The Two Types of Children Found in the World

Luke 16:8 And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light.

There are the children of this world. And there are the children of light. We could say that the children of light are the children of that world to come. They are children of a different type of world than this world. This world is ungodly.

2 Peter 2:5 And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;

In the verse above, God refers to those who perished in the flood as being part of the "world of the ungodly". We can see how that fits with the phrase, "children of this world". For this world is ungodly.

Also, we know that God saved Noah and his family – 8 souls – delivered from the flood as they were protected by being inside the ark (type of Christ). The 8 souls within the ark were not part of the "world of the ungodly". They were children of light.

1 Thessalonians 5:3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.

4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.

5 Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.

Children of light are children of the day (light and day identify with Jesus as He is the light of this world and "the day" of salvation that the Lord has made). We could also say that the children of this world, the children of the ungodly, are also children of the night and children of the darkness.

God makes a distinct difference between the two types of people in the world. In case you're not aware – those two types of people are saved and unsaved. Two manner of nations. Jacob and Esau. The loved (Jacob) and the hated (Esau).

Genesis 25:23 And the LORD said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels;

Another way of saying this is that there are two worlds of people. The world of the ungodly (the non-elect). And the world of the godly (the elect). Obviously, God only loves the world of the godly (the elect):

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.