“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable (or intelligent) service; and be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” Romans 12:1-2
“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17.
It was from the Scriptures that he was made wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus (2 Tim. 3:15). By the Scriptures he knew that his sins were all put away, and that he had received eternal life (Acts 10:43; 13:38, 39; John 5:24; 1 John 5:13); from being a lost, ruined, guilty sinner (Rom. 3:23, 9-19); having no hope and without God in the world (Eph. 2:12).
But now all such are children of God (Gal. 3:26; 1 John 3:1, 2); they are made members of the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:12, 13); and the Holy Spirit ever dwells in them as temples of the Holy Ghost (1 Cor. 6:19), shedding abroad the love of God in their hearts (Rom. 5:5); helping them to understand, and to enjoy their place and portion in Christ, and to have Christ as their object to live for day by day; His love their constraining power to do His will (2 Cor. 5:14-15).
How different believers in Christ, therefore, are from the world, and what they are to aim at is to follow Christ, and to be like Him. They can sing as their desire,
“Like Thee in faith, in meekness, love,
In every beauteous grace:
From glory into glory changed
Till we behold Thy face.”
How different in God’s sight is the believer from the unsaved world. The one is light, the other is darkness; the one is righteousness, the other is unrighteousness; the one is Christ (life), the other is Belial, or worthless to God (2 Cor. 6:14, 15); the one is reconciled to God (Rom. 5:10); the other is alienated in mind by wicked works (Col. 1:21).
Believers walk in the light, and are to follow the One who loved them and gave Himself for them, constrained by that love to live no longer to themselves, but unto Him who died for them and rose again (2 Cor. 5:14,15). If therefore, they are to follow Him, they must learn where He is,
“If any man serve Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there shall also My servant be; if any man serve Me, him will My Father honor.” John 12:26. May we be learners at His feet like Mary (Luke 10:38-42), so that we may rightly divide the word of truth (2 Tim. 2:15).
The kingdoms of this world are to become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ (Rev. 11:10), and He will reign from shore to shore, unto earth’s remotest bounds (Psa. 72).
Israel was God’s elect nation, and they expected their Messiah at the time Jesus was born (Isa. 9:6, 7), but they did not discern that He was first to suffer before these glories would come to Him. Psalm 22; Isaiah 53, tell of His atoning sufferings as the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world. He therefore allowed men to manifest the wickedness of their hearts (true of all our hearts by nature) in rejecting, scourging, crowning Him with thorns, and crucifying Him.
At the same time, He was, through the eternal Spirit, offering Himself to God, making atonement for sin, and on the cross He cried, “It is finished,” then bowed His head and gave up His spirit to the Father. The world gave Him a cross and a grave! But God raised Him from the dead, thus declaring His satisfaction in all His blessed Son had accomplished in bearing the judgment and breaking the enemy’s power (Heb. 2:14, 15). He is now exalted, crowned with glory and honor at God’s right hand, waiting till His enemies be made His footstool (Psa. 110).
The rejection and crucifixion of Christ, and the malice and hatred of the Jews, were made the occasion by God to work out His purposes of Grace, purposes hidden in God before the foundation of the world (Eph. 3:3-10; Rom. 16:25, 26). Instead of setting up His millennial kingdom, the Holy Ghost was given (Acts 2:33) to those waiting believers in Jerusalem, and they were thus baptized into one body – this was the beginning of the church of God (1 Cor. 12:12-13).
This truth was first unfolded to Paul the Apostle. It is not mentioned in the Old Testament. In types and figures we can see it now, but never before Paul was converted, except that our Lord spoke of it in Matthew 16 as still future, “I will build My church.” This present period from Pentecost till Christ comes for His heavenly people, is the time when by the preaching of the gospel, God is calling out from the world, and adding to Christ as Head, all true believers who have believed the gospel to the salvation of their souls (Eph. 1:13).
The Christian is therefore called out from the world by the grace of God (Eph. 2:8; 2 Tim. 1:9). Our Lord’s words are, “They are not of the world even as I am not of the world.” He has sanctified (that is, set apart) Himself, that they also might be set apart through the truth. Holy and heavenly is their character and position now (John 17:9; Heb. 3:1),
Up to Noah’s day there were no laws or rulers and, the earth was filled with violence and corruption (Gen. 6:11). After the flood, Noah was appointed as chief ruler (Gen. 9).
Ever since then, in every country, the powers that be for the government of the peoples, were and are ordained of God. This we see in Romans 13:1-6; Titus 3:1; 1 Peter 2:13-15. In these verses Christians are exhorted to be subject to these powers, and it is noticeable that Christianity in the Word of God does not interfere with the laws of the land to change them for what might seem better. They are like foreigners, subject to the laws, and not interfering with them.
