One of the major myths prevailing today is that the world is becoming a better place. According to the Bible, however, the world as we know it is on the way out. The primary definition of ‘world’ as found in the New Testament is from the Greek kosmos which connotes that which we can touch and is transitory vs. that which is spiritual and eternal. The first part of this definition is confirmed by the law of physics which states that all elements have a half-life, i.e. all elements will over time decay, or are corruptible. Spiritual things, however, are eternal, i.e. incorruptible.
The disciple Thomas was absent when the resurrected Jesus appeared to the other disciples and couldn’t believe Jesus was actually alive and had been transformed from the corruptible to the incorruptible.
“…unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put by finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe…” John 20:25
Eight days after Thomas’s statement Jesus appeared in a room with locked doors and invited Thomas to touch Him to prove that it was indeed Him. Thomas did so and proclaimed his belief.
“Then Jesus said to him, ‘Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believed.’”
John 20:29
Therefore, the Bible teaches that those who place their trust only in that which is transitory, or visible, and not on the eternal, or invisible, have missed the great truth. So much for ‘seeing is believing.’
As would be expected then, there is constant warring between the worldly and the spiritual. Jesus warned repeatedly about the ruler of this world.
“And now I have told you before it comes, that when it does come to pass, you may believe…for the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me…” John 14:29-30
The Apostle John reveals the identity of the ‘ruler of this world.’
“We know that…the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one.” I John 5:19
The wicked one is of course Satan, the ruler of this world, who hates the spiritual and perpetually seeks their demise.
“…Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” James 4:4
“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 John 2:15-17
And what is the defense against the ruler of this world?
“You are of God, little children… He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” I John 4:4
“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind…” Romans 12:2
And what is the future of the ruler of the world?
“Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out.” John 12:31
The ruler of the world is the same one who originally deceived Eve and will continue to draw men away from the truth by offering those things that appeal to the senses.
“So when the woman saw that the tree…was pleasant to the eyes, and…desirable to make one wise, she took…and ate.” Genesis 3:6
The Bible reveals that as time progresses men will continue to lean towards worldly wisdom and move further away from the things of God. For example, what percent of the recent state of the union message was focused on eternal issues? The Bible further reveals that men will be oblivious to all warning signs which will simply hasten God’s righteous judgment.
“And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: They ate, they drank…they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot…they bought, they sold, they planted, they built…but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed.” Luke 17:26-30
“For if God…did not spare the ancient world…bringing in the flood on the world…and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes…making them an example to those who afterward would live ungodly…” 2 Peter 2:4-6
Therefore, the pervading question, i.e. what in the world are we thinking?