Are you a lover of this world? Do you aspire to be on the front cover of TIME magazine? Are you lauded on social media, with thousands of followers? Have you read ‘how to win friends and influence people’ and live by its tenets? Do you follow popular culture, seeking to be liked by everyone you meet. Is popularity more important to you than truth? Do you care for the opinions of men, so much so you live in fear of losing your stature in their eyes? Join Carl now for some serious introspection…
Here is a complete transcript of the broadcast (below)…
Friend, are you a lover of this world? Do you aspire to be on the front cover of TIME magazine? Are you lauded on social media, with thousands of followers, seeking after the praises of men? Have you read ‘how to win friends and influence people’ and live by its tenets? Do you follow popular culture, seeking to be liked by everyone you meet. Is popularity more important to you than truth? Do you care for the opinions of men, so much so you live in fear of losing your stature in their eyes?
Now listen carefully, friend, Christians are supposed to be friendly, we must be compassionate, loving, kind, and accommodating, certainly. However, simultaneously we must retain our saltiness in society and let our light shine before men, with an onus on sharing the gospel at every given opportunity, regardless of how people respond to it. If your face is on the cover of Newsweek or Time magazine, you are on rocky territory friend, because your focus is the glory of men and the praise of men, rather than bearing fruit in Christ Jesus. Louise Hay once said, “Care about what others think and you will always be their prisoner.” Someone else quipped, “People-pleasing is a form of self-betrayal.” And finally, Brene Brown summed it up this way, “You can choose courage or you can choose comfort, but you cannot choose both.” So, which one is it for you friend, are you fearful of others’ opinions of yourself or courageous enough to be a vocal witness for Christ, regardless of how popular the message is.
Abraham Lincolm rightly said, “Always choose truth over popularity.” It is a mantra I choose to live by and so should you. Being a people pleaser is debilitating, for in time you will become more concerned with the opinions of men than God’s will for your life, and to whom you will one day give account. The fear of man is a snare (Prov 29:25). If we go with the flow of this world, we will end up being tossed ‘to and fro’ by its current, with no set course for our lives. No friend, a Christian, must take a stand for Christ and if that means persecution, so be it. Let me start out with a scripture from John’s epistle, (1 John 2:15-17). 15 “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 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. 17 And the world passes away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abides for ever.” Friend, believe it or not this scripture was quoted by Brad Pitt in the movie Fury. Brad played a tank commander in a hopeless situation, realizing his life was soon to end, as the Nazi regime surrounded his tank unit. He wanted his personal sacrifice to matter, in this case, dying for the cause of the war and insinuating it would be pleasing to the Heavenly Father by doing so.
Notice 1st Jn 2:15-17, references the three forms of temptation introduced by the serpent, in the Garden of Eden. Satan has not changed his tactics lately friend, because this triumvirate of temptation has been so effective, these past 6000 years, namely the lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes and pride of life. These three, appeal to the worldly man or woman, as they carve fame, fortune, or notoriety for themselves, in the brief sliver of time they have on this earth. In fact, 2 Peter 1:4, says ‘the whole world is being corrupted by these three forms of lust.’ But here’s the kicker friend, for the Christian, our life is no longer our own, we are dead in Christ. Galatians 2:20 says, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” We are dead in Christ you see, this is our gain, to die is to gain, that is, in fact, to echo the words of the Apostle Paul. Jesus went on to elaborate in Matthew 16:24–26 saying, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” Luke 9:25 has a slightly different intimation, quote, “For what is a man advantaged, if he gains the whole world, and loses himself, or be cast away?”
It is evident in scripture, that loving this world comes at a price and that price is the loss of your very soul. Indeed, there is an exchange which takes place, as the world fills our heart. Coincidentally, our capacity to love the heavenly father diminishes with worldly satiation, until our soul is finally lost. The world or ‘kosmos’ in the Greek, comprises of the whole sphere of human existence with its institutions, ideals, and projects being the primary focus of all men and women who are lost and destitute without Christ in this world. This is a stern message today friend, we are getting to the heart of the matter and meat is on the table. The premise here, is that a man can lose or exchange his soul in the pursuit of worldly endeavors, namely, riches, fame, fortune, prestige, and other enticements. We could become cast away, as our soul is spent in worldly pursuits which will soon be forgotten in the annals of time. We should not give first place in our affections and interests to anything that belongs to the world system which is temporary by nature, and esteemed in the eyes of man. Worldly amusements and habits do not glorify God and we should not be overcome by them.
