In my last blog, I mentioned a statement by the Apostle Paul in which he said that we are to be in the world but not of the world. I would like to follow up on that statement in this week’s blog.

The word, ‘world’, is used in different ways in the Bible. There are passages in which the word refers to the created order, the physical realm, the world of beauty and wonder which was designed and made for the pleasure of God. Then there are other passages which use the word in the sense of the world of humanity. When Jesus said to Nicodemus, “For God so loved the world…” He was making reference to the human family. God gave Jesus, and Jesus gave His life, for the purpose of providing salvation to fallen and lost humanity.

Then there is a third way the word is used. John admonishes believers in his first letter to not love the world, or the things of the world. This should be understood as a reference to worldly systems, philosophies, ways of thinking. The term ‘world view’ is used as a reference to these worldly systems. The ways of the world are always in contrast to the ways of God, which are revealed in His Word.

World views can be seen in the philosophies of man, the political systems devised by man, the religious systems created by man, the ways of giving answer to the many perplexities of life envisioned by man.

Jesus came into a world filled with various philosophies, political systems, religions, and supposed answers to those perplexing questions of life. He came into a world that was steeped in the failed attempts of man to explain that which is beyond explanation. That is, without explanation when one tries to explain without having God at the center of the explanation.

To be in the world and yet not of the world would mean that we not allow ourselves to be duped by the worldly systems of belief and explanation. Worldly explanations, man-made explanations, which leave God out of the equation, always fall miserably short of providing a justifiable and acceptable answer to the perplexing questions of life. However, when one puts God at the very center of striving to find a justifiable and reasonable explanation, the explanation then comes easily. I don’t mean by this that it solves all the enigmas and perplexities of life. But that is where the principle of faith comes in. The Bible gives us answers, but many of those answers have to be embraced by faith – belief in the explanations the Bible offers even when they don’t give every specific detail.

For example, consider the creation account as recorded in the first two chapters of the Bible. We are told that God created everything out of nothing. It tells us that on six successive days of creative activity God brought everything into existence. It does not give a detailed account of the how of creation, but it does tell us about the what of creation. We are then left to embrace this teaching by faith.

A worldly system of belief that is void of God will strive to find other explanations. Thus, alternate attempts to explain that which cannot be explained without God. The extreme danger that believers in the Bible’s testimony face is the desire to go farther than the Bible goes in its explanations. When we try to go farther, then we enter into the realm of speculation. Speculation is completely subjective, based entirely on the reasoning ability of the one speculating. My speculations are just as valid as anyone else’s. However, if my speculations run contradictory to the clear teachings of Scripture, then I have entered the realm of the worldly systems of belief and explanation. And by doing that, I have put myself on the throne of my life, being a ‘god’ unto myself.

So, back to the initial statement in this blog. We live in the world. That is a necessity. But we don’t have to live as the world. That is a choice. As Christians, we are to live according to the clear teachings of Scripture. And, when we find ourselves faced with the teachings of the Word of God which are contradictory to the teachings of the world, we are to embrace God’s Word and reject the world’s way of explanation.

In the world, but not of the world. May that be our desire and intent in every aspect and area of life.