June 31, 2016 NOT OF THE WORLD
John 17:6,16 “I manifested Thy name to the men who Thou gavest Me out of the world; Thine they were, and Thou gavest them to Me, and they have kept Thy word. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
How can it be? As believers, we have careers, we go shopping, we pay bills, we take vacations, we go to the doctor, we eat, we play sports, we listen to music, we watch the news, we socialize, etc. etc. and yet we are not “of the world?” There are no greater differences, or opposites than being of the world, or not being of the world. The phrase in this verse, “Thine they were” helps us understand the verse. Even long before we were born physically, God knew us, and He knew all of the details surrounding our birth and our life- it’s awesome, and life changing to know that we belonged to Him eons ago! Our life on earth is just a brief period of time where we come to know our Father and what it means to be His sons and daughters; and it’s a time of preparation for our eternal life with Him. In God’s grand design, being born on the same planet where Satan “roams about” is no accident. A key part of our training on Earth is that of learning to overcome evil-that’s where Satan comes in- just as Jesus did while He was on Earth. As I have often said, God did not desire robots, but He desired a people who would be drawn to Him, and transformed by His love that He demonstrated in Christ. The world-those who do not know Him-are in darkness and limited to a life separated from God. Jesus came to Earth demonstrating the kingdom of God and those who believe that He is the Son of God and that He was crucified on our behalf, have been adopted into His family and now are a part of His kingdom. Because we are in His kingdom, we live with a different perspective and different motivation in life than those who are not in His kingdom. There is no over-lapping, or gray area when it comes to comparing the kingdom of the world and the kingdom of God. Just one example of the stark differences of the two worlds: the world is focused on getting, while the kingdom of God is based on giving. (Those in the world may give, but it is based on getting something in return.) By being a part of His kingdom, we are eternal beings and physical death is not the “end,” but is actually the time when our “mortal puts on immortality” and we go to live forever with Him. As said above, Jesus demonstrated the Kingdom of God, and the scriptures were given to instruct us concerning His kingdom; and He gave us new hearts and minds, and placed His Spirit within us, equipping us for life in His kingdom. As believers, we must realize that it is possible for us to fall short of living and enjoying life as He designed life to be in His kingdom. We often find the writers of the New Testament giving strong warnings to believers, encouraging them to live according to the Kingdom of God and not to revert back to the ways of the world. Even though a believer may live contrary to the kingdom, he is still a part of His kingdom, but he will experience the chastening of the God because He is his Father and He loves him and desires that he experience the abundant life that is available to those who are in His kingdom. Because we are not of this world, does not excuse us from being good citizens, but because we belong to His kingdom, we are to be the best citizens, demonstrating His kingdom. Honesty, faith, hope, good character, keeping our word, being dependable, having integrity, being productive, blessing others, etc. are all a part of being in His kingdom. Let us realize afresh that we belong to another kingdom-the kingdom of God.
Matthew 13:11 “And He answered them, ‘To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.’”
Blessings,
Buddy
John 17:6,16 “I manifested Thy name to the men who Thou gavest Me out of the world; Thine they were, and Thou gavest them to Me, and they have kept Thy word. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
How can it be? As believers, we have careers, we go shopping, we pay bills, we take vacations, we go to the doctor, we eat, we play sports, we listen to music, we watch the news, we socialize, etc. etc. and yet we are not “of the world?” There are no greater differences, or opposites than being of the world, or not being of the world. The phrase in this verse, “Thine they were” helps us understand the verse. Even long before we were born physically, God knew us, and He knew all of the details surrounding our birth and our life- it’s awesome, and life changing to know that we belonged to Him eons ago! Our life on earth is just a brief period of time where we come to know our Father and what it means to be His sons and daughters; and it’s a time of preparation for our eternal life with Him. In God’s grand design, being born on the same planet where Satan “roams about” is no accident. A key part of our training on Earth is that of learning to overcome evil-that’s where Satan comes in- just as Jesus did while He was on Earth. As I have often said, God did not desire robots, but He desired a people who would be drawn to Him, and transformed by His love that He demonstrated in Christ. The world-those who do not know Him-are in darkness and limited to a life separated from God. Jesus came to Earth demonstrating the kingdom of God and those who believe that He is the Son of God and that He was crucified on our behalf, have been adopted into His family and now are a part of His kingdom. Because we are in His kingdom, we live with a different perspective and different motivation in life than those who are not in His kingdom. There is no over-lapping, or gray area when it comes to comparing the kingdom of the world and the kingdom of God. Just one example of the stark differences of the two worlds: the world is focused on getting, while the kingdom of God is based on giving. (Those in the world may give, but it is based on getting something in return.) By being a part of His kingdom, we are eternal beings and physical death is not the “end,” but is actually the time when our “mortal puts on immortality” and we go to live forever with Him. As said above, Jesus demonstrated the Kingdom of God, and the scriptures were given to instruct us concerning His kingdom; and He gave us new hearts and minds, and placed His Spirit within us, equipping us for life in His kingdom. As believers, we must realize that it is possible for us to fall short of living and enjoying life as He designed life to be in His kingdom. We often find the writers of the New Testament giving strong warnings to believers, encouraging them to live according to the Kingdom of God and not to revert back to the ways of the world. Even though a believer may live contrary to the kingdom, he is still a part of His kingdom, but he will experience the chastening of the God because He is his Father and He loves him and desires that he experience the abundant life that is available to those who are in His kingdom. Because we are not of this world, does not excuse us from being good citizens, but because we belong to His kingdom, we are to be the best citizens, demonstrating His kingdom. Honesty, faith, hope, good character, keeping our word, being dependable, having integrity, being productive, blessing others, etc. are all a part of being in His kingdom. Let us realize afresh that we belong to another kingdom-the kingdom of God.
Matthew 13:11 “And He answered them, ‘To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.’”
Blessings,
Buddy
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