What is worldliness? How do we OVERCOME it, while living in the world?

Stimulated by comment on recent video (https://youtu.be/oGtYtHxrLis):
There is only one God that is not "cool" to the world. That offends every worldly persons beliefs. Who's name is a curse word. Easy, JESUS CHRIST IS LORD.
The God of Israel. The only God. There is no other. Read the Bible and stay away from books that a man has set his beliefs in.

AND other comments and conversations … 

English and Biblical languages:
WORLD - EARTH - LAND - GROUND - SOIL
with overlapping meanings …
Ranging from solid, physical meanings to more conceptual, e.g. “land of Egypt”, a geopolitical boundary rather than a physical one; “worldview”

John‘s Gospel: approx. 60 uses of the word “world”, ⅓ of 180 in the New Testament as a whole.
kόσμος kosmos:
World, universe, order, worldly affairs; the inhabitants of the world; adornment
Often used negatively, but frequently neutral.

IT'S WORTH READING GOSPEL OF JOHN just for its use of this word - only highlight a few of these here …

God created / gives life to the world - 1:10, 6:33,51
God loved the world - 3:16
Effort to save the world - 3:17; 12:47

Jesus connects the Father and the world - 8:26, 10:36, 16:28
Jesus is the Light of the world / speaks to the world - 1:9; 8:12,26; 9:5,12; 12:46; 17:13,21,23; 18:20,37
But not perceived or understood by the world - 1:10; 14:17,19,22,31; 17:25

CONTRASTS
Life of the World vs. eternal life 12:25
Peace of the Lord vs. of the world 14:27

IN the world - (Jesus) 11:27 (disciples) 17:11,15,18
NOT OF the world - (Jesus) 8:23 (disciples) 17:14,16
Disciples have COME OUT OF the world - 17:6,14

Judge the world - 9:39; 12:31; 16:8,11
Not condemn / judge - 12:47
World is beneath - 8:23

The world HATES - (Jesus) 7:7 (disciples) 15:18,19; 17:14
The world LOVES its own - 15:19

Jesus overcame the world - 16:33
Jesus is above, world is beneath - 8:23

Ruler of the world - 14:30; 16:11

Pharisees: “The whole world has gone after Him!” 12:19

"The things that are visible in heaven's light cannot be seen in the light we have in this world, the light we call "earthly light"; and conversely, the things that are visible in earthly light cannot be seen in heaven's light: 9577. That is why people who are in this world's light alone, the light we call "earthly light," do not perceive things that exist in heaven's light: 3108."  (New Jerusalem and Its Heavenly Doctrine, 49)

“… a person is born worldly to become spiritual, and .. so long as he remains worldly, it is as if he is sleeping in the night as far as anything spiritual goes, and at that time he does not even know the difference between the outward, worldly person and the inner, spiritual, person.” (Conjugial Love, 340)

And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen. (John 21:25)

What makes a “worldly person”? Who self-identifies as worldly?

Recorded on Sunday 17 November 2024

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What Is "worldliness"?

Our Mission is to promote and facilitate personal and community growth by developing lives of useful service to towards God, the Divine Creator, and others in accordance with biblical teaching as understood through the spiritual writings of Emanuel Swedenborg (1688 – 1772).
Our Vision is to be part of a growing community in Victoria of spiritual believers seeking to serve God, the Divine Creator, through a deepening understanding of God’s love and care for everyone and by sharing spiritual principles in an open and non-judgmental way to foster a supportive environment to facilitate the spiritual journey.

What Is "worldliness"?

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