Paul the Apostle sent Onesimus a runaway slave back to his Christian master Philemon. Paul owned the legal claim, but counted on grace to send him back to Paul again, not as a slave but as a brother beloved in the Lord. (Read that beautiful letter to Philemon.)
In Ephesians 6, and Colossians 4, the slave is exhorted to serve his master as if he was serving Christ (see also 1 Cor. 7:21-22). The master was not commanded to set them free, but was to treat them as having a Master himself.
All this shows the difference between the world and the Christian as subject to the laws of the land, but not taking part in the government. If Christians follow their Lord, they will share His rejection.
“To you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on Him, but also to suffer for His sake.” Philippians 1:29. But what blessedness their portion is in Him (Eph. 1:3).
What then has the Christian to do with the world? He has his place to fill in it for his Lord, in his business, in his household, and in the church of God (Col. 3:17), and he owes to the world a testimony of Christ as Saviour.
In Philippians 3:20, “Our conversation,” means, our citizenship, our associations of life are in heaven; we are distinctly a heavenly people. We have been taken out, and then sent back as the Father sent the Son (John 17:18; 20:21). We are strangers and pilgrims now (1 Peter 2:11). Our home is not yet reached, we are on the journey, and since this is the language of the Christian, how could he consistently join the forces of this world to accomplish their objects. “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers” (2 Cor. 6) declares to them.
In Lot’s case, it was the downward track. He pitched his tent toward Sodom, then he lived in it, then ran for Judge, and sat in the gate, but in trying to improve the world besmeared himself, and his testimony was ruined, – he was saved as by fire. What a history was his! Let believers take warning.
God is still allowing this age to run on. Is it improving in any way? Inventions increase, but human life is of little value; evil men and seducers wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. No, it does not improve morally, God is forgotten, and men are hurrying into eternity, deluded by the god of this world (2 Cor. 4:3,4). How is it? The world did not vote for Christ, they chose Barabbas instead of Jesus. They put in the wrong man, and are still doing so. Ezekiel 21:27 declares.
“I will overturn, overturn, overturn it: and it shall be no more, until He come whose right it is; and I will give it Him.”
Why then should the Christian defile himself by dabbling in things that belong to the citizens of earth? Why not stand up for the Lord, and give out His gospel as the only means to put men right? They cannot put the world right, but God still waits in long suffering grace, and bears with it, and so must the Christian, but he cannot mix with the world without being defiled. It is surely their duty and privilege to keep their hearts for Christ, engaging their souls in what is for His glory, and the advancement of His heavenly kingdom.
The coming of the Lord draws nigh, and His coming will close this present age of grace, then God will begin to deal with this world, – with Israel and with the Nations. Christ the Lord will reign in righteousness till every knee shall bow, of heavenly, earthly, and infernal beings, and every tongue shall confess Him, – Jesus Christ the Lord – to the glory of God the Father. And wonderful to think of it, we shall be with Him in it all as His heavenly companions, His body and His bride (Rev. 21).
Let Christians awake out of the worldliness the whole church has sunk into. It is only the gospel that can help ruined, helpless sinners. Without Christ all are lost. Do not waste your time. Let the world mind its own things.
“Let the potsherds of the earth strive with the potsherds of the earth.” Isaiah 45:9. Our Lord Jesus says still, “Follow thou Me, and I will make thee fishers of men.” Then we will share in the mind of heaven, and the Lord Jesus shall be glorified.
Men are seeking their own glory, drinking in the old lie of the serpent, “Ye shall be as gods.” When too late they will learn that they are “but men” (Psa. 9:20).
If you are trying to improve the world, your time will be wasted, your soul will be vexed, the righteous judgment of God will fall upon it. His wrath upon them for their sins, and above all for their treatment of His Son will surely come. All the world gave Him was a cross and a grave!
There is yet no compulsion for the child of God to vote, or to take part in the world’s management. If the law made it compulsory, then he could vote, unless it involved disobedience to the Word of God.
Then let the Christian keep himself in the love of God, and in happy separation to honor the name of the Lord Jesus. Our warfare is not with men, but with spiritual wickedness in heavenly places.
Our blessed Lord went through the rejection and the suffering, before He was crowned with glory and honor; and by His grace may we carry ourselves, choosing rather to share His sufferings, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin which are only for a short season.
May we seek grace to follow our worthy Lord and Master. All glory be to His Name!