Not of this World

John 8:23 23 And he said unto them, Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world.

What is being said here is that people are lost without Christ Jesus in their life. Being of Christ means you have accepted him as savior and you have been recreated and sealed by the Holy Spirit and are no longer of this world.

John 15:19 19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.

If you are of the world you would be looking to a way other than Christ Jesus and the cross. Because you are no longer of the world, you must refuse to accept the proposed solutions presented by the world.

Jesus says he has chosen us out of the world, meaning he has brought us out of the system of the world into the way of the Lord. This is why the world hates you. because you deny its proposed solutions and claim that Christ is the only answer. This impacts the pride of man.

John 16:33 33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

Whenever things look dark, despite how they look we are to seek peace in Jesus’ words. He has all things under His control, trusting in what He has said.He told us that we would have tribulation in this world but for us not to worry because He has overcome the world.

We must rely on these words to experience the divine life in this world. The world is in direct opposition to Jesus’ words because it is Satan’s objective to disturb our peace and trust in Jesus. Have no fear, Jesus has overcome the evil of this world through the cross so that we can overcome the evils of this world too.

John 17:14-17 14 I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.

16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

As long as believers are in this world, living for the Lord, their spirits are protected from the evils of Satan, and marked by the Lords truth. God promises one day he will take his children home to Him. Until then Jesus prays for our spiritual well-being and pleads for our safekeeping.

We are called as Christians to be engaged in the world but not of the world or opposing God in their ways and thoughts. We as Christians should be a shining light in the darkness to reach people for the Lord.

“Sanctify them through your truths” is referring to the word of God. It alone must be the criteria for all things. “Your word is truth” is saying that the bible doesn’t just contain truth, it is the truth of God.

John 14:17 17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

This is referring to the Holy Spirit of God, which those who are not of Christ Jesus cannot understand. Christ Jesus is the truth; without him the world cannot receive the Holy Spirit, the spirit of truth. The Holy Spirit cannot come into the heart of an unbeliever until that person makes Jesus his or her savior. The unsaved don’t see Jesus and do not know him. Only by being born again can they understand the word and the Holy Spirit and have that personal relationship with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

As a believer we know Him. He dwells within and shall be with us. This is as it was on the day of Pentecost and every day since then for those who accept Jesus as savior. He has paid for our sins and wiped our debt of sin clean by his work on the cross. Forever giving us access to the Father and forgiveness for our trespasses.

Romans 12:2 2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

We must not fit into this world’s ways, or come in agreement with its ways, but transformed by the renewing of our minds with the word of God. We cannot serve two masters, the world and God.

Your mind is part of your soul. We must start thinking spiritually and realizing that all things are furnished to us through the cross and are obtained by faith and not works. The acceptable and perfect will of God presents that which the Holy Spirit is attempting to bring about within our lives and can only be obtained by making the finished work of Christ Jesus the object of our faith.

1 John 2:15 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.

God the Father will not share the love that must be exclusively to him and not the world. When you develop a relationship with God, you see the world differently, you see the truth of the broken system of this world. Satan is the one who orders the systems of this world, therefore if you love the world the love for the father is not within you.

1 John 4:17 17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.

Our love is made complete by a continued confession of Christ Jesus as the son of God and knowing what He did for mankind. As He is, so are we in this world. Christ is totally victorious: due to the fact that we are in Him we too can be totally victorious in this world.

Remember always that we are not of this world, we are just passing through on our way to Heaven.

Stay in the Word,

Brother Andy