Since the early to mid-19th century, particularly due to the “Holiness Movement”, many Christians began to equate “worldliness” with surface-level behaviors: fashion choices, television, games, or even drinking soda. The prevailing logic seemed to be: “If the world does it, we should abstain.”
But upon closer examination, this approach conflates cultural habits with the biblical concept of worldliness. The issue at stake is not participation in temporal activities but the orientation of the heart.
Confusing Worldliness with Guilt by Association
Many fallaciously equate worldly behaviors with moral corruption through what philosophers call the guilt by association fallacy. This occurs when one assumes that if a morally bad person engages in an activity, the activity itself is therefore wrong. Analogously, just because a person steeped in vice wears jeans or plays basketball does not render those actions morally objectionable.
True biblical worldliness, however, is far more substantive. Scripturally, worldliness is the condition of being so absorbed in the temporal and material that spiritual matters are neglected. In other words, it is a misalignment of priorities—a cognitive and moral misorientation, not a sartorial or recreational one.
Worldliness as Spiritual Immaturity
The Apostle Paul identifies worldliness with spiritual immaturity (I Cor. 3:1–3). The Corinthian believers, content to remain at the elementary level of faith, argued over which apostle they followed. Paul exposes the underlying principle: their allegiance was not to Christ but to boosting oneself — a hallmark of the world’s system. Worldliness, in this sense, is ethical and cognitive, not superficial.
The Epistles contrast godliness with the world’s wisdom, which is “foolishness” (I Cor. 1:18–19). True wisdom and virtue derive from God’s Word, not from man’s philosophies or cultural norms. Hence, separation from the world is not achieved through eschewing popular activities, but by cultivating Christlike character, informed by Scripture and prayer.
Separation from Sin, Not Culture
Paul’s exhortation in II Corinthians 6:17—“Come out from among them and be separate”—references Isaiah 52:11 and underscores separation from sin, particularly sexual immorality. The goal is ethical, not aesthetic. True separation is moral and spiritual, not a matter of clothing, leisure, or entertainment choices.
Attempts to quantify holiness through external conformity—avoiding television, sports, or mainstream clothing—are ironically worldly. They substitute tangible, observable markers for the deeper, spiritual transformation Scripture calls for (Col. 2:16–23).
Christ as the Measure of Separation
Biblical separation is realized in our Christlikeness: loving enemies (Matt. 5:43–47), blessing those who curse us (Luke 6:28), forgiving others (Luke 23:34), and serving the marginalized. These actions demonstrate holiness in a measurable, objective way. Early Christians were distinguished not by their avoidance of “worldly” activities or appearances, but by humility and love (see Epistle to Diognetus).
By contrast, lust, gossip, greed, pride, or reliance on ritualistic abstentions are far more indicative of worldliness (I John 2:15–16). True holiness is Christocentric, not rule-based.
Conclusion
The Holiness Movement, though sincere, often misconstrued the biblical concept of separation. Righteousness and holiness are not achieved through rigid external regulations, but through faith in Christ, whose righteousness is imputed to believers. While Scripture maintains the moral call to abstain from sin, attempts to supplement this with man-made prohibitions are, ironically, worldly in spirit.
Holiness is not a matter of lists or appearances. It is a matter of transformation, cultivated by spiritual maturity, discernment, and a Christ-centered life. Anything less risks substituting form for substance—a philosophical and theological error which causes us to overlook the genuine threat of true worldliness.