What Harmony Is This? What the Lord and His Apostles Say About the World

I have spoken to you several times now against the world and attachment to it. I do not think I have wearied you with this, trusting in your love of truth and readiness to listen to it, however bitter it may be. But it occurs to me that perhaps you consider the strict judgments against the world to be my personal opinion about it and world-loving? Do you perhaps think that the world is not so opposed to Christ, and worldly life to Christian life, that the two could not be united, and that by living in a worldly way, one could at the same time live as a Christian? At least the prevailing opinion now is that strict estrangement from the world and all worldly things is the property of narrow simplicity or unthinking zeal and gloomy melancholy, and that, on the contrary, the dignity of the present age and enlightenment consist precisely in being able to unite Christianity with world-loving, looking with pity on these poor wretches who, for the sake of salvation and pleasing God, deprive themselves of this or that pleasure and comfort of the world.

I do not undertake to enter into dispute with such philosophers. And now I have resolved—not to speak one word from myself, but only to gather together into one place all that is said in God’s word against the world and world-loving. Each, returning to his conscience, will certainly find a strict command to obey unquestioningly what the Lord commands, in opposition to all current opinions and all the contrary feelings and resistances rising up from our hearts. What the Lord and His holy apostles clearly and definitively say, that is the law for us.

Listen to what the Lord says about the world, and His holy apostles, and stop being wise in vain.

How does the Lord speak about the world? But you know beforehand that the Lord, who was so condescending to sinners and the weak, Who took all our sins upon Himself, Who called His yoke easy, and rebuked the Jewish teachers for burdening people with unnecessary strictness—such a Lord would certainly not impose upon His followers the burden of estrangement from the world if it were possible to unite world-loving with following Him. And yet, see how He speaks.

In what relation does the Savior place Himself to the world? “I,” He says, “am not of this world»”, and He repeats this word several times (Jn. 8:23, 17:14-16). “«I am not of this world»”, and “«My kingdom is not of this world»” (Jn. 8:23, 18:36). The Kingdom of Christ is established in the world and from the people of the world, but on the ruins of the kingdom of the prince of the world. Why the Lord says: «I came down from heaven to bind the strong one, to destroy the works of the devil!» (Jn. 6:38, Mk. 3:27, 1 Jn. 3:8). Since this has been accomplished by His death on the cross, before His suffering He pronounced judgment on the world: “«Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out»” (Jn. 12:31). See what opposition! How can you, pleasing the world, be with Christ? “«What fellowship has light with darkness; or what agreement does Christ have with Belial?»” (2 Cor. 6:14-15)

Perhaps, however, the Lord is so strict toward the world in His own Person? But did He not make some allowance in this for His disciples, whom it is inevitable must be in the world and live among world-lovers? Not at all. And “they,” He says, “are not of the world, even as I am not of the world»” (Jn. 17:14). Therefore, comforting them in another place, He adds: “«If the world hates you, know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, for this reason the world hates you»” (Jn. 15:18-19). How can you wish to belong to Christ and be at peace with the world?

Did the Lord not promise at least in the future some peace with the world? Have we not waited for this blessed time and cannot think peacefully that we please the Lord by loving the world and save our soul? No, this was not promised. I, He says, “«will send you” a Spirit “whom the world cannot receive»” (Jn. 14:16-17), that is, a Spirit completely opposite to the spirit of the world. “«And when He comes, He will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment»” (Jn. 16:8). Therefore, constant and eternal warfare will be between you and the world, as a result of which “«in the world you will have tribulation; but take courage, for I have overcome the world»” (Jn. 16:33). How can you think to live at peace with the world and belong to the Lord, when the Lord’s Spirit given to His followers cannot be at peace with the world?

Thus, you see that in the teaching of the Lord there is no allowance for the world.

You can in advance be sure that you will find no allowance for it either in the words of the holy apostles. Take the loving John and the righteous James shining in righteousness. What do they say? Both say in one voice: “«Do not love the world»”. “«Do not love the world,” says the Apostle John, “nor what is 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 desire of the flesh, the desire 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 its desire; but the one who does the will of God abides forever»” (1 Jn. 2:15-17). “«Do you not know,” says the Apostle James, “that love of the world is enmity toward God? Whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.»” How terrible! “Or do you suppose” the Scripture “speaks to no purpose: He yearns jealously for the spirit that dwells in us?»” (Jas. 4:4-5). That is, this Spirit is so zealous that He cannot permit us even to belong in the least to the world; He demands complete devotion of the Lord.

