We must realize that God still requires us to live as a normal human being on this earth. For this reason we have certain living necessities. When Adam was in the Garden of Eden, God presented him with trees pleasant to the eye. From this we may conclude that even beauty and happiness are needed for human living. If our appearance is shabby or our home is untidy, this does not prove that we are spiritual. The question is whether this particular object usurps you. If it occupies a place in you and usurps you so that you are unable to relinquish it, that undoubtedly is your world, and you have to deal with it accordingly.

Although any excess beyond our necessities constitutes the world, it does not mean that all living necessities may not become the world. If a certain living necessity binds and hinders us from doing the will of God or from being completely gained by God, we are then usurped by it. This then becomes the world and requires dealings. For example, food and clothing are both needed for our living, but if they usurp us and replace God, they become the world.

Actually, when a believer pursues the Lord, he is seldom usurped and entangled by things beyond his living necessities. On the contrary, he is usually usurped and entangled by things that are needed for living. Therefore, when the Lord on earth called people to follow Him, He did not ask man to forsake that which exceeded his daily needs, but stressed that he should forsake the involvements of his daily life, such as parents, wives, children, lands, houses, etc. If these necessities usurp man, they seize the Lord’s place in man. Of course, the Lord Jesus did not ask us to forsake our responsibility, but He desired us to relinquish the entanglements of people, activities, and things. For this reason, in the Epistles, the Lord teaches us again through the Apostles that we should honor our parents, treat our wives fittingly, and care for our relations, etc.

Without a doubt, the emphasis in dealing with the world is on dealing with the usurpation of people, activities, and things. As long as these usurp us, whether they are the necessary provisions for daily living or excessive provisions, they still constitute the world and must be the aim of our dealing. Our daily necessities may or may not usurp us, but anything exceeding our daily necessities definitely usurps us.

In conclusion, the objects in our dealing with the world are not certain fixed people, activities, and things. What we have to do is to ascertain whether these objects usurp us and take God’s place in us. It is possible that the identical necessities regarding people, activities, and things may usurp one person while not the other, and may take God’s place in one and not in the other. Therefore, from the human standpoint it is difficult to determine what is and what is not the world. There is no fixed limit and standard.

Now we come to see from God’s viewpoint what are the objects of dealing with the world. From the divine viewpoint there is a certain measuring rule regarding the world. This rule is God Himself. As we measure sin by the law of God, so we measure the world by God Himself. The standard of dealing with the world is based upon God. If God is absent, we cannot sense what the world is. God and the world are forever in opposition to each other. Wherever there is the world, there God is not; where there is God, there the world is not.

Therefore, by taking God as the standard, we can define the world as those people, activities, and things incompatible with God, replacing God in us, hindering the will of God being done through us, or preventing God’s full control over us. All these that usurp us are classified as “unholy.” Therefore, to deal with the world is to deal with these “unholy” objects.

“Unholy” is the opposite of “holy.” Holiness means to be separated and different from all else. In the whole universe, only God Himself is separated and different from all else; therefore, only He is holy. Likewise, if a person, activity, or thing is separated unto God and for God, the Bible also calls it holy, being separated unto holiness. For example, the Lord Jesus in Matthew 23:17 and 19 shows us that gold, if used for the temple, and a gift, when placed on the altar, become sanctified. All the gold in this world is for human use and is common; however, if a portion is separated and placed in the temple for God’s use, it becomes sanctified. Again, if an ox or a sheep are among the herd, they are for human use and are common. When chosen and placed upon the altar, however, they become an offering unto God, being separated unto holiness. It is altogether a matter of whether they are separated and belong to God. Before they are separated, they are common; after they are separated, they become holy. Simply speaking, holiness means all that pertains to God, and all that is of God, unto God, and for God! All else is unholy and common. These unholy objects are to be dealt with in our dealings with the world.

Actually, what pertains to God? What is of God, unto God, and for God? God Himself and all that is in Him pertain to Him. When God and all that is in Him enter into us, we are of Him directly, which, in turn, causes all things belonging to us to be of Him indirectly.

Although a believer’s wife and children are not saved, they are sanctified, because they are directly of him and indirectly of God (1 Cor. 7:14). The husband is of God directly, but his unsaved wife and children are of God indirectly by virtue of their relationship to him. Otherwise, the Christian husband, when dealing with the unholy things of the world, must deal with his unsaved family-this would not harmonize with the truth of the Scriptures.

What does it mean to be unto God? The sphere of being unto God is smaller than the sphere of being of God. For example, my house is mine, but it may not necessarily be unto me in order to be under my control. Likewise, for us who are saved, all that we have is of God but is not necessarily unto God. Not until we consecrate all to God will all be unto God.

What does it mean to be for God? This sphere is again less than that of being unto God. “For God” means to be used by God. We who are unto God are not necessarily fully used by God. Perhaps, we are of God one-hundred percent, but only forty percent unto God, and only five percent truly used by God. When we attain to the degree of being completely used by God, we are then altogether holy.

We see from the above that all that relates to God, all that is of God, all that is unto God, and all that is for God is holy. All else is not holy. All that is unholy is the object of dealing with the world. The standard of measuring what is worldly is God Himself. All that is unfitting and incompatible with God and all that does not measure up to God is worldly and unholy. Therefore, each person, activity, and thing with reference to ourselves, our environment, our family, our work, and our career must be examined before God by the following standard: Is this related to God, is it of God, is it unto God, and is it for God? Whatever does not agree with God and measure up to God must be dealt with. For example, although the unsaved wife and children are indirectly sanctified to God through the believer, he must quickly bring them into salvation. After they are saved, he must help them to consecrate themselves to God that they may be unto God and be used by God. This is also included in the dealings with unholiness.

In conclusion, the objects of our dealing with the world include all things not pertaining to God, not of God, not unto God, and not for God. It includes anything that takes God’s place in us, as well as all people, activities, and things which exceed our living necessities. These unholy, worldly objects need to be dealt with.
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