What Do Some Christians Mean by the Term "Worldliness"?

Worldliness is the human declaration of independence from the God of the Bible. It is part of the anti-God mindset that defines the typical human perspective on life, purpose and destiny. The people in the world are “worldly” because they judge everything by their own standards of prideful rationalism, sensual urges and selfish personal advancement. They live their lives without reference to the standards of the Creator, deliberately rejecting any attempt to shackle their autonomous behavior or dictate to their conscience.

This concept of worldliness is addressed in the Bible. Many biblical writers exhort Christians to live out their faith in a manner which contrasts to the “world’s way of doing things”.

The apostle John said, “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world. 17 The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever (1 John 2:15-17).

John polarizes the sinful world system against the will and purposes of God. The way people in the world do things is not the way the Creator God would have us do things. The world is defined by the cravings, lusts and boasting of cultures and individuals vying for their fifteen minutes of fame. Such “worldly” behavior patterns runs counter to God’s intention for his children.

The apostle Paul said, “As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath (Ephesians 2:1-3).