast drawn in Scripture between the world and the people of God; and must conclude, that in the various passages referred to ‘the world’ includes all those who are not in Him, as contrasted with those that are. There are two classes, with a clear line between them—the world and the people of God; the world consisting of those who are not in Christ; and the people of God, of those who are given to Him, called by Him, justified in Him, born again through His Spirit, and preserved in Him as vessels for His glory. Thus the world is not limited to profligate or notorious offenders, but includes all those who are strangers to the covenant of God in Christ Jesus. The world might almost be reckoned as a middle class between the profligate and the people of God; a class having great charms, and many excellencies; a class having a wisdom of its own, exceeding, so far as this life is concerned, that of the children of light; a class including amiable men, moral men, influential men, and intellectual men; including the refined, as well as the unrefined—the gentleman, the statesman, the philosopher, and, I must add, even the clergyman, provided only that one thing is wanting, that one thing being a living union with Christ Jesus the Lord.