The truth is, if we sincerely desire to follow Christ, then the world should hate us, not love us. This might sound a bit harsh, but its bible. Let me quote, John 15:17 thru 20 says, “ These things I command you, that ye love one another. 18 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. 19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. 20 Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you.”
Friend scripture is clear that Satan is the ‘prince,’ ‘ruler’ and ‘god’ of this world (little g). This world is his turf. We Christians are not welcome here. The course of this world is filled with greed, selfish ambition, with deceit, lying and danger. In truth, we are living in a godless world, in total rebellion against God. Galatians 1:4 describes it as ‘this present evil world.’ We are living in this world but we are not ‘of’ this world, as we oppose the spiritual hierarchy of the Kosmos system. Believe it or not, the word translated as world here (kosmos as I’ve said), is where we get the English word ‘cosmopolitan’ from. And that is another magazine you can add to the list, of worldly alure, which lacks tangible substance. You see, the world is glitzy, bright, shiny, and entertaining, it is the very hook Satan uses for his bait to lure humanity into perdition, yet the devil never advertises the darkened alley where he often dumps people when he is done with them and the 27 club is testimony to that.
Robert Lightner warns us in his commentary, “Each believer has three enemies—the devil, the world, and the flesh. The way of victory, however, is not deliverance or escape from these enemies in this life but constant opposition to them in the power of the Spirit of God. Christians are to ‘stand’ against Satan, to ‘resist’ him, and not to let sin reign in our mortal bodies.” We will only ever be delivered from this world at the point of death. Meanwhile, for those who love this world, they will only find temporary fulfillment, with a few trinkets along the way, which Satan offers in exchange for their soul. All the while, eternity is lost and the opportunity to reign with Christ is forfeit, for lovers of this world. Eph 6:12 says, “For we Christians, wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places). We are in opposition, not only to this world but the spirituals forces which are aligned with Satan in the spiritual realm. It is only when you become born again and take the red pill so to speak, that we realize how much humanity is subjugated and ultimately imprisoned by this world system, which the Antichrist will soon rule over, in the not too distant future.
In John 3:16, it says Jesus loved the world, but the context here is humanity, not the worldly system under Satan’s control. Elsewhere in Romans 12:20 we are told not to be conformed to this world system or be shaped by it, because this world will soon pass away. In this life, we should avoid selfish concerns, pride, fleshly methods, abuse of power; we should set aside our differences, regarding others above ourselves; we should, by faith do the good works that God has prepared for us to do and keep close to God. You could say our pursuit is holiness, a holy lifestyle, set apart for the Lord in service and truth. The lust of the flesh appeals to the lower appetites of the old nature, tempting us to indulge them in sinful ways. Everything God says about the flesh is negative. In the flesh there is no good thing (Rom. 7:18). The flesh profits nothing (John 6:63). A Christian is to put no confidence in the flesh (Phil. 3:3). He is to make no provision for the flesh (Rom. 13:14). A person who lives for the flesh is living a negative life and lusting after it, will only result in death or separation from God.
The lust of the eyes, however, operates in a more refined way. In view here are pleasures that gratify the sight and the mind—sophisticated and intellectual pleasures. The lust of the eyes, therefore, can include intellectual pursuits that are contrary to God’s Word. There is pressure to make Christians think the way the world thinks. God warns us against this as “the counsel of the ungodly.” This does not mean that Christians ignore education and secular learning; it does mean they are careful not to let intellectualism crowd God into the background or educate their souls at the expense of their spirit man. The third stratagem of Satan, is the “boastful pride of life.” In fact, the Greek word for “pride” was used to describe a braggart who was trying to impress people with his importance. People have always tried to outdo others in their spending and their getting. Those who try to keep up with the Jones, have finally come to terms they went bankrupt long ago. The reality is, the boastful pride of life motivates much of our society. Satan was braggart, and a thief and still boasts to this very day no doubt.
