By Dave Blaze
The Reality of Standing Out
Right before Jesus finished His time on earth, He dropped a heavy truth on His followers. He warned them that following Him meant sticking out from the crowd, saying, “if the world hate you, ye know that it hated Me before it hated you. if ye were of the world, the world would love its own; but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.” (John 15:18-19).
He wanted them to find their calm in Him alone, telling them, “I have spoken unto you that ‘IN ME’ ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer: I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33). He even emphasized this separation when praying to God, stating, “THEY ARE NOT OF THE WORLD, even as I am not of the world.” (John 17:16). Take a few moments to really meditate on that and let what the LORD is saying sink in.
The Paradox of the Culture
When you look at Christ’s words, the term “worldly Christian” makes absolutely zero sense. It is a total contradiction. Look at how 1 John 2:16 describes the culture around us: “All that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is NOT of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth Forever.”
Because of this, believers get a clear directive in 1 John 2:15: “love not the world, neither the things in the world: if any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” It gets even more intense in James 4:4: “The friendship of the world is enmity with God, whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.”
Changing Course
People who do not know Christ are described as simply going with the flow, walking ‘according to the course of this world’ (Ephesians 2:2). But for those who are saved, God gives a very direct instruction: “be not conformed to this world.” (Romans 12:2).
Colossians 3 breaks down exactly what Jesus meant in John 17 about being physically in the world but not defined by it. Honestly, every Christian should read Colossians 3 a thousand times over and rely on God’s grace and power to actually live it out, remembering to “be ye doers of the Word and not hearers only.”
There is arguably no higher spiritual truth in the entire Bible than what kicks off Colossians 3: ”if ye then be raised with Christ, seek those things which are above where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affections on things above, NOT on things on the earth, Put to death therefore your members upon the earth”. After listing out toxic, sinful habits that need to be dropped, it delivers this sobering reality check: “for which things’s sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience.” (Colossians 3:6).
The Ultimate Goal
Finally, look at the ultimate goal the spiritual leaders had for the early Christians. They prayed passionately for believers to reach their full potential, hoping “that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God” (Colossians 4:12).
Their specific, fervent prayer was “that ye might be filled with the knowledge of God’s will, in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, that ye might walk worthy of the LORD unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God.” (Colossians 1:9-10).
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