In the World, Not of It!

In the World, Not of It

So this I say, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart; and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness. But you did not learn Christ in this way, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth. Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak truth each one of you with his neighbor, for we are members of one another. Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not give the devil an opportunity. He who steals must steal no longer; but rather he must labor, performing with his own hands what is good, so that he will have something to share with one who has need. Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear. Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.

Ephesians 4:17–32

         

What do Christians need to be reminded of during these chaotic times?  Well I can’t improve upon what God’s Word has said. Put simple: don’t participate in the world’s evil since we have been set apart by God to walk in holiness.

As we look at the world around us we are shocked and outraged.  “Rome” is on fire and everyone is participating Rome’s way.  The evil flows from every corner of the community. People in authority rail on one group or another. Some of those we trust to serve and protect are less than trustworthy. The protests come with riots and dark thoughts of anger and indignation. The protesters have rioters mixed in within them.  

People who hate have become inventors of evil. Then there are the armchair quarterbacks who sit on the sidelines either justifying the evil taking place or self-righteously exalting themselves over the wicked of the world. Then there are the social media pharisees that signal their “righteous” judgments upon any and all people who have not bowed to their “righteous” system. This is the world we live in! The temptation is great for believers to jump in and participate in this evil.  

The apostle Paul speaking to the Ephesian church some 2000 years ago had words of warning for the believers. He knew the world. He understood total depravity. He also knew the believers, though redeemed and reborn, were still prone to sin and prone to wander. He exhorted the believers to “BE WHO THEY ARE” in Christ! 

See, born again believers in Christ are set apart from the world. We have been made alive with Christ (Ephesians 2:4-6). We have been reconciled to God and reconciled to other believers in our community even if they are from totally different backgrounds (Ephesians 2:11-22). The believer is part of a different community that is not of this world. In fact, we are part of the heavenly Kingdom that is coming (Ephesians 1:3-14). We have the Spirit of God living in us (Ephesians 1:13-14). We have access to the heavenly Father always through the Spirit (Ephesians 2:19-22). Our new identity, position, and relationship in Christ sets us apart from the world. 

So the apostle Paul writes these authoritative words from God. He tells the believer how they should view the world around them. He explains how their new identity should effect how they live in this world. He gives specific exhortations on what the believers should avoid and what they should participate in. Put simple avoid the unrighteousness of the world and pursue holiness by the power of God working in us. 

Look at Paul’s exhortation to avoid the sinfulness of the world. You are no longer to walk as the gentiles walk. Paul used gentiles as a metaphor of the world. The gentiles in the Old Testament were the unclean and unrighteous. They were the people outside of God’s covenant promises.  They were the lost and wicked. BUT when Christ came, Jews and gentiles were given a way to be reconciled to God. Once reconciled, however, the new believers were to avoid acting like the world. They were to leave their old lives of identifying with the world and its ways.  The believer is a new person in Christ. He is our Lord and we are His slaves (Ephesians 4:20-24).  

Paul’s description of the world here is exposing. Look at all the features of the world given here: 

1.   Darkened in their understanding

2.   Excluded from the life of God

3.   Controlled by the ignorance in them

4.   Hardened in their hearts

5.   Callous

6.   Given over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness.  

This is a perfect description of the world we live in. We all too often try and clean up the world with our commentary. We try to make heroes and villains out of sides within our culture and country. But friends, this is a description of all, even those who clean up the outside of the cup! This goes for both the leaders and the servants; the employers and the employees, the rich and the poor, the have’s and the have not’s, the politicians and the voters, the media and the viewers!  

The world we live in is filled with people blinded by their sin. They are dead in sin and hate God and all that exalts God. Their flesh leads them.  

As we observe our world, we all too often adjudicate the world without keeping these truths in mind. We fail to see the world with God’s perspective. When this happens we end up participating in the world’s wickedness even if it’s only in our hearts. We must not participate in the world’s wickedness. 

We must be renewed in our minds daily with the truth of God’s Word and our new relationship with Him in Christ (Ephesians 4:23). One of our biggest sins of participation is falling into the trap of exaltation of external morality. We say in our hearts, “Can you believe that person did that? Can you believe they said that?” Recognition of sin is inevitable, but remembering the reason of the wickedness is the part we forget.  PEOPLE sin because they are SINNERS. This is why Jesus came into the world! 

The world needed a savior to rescue people from themselves. The world didn’t need a judge to adjudicate; rather they needed a savior who would die for them. The rescue isn’t found in pronouncing the Law’s verdict on actions. The rescue came by an innocent Lamb dying in the place of His own!  

YES, the world is guilty! This was established. What people need is hope. Hope out of the wickedness of their lost condition. They need hope that their wretchedness can be forgiven and they can be right with God. This doesn’t come by eliminating the evil around them. This comes by eliminating the evil WITHIN THEM! Everyone needs this change.  Everyone needs to learn Christ this way. When we do, our lives are transformed by God.

Thieves become grace givers. Filthy trash talkers become gentle edifiers.  God’s enemies become His co-laborers. Believers are empowered by God to put away bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, slander, and all malice.  The Spirit of God produces kindness, tender heartedness, and forgiveness! Why? Because God showed kindness and grace towards us when He forgave us for our sin in Christ.  

So as we observe this world burning around us, how should we respond?  We must not fall into the temptation to participate with the world in its evil. Why? Because we have been rescued from that in Christ. God’s grace has shown us our hope is in Him alone. We must not fall prey to the evil one and slip back into WHO WE WERE; instead, we must be WHO WE ARE in Christ! As we do this, we will be a light in this world.  Not by shouting our moral judgments on the world, but rather boldly crying out where hope is found, Jesus Christ the Righteous One! He is the hope for the depraved sinner not any world made religion of change.  Jesus died. Jesus rose. Jesus ascended. Jesus will return. Trust in Him today!