Our Relationship With the World

It seems that there has been a confusion concerning our relationship with the world. Now, on one hand, we have groups like the Amish who try & isolate themselves from the world. However, on the other hand, it seems that there has been another approach to the world, by professing Christians: embracing the world and worldliness. However, is this approach Biblical? Well, we have no other way to know than to go through the Bible itself.

"If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you."
(John 15:18-19)

"And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect." (Romans 12:2)

"For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds." (Titus 2:11-14)

"Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul. Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation." (1st Peter 2:11-12)

"Do not love the world nor the things in the world If anyone loves 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 boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever." (1st John 2:15-17)

"For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome. For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world--our faith. Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?" (1st John 5:3-5)

So, we see in Scripture that we are not to live a worldly life, but we read that we are to live a lifestyle contrary to the world. Furthermore, we will be hated because of our lifestyle being contrary to the world. Yet, rather interestingly, it seems that too many professing Christians live a lifestyle no different from the world. We also see this trend in many professing Evangelical churches today, when these churches use worldly methods to draw people in.

However, we read, though, in Scripture, that it will be impossible for us to avoid the world, nor is it our place to judge the world.

"I wrote you in my letter not to associate with immoral people; I did not at all mean with the immoral people of this world, or with the covetous and swindlers, or with idolaters, for then you would have to go out of the world. But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler--not even to eat with such a one. For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within the church? But those who are outside, God judges." (1st Corinthians 5:9-13)