The Course of this World

And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. (Eph. 2:1-3)

Every day you can see the course of this world and people simply walking in it. This is especially obvious during the holidays, during which Americans spend billions of dollars on things that have no value.

It doesn’t take self-denial to follow the course of this world. You just go where the world leads (away from Christ and toward other things), and as long as you walk in that mainstream toward the other things, the world accepts you.

A quick look at the news, and a look around us at the devastation in people’s lives, reveals that the course most are walking in is not headed to a good place. Hopefully we ourselves have cried out to the Savior, and the Lord Jesus Christ has made us alive and delivered us from “the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience.” If we truly have been delivered from that spirit, we are now walking with the Spirit who works in those who obey God! There is a sharp division between children of disobedience, and children who obey God. It is the difference between death and life.

It is interesting to me, this new obsession with the “zombie apocalypse.” People are storing food and learning self-defense, fearing that zombies may one day attack them. They do not realize that they themselves are the zombies because they are dead in their trespasses and sins (as I also once was), and they will never be able to live by bread alone. Even those who quit their televisions and learn how to “live off the land” (both good things in themselves) are still in darkness and death if they do not have Jesus, and if Jesus does not “make them alive.” And so we are surrounded by those who are dead, and who feed on death. Halloween with all of its glorification of evil and darkness is just one of many fruits on the tree that is rooted in death, and headed for destruction. It is one symptom of a society that has embraced death by sin.

It is horrifying to see that the mainstream has channeled right through the western church and swept away multitudes of so-called Christians. And the wolves–ever multiplying in our “judge not” and “tickle my ears” churches–are getting much more bold in their lies. In spite of God’s many warnings that we must not love this world nor follow its ways, these teachers tell us we can do so without consequence, and even that God will be pleased to use us in our compromise. They have managed to turn the truth on its head for those who did not receive a love of the truth. Such people, who first turned away their ears from sound doctrine, hurry like lemmings onto that wide road, assured by their fable-teachers that God does not object. But these are not hapless victims; they have rebelled against the Truth and strengthened one another in evil rather than taking God’s Word seriously.

Meanwhile, those who speak the real truth to them are legalists and Pharisees and other names which qualify them for mockery and rejection.

Jesus warned this would happen. He said the time was coming when the mainstream church would abuse the people of God (Matt. 10:17; 23:34). This is because the mainstream church is moving along with the course of this world. This world hates the people of God, especially when they testify that its works are evil (Jn. 7:7, 15:18-19, 17:14; I Jn. 3:13).

If you have light and life, hold onto these and let no man take your crown. Abide in Jesus, the narrow Way that leads to life. Steadfastly endure whatever comes and do not change course one degree. The course of this world will–literally–run its course, and destruction will be at the end. And then will come the hour in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation. (John 5:28-29)

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. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever. (I Jn. 2:15-17)

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