In our faith studies, we’ve been considering different aspects of the fall into sin.  One biblical way of thinking about sin is summed up in the word bondage. In the Bible (see Romans 8, for example) sin brings bondage. 

“For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.”
—Romans 8.20,21

But what does this bondage mean?  To whom are we in bondage?

In the Bible, from Genesis 3 onward, to sin is to serve Satan.  And to serve Satan is to be enslaved to Satan.  Here’s the deal:  Outside of service to the Lord God, there is only bondage.  When we refuse to find our freedom in obeying God, we enter into bondage/slavery to Satan… with the rest of the world.

And that’s the primary way the word “world” is used in the Bible.  To be “worldly” is to be in the power of sin.  It is to be distorted and perverted along with the rest of the sin–infested creation. 

Whenever human sinfulness bends and distorts God’s good creation, it is there that we find “the world.” As we’ve said a few different ways in this series, “worldliness” is the spoiledness, the rottenness, the caricature, the distortion of God’s good creation. 

John 18:  My kingdom [Christ says] is not of this world.
Romans 12:  Do not be conformed any longer to the pattern of this world.
James 1:  Religion is this: to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
2nd Peter:  people only escape the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ
James 4:  Don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God?

To be in the “world” is to be in the power of the parasite of sin (see the June 23 blog post) that is distorting and perverting and spoiling God’s good creation.

But follow me on this — because this is where many of us need to sharpen our thinking so that we might think more Christianly and Biblically…

Christians have a dangerous tendency to think and speak of “worldliness” as a compartment for the “secular” things in life, over against the “sacred” things in life.

So… officework, newspapers, sports, business, yardwork, shopping, politics, playing cards, reading a novel, watching a movie, dancing, and so forth… these things are all “worldly.” While going to church, praying, doing theology, witnessing, and fellowshipping with other believers is NOT “worldly.”

But this is exactly wrong.

We can (and often do!) engage in all of those “Christian” things in a worldly manner.  And through Christ we can engage in all of those “secular” things in a holy manner.

The question that divides the two is this:  Are you in the power of the parasite (sin)?  Are in you in bondage to Satan?  Are you ensnared by these perversions and distortions of God’s good creation?

Or, through Jesus Christ, have you been freed to enjoy and serve God appropriately in all of his wide, good creation?