Spiritual Conflict (Part 2)

Today’s reading is a continuation of Section 12 of the Lausanne Covenant - Spiritual Conflict. Read the full Section 12 here.

We acknowledge that we ourselves are not immune to worldliness of thought and action, that is, to a surrender to secularism. For example, although careful studies of church growth, both numerical and spiritual, are right and valuable, we have sometimes neglected them. At other times, desirous to ensure a response to the gospel, we have compromised our message, manipulated our hearers through pressure techniques, and become unduly preoccupied with statistics or even dishonest in our use of them. All this is worldly. The Church must be in the world; the world must not be in the Church.

We continue to consider the tactics of the enemy to undermine the mission of the Church to bring the true gospel to the whole world. His second tactic is worldliness.

2. Worldliness

The devil uses moral as well as intellectual weapons. If he cannot deceive the Church through error (false teaching), he will seek to corrupt it through sin and worldliness. We need God's grace to remain faithful to the biblical gospel, for none of us is immune to Satan's influence.

In Scripture, 'the world' refers to secular, Christ-less society, and 'worldliness' is any surrender to its values and ideologies. This can take many forms, sometimes subtle and respectable in appearance. For example, showing indifference to whether our church is growing reflects worldly thinking. But so can the opposite extreme—becoming preoccupied with numbers as a measure of success.

In our eagerness to see results, we may be tempted to adopt methods that compromise integrity—methods Paul might have called 'disgraceful, underhanded ways' (2 Corinthians 4:2)—to make the gospel seem more appealing. Some have even exaggerated or falsified reports to attract funding. Wherever such practices occur, it is a sign that the devil has embedded a worldly perspective into the Church.

Jesus prayed not that his followers would be taken out of the world, but that they would be kept from the evil one (John 17:15). The Church must be present and active in the world—but the world's values must never shape the Church's message or methods.

Reflection:

Are you aware of the world’s values having an influence in your life?

Prayer:

Lord, protect my heart and your Church from worldliness, and keep our mission pure for your glory.