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2 (986) THE
Worldly Conformity?W
as to its Nature a
By REV. J. E. HAN
The Doctrinal Sermon preached before the Presbytery
of Atlanta at the Fall meeting, September, 1911,
and published by request of that body.
Text?Romans 12:2. "And be not conformed
to this world; but be ye transformed by the
renewing of your mind."
The Presbytery of Atlanta overtured the Assembly
of lillO to dehne "Worldly Conformity."
The Assembly refused, saying that a
satisfactory definition was impossible. In this
sermon a definition will not be attempted, but
some things will be said about the subject.
it is presumed that the phruse " Worldly Conformity"
was borrowed from the verse selected
as the text. This verse has three words
that we should notice carefully. The word
translated, conformed, means to fashion according
to a pattern. My father was a cabinetmaker;
and when 1 was a little boy 1 used to
watch him lay his pattern down on the lumber
and then carefully mark every line, curve and
notch. Then he would take his tools and cut
away the material until the piece wias exactly
like the pattern. Then it was conformed to
the pattern.
The word translated, world, means also an
indefinite time, age or dispensation. Notice
that Paul says this world. He sets this world
in contrast with the world to come. In his
last letter to Timothy (2 Tim. 4:10) he says?
"Dernas hath forsaken me, having loved this
present world." Paul and Deinas were traveling
together. Paul was chiefly concerned
wita the world to come. His manner of life
did not suit Demas. In other words the Christian
life that emphasized a world to come
was distasteful to Demas. So he decided to
leave Paul and to seek his portion in this present
world. Here we have the nature and essence
of "Worldly Conformity." John says
(1 John 2:15) "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."
James says?"a friend of the world is the
enemy of God." (Ja. 4-4).
The world referred to in these quotations is
the system that satan is called the god of. (See
2 Cor. 4-4.)
A Christian is a citizen of two worlds. Paul
says (Philippians 3-20) "our citizenship is in
heaven" (Revised Version). He holds citizenship
in the world to come,, and he lives in this
present evil world, that is not a friend to grace.
Like our missionaries who go to a foreign land
to teach the people there. He may eat with
them. He may trade with them. But there
are some thiners he must not do. He croes
there to teach them of a better life than they
know. He must not worship their idols. He
must not lower his standards to theirs, but he
must pull them up to his. What is a Christian
for but to teach the world that there is a
world to come wherein dwelleth righteousness,
and to exemplify the heavenly citizenship?
Moody used to say?"The Christian is the
world's Bible." Paul then, says, 'do not pattern
your life after this world.' 'Do not follow
the fashion of this world.'
The spirit of "Worldly Conformity" is worldItness
or love of this world to the exclusion of
the world to come. And worldlineas lives in the
heart. Bnt it is manifested in many ways.
These manifestations vary, (1) With the per
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other.
(2) With age. A church member ten
years old may not be tempted to sin in the same
way that one twenty is.
(3) With sex. Men are guilty in one way,
women in another. One community suffers
from one form of "Worldly Conformity." Another
from an entirely different form.
Take it in the business world. The term, selfish
greed, will give us a picture of American
commerce. A man wants all he can get for
himself, so he uses methods that do not bear any
stamp of the heavenly citizenship. Graft,
bribery, trusts and monopolies grow out of
greed.
In the social world Paul's phrase?"lovers of
pleasures more than lovers of God" seems to
sum UP the situation. How mad rmr wnmori
seem after pleasure. Through sunshine, snow
or rain they go to their social functions. But
how ?mall a rain will keep them from church.
In the church itself we find it. Methods of
work that bear the stamp of this world. Ways
of raising money that even the world itself condemns.
Preachers search for a popular theme
instead of a text. They are tempted to preach
what the people want to hear, instead of what
the people need. They may try to hitch themselves
to some popular issue for the sake of the
advertising they will get; as one in a city during
automobile races advertised that he would
preach on " Automobiling down the speedway
of life." As one said probably his gospel
battery was burned out. The world spurns
the preacher who uses such tricks.
There are things wrong in kind. There are
things that may be wrong in degree. Then
there are some things such as the "big three"
(theatre, cards and dancing) that our Church
holds guilty on both counts.
