How To Be In This World But Not Of It?

Introduction:

* The Big Idea of “Be in the World but not of it”

* The Question is: HOW?

* The World – A fallen sphere of influence in this planet which is anti-God and human centric.

<1 John 2:15-17>

15 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. 16 For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. 17 The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.

The World seduces

<Ro 12:2>: 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Do not conform to the pattern of this world.

* Prefix of the word conform is “con” (i.e. with)

* Pattern – An existing, leading and acceptable structure

E.g. Peer pressure

* The God of this age (In a worldly sense: The Spirit of this age)

* <2 Cor 4:4> The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

* Prevailing Spirit in every age, to draw people away from the light of the gospel.

* The Bible call for nonconformity.

* <Mat 6:19-20>: 19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven…

* <Mat 16:26>: 26 What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?

Misunderstanding Nonconformity

* Extreme Solitude

* Simplistic externals

E.g. Pharisees

Christ’s Priestly Prayer for disciples

<John 17:15-16>: 15 My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of it.

1) Knowing the Reason – To witness the gospel to the World

* <Mark 16:15-16>: 15 He (Jesus) said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. 16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. 

* <Mat 6:33>: 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

2) Knowing the Way

* <Ro 12:2>: 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

* Be transformed – to be Changed

* The prefix “trans” actually mean “above and beyond”.

A Practical Perspective

* “That’s a normal pattern for Christian behavior. The person whose converted out of the world spends his first days (or a season) as a Christian with a tendency to withdraw himself completely from the world”. ~ Martin Luther

* “A Christian doesn’t reach maturity until he reenters the world and embraces the world again, yet not in its worldliness and its ungodly patterns but as the theater and the arena of God’s redemption”. ~ Martin Luther