How Worldliness
Relates to the
Heresy of Decisional Regeneration

The word translation "world" in many New Testament Scriptures is "kosmos", from which we get the word "cosmos".

Here are some Scriptures that help us understand that worldliness is thinking and acting according to the system of the world. Every place "Kosmos" is the Greek word translated "world", is in RED. The few places where Satan is cited as the god of this world, the Greek word translated "world" is not "kosmos", but "eon", meaning period of time. Every place where "eon" is translated "world", it is in GREEN.

The Apostle paul knew the Greek Philosophies and warned against limiting God in Colossians 2:2-23:

"All riches of the full assurance of understanding, the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ; In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words. For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order, and the stedfastness of your faith in Christ. As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power: In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ. Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God. Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances, (Touch not; taste not; handle not; Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men? Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body; not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh".

The Greek word translated RUDIMENTS is "stoicheion", which means "orderly arrangement". It is the way the cosmos works. It is a word that expresses the idea that Francis Bacon's took for granted in his Novum Organum's (New System). That system was the Empirical Truth System that determined the way the cosmos works through experimentation. Of course, the empirical system MUST exclude ANY truth that can not be proven through experimentation, which excludes the immediate activity of the Holy Spirit. Bacon wrote:

"Knowledge and human power are synonymous, since the ignorance of the cause frustrates the effect; for nature is only subdued by submission, and that which in contemplative philosophy corresponds with the cause in practical science becomes the rule".

The empirical system was embraced by the Scottish Common Sense Realists. In doing so, they became subject to the rudiments of the world, and created a philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. THEY WERE SPOILED by limiting the Holy Spirit to "quickening scripture to the understanding of the rational mind, indiscernible and indistinguishable from rudimental, worldy cause and effect.

A writer in the August 1821 Evangelical And Literary Magazine wrote, “Doctor (John) Witherspoon, in an address to his class at the close of his lectures, observed that in mental philosophy there were difficulties which the present state human knowledge did not enable us to solve; but he had no doubt the time would arrive, and perhaps at no distant day, when these difficulties would be removed, and we enjoy as much certainty and perspicuity (understanding) in moral as in natural philosophy.”

Modern translation: “In understanding what causes man to sin and then stop sinning, there are difficulties which the present state human knowledge does not enable us to solve; but I have no doubt the time will come, and perhaps soon, when these difficulties would be removed, and we will have as much certainty and understanding of what causes man to sin and stop sinning as we have of how physical things work.”

This was the chimera of psychology. Today, many Protestant ministers continue to believe salvation is merely a psychologoical process without the need of the immediate activity of The Holy Spirit changing the heart by supernatural regeneration.

There are MANY ISSUES of Orthodoxy related to regeneration being a supernatural change of nature:
1) Original Sin makes supernatural regeneration absolutely necessary.
2) The resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ is inexorably tied to supernatural regeneration.
3) The leading of the Holy Spirit is inexorably tied to supernatural regeneration.
4) The indwelling of the Holy Spirit is inexorably tied to supernatural regeneration.
Every one of these orthodox requirements are lost if regeneration is merely a tipping point when the mind is convinced to serve God over self. Another way of saying this is if the Holy Spirit is NOT the immediate agent of regeneration, then regeneration is not supernatural, and our theology would be Pelagian.

Perhaps the most dangerous form of worldliness is when theologians fashion a philosophical system that explains regeneration as merely a psychological process.

1 Peter 1:18-20: “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of theworld, but was manifest in these last times for you”.

Acts 17:23: “God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands”.

Rom 1:20-22: “For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools”.

Rom 5:12: “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned”.

2 Peter 1:4: “Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust”.

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 2:15-17: “ Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 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. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever”.

Satan is now the god of this AGE

2 Cor 4:4: “In whom the god of this world (period of time) hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them”.

Gal 1:4: “Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world (period of time), according to the will of God and our Father”.

Eph 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”.

Eph 6:12: “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world (period of time), against spiritual wickedness in high places”.

Col 2:8: “Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ”.

Col 2:20-22: “Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances, (Touch not; taste not; handle not; Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men?”

Titus 2:12: “Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world (period of time)”.

1 John 4:4-5: “We are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them”.

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?”

1 Cor 1:20-21: “Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe”.

1 Cor 2:12-14: “Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned”.

1 Cor 3:18-19: “Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness”.

1 Cor 4:11-13: “Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwellingplace; And labour, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it: Being defamed, we intreat: we are made as the filth of the world, and are the offscouring of all things unto this day”.

1 Cor 7:29-31: “But this I say, brethren, the time is short: it remaineth, that both they that have wives be as though they had none; And they that weep, as though they wept not; and they that rejoice, as though they rejoiced not; and they that buy, as though they possessed not; And they that use this world, as not abusing it: for the fashion (circumstances) of this world passeth away”.

1 Cor 11:32: “But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world”.

2 Cor 1:12: “For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation (connection) in the world, and more abundantly to you-ward”.

John 8:23: “he said unto them, Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world.

John 9:39: “Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind”.

John 12:25: “He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal”.

John 12:31: “Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out”.

John 14:17-21: “Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also. At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you. He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him”.

John 14:30: “Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me”.

John 15:19: “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”.

John 16:33: “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world”.

John 17:6: “I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word”.

John 17:14-23: “I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth. Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me”.

James 4:4: “Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God”.