Fear the Smiles

Yes, the character of the world is evil; and the appeal of the world is real. With its disarming appeal, the world has swallowed up many one-time believers.

Lot lost nearly everything to the world. Demas lost it all; he sacrificed his soul on the altar of the world.

The nearer one gets to the world, the stronger the pull of the world becomes. Its attractions are very glittering. It is patient, and yet it is persistent. It has many tactics. In order to captivate the unsuspecting, it stoops even to compromise. It has a philosophy which says, "If you can't beat them, join them." So it sends out many wolves in sheep's clothing. Like the Gibeonites, it has a very disarming approach. Instead of appealing to the baser appetites of the Israelites, they appealed to their good qualities. They appealed to their sympathy, their compassion; and consequently, they deceived the Israelite leaders.

The world will likewise direct its appeal to that which is highest and best among Christians. "Look at how wonderfully humanitarian we are. Here is a list of people we have helped. Our organization needs people like you. Imagine what a contribution you can make through our channels."

Those who are spiritual recognize that we have less to fear from the frowns of the world than we do from the smiles of the world.

The pull of the world is resistible by God's grace. If you are a saint of God living up to your spiritual potential, those appeals of the world will fall upon deaf ears. The most useful saints are those least attracted by the world. God has given them the power to see through the disguise the world wears.

Someone said this about one of God's servants: "There was nothing in the world that held the slightest attraction to him."

--Excerpt: 'Dying to Live with Christ' -M. Ruth