The essence of worldliness is,

fixing my eyes and thoughts on my performance/worthiness, instead of Jesus and His imputed performance/worthiness.  Worldliness is contagious.  Outside the Church, and inside too.  A worldly feels pressure, alone, UP TO ME.  An alien/stranger to this world, on the other hand, feels contented, happy.  An alien/stranger is never defensive, never failure-avoidant, never feels the need to prove worthiness, never feels embarrassed in humiliating circumstances.  An alien/stranger experiences an amazing other-worldly peace, unknown to worldlies.  And loves unconditionally — actually enjoys, those around him/her, including jerks and enemies.  And loves/enjoys Jesus and His genius plan for us all, including the suffering necessary to grow worldlies into aliens/strangers.  Only worldlies are competitive — rejoicing in the failures of the opposition.  Only worldlies need to feel superior, are divisive, go to war, are clear-sighted about the weaknesses of the opposition, but tend-to-be blind to our own.  Only worldlies are confident-we-know-what’s-best.  So we’re confident-we-know-what’s-thankable-and-what’s-not.

— Dave McCarty, GospelFriendships, who doesn’t know any aliens/strangers, but knows gobsa worldlies, outside the Church and inside too, including himself

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