I would rather die an honest fool than walk down a wicked path paved by the pain and sufferin’ of others.”
–Orris Slade (Set Things Right)
“Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, ‘The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously’?”
“Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, ‘The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously’?”
–James 4:5 (NKJV)
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How to Live in a Pagan, Apostate, and Foolish World
Let’s continue on with the things that “We Know” from last week. Today I want to look at the key scripture of these lessons.
“We know that we are of God and that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.”
–1 John 5:19 (NASB)
The first, we know of this verse is: “We Know” we are of God! Look at the prayer of Jesus in John 17. He does not pray for the world. He does not pray to take His people out of the world. He does pray that they might be kept. We are not of this world, but we are kept as we journey through it. Daniel was not kept from the lion’s den, but was kept by the power of God in it. And there are many more examples. Notice that those mentioned in Hebrews 11 regarded themselves as pilgrims and sojourners in the world. They were only here for a while.
Paul reminds us in Second Corinthians:
“Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?…
Therefore ‘Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you.'” (6:14,,17 NKJV)
We must constantly watch our attitude in our journey. The world is constantly speaking to us. Sometime it yells while at other times it is a subtle whisper. Paul tries to tell us to get a proper view of the world. We must view it with the attitude of a Christian and not desire to be a part of it. The shameful and scary thing is that “The line between the Church and the world is becoming increasingly indistinct.” (Lloyd-Jones). Can you tell the world from the Church? Music. Atmosphere. Attitudes. Values.
“The Church stood out distinct and apart… When the Church is unique, she has the greatest influence upon the world. It is nothing but a departure from New Testament doctrine that ever tries to make the Church ingratiate herself to the world.”
–D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
We Know that the world lies in wickedness or under the power of the wicked one. The mentality of the world is apart from God. Therefore, why does the believer seek to be friends with the world? Why do they seek to be like those we are to come apart from? Study Israel when they went into Canaan. They had the same problem–they wanted to be like their neighbors and not set apart for God. They still wanted the blessings of God, but would not obey His commandments. We must view the world from the lens of the Scriptures, from a spiritual view.
Satan even tempted Jesus with the world. Here are the kingdoms, You don’t have to die. I freely give them to You–just bow down to me. That’s what the devil wants; he wants for us to bow down and serve him, and so often we do unwittingly. Turn your focus and worship to the things of the world. Lloyd-Jones says, “The devil cares very little what men and women may be like, so long as they do not believe in God.”
————————————-
How to Live in a Pagan, Apostate, and Foolish World
Let’s continue on with the things that “We Know” from last week. Today I want to look at the key scripture of these lessons.
“We know that we are of God and that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.”
–1 John 5:19 (NASB)
The first, we know of this verse is: “We Know” we are of God! Look at the prayer of Jesus in John 17. He does not pray for the world. He does not pray to take His people out of the world. He does pray that they might be kept. We are not of this world, but we are kept as we journey through it. Daniel was not kept from the lion’s den, but was kept by the power of God in it. And there are many more examples. Notice that those mentioned in Hebrews 11 regarded themselves as pilgrims and sojourners in the world. They were only here for a while.
Paul reminds us in Second Corinthians:
“Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?…
Therefore ‘Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you.'” (6:14,,17 NKJV)
We must constantly watch our attitude in our journey. The world is constantly speaking to us. Sometime it yells while at other times it is a subtle whisper. Paul tries to tell us to get a proper view of the world. We must view it with the attitude of a Christian and not desire to be a part of it. The shameful and scary thing is that “The line between the Church and the world is becoming increasingly indistinct.” (Lloyd-Jones). Can you tell the world from the Church? Music. Atmosphere. Attitudes. Values.
“The Church stood out distinct and apart… When the Church is unique, she has the greatest influence upon the world. It is nothing but a departure from New Testament doctrine that ever tries to make the Church ingratiate herself to the world.”
–D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
We Know that the world lies in wickedness or under the power of the wicked one. The mentality of the world is apart from God. Therefore, why does the believer seek to be friends with the world? Why do they seek to be like those we are to come apart from? Study Israel when they went into Canaan. They had the same problem–they wanted to be like their neighbors and not set apart for God. They still wanted the blessings of God, but would not obey His commandments. We must view the world from the lens of the Scriptures, from a spiritual view.
Satan even tempted Jesus with the world. Here are the kingdoms, You don’t have to die. I freely give them to You–just bow down to me. That’s what the devil wants; he wants for us to bow down and serve him, and so often we do unwittingly. Turn your focus and worship to the things of the world. Lloyd-Jones says, “The devil cares very little what men and women may be like, so long as they do not believe in God.”