13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
14 For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.
15 And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned.
16 But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he has prepared for them a city.
14 For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.
15 And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned.
16 But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he has prepared for them a city.
Do you have the feeling, as you go deeper and deeper with God, that you become stranger and stranger to those around you and increasingly alien to the world in general? As God takes you into the holy, heavenly life necessary to fellowship with Him, as He separates you from the World and its Christ-hating philosophies, values, and morality, do you feel an expanding disconnect - and revulsion - toward the World's preoccupations and goals?
Some will nod their heads at what I've described, recognizing instantly what I mean. Sadly, many will not. In fact, they will think things like, "Uh oh, here's another Christian fanatic," or "Is this guy a monk? Is he trying to tell me I should live in a monastery?" or "Doesn't this fellow realize we are supposed to be reaching the World for Jesus? We have to stay relevant, we have to keep up with the trends of the culture, we have to be 'all things to all men'."
I'm not going to get embroiled in answering each of these responses but, instead, I'm just going to point out what the Bible says is to be the Christian's perspective toward the World and what should be their own fundamental preoccupation.
James 4:4
4 You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.
Are you at ease, comfortable and conversant, with the currents of modern culture, occupied with its latest fashions, music, t.v. series, movies, and social trends? Do you know all of the important current "movers and shakers" of popular culture? Can you list the names of a couple dozen of your favorite actors, or sports figures, but couldn't state the names of the Twelve Apostles to save your life? Can you carefully and thoroughly explain Critical Race Theory but haven't a clue how to properly share the Gospel? How many hours do you spend in online gaming, or sub-culture chat rooms, compared to the time you spend studying God's word and praying? Jesus said, "For where you treasure is, there will your heart be also." What's he mean by "treasure"? Most basically, your time, energy and money. In whatever you invest these things the most, that will be what most possesses your heart, that will be the thing to which you have made yourself a "friend." Is that God? Is it Christ? Or is it the World and its myriad and constant distractions from the eternal and heavenly?
You can't be both in the World, a friend of it, and a friend also of God. James is unequivocal about this. There is no middle ground between the World and God that you can occupy. On whose side, then, do you stand? Are you God's enemy? Or His ally?
Colossians 2:6-8
6 Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him,
7 having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude.
8 See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.
Do you give careful ear to secular thinkers, weighting their ideas and philosophies to a degree equal or greater than that of Scripture? Have you been "taken captive" by the ideas of Richard Dawkins, or Sam Harris, or Joss Whedon? Have you been subtly conformed to the relativistic naturalism/scientism/humanism of the World? Are you increasingly soft in your attitude toward adultery, or the demonic, or homosexuality? Do you watch the gore and violence of the latest zombie series on t.v. without any qualms, your conscience and soul blunted to scenes of corruption, horror and death? Or is Jesus your obsession? Does his purity, peace, love and life fill your mind and heart? Does your heart remain tender, clean, resting in God's truth, light and joy, unsoiled by the darkness of the World?
2 Corinthians 6:14-18
14 Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness?
15 Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever?
16 Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, "I WILL DWELL IN THEM AND WALK AMONG THEM; AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE.
17 "Therefore, COME OUT FROM THEIR MIDST AND BE SEPARATE," says the Lord. "AND DO NOT TOUCH WHAT IS UNCLEAN; And I will welcome you.
18 "And I will be a father to you, And you shall be sons and daughters to Me," Says the Lord Almighty.
In what concrete ways are you distinctly separate in your thinking and living from the World? As the question goes, "If you were prosecuted in a court of law for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?" Do you simply drift along with the values and philosophies of your co-workers, giving consent to their godless living by your silence, or worse, by your participation in their sinful talk and activities? Or do you stand, a light on a hill that cannot be hid (Matthew 5:14-16), brightly shining for Jesus? You'll know if you've "come out and are separate from the World," an alien and stranger in it, by the natural separation that occurs when the light of your living repels the darkness around you. There can be no fellowship between light and darkness, only darkness forsaken for light, or the light dimmed and hidden away in darkness.
Ephesians 5:5-11
5 For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.
6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.
7 Therefore do not be partakers with them;
8 for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light
9 (for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth),
10 trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord.
11 Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them;
What's your response to the World and the evil and sin it loves and promotes? Have you grown easy in the presence of wickedness? Do you watch vile shows on Netflix without discomfort, enjoying the humor of a "good-guy" Lucifer, or the spectacle of little girls being sexualized, twerking away in lewd outfits? Do you entertain yourself with the antics of serial killers, or adulterers, or homosexuals in movies and t.v. programs? Do you accept without a second thought now that unmarried couples fornicate and live together prior to marriage; that a person's skin color is more important than their character; that one's heart is always one's truest, surest guide; that serving oneself is the ultimate good? Or do you call out the darkness when you encounter it, resisting the drift of secular culture into greater and greater depravity, pointing at it, and decrying it, doing the same in the lives of those who claim allegiance to Christ but who've capitulated to the World, and living yourself in holy submission to God everyday?
The believer who recognizes the transience of their earthly life, who is living in the hope of an eternal, heavenly home with God, looks away from the World, fixing their eyes "on things above," the result of which is an increasing alienation from the World and its temporal obsessions.
Colossians 3:1-4
1 Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
2 Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.
3 For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
4 When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.
2 Corinthians 5:1-10
1 For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
2 For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling,
3 if indeed by putting it on we may not be found naked.
4 For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.
5 He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.
6 So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord,
7 for we walk by faith, not by sight.
8 Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.
9 So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him.
10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.
Philippians 3:18-21
18 For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ.
19 Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things.
20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,
21 who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.
2 Peter 3:11-14
11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of person ought you to be in all holy conversation and godliness,
12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?
13 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwells righteousness.
14 Wherefore, beloved, seeing that you look for such things, be diligent that you may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.