See further what the other apostles say: “«We did not receive the spirit of the world, but the Spirit from God»” (1 Cor. 2:12). Before, that is, when you were not Christians, “you” “were enslaved” “to the elementary principles of the world»” (Gal. 4:3) and “«walked according to the course of this world»” (Eph. 2:2), “«according to the tradition of men»” (Col. 2:8), that is, according to worldly customs. Now, that is, having received Christ, “«you have died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world»” (Col. 2:20), now “«the world»” to you “«is crucified, and»” you “«to the world»” (Gal. 6:14), that is, it is dead to you, and you should be dead to it. Therefore “«keep yourselves unspotted by the world»” (Jas. 1:27), flee from the “stains»” of the world (2 Pet. 2:20) and “«the corrupting lusts that are in the world»” (2 Pet. 1:4); and, “«having renounced impiety and worldly passions, live soberly, justly, and piously in the present age»” (Tit. 2:12). “«The whole world lies in the power of the evil one»” (1 Jn. 5:19) and hates true good; therefore do not be amazed that “«the world hates you»” (1 Jn. 3:13). Be of good cheer rather, receiving the grace by which “«everyone born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?»” (1 Jn. 5:4-5), that is, Christian faith is so closely united with victory over the world that where it is, there is no world—it is overcome… and consequently, conversely: where the world is, there is no faith, there is no Christ, and there is no Christianity.

Here neither the Lord nor the apostles spare the world! Neither the Lord nor the apostles… What kind of disciples are these who want to unite world-loving with love of Christ, who teach this and want to live this way? I will tell you what kind—and I will tell you in the words of the apostles. The Apostle John says: “«Test the spirits»”, because “«many false prophets” have gone out “into the world. They are of the world; for this reason they speak from the world, and the world listens to them»” (1 Jn. 4:1, 5), that is, these false prophets—false teachers—defend the world because they themselves are of the world, not of Christ. Therefore, both those who listen to them and those who follow them are not of Christ but are of the world.

And is there not coming to pass among us what the Apostle Paul foretold: “«There will come a time when people will not endure sound doctrine, but having itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers according to their desires, and they will turn their ears away from the truth and will turn aside to myths»?” (2 Tim. 4:3-4) See what a strict judgment not only upon the world but also upon the defenders of world-loving!

Let whoever wishes to contrive to love the world with false hope that he will not thus come into opposition to the spirit of Christ! But you do not be drawn away—and do not imitate such people! The very intention of such trickery reveals the absence of the spirit of Christ—the Exposer of the world. Is it proper for us to think of a union of the world with Christ when from the first days of the Savior’s coming into the world the world has risen against Him with authority, cunning, and malice? Does this not suggest that Christians should not even think of living in peace with the world, which so fiercely wars against their Lord? Thus it has always been. After the Lord and the holy apostles, all those who truly believed and served the Lord went counter to the world and the spirit thereof, and for this were themselves made the targets of arrows from the face of the world—suffered and were persecuted. Indeed, “«and all who desire to live godly” in the world “will be persecuted»” (2 Tim. 3:12). What harmony is there?!

Now, I think, all of you will agree that in not approving the world, I was not setting forth to you my own private opinion. The Lord and the holy apostles have condemned it with clear and definite words that admit no reinterpretation. «Whoever is of God listens to us,» says the holy John the Theologian (1 Jn. 4:6). After this there is nothing for us to differ in our judgment of the world. Perhaps, however, our conceptions of the world itself do not agree?! In reality, the world can be understood differently, and it is not surprising that among these conceptions there are those by which the worldly life does not seem wholly opposed to the spirit of Christ… In such a case someone might say: «And I know that the world is opposed to Christ and that the believer must reject it; but what you call the world, I do not consider to belong to the world. Tell me: what is that world which is condemned by the Lord and the holy apostles, in which those who live perish, and from which all who wish to be saved and please God must withdraw?»

The question, as you see, is most natural, but not simple, and cannot be answered in one word. I will try to do this another time; and in the meantime I invite you to reason about this. In fact, perhaps it would be sufficient to determine precisely what the world and worldliness are in order to turn away from them, and if this or that is permitted in life, it is only because it is not counted as worldly.

Take upon yourselves a little labor—clarify this. At a fitting time I will come to your aid with my word, so that together we may progress in knowing the truth of Christianity, for our salvation and the glory of God, worshipped in the Trinity. Amen.