What Does The Bible Mean By The World?

Broadly speaking, within scripture the word ‘world’ means two things: 1. The World refers to the physically observable universe and its inhabitants. Psalm 24:1 The earth is the LORD'S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. We see here that God loves the world, it says for “God so loved the world…”, yet another passage 1John 2:15 says, love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

This suggests that there are differences in meaning. The world in scripture is also used to mean a complex system of ideologies predicated on the principle of good and evil. The first definition of the word ‘world’ above is simple to understand, but this second definition of the term ‘world’ is where we will focus on today because it is where the devil traps Christians and truncates our journey to becoming like Jesus in all things. It is this ‘world’ that God says in 1John 2:15 says, love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. A dear brother used an analogy of a computer to describe it. 

The physical observable world is akin to the hardware of the computer while the second definition of the world as a collection of ideologies is the software. The software called the world is scripted by the devil. He is called the god of this world. 2Corinthins 4:4  In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. The antithesis to the world system, the devil’s kingdom, is God’s kingdom. God codes this software in our hearts by the leading of the Holy Spirit. And, contrary to what many of us think the kingdom of this God begins right here in this world, it’s not on a pause till we ‘get’ to heaven. It all depends on the software that’s installed.

Point 1: Origin of the World

The world is a system that opposes God. It is a system that was (and is still being built) through a partnership between men and spirits. An archetype of this partnership is shown in Genesis chapter 11. After man had fallen, Men began to build a city to make a name for themselves. Genesis 11:4 says, And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.

God had instructed man to spread abroad and have dominion over the earth in Genesis 1:26, And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

Yet these guys wanted to directly oppose that mandate and stay out in a place.

So, the world is a system of ideologies built by men and spirits to oppose the counsel of God.

Point 2: What does the world contain?

The ‘world’ contains ideologies that sponsor three things: it contains ideas that sponsor the lust of the flesh (things that gratify the body), ideas that sponsor the lust of the eyes (things that make you want to constantly possess things) and ideas that propagate the pride of life (ideas that make you want to make a ‘name’ for yourself). May I quickly add something. The building blocks of the world are thoughts. So, the world system is a collection of thoughts that oppose the counsel of God for man. 1Corinthians 2:6 says howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to naught:

These collections of thoughts, add up to what the bible calls the course or wisdom of this world. We can call these thoughts the building blocks of the world system. Now the mortar that holds these block/bricks in place is evil spirits called princes. We’ll look more into this. Ephesians 2:2 says, wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:

Unfortunately, many Christians, tongue talking, and spirit-filled, still live their lives according to the course of this world. They obey ideologies that make them oppose the life of God – without even knowing so. Some people think that the world is a physical location, so they say if I leave my 9am to 5pm job and become a full-time pastor, I can escape the world. I’m sure you now understand the flaw in this reasoning. The world is built into the hearts of men through thoughts and if a worldly person leaves a paying job to full-time ministry, such a fellow will just carry his version of the ‘world’ and cover it with religion.

The only way to escape the influence of the world is to renew your mind.

Roman 12:2 says 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.

Point 3: Where is the world System located?

The world is located primarily in the soul of man. However, the physical realities of the world are projected onto all things in the material world. When people use social media to show us that being a baby mama is good, know that that thought is resident in the hearts of men, but can be transferred through social media. The concept of homosexuality is resident in the hearts of man but can be transferred through our educational system. For example, in the US, gay marriages are taught in school as a type of marriage.

So, when people think that destroying a brothel will end prostitution in society, or that arresting prostitutes are we have ongoing in Abuja will end prostitution, we are not totally correct. Now, it doesn’t mean that we cannot pass laws to limit the operation of these things. We all know that the law is a schoolmaster designed to maintain temporary order until the soul of man is changed. So, whilst disciple of self is good, the ultimate goal is for the soul of man to be transformed.

So, while the world is carried about by men, it is transported through social media, culture, and traditions of men, educational systems, national laws, etc.

Point 4: How Does the World Work?

The world works in three simple steps. First, it sells you a thought pattern, then, if you receive it, you generate lust in your heart and that lust in your heart when acted upon produces death (sin).

The world system invades our hearts and our consciousness through what we see, hear and feel. The goal is to generate lust in our hearts. For example, the world may include soft sex scenes into harmless movies, and at the point where we watch it, we may just let it pass and enjoy the movie, but then the guy gets home and just before he sleeps, that scene just flashes through his mind and boom, lust is born. If he dwells on that thought, he finds discover masturbation as a way of temporary ‘release’. Now imagine what the story would be for someone hooked unto pornography.

The world may project through movies that by 28years a lady should be married. The lady takes it in and once she hits 28years, all modes of desperation begin to manifest in her and she may die (death here means miss God’s will for her in marriage).

2Peter 1:4 says, Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

James 1:14 - But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.

James 1:15 - Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

So, the world works in three simple steps.

Thoughts > Lust > death

Point 5: Why Is It Dangerous to Be A Worldly Christian?

1. Embracing the ideology of the world makes you an enemy of God. James 4:4  Ye adulterers and adulteresses, 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. It is a fearful thing to be an enemy of God.
2. Embracing the world prevents you from understanding times and seasons in God’s agenda (you will be a part of the great delusion) Revelations 12:9  And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
3. Embracing the world will prevent you from loving the father
4. Embracing the world will prevent you from accessing deep graces that come from the father. Graces that give you life and make you strong in this world

Ephesians 4:17  This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,

Ephesians 4:18  Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:

May God bless us all.