In The World, But Not of the World

When Christ called us to repentance and warned that the Kingdom of God is near (Matthew 4: 17), at the very beginning of His ministry, potential disciples ever since have been faced with the gut-wrenching reality that most of us are very much of this world, and such a call to true discipleship would bring us to a place where we would have to face some very real, radical, and sacrificial choices. Let’s face it; a true disciple cannot live in this world without suffering much loss of those things that his flesh so deeply desires. (John 12: 25 and John 15: 18-19) These scriptures are the words of Jesus Christ, not me; but I must ask you, does the world hate you today? Or do you blend in with this world, so much, that at times in your ministry you’re applauded and heralded as being a really good guy? “Sure you’re a Christian, but at least you relate to those of us who are non-Christians, and you don’t preach at us”, they might say. We must love the lost and like Paul relate to them, but to love like Christ... is to suffer. And we must never compromise the truth of the gospel.

Is the statement, to be in the world but not of the world, a question without an answer; a theological quandary that gives us permission to simply sit on our hands and think? Be careful brothers, don’t think too long. If the world does not hate you, I would say based upon God’s word, it’s possible that you don’t belong to Jesus Christ. In Matthew 13: 24-29, Jesus tells us in the parable of the weeds, that while everyone was asleep the enemy came along and sowed bad seeds among the wheat. I would argue that many of the leaders of the churches of the western world are asleep today! And the amount of bad seed that has been planted, and continues to be planted, is almost to the point that it is beginning to choke out the wheat.

If a child of God, who is radically chasing after His Saviour, finds himself in the religious factory of western culture known as the evangelical church, it’s quite likely that he will be told not to sell too many of his things, or give too much up, instead that he should put his faith in perspective. It’s also quite likely that he will find men of power in the church today that would rather have him still seeking his own filthy sin, and never depart from his flesh, as long as the status quo in their church would not be challenged. Like a white washed tomb, he could look outwardly presentable to that which culture deems normal and good, and never really encounter discouragement from within the church; a dead man, never being told of his impending doom without faith in Christ. Yet if that same man falls so deeply in love with God, for the free gift of salvation and grace that he begins to die to his flesh and live a life so focused on things of God, many times that man will face criticism and rejection from the very brothers around him that should be inspired most.

God did not create man to glorify man, God created man to glorify God! And I don’t know how I can live my life seeking the things in this world and not be of this world? I’ll say that again; how can I live my life seeking the things in this world and not be of this world? It’s impossible! We must live in this world, yes! But let’s get honest about the condition of our hearts! Toiling over material purchases, obsessing during the day about what entertainment we’ll enjoy for the evening after work, spending hours watching or playing sports, trying to earn greater amounts of money to pay for 2 or more cars, trying to gain worldly wealth through investments and trading, pouring the heart into a smorgasbord of worldly things! And then because I do some ‘ministry’ work at church on Sunday or get involved in the right programs within the four walls of the church, I can receive the blessing of that church and its members? How does that make me a man a disciple of Jesus Christ? If He has called me to give up the ways of this world in favour of saving souls; then I better do it!

Wake up children, we’ve been put to sleep by the enemy, through a decadent culture that has made us so drowsy to truth, we hardly care anymore. Are any of the previously mentioned lifestyle activities, evil in their own right? I don’t think so. But when your heart and life is lived in such a way that all of those things add up to great big pile of dung that divides your heart from that of your love and devotion for Jesus Christ; then I believe you have chosen to live an evil, self-serving existence. (Romans 12: 1-2 and Matthew 6: 24) The issue isn’t political either, so if you’ve been anesthetised by that poison, give it up. This isn’t about socialism verses capitalism; this is about Jesus Christ and what He did at the cross! He commands us to be genuine followers of Christ. He didn’t go to the cross for our worldly well being and political might; Jesus went to the cross to save the very ones that sent Him there! That’s us; you and me! Please wake up to the truth!

We have so much more than we ever need, it’s almost sickening! Does the LORD give to us so that we might have comfort and pleasure? No, He gives to us so that we might be good stewards and use our resources to give to others, and of those gifts that which is most life giving; the good news of Jesus Christ, the gospel, unedited and without compromise... without compromise... without compromise. (Matthew 6: 24)

We will be hated by this world when we live without compromise. Are you hated by this world today? Do your coworkers and people around you know you to be a man without compromise, with that which is the love and truth of Christ crucified? Is the blood of Christ so dripping from your soul that if those around you were to touch you today, they’d risk becoming blood stained themselves? If so, I would say to you, my brother in Christ, you know of rejection, and loss in this world. But if you’re the ‘compromising Christian’, who makes excuses why you need to put things in perspective, in your daily activities, you probably don’t have too much to worry about in the way of the world hating you, do you. But where does that leave you in the Kingdom of God? Is Jesus making your life better able to have your cake and eat it too, or is He leading you to taking up your cross, and partake in the suffering, each and every day?