We live in an age full of soul perils. The old
old foundations are being broken up, and we
are caught in a great world drift. In the home,
in the church, in the political world, every
where things are changing. The church is suffering
in common with other things. But let
it be said with emphasis that she is holding
her own as well as any of the others, and will
come out best in the end. But she is threatened
by an avalanche of "Worldly Conformity."
Sometimes an illustration will make a thing
plainer than a definition. A man said he
could not define the spirit of commercialism,
but that he could illustrate it. Stand a doll*!
on its edge, and let it run down an inclined
plane, and put a dozen men after it on a hard
run, and lot them jostle and push each other,
and you will have a picture of modern commercialism.
"How things have changed since I was a
boy,' said one. "Then we had family worship.
We always went to church. People were reverent
in manner, and faithful in service. On
Saturday the preparations for the Sabbath began.
By nightfall the sweet hush of the coming
day of rest fell upon the home. And for
the next twenty-four hours the thoughts were
especially directed toward a world to come.
Everybody, that was not providentially hindered,
went to church. During protracted services
the plow was stopped in the field, the
store was closed, and one was made to think
that Christ was Lord and Master. But now!
Our family altars are down, our homes arc
O U T H [ October 18, 1911.
stopping places between clubs, or places to
eat tiiitl sleep a little until we can make another
run for ibe dollar, or locate another pleasure
resort. The churches that offer no other inducement
than the simple gospel are almost
empty; while the marts are crowded, and t.l?A
pleasure houses overflowing." 4'It reminds me of
an experience. I was engaged," he said, "to a
girl that I thought loved me. But a few
days before we were to marry I received
a letter saying she had married another man,
but that ?he wanted our engagement to stand
and when I made enough money she would get
a divorce and wed me. So," he said, "it seems
to me that the Church is engaged to Christ but
wedd'd to the world "
How are we to remedy such a situation? Certainly
not by making the church more worldly.
But rather in following the suggestion of the
text. This brings us to the third word?transformed.
The word in the Greek is the same
that is used to describe the change that came
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evangelists strive to make us appreciate the
change in his appearance. "The fashion of
his countenance was altered, and his face did
shine, and his garments became white as the
light." Fie was transformed. Paul says 'he
ye transformed by the renewing of your mind.'
This process of transformation is pointed out
in 2 Cor. 8-18.
'"But we all, with open lace beholding as in a
glass the glory of the Lord are transformed into
the same image from glory to glory, as from
the spirit of the Lord." So it is by looking to
Jesus the tile leader of our faith, and beholding
his glory that we are transformed. We
grow to be like the things we love, and the
things we look often upon. But a passing
glance will not do. Dr. Dabney used to tell
how that the artist who was selected to make
a bust of Stonewall Jackson came and stood
looking into the face of the dead general for
hours until it was impressed on his soul, and
then he went to his task. But We cannot comprehend
Jesus at a single look. A visitor to
one of the great art galleries of Europe saw an
artist copying a masterpiece. He would look
earnestly for a few moments and then go to his
easel and put on his canvas what he could remember,
and then go back and renew his mind.
'Be ye transformed by the renewing of your
mind,' says Paul. Keep looking to Jesus. By
looking to Jesus, like him thou shalt be.
Thy friends in thy conduct his likeness shall
see.
Paul said to the Corinthians (1 Cor. 11-1) "Be
ye imitators of me, even as I am also of Christ."
The word means to mimic. Paul takes the lead
and says mimic me, or act like me, for I am acting
like Christ. Our ministers must "lure to
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onguier wona and lead the way."
Our clothing houses send out a "good form
chart" to show us how to dress in style on the
various occasions when we are "invited out."
The Bible is the Christian's "good form
chart," showing him what virtues and graces
to put on. When Moses received the pattern
of the tabernacle God said: '' See that you make
it according to the pattern shown thee in the
Mount." Our Bible has principles covering all
our conduct. Let us follow the pattern from
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me mount, and not follow the fashion of this
present world.
Our age is so busy that we are not taking
time to be holy. We are in danger of losing
our sense of the eternal, and our interest in the
wrold to come. We need, and must seek, a
transformation. This will come when we break
up our fallow ground and quit sowing among
the thorns, and seek him with our whole heart.
Tm - -
W nen the church puts on her beautiful garments