“Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.”
1 Corinthians 2:12
Turn on the television, or scroll through social media, for more than five seconds and you will notice those “of the world” mocking, insulting, and/or twisting the Gospel Message of Jesus Christ to fit a wrong way of living. These people’s attempts are either to denounce Christianity altogether or spin the Bible to fit worldly views of religion, abortion, homosexuality, drugs, alcohol, and a multitude of other sins. The world calls the close Christ-follower close minded, uneducated, disconnected from reality, fanatic, and ignorant. The world says Christians are not open to philosophy, science, and practicality that fits the mold of popularity, trendiness, and worldliness. The Christian can take two courses of action:
- Compromise (v. bring into disrepute or danger by indiscreet, foolish, or reckless behavior) our witness and testimony of Jesus Christ with the world that goes against all Biblical Truth.
- Preserve (v. maintain in its original or existing state) our witness and testimony of Jesus Christ and hold strong to Everlasting Biblical Truth.
Jesus Christ did not sacrifice His Perfect Life to save us in sin, but from sin. The root of man’s problem is sin and will always be sin, but the answer is Jesus Christ and Him Crucified. Even some churches are proclaiming “come as you are and leave as you are.” The Bible says, “come as you are, but leave reborn and transformed.” In the Presence of Jesus, one comes in as an unclean sinner, but goes out as a saved, pure, delivered, righteous Saint of God. The world teaches adaptation, but the Word of God teaches separation.
“Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord”
2 Corinthians 6:17
Just because the world accepts sin and ungodliness does not mean the Christian should accept or compromise with the ways of the world. A Christian compromising with the world is making a deal with Satan himself who rules the system of this world. The ways of the world are controlled by powers of darkness that leave us naked and vulnerable, but the Salvation of Jesus Christ clothes us in the Spirit of Righteousness that covers us in the Love, Mercy, and Grace of God. Worldliness leads us in the path of death and destruction. Godliness leads us in the path of life, holiness, and restoration. We are delivered and separated from the plural ways of the world and reborn into the singular Way of God through Christ. The promises of the world leave us weak, lonely, hopeless, and hell-bound; however, the Promises of God lead us in strength, fellowship, hopefulness, and Heaven-bound.
The Holy Spirit functions to pull us closer to The Light of Christ and further away from the darkness of the world. The world desires to leave us in darkness. The Light of Jesus Christ radiating within us scatters and exposes the darkness of the world to draw those living in the dark to the Light of the Gospel. Jesus calls us in Matthew Chapter 5, “the salt of the Earth, the Light of the World, a city set upon a hill, and to let your light shine before men.” Our separation and example as Christians should draw the lost into a unification with Christ and separation from the world and its depravity. The Bible is about serving the Lord, being united with God, and separate from the world.
“If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
John 8:31-32
If we settle our minds between the covers of God’s Word, we close our minds off to worldliness and sin while opening our hearts, minds, and souls to life and godliness. It is best to walk a narrow, lonely road in full fellowship with Jesus Christ than to walk a broad, popular road without Him.
