In the World, Not of the World
Jesus calls us to be different from the World, while making a difference in the World.
“Jesus prayed, ‘They do not belong to this world any more than I do. Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth.’” John 17:16-17
We cannot expect non-believers to have godly moral standards and desire to please God. We can, and should, expect Christians to act differently than the culture that they live in—as different as night and day.
Darkness of World Culture
“This, then is the judgement: The light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil.” (John 3:19). Human culture is ruled by sin and selfish desires. Without Jesus people are lost in darkness (Matthew 18:10-14), dead in their sin (Ephesians 2:1-5), separated from God (Colossians 1:21-22) and condemned without hope (John 3:18). When you are in the dark, you cannot see the truth.
Remember, that is where we ALL began. (Romans 3:11, 23)
Jesus is the Light of the World
“He (Jesus) has rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son He loves. We have redemption, the forgiveness of sins, in Him.” (Colossians 1:13-14). Becoming a Christian is not about reciting a prayer or going to church. It is a complete transfer of your allegiance from one king to another. It is a radical transformation of your identity. Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God” (John 3:3).
Have you been born again? What King do you serve?
Live as Children of Light
Read Ephesians 4:17-24 and understand that “Christ-followers” must be different from the popular culture that surrounds them. We no longer belong to this world but to God. “Do not love this world nor the things it offers you. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in him. For everything that belongs to the world - lust for physical pleasure, a lust for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions- is not from the Father, but is from this world. And this world with its lust is fading away, but the one who does God’s will remains forever.” (1 John 2:15-17).
Are you seeking first to please God?
Pray this week:
That God would expose any way that you are letting worldly culture influence you. Ask Jesus to rule your thoughts and actions as your rightful King.
Do you act and think differently than non- Christians? Talk to us about it.