Do thy diligence to come shortly unto me: For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica” (2 Timothy 4:9–10). What a sad statement found here in the closing comments of the last letter written by Paul!

Why did Demas decide to forsake this apostle of Christ? No one really knows.

He might have feared for his own life. Paul had written, “the time of my departure is at hand” (v. 6), and perhaps Demas feared that he, too, would be executed if he stayed in close contact. His decision to depart to Thessalonica might have been based on nothing more than cowardice.

Demas might have been allured by the temptations of sin. The word “world” is used in this sense in 1 John 2:15–17 where “all that is in the world” is described as “the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.” In this sense of the word, friendship with the world is to become an enemy of God (James 4:4). There have been many in our generation who once stood valiantly for the truth, but have fallen away from the Lord by the decision to commit fornication or some other act of ungodliness. Demas, too, might not have resisted the temptations of evil and thereby became an enemy of righteousness (1 Corinthians 9:27).

But Demas might have been neither a coward nor immoral. He might have made his decision to forsake Paul simply because of confused values! He may have chosen things that appeared to him to be good and wholesome, but by putting them first at that point in time was to “forsake Paul.”

“Respectable worldliness” is perhaps the most deceptive kind and, therefore, is difficult to identify. Before we know it, we can be so caught up in morally good activities that we no longer “have time” to study, meditate, and pray daily. In fact, we are sometimes so tired from the activities of Saturday that our worship on the Lord’s day is in bodily presence only.

Jesus said, “And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it” (Luke 9:23–24). Are those empty words to you? What does it mean to lose your life? The trouble with many is that we want heaven to be on earth, thus we have become so enamored with the heaping up of material stockpiles that we have lost any commitment to the Lord which may involve self-denial of temporal pleasures.

We mean no harm; in fact, we say that we love the Lord. But our lives demonstrate a misplaced affection. The blessings of this great nation have become a curse to the spirituality of many Christians. Take a look at ourselves. We drive several miles to attend a ball game, but cannot go across town to attend a gospel meeting. We hardly blink an eye at the debt we assume in order to buy a new car or tv, but we would suggest a psychiatrist for the man who would make the same debt to support gospel preaching in a needy area. We have no time for in-depth study of the Bible, and many audiences prefer a “sermonette” during the time that is set aside for teaching. (“Sermonettes” preached by “preacherettes” only convert “Christianettes”!)

Respectable worldliness has given us a ho-hum attitude to its own evil because it seems good. We all know the drunkard, adulterer, liar, etc., is going to hell, and we will “amen” the preacher who steps on their toes! But who believes a person will be lost because he worked too many hours making an “honest living”? Or will be condemned for attending ball games? Or relaxing with family or friends? Or for buying a new tv or car?

The answer to these questions is found in the parable Jesus taught in Luke 14:16–24. The people who were forbidden to taste of the great supper did not commit any overt act of sin. They were lost over: (1) a piece of ground; (2) five yoke of oxen; and (3) a new wife! The lesson is simple: put God first! “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matthew 16:26).

We do not know exactly why Demas forsook Paul, but whatever the reason, it was not worthy. Let us consider ourselves lest we make a decision to forsake the Lord because of cowardice, wickedness, or the “respectable worldliness” of misplaced values (Hebrews 3:12–14).