C. J. Mahaney - Worldliness (Foreword by John Piper): Resisting the Seduction of a Fallen World

This book is biblically grounded and Christ-centered, full of grace and truth. Every chapter raises the bar of Christian living without falling into legalism. One of the most timely and muchneeded books Ive read in years. I highly recommend it.

Randy Alcorn, author, Heaven and The Grace and
Truth Paradox

Expertly addresses the issues that prompt that subtle, insidious, silent slide away from God that each of us is prone to take. Pay attention to this thought-provoking work and protect your heart for God.

James MacDonald, Pastor, Harvest Bible Chapel;
teacher, Walk in the Word

This book is biblical, practical, pastoral, and wise. It is honest about the authors own temptations, and it is so specific it will be controversial! But such a book is greatly needed as a challenge todayfor all of us.

Wayne Grudem, Research Professor of Bible and Theology,
Phoenix Seminary

The strength of the work is that the authors try very hard not to let you forget the sheer God-centeredness of the gospel.

D. A. Carson, Research Professor of New Testament,
Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

These skillful soul surgeons are brilliant at diagnosis and treatment, and they will help you see yourself, your sin, and your Savior. I now know the first book I am going to reach for when a Christian is wrestling with worldlinessor isnt but should be! This is a book I will make use of, by Gods grace, again and again.

Ligon Duncan, Senior Minister, First Presbyterian Church,
Jackson, Mississippi; President, Alliance of
Confessing Evangelicals

Praise God for this little toolspecific enough to be helpful, grace-filled enough to be really helpful!

Mark Dever, Senior Pastor, Capitol Hill Baptist Church;
Executive Director, 9Marks Ministries

Worldliness

Crossway books by C. J. Mahaney
Preaching the Cross (coauthor)

Sex, Romance, and the Glory of God:
What Every Christian Husband Needs to Know

Worldliness: Resisting the Seduction of a Fallen World

Copyright 2008 by Sovereign Grace Ministries

Published by Crossway Books
a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers
1300 Crescent Street Wheaton, Illinois 60187

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher, except as provided for by USA copyright law.

Cover design: Matthew Wahl

Cover photograph: Matthew Wahl

First printing 2008

Printed in the United States of America

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible,English Standard Version, copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission.

All rights reserved.

Scripture references marked niv are from The Holy Bible: New InternationalVersion. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.

The NIV and New International Version trademarks are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by International Bible Society. Use of either trademark requires the permission of International Bible Society.

All emphases in Scripture quotations have been added by the author.

PDF ISBN: 978-1-4335-0486-0

Mobipocket ISBN: 978-1-4335-0487-7

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Worldliness : resisting the seduction of a fallen / C.J. Mahaney,
editor ; foreword by John Piper.
p. cm.
ISBN 978-1-4335-0280-4 (hc)
1. Christian life. 2. Worldliness. I.Mahaney, C.J. II. Title.
BV4501.3.W67 2008
241dc22

2008011647

LB 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 09 08
14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

To the pastors of Sovereign Grace Ministries
with gratitude and respect
for your faithful proclamation of Christ and him crucified

Far be it from me to boast
except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ,
by which the world has been crucified to me,
and I to the world.
Galatians 6:14

Contents

John Piper

C. J. Mahaney

Craig Cabaniss

Bob Kauflin

Dave Harvey

C. J. Mahaney

Jeff Purswell

Craig Cabaniss planted Grace Church in Frisco, Texas, in 2005 and serves as its senior pastor. He was previously senior pastor of Grace Church in San Diego, California, for nine years.

Dave Harvey serves on the leadership team of Sovereign Grace Ministries, where he oversees church planting and church care. He is the author of When Sinners Say I Do: Discovering the Powerof the Gospel for Marriage.

Bob Kauflin is director of worship development for Sovereign Grace Ministries and serves as a pastor and worship leader at Covenant Life Church in Gaithersburg, Maryland. He is the author of Worship Matters: Leading Others to Encounter theGreatness of God.

C. J. Mahaney leads Sovereign Grace Ministries in its mission to establish and strengthen local churches. He served as pastor of Covenant Life Church in Gaithersburg, Maryland, for twentyseven years. His books include Living the Cross Centered Life.

Jeff Purswell is dean of the Pastors College of Sovereign Grace Ministries and is a pastor at Covenant Life Church in Gaithersburg, Maryland. He is the editor of Bible Doctrine, an abridgment of Wayne Grudems Systematic Theology.

BELIEVE IT OR NOT, Nol and I didnt kiss in our wedding. It was the sixties. You had to rebel. You could either take your clothes off, or not kiss. We chose not to kiss. Within the framework of our immaturity, it was a good choice.

Thats the way my rebellious streak worked most of the timein-your-face conservatism. So there, all you copycat worldlings! Im not gettin on your liberal wagon.

Its been a useful bent. Theres nothing especially godly about it, but it was redeemable. And I pray that over time it has been redeemed. Its truths like those in this book that have made all the difference.

Gospel truths. The gospel makes all the difference between whether you are merely conservative or whether you are conquering worldliness in the power of the Spirit for the glory of Christ.

C. J. Mahaney and his gang, as always, are in the business of applying the gospel. What does it look like when the blood of Christ governs the television and the Internet and the iPod and the checkbook and the neckline? Most people have never even asked this question, let alone answered it. The only way most folks know how to draw lines is with rulers. The idea that lines might come into being freely and lovingly (and firmly) as the fruit of the gospel is rare. Thats why this book is valuable.

This band of gospel-lovers is also in touch with the real challenges that we face in music and movies and media and material possessions and modesty. They are writing as fellow strugglers in the world. They are not writing as culture-fleers or culture-deniers. They are pleading for discernment, and they are persuaded that movie ratings do not equal biblical discernment.

They are eager for the church to Enjoy the world... Engage the world... Evangelize the world. But they know that we will never be useful to the world if we are being deeply shaped by the world. And we will be shaped by the world without intentional efforts not to be.

Read this book sympathetically. That is, when you see the sentence, The world God forbids us to love is the fallen world, dont say, Hey, God loved the world! It says so in John 3:16! These guys arent stupid. In fact, they are smart. So read on, and see what the context demands. Be smart with them.