From a practical standpoint, loving the world, would entail, loving worldly pursuits, worldly fashions, worldly entertainment, worldly music, and immoral relationships which sour our witness for Christ. These pursuits can cause a Christian to derail from Gods path, if not tempered. Entertainment has become so vile these days, the filth from Hollywood is akin to drinking from an open sewer. Worldly associates can drag you down and soil your witness for Christ. We must separate from these as the Lord instructs. 1 Corinthians 15:33 in the amplified says, “Do not be so deceived, evil companionships corrupt and deprave good manners, morals and character.” As Warren Wiersbe puts it, “Worldliness is not so much a matter of activity as of attitude. It is possible for a Christian to stay away from questionable amusements and doubtful places and still love the world, for worldliness is a matter of the heart.” To the extent that a Christian loves the world system and the things in it, he does not love the Father. Our love for Him is the most important of all friend, do not compromise your witness for Christ, or exchange the love of the father, for worldly pursuits. Finally, we must treasure our relationship with our heavenly Father above all things. You can keep this world, and all it’s shiny objects, for it has never satisfied and never will.
https://carljosephministries.com/podcast/the-coming-one-world-religion/
https://library.timelesstruths.org/music/Do_You_Love_the_World/
Title: Do you love this world?
Bibliography:
Lewis Sperry Chafer, Grace (Philadelphia, PA: Sunday School Times Company, 1922), 325.
Kenneth O. Gangel, John, vol. 4, Holman New Testament Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2000), 276.
Michael P. Green, 1500 Illustrations for Biblical Preaching (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2000), 434.
Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 492.
Thru the Bible with J Vernon McGee, Volume v, (Thomas Nelson, 1983, Grand Rapids , Michigan).
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Six Frequently Asked Questions:
1. What is the main message of the podcast “Do You Love This World?”
The central message is a call for serious introspection among Christians regarding their relationship with the world and its values. The host, Carl, challenges believers to examine whether they prioritize popularity, social media influence, and worldly praise over truth, obedience to God, and gospel witness. The podcast encourages listeners to reject worldly distractions and live with eternal purpose.
2. Is it wrong for Christians to be successful or popular in the world?
The podcast does not condemn success or recognition outright but warns that the desire for popularity can easily lead to spiritual compromise. If a Christian’s goal is the praise of men rather than pleasing God, they are in danger of loving the world more than the Father (1 John 2:15). The key issue is the heart’s motivation—are you using your platform to glorify Christ or yourself?
3. Why is people-pleasing considered dangerous in this message?
People-pleasing is described as a form of self-betrayal that leads to fear of man, which the Bible says is a snare (Prov. 29:25). Carl argues that constantly seeking approval from others weakens a believer’s witness and may cause them to compromise the truth of the gospel for acceptance. Christians are called to be bold and unashamed, even if it leads to persecution or rejection.
4. What does “loving the world” mean in a biblical context?
According to the Holy Bible, “loving the world” means embracing its values, systems, and desires—including the lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and pride of life (1 John 2:16). This kind of affection for the world leads a person away from God and toward spiritual ruin. The world is described as temporary, deceptive, and opposed to God’s will, and believers are warned not to be shaped by its patterns (Romans 12:2).
5. How can Christians avoid being conformed to this world?
Christians are urged to remain spiritually alert and grounded in Scripture, resisting worldly influences through the power of the Holy Spirit. The podcast encourages daily self-denial, prioritizing God’s will over self-interest (Gal. 2:20; Matt. 16:24). Believers are reminded to separate from corrupt influences, seek godly fellowship, and stay committed to holiness in all areas of life.
6. What does the podcast say about the cost of following Christ?
Carl emphasizes that true discipleship often involves rejection, persecution, and sacrifice. Quoting Jesus and the apostles, he reminds listeners that if the world hated Christ, it will also hate His followers (John 15:18-20). Following Christ means dying to self, being unashamed of the gospel, and living for eternity, not worldly acclaim. The reward, however, is eternal life and a soul that is secure in Christ.
Carl is an authority. He is a biblical scholar, minister, author, husband, father, and life coach. In his mid-twenties he had a powerful encounter with God and saw miraculous healings as a result. Carl is a unique researcher who investigates current affairs, societal trends, prophecy, technology, cults, and end time events, all through a biblical lens.
Carl holds a Doctorate in Theology (Th D). His Alma Mata includes: Salford University, Manchester, UK, Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, London, UK, Rhema Bible Training College (Tulsa), and Southwestern Christian University (Oklahoma City).
Carl Joseph Ministries empowers believers in Christ to fulfill their God given potential. Join Carl every other Monday on the Lions Unchained Podcast, available on Spotify, iTunes and other mainstream platforms.
He currently resides in Colorado, with his lovely wife Amy, and their three children.
