Raging C's

What does The Bible mean when it talks about this “world”?
We know it can’t possibly be talking about rocks and mountains or plants and animals, right? It’s not talking about stores and cars, traffic and weather. Is it the government or people in general? Well, even that answer barely begins to scratch the surface.

This world can seem like a nebulous thing until you start narrowing it down and identifying exactly what it is. I think the main things the Bible expresses as the world is what I will present as these ‘raging’ Cs. The first C being the umbrella which all the others fall under.

Remember, these are not to your condemnation but for your commendation.

The main C is for Carnality – When we who have been saved cross over from death to life, spiritually speaking, we were rescued from a dead and dying world. This world was all we knew up until our conversion: It contained everything we cared about, everything we laughed and cried about and everything we aspired to be. Now we know that since our citizenship is now in Heaven and that we desire a different country, we immediately find ourselves at odds with our former lover who catered to us in ways that need to be put 'assunder'.

1 John 2:16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

Ephesians 2:2 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:

Romans 8:6 – 8 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.


C is for compromise – This world is big on ‘getting along’ and we must take inventory every day, reaffirming what our values are, what manner of life becomes of righteousness and what it means to uphold them in all circumstances. Peace with all men is a good goal until it starts compromising righteousness.

Galatians 5:7 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

James 3:10 Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.


C is for complacency - This world would have you believe that nothing is really worth getting worked up over. The Bible begs to differ: Living by the Spirit doesn’t come effortlessly. We have to mortify our members, meaning to actively and intensely resist giving in to the worldly desires still imprinted on and pursued by our flesh.

Proverbs 4:23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.

2 Peter 3: 14 Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.

1 Corinthians 12:7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.


C is for Confusion – In a world of people trying to make sense of life – it really is too much. However, that never stopped us from trying. We (may) remember how hard it was to try and make sense of keeping the right priorities and avoiding negativity all in an effort to produce an abiding inner peace and feeling of calm satisfaction. How many people ever reach that goal? This is the endless struggle that the world sets out to accomplish every day. Yet, this hamster wheel of confusion produces frustration because the world simply doesn’t have this lasting peace to give. Yet, we just kept on thinking; "If only I could reach this certain goal, or try a little harder, or get this person, or get rid of that person....etc"

James 3:16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.

1 Peter 2:16 Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. (confused & frustrated)


C is for cares - Usually when we think of cares, we think of only the things that worry us. I suppose that the category of cares is much bigger. Often times we’re sidetracked by things that don’t present themselves as worrisome, but are distracting nonetheless. They can actually be good things, but oftentimes they take an unwarranted place and priority in us. Realize that you are soil – and you should desire to be GOOD soil, producing GOOD fruit. Everything needs to be scrutinized and anything that doesn’t aid in that should be excised outright or at the very least, ‘handled with caution’.

Mark 4:19 And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.


C is for comparison - This world has a saying; “Keeping up with the Jones’s” – the real question is: Where are the Jones’s headed when they die? But that doesn’t stop the world from riding trends – Jordan’s , MK purses, the ‘brand new’ this and the next ‘technologically advanced’ that. The world (and many of us) often gauge our contentment by having these popular little trinkets of world approved status. This comparative living is not indicative of the heart of a servant subject to the desires and instruction of his Lord.

Philippians 2:3 – 4 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.

C is for comedy – This is a tough one if you’re anything like me. I absolutely LOVE to laugh and with the sheer amount of what's promoted as ‘funny’, it seems obvious that laughter is high on the list of what it means to enjoy life. However, there also seems to be a dark side: sarcasm and the prevalence of “crude humor” has a large impact in what’s currently delivered in the name of “funny”. All is not lost. Although choices for clean, genuinely funny humor may be hard to find in this vast sea of what's popularly promoted, this shouldn't force us into settling for worldly.

Ephesians 5:4 Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks.


Remember, at the end of the day, life in The Spirit means LIBERTY. Freedom from the penalty AND the power of sin: There is no condemnation. So I don’t expect this to become some sort of list that you feel obli-guilted to align your lives to. However, I do hope that I got you thinking a little bit. The things that The Bible has to say on how we are to live are things that an unregenerate person doesn't desire and would find impossible to do (rightly)…it takes empowerment by The Spirit to put the flesh to death. Once you check these Scriptures, you may find other things that quantify your ‘world’ and encouragement for what it means to overcome it.


2 Peter 2:20 For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.

1 John 4:4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

1 John 5:4-5 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?


May Our God and the power of His Christ keep us protected from this world and its raging c's, leading us into the experiential difference between the old: Dead bodies re-animated to seek after old decaying desires, and the new: Dead bodies quickened by The Spirit, yielding the peaceable fruit of righteousness.

In Him,
Cros