Salvation
Salvation is by grace through faith, not by works.
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9)
“Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost” (Titus 3:5).
Biblical Worldliness
Scripture condemns worldliness. Biblically, it is a heart issue, not an issue of tools.
“Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world” (1 John 2:15–16)
In the Bible, “the world” does not usually mean the earth or the people living on it. The “world” is the fallen system of values, desires, and thinking that operate apart from God and is opposed to His rule.
1 John 2:16 defines the world as:
- Lust of the flesh
- Lust of the eyes
- Pride of life
The Bible does not mean:
• The physical earth (God called it good in Genesis 1)
• People (God loves the world – John 3:16)
• Tools, technology, or progress
Therefore, the world is:
• A mindset without God
• Living for self instead of Christ
• Measuring life by pleasure, power, status, or comfort
• Thinking that is shaped more by culture than by Scripture
The world is not where you live—it is who you live for.
“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” (Romans 12:2).
Biblical worldliness is being conformed to the world’s thinking. The word conformed means:
• To be pressed into a mold
• To take the shape of something else
• To adopt an external pattern
Paul is saying to not let the world squeeze you into its way of thinking, valuing, and deciding. This is not about tools, clothing, or technology. It is about thinking and allegiance.
In Romans 12:2, “the world” means:
• The God-excluding mindset of the age
• Human wisdom without God
• Living for self, comfort, power, or approval
In short, the world is a mindset, not an object.
Transformed means:
• Changed from the inside out
• A new way of thinking that leads to a new way of living
This is not behavior modification. It is heart and mind renewal.
New Creature in Christ
“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17).
The mind is renewed by:
• God’s Word shaping your thinking
• Submission to Christ’s authority
• Replacing cultural thinking with biblical truth
This leads to proving “…what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” (Romans 12:2).
Romans 12:1 explains why Romans 12:2 works:
“…present your bodies a living sacrifice…”
This means:
• Daily surrender
• Willing obedience
• No divided loyalty
You cannot resist conformity to the world without surrender to Christ.
“…know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God” (James 4:4).
Biblical worldliness is friendship with the world system. It is:
• Loving sin
• Living for self
• Pride, greed, immorality
• Replacing God with comfort, pleasure, or status
Technology is never mentioned. A phone can be used for:
• Sin
• Pride
• Distraction
OR:
• Ministry
• Work
• Family connection
The Bible never condemns tools. It condemns sinful hearts.
Traditionalism
Scripture warns against traditionalism. Traditionalism becomes unbiblical when traditions are treated as moral law.
“…Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? …but in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men” (Matthew 15:3, 9).
“…Touch not; taste not; handle not… after the commandments and doctrines of men…” (Colossians 2:20-23).
The issue is not order or simplicity. The issue is binding the conscience where God did not.
The Key Biblical Principle
Tools are morally neutral—hearts are not.
“All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient…” (1 Corinthians 10:23).
Paul is addressing believers in Corinth, a culture filled with:
• Idolatry
• Moral confusion
• Social pressure
The question was not, “What is sinful?” It was, “How should a Christian live wisely among unbelievers?”
“All things are lawful for me” means:
• Not everything is sinful
• Believers are not under ceremonial or man-made laws
• Christian liberty is real
Paul is not saying “anything goes.” He is saying that everything outside of sin is not forbidden.
“But all things are not expedient” means:
• Helpful
• Profitable
• Wise
• Beneficial in the long run
A thing can be:
• Lawful
• Permissible
• And still unwise in a given situation
Liberty must be guided by wisdom.
“But all things edify not” means:
• To build up
• To strengthen others spiritually
Paul adds a second test: Does this build up others, or only serve me? Christian liberty is governed by love, not self-interest.
Liberty is not about rights; it is about responsibility. There is a Scriptural balance.
“For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another” (Galatians 5:13).
“Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another” (Romans 14:19).
A phone, vehicle, or tool may be:
• Lawful
• Not sinful
But wisdom asks:
• Is it helpful here?
• Is it being used with self-control?
• Does it help or hinder my testimony?
• Am I willing to limit liberty for love?
This protects against both:
• Legalism (man-made rules)
• License (self-centered freedom)
“For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving” (1 Timothy 4:4).
Again, It’s a Heart Issue
• A cell phone is not sinful.
• A car is not sinful.
• Electricity is not sinful.
Sin comes from how the heart uses things, not the things themselves. Holiness comes from obedience to Christ, not separation from tools.
Jesus rebuked outward cleanliness without inward change.
“And the Lord said unto him, Now do ye Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and the platter; but your inward part is full of ravening and wickedness. Ye fools, did not he that made that which is without make that which is within also?” (Luke 11:39-40)
God looks on the heart.
“…for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7).
“…Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind” (Romans 14:5).
Scripture is clear on the shunning issue.
“…Who art thou that judgest another man’s servant?…” (Romans 14:1-4).
“Let us not therefore judge one another any more…” (Romans 14:13).
“Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free…” (Galatians 5:1).
Your life must preach louder than your words.
• Be humble, not defensive
• Be consistent, not reactionary
• Be holy, not careless
• Be loving, even when rejected
“Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles…” (1 Peter 2:12).
“If it be possible… live peaceably with all men” (Romans 12:18).
If technology makes me proud, harsh, worldly, or careless, my argument collapses. If I am more present, more loving, more gospel-centered, then my life answers the charge.
Worldliness is loving sin and living for self.
• A phone or a car doesn’t make someone worldly.
• Christ changes the heart, and the heart directs how tools are used.
• I love you, and I’m not leaving Christ—I’m following Him.”
“As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.” (Colossians 2:6-8).