5.10.2016 Finney on WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO OVERCOME THE WORLD?

112  first, what does it mean to overcome the world? it means to get above the spirit of covetousness that possesses the people of the world. the spirit of the world is the spirit of coveteousness. it is a greediness after the things of the world. some worldly individuals covet one thing and some another, but all worldly men and women are living in the spirit of covetousness. this spirit has supreme possession of their minds.
now, the first thing in over coming the world in OVERCOMING THE SPIRIT OF COVETOUSNESS.  the person who has not risen above this spirt of bustling and scrambling after what this world offers has by no means overcome it.
overcoming the world means NOT BEING ENGROSSED IN it.  when a person has overcome the world, his thoughts are no longer engrossed in WORLDLY THINGS. a person certainly does not overome the world unlesss he gets above being absorbed and swallowed up by its concerns.

now, we all know how extremely engrossed worldly individuals are in some form of worldly pursuit. one is perhaps swallowed up by study, another by politics, a third by making money and a fourth by fashion and pleasure. but each in his chosen way makes earthly concerns his all-engrossing purpose.

113  a fourth by fashion and pleasure. but each in his chosen way makes earthly concerns his all-engrossing purpose.
..overcoming the world also implies OVERCOMING THE FEAR OF THE WORLD. it is a sad fact that most people and indeed all worldly people HAVE much (rather than NO ) REGARD FOR PUBLIC OPINION. they dare not follow their consciences when doing so would incur the frown of society. one man is afraid that his business would suffer if his course were to run counter to public opinion. another man fears that standing up for the truth will injure his reputation. oddly enough, he imagines that advocating an unpopular truth would diminish his good influence - as if a man could exert a good influence without maintaining the truth.
great multitudes, it must be admitted, are under this influence of fearing the world. yet some, perhaps many, are not aware of this fact. if they could thoroughly investigate the reasons for theri backwardness in duty, they would find fear of the world among the foremost. their fear of the world's displeasure is so much stronger than their fear of god's displeasure that they are completely enslaved by it.
who does not know that some ministers dare not preach what they know is true, even if it is very important, lest they offend someone whose good opinion they are seeking? perhaps the community where a certain minister lives has a weak economy and the favor of some of its rich men seems indispensable to its very survival. hence, the terror of these rich men is continually before the minister's eyes when he prepares a sermon or preaches or is called to take a stand in favor of any cause that may be unpopular with those who possess more wealth than piety. Oh, this bondage to man!
in addition, overcoming the world implies OVERCOMING A STATE OF WORLDLY ANXIETY.  you know that there is a state of great worry and
114  anxiety that is common and almost universal among worldly individuals. this is perfectly natural if THE HEART SET ON OBTAINING WORLDLY GOOD. such a hear has not learned to receive all good from the hand of a great Father and to trust Him to give or withhold with His own unerring wisdom. but the one who loves the world is the enemy of god; he can never have this childlike trust in the Father or the peace of soul that it imparts.
therefore, worldly individuals are almost incessantly in a fever of anxiety lest their worldly schemes should fail. sometimes they get momentary relief when everything seems to go well, but some mishap is sure to befall them at some pint soon afterward. scarcely a day passes that does not bring with it some gnawing anxiety. such men are life 'the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt'.  isaiah 57.20 however, the man who gets above the world gets above this state of ceaseless and destructive anxiety.
THERE IS A WORLDLY SPIRIT AND THERE IS ALSO A HEAVENLY SPIRIT.  one or the other exists in the heart of every man and controls his whole being. those who are under the control of the world have not, of course, overcome the world. no man overcomes the world until his hear is permeated with the spirit of heaven.
victory over the world implies that WE CEASE TO BE ENSLAVED TO THE SPIRIT OF THE WORLD IN ANY OF ITS FORMS.  one form that the spirit of the world assumes is being ENSLAVED TO THE CUSTOMS AND FASHIONS OF THE DAY.  it is amazing to see what a goddess Fashion becomes. no heathen goddess was ever worshiped with costlier offerings or more devout homage. and surely no heathen deity since the world began has had more universal patronage...