Worldly or Godly

I've often heard people describe something as good or bad, like it falls into this or that category.  For example, some might think love is good.  And some might think fear is bad.  But for a better understanding, it helps to be more specific.  Throughout the Bible, particularly in the New Testament, you'll find that there are two types of fear and two types of love.  One is good and the other bad; and fear all by itself is neither good or bad, but the object of the fear must be identified.  Think about worship: Is it good or bad?  Worship can be either good or bad, it entirely depends on what is being worshiped.

Wisdom is another example of this.  There is worldly wisdom and there is godly wisdom.  The two are very different.  Worldly wisdom puffs a person up; makes him think he is smarter than he really is.  Godly wisdom humbles a person, because he knows how little He is in the grand scheme of things.  Worldly wisdom usually involves knowledge of schemes to make money or gain notoriety.  But godly wisdom is concerned with how to serve God and bring glory to God.  Worldly wisdom only sees the physical things directly ahead, but godly wisdom sees the big picture, which is eternity.  Worldly wisdom is an obstacle to knowing God, because it deceives a man into thinking that he doesn't need God.  But godly wisdom begins with the fear of God, and all throughout acknowledges the need for God.  The man who has godly wisdom is focused on immortality.  The man who has worldly wisdom is focused on temporal pleasure.

If any one of you thinks he is wise by the standards of this age, he should become a "fool" so that he may become wise.  1Corinthians 3:18

Now lets consider trust.  Is trust good?  That depends: Trusting in what?  Again, there are two kinds of trust (faith).  There is a worldly trust, and there is a godly trust.  Trust in God is obviously godly trust.  But a wise man will be slow to put his trust in something other than God.  We may trust a person for small tasks, but no one should trust a person, or an institution, in the place of God.  This is where Catholics err.  They trust in the Vatican, and this is a worldly trust because they trust the Vatican in place of God.

We can extend the principle to worship just as well.  There is a good kind of worship, that which is focused on the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  And there is a bad kind of worship, which is focused on created things.  Worship itself is neither bad nor good, but can be bad or good.  It simply depends on what is being worshiped.

Now how about love?  Love is good, right?  Not always.  In 1John, in the same book where John wrote "God is love," John writes:

Do not love the world or anything in the world.  If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  1John 2:15

So there are two kinds of love.  There is godly love, and there is worldly love.  Godly love is concerned with the soul and the ultimate well-being of the person.  But worldly love is concerned with the flesh.  Worldly love is full of deceit and lust.  Godly love begins with God.  Worldly love comes in the absence of God.

Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.  James 4:4

But fear is always a bad thing, right?  Wrong.  The Bible consistently teaches the fear of God.  This is both in the Old Testament and in the New.  There is a messianic prophecy in Isaiah 11, which gives us some valuable insight into Jesus.

and he will delight in the fear of the LORD.  Isaiah 11:3

Where in the New Testament do we see Jesus delighting in the fear of God?

But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell.  Yes, I tell you, fear him.  -Jesus in Luke 12:5

Jesus repeats it to emphasize the point.  He also warns the Pharisees and teachers of the law with a number of woes (Matthew 23).  Jesus certainly did not shy away from the fear of God; He delighted in it.  But someone might wonder, why is that the "cowardly" are among the evildoers (Revelation 21:8)?  Because a man that fears God will be afraid of nothing else.  It is just like worship.  Just as worshiping God is good, so fearing God is good.  And just as worshiping created beings is evil, so fearing created beings is evil.  Its not that fear itself is bad or good; its the object of the fear that matters.

Just remember, there can be two different sides of the same coin.  With the things I mentioned, one side is godly, and the other side is worldly.  We should seek godly fear, godly love, godly wisdom, godly faith and godly worship.  And we should avoid worldly fear, worldly love, worldly wisdom, worldly faith and worldly worship.  None of these things by themselves are either good or bad.  Its the source and the purpose of the fear, love, wisdom, faith and worship that really matters.