How few Christians understand what it means when the Word of God says "the world." We think of creation, of this globe. But in Rom. 12 God speaks of the world system—this world. Satan is its god and its prince. It reminds me of a large department store with many departments, and upstairs in the office is the manager. Satan is the manager of this great world system.
ITS RELIGIOUS DEPARTMENT: Any man or woman can go and enter into a little religion without Christ, get a good feeling, get excited, emotional, religious and be as proud as is possible. They can be proud of that empty, cold, modernistic religion but without Christ.
THE SOCIETY WORLD: Young people dress to kill, wear the latest fashions, and enjoy the glass, the ash trays, the dance, the vanity of it all trying to outdo each other and acting as if they really had found happiness. Instead, they have that empty feeling—those wasted hours, unprofitable, and after all, nothing but a headache, or a heartache the next morning.
THE BUSINESS WORLD: Here is pretended concern over fellowmen, but each out there is only for self, promotion, and self-exaltation.
THE SPORTS WORLD: Speed, action, and ungodliness are evident. We find foul language, seeking to put self forward, and prizefighters, poor slaves of men, whose bodies are punched until the mind is foggy. Satan, the manager, causes the seasons to extend from baseball into the hockey season, the hockey season into the golf season, etc.
“They are idle," cried Pharaoh. "Keep them busy, no straw, and yet the same number of bricks." And so today Satan takes away the straw from God's people and cries, "They are idle; they want to be separated from this world so they can worship their God. Keep them busy, take away the straw so they have to work overtime-no time for prayer or Bible reading, no time for Christ, no time to sit at His feet to hear His word.”
Such is the world, but why? Because "sin" is here and because there is a spot in this very world in which we live where the world—this present evil world—dared to nail the Christ of God to Calvary's cross, choosing Barabbas, a robber, murderer and gang-leader in place of God's Christ. The world wanted Barabbas, and they have Barabbas, for his spirit is loose and there are not enough jails or penitentiaries to hold all the criminals. The great majority of them are loose and many of them leaders in society. Such is the world which will soon feel the stroke of divine judgment. Thank God we are not of it, and we will be caught out of it before judgment falls, for we shall hear that shout, the voice of our Beloved!
E. Wakefield