Christianity VS The World (What is the Spirit? PART 2)

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Jun 23, 2020
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(Part 1: Christianity VS The World (The World)) / (Christianity VS The World (History))

3. As believers in Jesus Christ and disciples of His good news, we are called, at least over time, to become "separate from the world" -- even to the point where we are able to "overcome" it.

In this, the scripture is clear.

1 John 5:4-5
"For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. 5 Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?"


John makes it clear that if someone is "born of God," then that individual will "overcome the world." And he even tells us how!

"And this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith."

And what is our faith? I would suggest faith is trusting wholly in the shed blood of Jesus Christ to not only redeem us, but to enable us to overcome this present world completely.

Certainly, we will not overcome the world (either in our own individual lives or collectively) by the arm of the flesh, through political action committees or in a united warfare against evil, but by our faith and love, which overcomes all. By these means (got that? by these means) Christians overcome the world.

This "separating" and "overcoming" occur in the life of a believer as we learn to rely more on the Spirit of God within us and less on action in our flesh existing without. Scripture tells us plainly,

1 John 2:15 "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him."

When believers are allowed to remain in bodies of flesh and blood, they are faced with somewhat of a paradoxical problem. Our physical bodies have needs and at times, even justifiable wants. As a result, we naturally resonate to ( are drawn to ) the physical or material world around us. We at times crave the material elements surrounding us-- things that will in all probability not even be part of the heavenly world to come. For example, while we are here, we love -- even require -- food and hydration. We desire modesty and protection through apparel, we have transportation needs, and in order to meet them, we have to earn money, right? And money is very much a part of this world.

Naturally, we are in many ways forced to give sometime and attention to "the things of this world." Was John then telling us to not love these "things" which in many ways are simply basic necessities of human life, or was he writing about something different?

How does a believer in Christ "love not the things in the world" yet is at the same time forced to focus on obtaining these things throughout most of their physical life?

Let's review a few ideas.

Contextually, John is telling us that a believer cannot ever "love" the things of this world more than they love God. This means someone who loves God would never allow "the things of this world" to be their primary focus, their first priority, or a thing they worship or serve. You see, we serve what we love, right? If I love my flesh, I will serve it first. Well John is telling us we must serve God above all -- which tacitly means we love Him most. Jesus made it clear that it is impossible to serve both "God and mammon" (God and money). Why? He said if we try, we will "love one and hate the other." Therefore it is impossible to truly serve them both.

So the first idea is that God's true children would never love some "thing" or someone more than they would love Him, right? A believer would never let anything "of this world" take first priority in their life. Once this idea is firmly embraced and put into action, a believer is then at completely liberty to use the "things of this world" to sustain them in their service to the living God.

Make sense?

So while a follower of Christ would never love or serve money, if he or she is blessed with it in the process of living in this world, they would use it to "bear witness of the truth" Jesus brought to earth.

Additionally, and to sort of bring an element of reason to the Christian response to the things of this world, we can't ignore the fact that God stocked this physical earth with things that can be specifically used and enjoyed while we are in our flesh. Look at the vast and amazing amount of divergent foods God has created, the abundance of materials with which we clothe our bodies, build our homes, and even print our bibles. Look at the simply magnificent and inspiring elements found in the innumerable scenes of nature. So while we do not "love the things of this world," or ever place them before or even close to the same level as our love for God, we can certainly appreciate and use them to share and "bear witness of the truth."

Yet in spite of all these material gifts afforded to us by God, thousands of extreme religious groups (supposedly bent on discovering what they call true spiritual enlightenment) have made asceticism (the renunciation of all material things ) key to overcoming our bodies of flesh so that we may draw closer to God. I'm not so sure this is what God had in mind. I mean why would God provide us with such a gorgeous abundant world only to have His children wander around refusing to enjoy it?

He wouldn't.

It's just all about priorities.

He just wants to be first and foremost in our minds and hearts.

With this perspective in hand, I would suggest taking another look at John's meaning of "the world" when he wrote,

"Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him."

Knowing that God Himself provided us with many necessary elements as a means to sustain life and bring solace and comfort to our bodies and minds, I would suggest that the "things of this world" of which John speaks might also include less tangible items -- like worldly practices, ideologies, and philosophies -- especially those founded under the cloak of being a good Christian.

Jesus did not come to rule the material world or to overcome its evil politically -- so then why would we, as His followers?

Remember the following:

1. Jesus Himself never got involved in fighting worldly affairs. He never ran for office, never fought the Roman empire or told His followers to do the same. What did he instruct us to do?
Believe. Pray. Feed the poor. Love.

2. The apostles of Christ didn't get involved in fighting worldly affairs either. They just went about sharing and saving souls and establishing the church or Body of Christ.

3. Finally, Jesus and His disciples left believers with direct instructions for us to keep a very light touch on this fallen world in which we live.


Now, what is so bad or evil or corrupt about the ways and means of this world that would cause God to tell His children to have nothing to do with them?

John the Beloved gave us even more insights to "this world" when he wrote,

1 John 2:16 "For 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."

Each of these descriptions of what is in the world -- "the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life" -- reflects a disposition in the flesh; each is based on the self and on self promotion; and each is a tool used in the world to get things done. In other words, when followers of Christ get involved with the things of this world -- to either fight against or join it -- they employ tools the world uses, which are antithetical to the tools the father wants us to use.

What, then, are the tools of the Father?

Scripture calls them fruit (not fruits) of the Spirit. When christian turn from responding to the world through "the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life," and instead employ the tools God desires, we find ourselves, "not of the world, but of the Father" and responding in love.

The book of Galatians describes this fruit perfectly.

Galatians 5:22-23 : But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

After the word love should be a colon not a comma. There is only one fruit of the Spirit, and that is love, with joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance, being manifestations of this love. Against the two great commandments there is no law.

So we can say a couple things at this point in our examination of the Gospel of Jesus Christ relative to this world: we can say that ". . . all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but of the world" and we can state that the opposite characteristic which would be pleasing to God is " love ( which includes) joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance . . ." and these things have nothing to do with the way this world really operates.

The point?

When anything is done under the banner of Christianity, it ought to be by the fruit or tools of the spirit and never by the ways or tools of the world.

- From Shawn McCraney's book "If my kingdom were of this world then my servants would fight. - A believers refusal to join popular Christian culture."

Hope you enjoyed reading this and may God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ bring you peace, grace, mercy, compassion, love, longsuffering, and patience!