Not of the World

John 17:14-16 “I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.”

Just as light and darkness are by definition opposite terms, the words “good” and “evil” or “for” and “against” are opposites. Similarly, saved and unsaved are opposites. Believers and unbelievers are opposites. Theists and atheists are opposites. Religious and secular are contradictory opposites. The word secular is defined as: "living in the world, not belonging to a religious order," from Late Latin saecularis "worldly, pertaining to a generation or age," There is no concept of the divine, spiritual, consecrated, hallowed, holy, sanctified, churchly, devout, godly, pious, prayerful, reverent, worshipful, and sacred. It’s a belief system based upon human existence in the “here and now” with no God in heart, mind, will or emotion. It is existential by nature; existential being defined as grounded in existence or the experience of existence, having being in time and space.

In Luke 11:23, the Lord Jesus (the Light of the World) said, “He who is not with Me is against Me.”

Christ prayed, “You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world.” “The world” is defined as the God-rejecting world-system. It is the carnal state or corruption of the earth; as the present evil world; the course of this world. It is the ungodly part of the world. This is what Jesus meant in Matthew 7:13-14, when He said. “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” The secular God-rejecting world is on the broad road (the highway to Hell) that leads to destruction.

2 Corinthians 6:14 says, “Do not be unequally bound together with unbelievers [do not make mismatched alliances with them, inconsistent with your faith]. For what partnership can righteousness have with lawlessness? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?” But, Christ did not tell us to avoid and not be a godly influence to secular society, but the opposite. In Matthew 5:13-15, He tells us, “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.” Salt heals and preserves, while light dispels darkness. Who are His disciples supposed to be salt and light to, except those in “the world”?

In Matthew 28:18-19, Jesus said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”

The wages of sin is death and everyone is dead in their trespasses, sins and unbelief. But, God is in the expose sin, repent, reconcile and save” business to whomsoever shall come. That is why He sent Jesus. God people are Kingdom workers and the mission field of the secular world is ripe for harvest. James 4:3-5 explains, “You ask [God for something] and do not receive it, because you ask with wrong motives [out of selfishness or with an unrighteous agenda], so that [when you get what you want] you may spend it on your [hedonistic] desires. You adulteresses [disloyal sinners—flirting with the world and breaking your vow to God]! Do you not know that being the world’s friend [that is, loving the things of the world] is being God’s enemy? So whoever chooses to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you think that the Scripture says to no purpose that the [human] spirit which He has made to dwell in us lusts with envy?” We are not of this world; not friends with the fallen God-rejecting world-system in which we live this side of Heaven and to take no part in godless licentiousness, but are the message of the gospel shining the light of Christ into that darkness. Come to Jesus!

In Christ, Brian