1 Corinthians 3:1-3. Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly—mere infants in Christ. 2 I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. 3 You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere humans?
Though many believers have received salvation, far too many fail to experience the fullness of life in Christ. Why? Today’s Word shows us that they are still worldly.
They may have a form of godliness but deny its power (2 Timothy 3:5). They attend church, sing hymns, and even know the Bible, but they wander through life living no differently than unbelievers. Their hearts are consumed with the same worries, ambitions, and desires as the world.
Nicodemus was an accomplished scholar of the Law, a respected Pharisee, and a member of the Jewish ruling council. Outwardly, he had achieved everything a religious man could desire. Yet when he encountered Jesus, he could not recognize the One who came to save him. Jesus spoke to him about the necessity of being born again—of experiencing a spiritual birth from above—but Nicodemus could not comprehend it (John 3:1-3).
Here was a man well-versed in the Law, yet he could not understand the heart of the gospel. Highly religious but spiritually empty, he came to Jesus in search of answers for his life. This is a warning to us: it is possible to know Scripture but miss the Savior. It is possible to attend church but never experience the abundant life Jesus promised (John 10:10).
If we remain worldly, we will wander aimlessly through life—never fully tasting the joy, peace, and power God has promised us through Christ. Tragically, many choose the things below instead of the things above (Colossians 3:1-2). But the truth is this: we have been born from above through our Lord Jesus Christ. We belong to heaven.
Jesus has given us the keys to the kingdom of God. He declared, “Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven” (Matthew 16:19). Why, then, do we exchange the eternal inheritance of heaven for perishable, temporary things on earth? If you fill yourself with godly sorrow, which brings life and leaves no regret, you will be able to turn your heart away from worldly sorrow, which leads only to death (2 Corinthians 7:10).
Stop being a lover of yourself, money, or pleasure. Become a lover of God and the good (2 Timothy 3:1-4). If you love Him, you will desire to obey Him (John 14:15). You will not grieve His Spirit by doing what He does not want you to do (Ephesians 4:30). You will not dismiss the Spirit by ignoring what He calls you to do (1 Thessalonians 5:19). You will not silence His voice when He leads you to people and places where Christ is not known. You will not quench the Spirit by chasing after the things of this world that will not last.
Invest your life in the things above, focusing on what is eternal rather than temporary. The treasures of this world will fade, but the inheritance in Christ lasts forever. Make Him the center of your life, the greatest choice of all, surrendering your plans to His will and seeking His kingdom first.
Why is it so dangerous to live a worldly life? Listen to what Scripture says:
“Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God” (Romans 8:5-8).
In other words, the minds of believers who follow the world are controlled by their own desires. Though they are not enemies of God in status, they live as if they were. People may hear the Word of God, but their hearts are far from it, resisting obedience. Their entire lives, they will please their bodies rather than the One who loved them and died for them.
Thus, we must live by faith, not by sight. Faith pleases our Father (Hebrews 11:6). Whatever does not proceed from faith is sin, and the greatest sin of all is unbelief (Romans 14:23). We have every reason to live by faith: “For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: ‘The righteous will live by faith’” (Romans 1:17).
Let us be like Paul when he said, “May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world” (Galatians 6:14). Paul considered himself dead to the world. At one time, the things of the world were important to him, but he came to realize that they were worth nothing compared with the greatness of knowing Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:7-8).
The more you know Jesus, the more you will realize that you possess the greatest treasure of all. You will cherish Him, love Him, worship Him, and obey Him.
Prayer. Lord Jesus, I cherish, love, and worship You. I will leave the world behind and follow You. Take me to a place where Your name is not known. In Your mighty name, Amen.