Are you a weed among the wheat? Have you had the seeds of this world so planted in your heart, even by the leaders of the churches you’ve depended upon, that you’ve lost your fire for Jesus Christ, or maybe never even had one? Have you become a person that discourages brothers in Christ, from obedience to Christ, in favour of your own interests, and comfort? Repent if you are! Get on your knees today, and then when you arise, take up your cross again and share His glory with everyone you can!

Being hated by this world is not our goal; it is a by-product of Christ living in us and through us. We cannot be lost in the ways of Jesus Christ and be so easily tolerated by this world. The same sinful world that He pulled me from, the world where I hated Him, the world of pride and power, the world of human glory and accomplishment, the world of greed, lust and money; that world HATES GOD! So if we are of Him and sent by Him, how can we not also be hated in this place that so hates Him? This does not mean that we hate the people of this world, on the contrary! We cannot love, or even really like this world, but we must know that the LORD has left us a mission; to bring His sheep home!

They are His sheep, not yours or mine! So they are precious, and He told us that a good shepherd would leave 99 sheep to go find one. That’s how much He loves His sheep! So as His Hands and Feet, we need to love them as His own, and put up with being hated as we take the message of the gospel to the world. We must rely on Him to bring His sheep home. We only need share the truth in love, and let Him save the souls. But we must live as true disciples crucified with Christ, without compromise, otherwise the lost sheep will see our hypocrisies and we will become their stumbling blocks. We must not go deeper into the darkness of hiding our sin so as to avoid looking like hypocrites, but instead, truly repent and believe in Jesus.

Action must be taken! Believers must stand up and be counted, today! If Christ has revealed to you that you have given way to slavery in your life, you need to run from that which keeps you from hating everything else compared to Him! (Luke 14: 25-27) It’s time we recognize the cost of being a disciple, my brothers! Maybe He has led you to do things others don’t understand or given you gifts that could be misunderstood, but don’t let your heart deceive you into receiving worldly rewards in the name of Christ, when He didn’t give them to you in the first place. Stop chasing your dreams and start chasing after Him! I’ve found that Jesus rarely leads us to a place of comfort in our flesh, but when we follow Him without compromise He always brings us a stillness of spirit, peace and joy.

May God bless you today.

The KING for Men, Or a King of Men

This topic is a difficult one for me to share with you my brethren. I desire to be obedient to our LORD and so I feel I must attempt to put this topic before you. If anyone at all should decide to read this article, I pray that I am acting in accordance to God’s will in writing these words.

Men love heroes. We desire to make for ourselves images of what “perfection” would look like if it took the form of a man. In athletics we like our heroes to be muscular, tall, fast, strong, fierce, and most of all... successful men who make a habit of dominating their opponents. In business we like our heroes to be tall, well dressed, well groomed, well spoken, highly educated, highly paid men of power and influence.

Does this carnal desire of ours stop simply at the world’s exit and the church’s doorstep? Or does that same manmade image we crave bleed its way into the sanctuaries of our churches, and even as far as our desire for ‘sound doctrine’? In our desire to understand our LORD, do we attempt to circumvent the mysteries of God and the uncertainty of faith by clinging to the ‘sound doctrines’ of this age which, in large part, are creations of men who we consider to be heroes of our faith?

The LORD said to Samuel, "Listen to the voice of the people in regard to all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me from being king over them.

"Like all the deeds which they have done since the day that I brought them up from Egypt even to this day--in that they have forsaken Me and served other gods--so they are doing to you also.

"Now then, listen to their voice; however, you shall solemnly warn them and tell them of the procedure of the king who will reign over them." 1 Samuel 8: 7-9 NASB

I think that every believer can agree that sound doctrine is a key to remaining obedient to Jesus Christ. How can we deny the importance of sound doctrine when God instructs us so clearly toward it?

"For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths. But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry." 2 Timothy 4: 3-5 NASB

Where is your doctrine taking you today? In 2 Timothy, through Paul, God so clearly directs us toward His word as the source of sufficiency. In order to receive salvation, and in order to keep growing in the LORD, His word does not tell us that we need university degrees or diplomas; successful ministries led by men of power and influence; or a theological understanding of His word that attempts to remove the mysteries of God and His sovereignty. Where does God’s word tell the believer the way to salvation is through understanding? The beginning of wisdom is a fear of God, but the way to salvation only comes through what Jesus Christ did at the cross! Jesus said we must be born again in order to see the Kingdom of God.

Do not be deceived my brethren. If you find yourselves clinging to a doctrine where you hear very articulate and well educated men making intelligent sounding, deep doctrinal conclusions that go way beyond what God’s very word says, step carefully! If these men cannot accept that faith does not come from what they know, then they should examine themselves to see if they actually have faith. If the original disciples of our Saviour could not understand how Jesus could drive a demon out of a boy while they failed, and Jesus called their faith too little to do so, then who are we to decide that we have unlocked the mysteries of God and His word? (Matthew 7: 14-20) We must believe what we cannot understand.

I don’t know about you, but there are many times I read God’s word and I have to ask Him to help me with my faith. But with those areas where God has so clearly left allowance for us to have to rely on Him in faith, aren’t we tempted into idolatry instead? Corporately, don’t we seek a hero that will explain to us that which we cannot understand? The mystery of election unveiled and explained according to a particular doctrine. The unfortunate part of that doctrine is that its many followers seem to identify themselves with that man’s name, almost on par, beside that of Jesus’. And those that subscribe so vehemently to its teachings alienate others within the faith that may claim a less certain view of such things, that their doctrinal teaching states as fact.

If you’re reading this and you need to have a complete understanding of how God elects His people, maybe you should ask yourself why. Why do you need to know how God elects His people? Will that save you? Will your knowledge of election save others? Will your knowledge of another man’s teachings gain you or anyone else salvation? When we seek knowledge of God to the extent that we go beyond His word and give way to a deep theological dogma, aren’t we seeking a ‘works’ focused salvation? If you’re a doctrine focused Christian, do you find yourself looking beyond your own helpless and sinful state, and what Jesus Christ did for you at the cross to save you, in favour of your own intellect and the intellect of those spiritual heroes that are kings to you and so many others?

Israel wasn’t content with relying on God. They needed a King. And then when they received ONE true KING, almost all of them missed Him. They wanted what men today want. They failed to seek God, but instead they looked to a man hero for help. They knew--in all their theological supremacy they knew--if a “King” was going to bring them out of their oppression, he would have to be a man of great power and influence. He would have to be wealthy and much greater than any simple peasant. Because of their lack of faith, according to Jesus, even the disciples failed to see all of what God could have revealed to them.

I myself am a man of faith that at times seems quite small; to that I confess. I suffer from fear, sometimes, for my daughter’s health. I also find peace when I run to Jesus. I find joy when I've spent some time on my knees. When I confess my fear to our LORD, He helps me. But I confess there is much about God and His word that I simply do not understand. I know that He forgives me for my lack of perfection, and as I seek Him He continues His work in me. But the only reason any of that is possible at all is because Jesus Christ died on a cross for me, and in some mysterious way He gave me an opportunity to hear His name, repent, and believe in Him. That is grace. I don’t know if my response was His choice or mine. But I don’t need to know, do I. God’s the boss, God’s in control, God knows.

So brethren, please seek Jesus and His word. Stop looking for a King among men. We have our KING and He is mightier than all kings combined! If God left mystery in His word, then how can any man attempt to remove it in a way that makes his personal understanding the correct understanding, but a stumbling block for others? (Luke 17: 1)

If the LORD has made you a teacher, then teach His word! Do not attempt to teach a system of understanding His word, which goes beyond His word. Do not attach yourself to a religious order that could prevent you from speaking His word in truth. Do not make for yourself an idol of another man and omit key portions of God’s word as you teach, so that you will not contradict your doctrine. Instead allow the Holy Spirit to teach each man according to God’s will. Rebuke the believer that lives against God’s word and sins, but do not attempt to fill in the blanks of scripture with a doctrine that divides.

Please brethren. Put aside pride and prejudice, and seek His word in its Holy sufficiency. Let us come together in our weakness, and faith in Jesus Christ. Let us rely solely on His salvation, His provision, and His wisdom, not our works. Let us be uncertain about the things that God deemed to be so. As we discover truth, let us know that our hearts can be deceived and so we must never put our discovery above God’s word.

Blessings to you in Christ.